24 people found this review helpful
Recommended
10.3 hrs last two weeks / 1,950.6 hrs on record (506.8 hrs at review time)
Posted: 26 Nov, 2021 @ 7:17am
Updated: 3 Nov, 2023 @ 7:33am

Did I hear a Rock and Stone?

Deep Rock Galactic (DRG) is one of the finest PvE games I have come across.
The concept is simple, the execution is outstanding and the gameplay is brilliantly addictive.
The Developers have/are very active at patching issues and adding great content to the game.
Content that has all been free to keep this brilliantly wacky community all playing with the same game.
Thank You ‘Ghost Ship Games’


Your job is simple:
As 1 of 4 classes of space dwelling Dwarfs you are hired by the mining company ‘Deep Rock Galactic’ to retrieve minerals and other items of interest from a planetoid called Hoxxes IV, which is home to some very interesting wildlife, including some ‘Bugs’ that are not too friendly.
So be prepared to defend yourself and your fellow Dwarfs.

The Dwarfs:
4 different classes that all bring something a little different to the mission, with class specific weapons, grenades & most importantly, Terrain Traversing Tools.
🔸 The Gunner: Pretty self explanatory, with really big guns he’s your front line killer.
🔹 The Driller: Area of Effect weapons & a great pathforger through the destructible terrain.
🔸 The Scout: A lightweight, accurate, get anywhere miner.
🔹 The Engineer: A support role with mixed weapons & turrets for securing the cave.

⭐Each class is viable and great to play as, but when paired with others, especially a diverse team of all 4 the Co-op element shines through as they become a whole greater than the sum of their parts.

The Missions:
🔸 8 Types. Simple mining, Driller (Doretta) Escort, On-Site Refining, Eliminations...
🔹 10 Biomes. Vastly different areas where all the mission types can be played.
🔸 5 Difficulty levels. Offering harder enemies and greater reward % bonus on your haul.
🔹 3 Complexity. How hard the mine is to traverse.
🔸 3 Lengths. How big the mine is and/or how many minerals you will need to collect.
🔹 11 ‘Warning’ mutators. Low Oxygen, Mactera Plage, Regenerative Bugs…
🔸 8 ‘Anomalies’ mutators. Double XP, Gold Rush, Low Gravity, Mineral Mania…
🔹 Various event (not a constant or requirement). Rewards; Exp, Gold, Infused Cores.

Hoxxes:
There are ‘currently’ 10 very different Biomes in Hoxxes IV from the;
🔸 ‘Sandblaster Corridors’ where high speed winds can blow you around and sandstorms and oblitarate your viewing distance.
🔹 The ‘Magma Core’ where vents of superheated fire can burn you, where damaged terrain can expose red hot material that will burn you and earthquakes can expose large tears in the floor that can, guess what Burn You! ’Hot feet!’
🔸 The recently added ‘Hollow Bough’ that is alive with thorny plants, and even sentient ones that will lunge for you! (No one ever said this job was easy!)
🔹 But if this all gets too much there is always ‘safer’ location like the Beautiful 'Crystalline Caverns’ where you could get electrocuted, or the ‘Glacial Strata’ where you could be frozen in place or maybe, just maybe the ‘Azure Weald’ where there is an abundance of roaming non-hostile life and beautiful bioluminescent foliage.
“This place is almost nice compared to last time”

⭐This variation in environments along with the Complexity, Length, Mission Types, Good/Bad mutators all thrown in the mix of the Procedurally Generated maps creates vast variation that staves of the DaJa Vu feeling that all PvE games fall victim to eventually
(DRG is not immune, it just takes longer than most)


All the Little Things:
What's above is a brief (very brief) overview of a great game, but what makes DRG stand out are all little things that build a world of detail on top.
🔸 Saluting! Raising your PIckaxe and letting out 1 a dozen battle cries. ’Rock and Stone!’
🔹 Beard Physics. (Enough Said?)
🔸 Slapping the red fluffy Dice in the Drop Pod. (Now somewhat of a good luck ritual)
🔹 Seasonal Events. (Oktoberfest, Halloween, Christmas/Yuletide, DRG Anniversary)

Whilst on a Mission
🔸 The destructible terrain. Cut out a path/shortcut, create a sheltered area from ranged enemies, Defendable bunkers (with risks) whatever you want.
(Just remember that if nothing holds it up it will fall! This ain't Mincraft, Gravity works here)
🔹 The automatic/action driven callouts following, well almost everything. ’Were Rich’
🔸 Being able to pet friendly wildlife, and the funny Steeve related comments that come with it.
🔹 The Callout & relationship between the Dwarfs, Bosco, Molly, Dorretor or the Drop Pod.
🔸 The more unique hostiles that can cause chaos/hilarious scenarios.
🔹 Finding those rare mineral nuggets, including that one we have no idea what to do with!?
🔸 The sheer beauty of some of the Biomes. ’Urg, I sound like a damn Leaf Lover’
🔹 The numerous bisar things found in some Biomes. Like wall growths with eyes!?
🔸 The fact DRG WILL leave you down there if you don't make it to the Drop Pod in time!

Whilst in the Space Rig
🔸 The Bar, with drinks for fun or the rotating special that gives you a boost in mission.
🔹 A barrel kicking minigame.
🔸 A Jukebox, with dance floor (that you will dance on, badly)
🔹 An oversized Football and 2 goals that can be placed around the station. (To burn time)
🔸 Mineral trade markets with daily offers. For relieving you of too many Minerals or Gold.
🔹 The Forge! Where you can take blank cores and make unique Weapon upgrades.
🔸 Season unlock Tree. Cos you can never have too many cosmetics, victory moves or Gold!
🔹 The Assignments. Weekly core/mineral hunts, promotion qualifications, new weapon/armour unlocks.
🔸 The Miner Manual. (An in game How to / Wiki)
From the basics of gameplay, Information on Mission types, Perks, Upgrades, known history of Hoxxes IV, Lore for Weapons, Equipment, Enemies…

⭐It's hard to describe, but all the above and other little things act like QoL improvements but for the soul!
They have no need to be in the game to allow it to function but make it all a better place to be, with a depth to the game rarely seen.

The best example of this is Dorettor, which like all other robots has an AI personality.
She originally used to get left behind when the mission was done, but the community felt so bad for her that the developers added the capability for us to take her head with us.
We get no reward, it’s just another level of comradery.
This is the DRG Community. ’Leave no Dwarf Behind’, she is an honorary Dwarf now.


The Cosmetics:
The ridiculous amount to unlock, forge or buy (with in-game gold/minerals you mine);
🔸Hats, 🔹Beards, 🔸Eyebrows, 🔹Moustache’s, 🔸Armour styles & colours, 🔹Skin & Hair colours, 🔸Victory Moves, 🔹Weapon styles & colours, 🔸Pickaxe parts & colours, 🔹Bosco skins & colours…

Promotions, and the unlocking of yet another level of game
🔸 Deep Dives, Matrix Cores and the Forge to turn Infused Cores (from Deep Dives, Events, Assignments) into the Cosmetic or Overclock.
🔹 Deep Dives. 3 consecutive mission with 2 main mission objectives each stage that need to be played consecutively. Keeping all minerals, ammo, health (or lack of) from one to the other. A way to get blank Matrix Cores and ready to forge Infused Cores (Overlocks, Cosmetics…)

⭐ There is always something you can do. The basic grind for Exp & Gold, getting the Minerals for that 100+ cosmetic, getting drunk and doing a mission, completing Assignments for Weapons, Minerals, Matrix cores & more, beating others weekly Deep Dive times.
But mostly, because it's Fun!


Deep Rock Galactic is a Masterpiece
They created an amazing game, with a brilliant concept that has been polished to a glint. They have added to it multiple times without sacrificing what the game is or the Dwarf lifestyle they have built up that creates this weird and wonderful community I am proud to belong to.

Rock and Stone Brothers
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