When I first sit down to play Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, I decide to let the game run for 20 minutes and then pause for a productive note-taking session. Three hours later I realize I’m a fool. This is one of those sticky games that can be played in short bursts, but I keep diving into new rounds and as soon as I close the client I think about playing it again.
What’s Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, and how has it claimed my brain so effectively? It’s a pastiche of Vampire survivorsa top-down car shooter, interpreted in the world of Deep Rock Galactic. The premise in it Survivor is the same as the original Deep Rock Galactic — dwarves battle through bugs and critters to mine valuable ore in the world’s most insecure workshop. But while the original title is a four-player co-op game, in this new spin-off I’m alone.
I play a dwarf on a solo mission in the mines. It’s me, my friendly robot Bosco, and a few simple guns. Bosco and I shoot at anything in our vicinity and I can fight my way through walls of rock and stone. The problem is that every monster in the mines is coming at me, and my starting weapons are only making a dent in their armies. Fortunately, ore and monsters both lose experience, which I can use to upgrade my gear or buy new power-ups.
Image: Funday Games/Ghost Ship Publishing
A run starts like this: I have some goals, like getting some specific minerals or killing some bugs. On some runs I get a powerful kinetic plasma cannon that bounces off the terrain. Other times I have to rely on the powerful recoil of a shotgun. If I complete one wave, I’ll dive deeper into the mines, and the danger is constantly increasing over time. Before long, the screen is full of voracious insectoids and delicious experience diamonds.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor‘s mining mechanic adds a nice array of choices. Mining is as automatic as shooting; all I have to worry about is choosing a path and piloting my dwarf. But rock is slower than open ground, and ore is an even bigger obstacle. Am I in danger of mining a precious jewel when a wave of hungry critters comes my way? Should I break across the plain for it, or cut a path through the stone to safer ground?
When I die, it’s often because of my own overconfidence in thinking I could make a clever shortcut or secretly mine a large crystal. On the other hand, I can also mine a path to lead enemies to a choke point that I pelt with plasma shots, and I feel like a big brain genius. The ability to build your own battlefield by blasting through stone is a brilliant addition to the auto-shooter formula.
Image: Funday Games/Ghost Ship Publishing
Dying doesn’t necessarily mean the expedition wasn’t worth it. I can upgrade my dwarf between rounds, increasing their movement speed, mining skill, or weapon damage. Because Survivor is currently in beta, not all upgrades are available to me yet, and there’s a tempting Artifacts tab that’s not currently accessible.
The game also needs some rebalancing. For example, during a conversation with Polygon, developer Funday Games revealed that playtests had revealed that Bosco needs some buffs. I also found myself longing for some more ridiculous, overpowering weapons in the later levels. The existing upgrades have their own niches, but few are showstoppers with huge, exciting power spikes. But even with a limited arsenal, I found myself looking forward to the post-match dopamine hit of assessing my wealth and choosing upgrades.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor has the advantage of being based on a hugely successful title and set in an established world. The game may not reinvent wheels, but I’m not sure if that’s a problem if it’s a really good wheel. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is currently in closed playtesting on Steam and is expected to launch in 2023.