Deep Rock Galactic

Miner dwarves in space; need we say more? Deep Rock Galactic is one of the most creative looter-shooters available, both in concept and in execution. Join up to three friends as you explore the depths of treacherous procedurally generated mines. In space, no one can hear you scream – much less if you’re deep inside a space mine.

Featuring some crisp and vivid visuals, and some solid FPS controls, Deep Rock Galactic has all the right ingredients of a successful co-op multiplayer game. Not even the unfair maps can sully the fun, even though it can absolutely ruin those perfect runs.

Shoot. Loot. Mine. Repeat.

Deep Rock Galactic formula is entirely committed to its fast-paced action and simple gameplay. You won’t find a deep plot, convoluted world-building, or any of that artsy stuff that fills so many hours of modern AAA games. Instead, this is a game that rewards players for picking it up and playing it with friends – plain, simple, and to the point.

As a member of a group of space dwarves, your job is to explore remote planets in search of valuable loot. Of course, there’s more than rocks in these celestial bodies. More often than not, players will run across hordes of hostile aliens that get in the way between them, and tons of rewards.

Visually, the game is quite similar to No Man’s Sky. Conceptually, however, the idea of exploring distant worlds with your friends is one heck of a plan for a co-op multiplayer shooter.

Procedurally Generated Destruction

Like any modern survival game worth its salt, Deep Rock Galactic offers procedurally generated maps instead of manually crafted ones. The results of this can lead to some frustration, as some maps are more playable than others.

In some instances, maps can be generated with what seems like an unfair amount of enemies. Resources are also randomly generated, so you’ll be exploring planet after planet, hoping that the next one you visit has all the materials you need.

Like Noita, almost every element of the Deep Rock Galactic’s landscape can be destroyed. As a miner, your job relies on you, well, mining in rocks looking for valuable minerals.

At the beginning of each level, players will be given an objective that they need to reach to proceed. How they reach that objective is entirely up to them. Sometimes, the best answer will be to build an intricate set of tunnels to maximize looting, while the rest of the time it would be better to just dig a hole straight to the finish line.

Tech and Visuals

One of the most unusual aspects of Deep Rock Galactic is its unique visuals. The game uses a combination of low-poly models with some solid shading to create some of the most realistically alien worlds we’ve seen so far in an indie game.

The darkness of the caves is kept at bay by your trusty lights, which cast some nicely detailed light shafts and create some menacing shadows in your path. Once the action begins, the hordes of hostile aliens all look properly terrifying, even for how cartoony they actually are.

Pros

• Charming visuals and great performance
• Excellent sense of exploration
• Great implementation of destructible environments

Cons

• Some procedurally generated maps can feel a bit unfair