I have spent numerous hours exploring unfamiliar planets, eradicating bugs, and collecting loot with my group of cheerful space dwarves in the well-received 2020 game, Deep Rock Galactic. Unsurprisingly, this experience transitions seamlessly to a single-player, top-down format in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. The pacing may be a bit frantic since its Early Access release, but the exhilarating weapons, formidable foes, satisfying progression, and overall positive atmosphere kept me coming back below ground every chance I got.
Due to my extensive experience with games in the burgeoning roguelike genre like Vampire Survivors and Holocure, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor feels familiar enough to dive right into, yet it also carves out its own unique identity. Starting as one of four distinct classes armed with auto-firing weapons, players enter a hostile environment to combat countless bug-like enemies. What sets Survivor apart is the mining aspect, where players must gather gold and nitra to purchase upgrades, collect rare minerals to unlock permanent upgrades, and hastily obtain specific resources to fulfill bonus objectives for a substantial payout on each floor.
I was initially uncertain if Deep Rock Galactic’s charm would be retained in a single-player experience, given that the original heavily emphasizes camaraderie and teamwork. However, from lively character dialogues to the thrilling soundtrack, Survivor remarkably preserves the game’s positive energy. The world of Deep Rock Galactic has almost become a subculture of its own within multiplayer co-op, and there are numerous delightful references to the community and player-generated memes that demonstrate the thoughtfulness put into this spin-off.
My preferred class has always been the Gunner, and this remains true in this adaptation. It’s perpetually satisfying to mow down swarms of bugs with a barrage of gunfire from up to four different nozzles. With Survivor introducing the concept of reloading, the need to keep a watchful eye on ammo levels and plan preemptively adds a new layer to the genre. Consequently, I consistently prioritized upgrades that reduced reload time, an intriguing aspect of crafting a successful build for challenging runs. Achieving that moment of reaching a lethal critical mass and effortlessly wreaking havoc across the map is equally gratifying here as it is in any other Survivors-style game.
As the Gunner, waiting for weapons to reload, which are typically slow by default, can make a noticeable difference between being a formidable force and being overrun by enemies. The Engineer offers a distinct and engaging gameplay style, primarily relying on stationary turrets that appear when standing still and disappear after a short while. Although challenging at first, I gradually adapted to luring swarms around obstacles and positioning turrets for maximum impact, eventually appreciating the Engineer’s distinctness from the other classes. The enjoyment is further amplified when unlocking multiple turret types, such as ones that generate a chain of lightning between them, serving as potent traps.
Then there’s the Driller, proficient in excavating solid surfaces to guide enemies into traps or escape precarious situations. Once I acquired an upgrade that rewarded XP for breaking rocks, the game felt almost entirely different, allowing me to scour the entire map with my spinning arms and largely disregard enemies. It provides a truly unique way to progress. Each class also features unlockable specializations capable of completely reshaping the playstyle, such as transforming the Gunner into a formidable battle tank.
As for the Scout, well, it’s decent. A perfectly acceptable starter class, but noticeably less captivating compared to the options unlocked later on.
One area where Survivor falls short of the original Deep Rock Galactic is in the brevity of delves, lasting only a few minutes each. This structure makes the game easily consumable, but it occasionally left me feeling unfulfilled on certain maps where I desired more exploration or needed to gather specific items for a bonus objective before time ran out. The hope is to see the addition of longer levels or potentially an endless mode in future updates.
The fleeting runs become more noticeable considering that rare minerals are the sole means of unlocking permanent upgrades, introducing another potential diversion that could undermine meeting bonus objectives. The need to acquire specific minerals for each upgrade category, such as Jadiz for bonus XP, can be somewhat alleviated by exchanging different minerals at a two-to-one ratio or outright purchasing them. This inclusion allows for gradual progression through earning cash, even without actively pursuing those mineral veins.
There are currently only three biomes in the game: the eerie Crystalline Caverns, boiling Magma Core, and overgrown Hollow Bough, each presenting their unique set of enemies, obstacles, and opportunities. Each of these biomes features five hazard levels to unlock, introducing new enemies and bosses, as well as milestone objectives, such as upgrading a specific weapon to its maximum rank. These milestones effectively encouraged me to explore new playstyles and deviate from my usual approach.
However, it did feel as though I ran out of meaningful content rather quickly. It took me approximately six hours to clear every level on the default difficulty, and by that point, I had unlocked all of the classes and most alternate specializations. After about twelve hours, the rewards I was gaining no longer seemed worth grinding for, although the core shooting and looting mechanics remained enjoyable on their own.
It’s important to note that this is an Early Access title, with the somewhat limited options being understandable at this stage. Ideally, the future will bring greater map variety and additional game modes. Nevertheless, the selection of unlockable weapons is ample, featuring everything from flamethrower turrets to lethal revolvers to a chaotic zap gun. It’s difficult to feel as though you’ve made a poor choice due to the sheer enjoyment derived from using them, heightened further by the gratifying sound effects and enemy death animations.