REVIEW: ‘Deep Rock Galactic’ – Mining Has Never Been So Fun (PS5)

With an initial release on the Xbox One and PC in May 2020, Deep Rock Galactic has officially come to the PS4 and PS5. And its transition to the Playstation feels almost effortless. So take up your pickaxe and become a cog in the machine working for a space mining corporation.

Developer Ghost Ship Games puts players in the shoes of a space dwarf whose work involves mining and slaying alien monsters, all for the sake of capitalism. Now, the most tenacious mining company out there, Deep Rock Galactic, is taking on its most daring operation to date: the subjugation of Hoxxes IV. Known to be highly lucrative but also exceptionally hostile, players will be challenged to mine out resources while staying alive long enough to return to their space rig safe and sound.

Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative first-person shooter that lets you play with up to three other players. And while you can play alone, with a drone to help you out, the game really blooms when you have a few other players tagging along, especially when things get complicated. Missions can be as simple as searching for and mining a specific element. But later assignments will challenge your teamwork with tasks like protecting a massive drill or finding and reassembling M.U.L.E.s, robots that act as a mobile depository for resources you mine.

On top of more complicated missions, challenges and modifiers are added, including funny effects, like your normally deep-voiced character speaking in a high-pitched voice, but also add some fun challenges, like ghost enemies that can’t be harmed but will do damage. And there’s no reason to get bored because there are new missions available daily. Everything is procedurally-generated, including the mission locations. So you’ll never encounter the same cave twice. And with completely destructible environments, Deep Rock Galactic provides hours and hours of fun. Deep Rock Galactic is not only plenty challenging but also provides a great atmosphere.

The various environments players will encounter are not only gorgeous but bring with them some challenging environmental hazards and hordes of aliens. From icy caverns to chasms filled with radioactive crystals, the environments are the definition of beautiful but deadly. And the aliens that inhabit these areas provide their own challenge with fun mechanics like shooting weak spots and dodging acid.

With four distinct classes for players to pick from, it is easy for players to complement each other’s playstyles and take on different roles in each mission. You’ll be able to choose between the Gunner, Scout, Driller, and Engineer. All have their own sets of weapons and abilities—for example, the Engineer can create platforms and place turrets while the Gunner can generate a shield and lay down ziplines for the team. Add in the ability to pick and choose upgrades, and you can create a pretty distinct character and play the way you want. While not the most extensive upgrade system out there, the handful of classes and options provide enough choice to make players want to work to upgrade everything. And with a Battle Pass that is 100% free, there’s no reason not to put in the work.

Deep Rock Galactic‘s controls are easy to handle with a controller, and few aspects of the gameplay feel off. My only big qualm is that the movement can be easy to misjudge on occasion. For example, it’s a bit hard to tell where your character’s mass is with its first-person perspective. So, if you jump and are a bit too close to a wall, it will often propel you off the ledge you’re standing on. Add in a little bit of weird physics, like dying from fall damage from a small drop while not being damaged at all after falling down a vast chasm, and you’ll likely have a few choice words for the game during stressful missions. But that ire is quickly smoothed over by the sheer fun of mining, killing aliens, and playing with friends.

A smaller disquiet is with the tutorial system. While it will definitely get you on your feet, and the short stint of guided missions will get you up to speed on the objectives you’ll encounter, it doesn’t explain everything, like using the drone when you’re playing alone. However, with a bit of experimentation and button-mashing, you’ll eventually figure everything out.

While the Playstation version of Deep Rock Galactic has a few downsides here and there, overall, the game is a blast to play with your friends. The procedurally-generated environments, endless variations on missions, and the customization will provide hours upon hours of fun and challenges. If you’re looking for a co-op game to play with your friends, this is the one.

Deep Rock Galactic is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One.