First published: June 15, 2018
Written by: =420th= SemperFi

Deep Rock Galactic was one of those games that I picked up on an impulse during a listless night of drinking and perusing the Steam store, usually a tragic combination. The reviews were positive, the price seemed right, and I was itching for an excuse to add yet another regretfully short-lived early access game to my trove. I’ll be honest, the game’s synopsis and simplistic graphics did not enamor me, but the night’s boredom got the better of me and I purchased the dang thing.

And so it began.

Take on the deadliest planet in the known galaxy as a team of dwarven mercenary miners in our upcoming procedurally generated co-op sci-fi shooter – Deep Rock Galactic!In the far future, space mining is big business. The interplanetary mining corporation DEEP ROCK GALACTIC specializes in securing the most dangerous dig sites in the galaxy. When they need a team for the toughest missions, they call in the Dwarves – mercenary miners, legendary for their ability to survive underground, and infamous for their brutality in combat. Join a team of up to 4 players to fight, dig and explore your way through enormous cave systems, uncover the greatest riches, and make it out alive.

~ from the official site

After a bout of fumbling with control settings and learning the basics of life as a space mining dwarf, I randomly joined a mission party to see what riches and adventures awaited me. And a short wait it was. The dawdling atmosphere I was growing accustomed to quickly transformed into a maniacal landscape of projectiles, insect parts, screaming and general confusion. But I think it was the screaming that was most memorable. Had I the great fortune of finding an odd team comprised entirely of screamers? Yes, I believe I had. But that only added to the immersion of the mission and before long, I too was screaming much to the chagrin of my wife in the other room.

“Why are you so upset?” She inquired.

“I’m not. Things just got a little out of hand. I mean, bugs everywhere. Huge bugs! Caves. Dark caves, filled with bugs. Head grabbing things on the ceilings.” I motioned wildly with my hands.

She had heard enough and promptly left to go squeeze an orange.

Now at this point, you’re probably wondering what kind of review this is. Where’s all the obligatory talk about the game interface, graphic quality, environment, level design, and all that jazz? Well, there’s plenty of reviews like that easily found with a few clicks on the web. Do we really need another?  (Yet, to appease those that came here in search of a legit review, I’ve included a review video below.)

So here’s a quick overview of the stuff I liked:

• Procedural generated maps. No two caves are alike!
• Lots of different gun customizations to level up and try
• Four very distinct classes and oodles of perks
• Screaming. Lots of screaming. (Your mileage may vary depending on group.)
• Great creepy atmosphere (highly recommended for claustrophobics who are looking to work on their embarrassing and debilitating condition)
• Smooth graphical performance despite a literal hurricane of bugs, explosions, fire and shooting
• Active developers who engage with their user-base and release updates at a relatively brisk tempo. I mean, check out this impressing roadmap!.

So along the way, I met some cool new friends, shared beers and tales of heroism on the space rig, and together we engaged in some memorable antics.

Your own adventure awaits. Now get out there.

By the way, anyone know the record for vertically stacking ammo resupply drops? I think our record is 10. I’ve included some videos below, you know, for science.

The Totem Tower of Power