Update (23/5/20): With officially launching, Deep Rock Galactic has retained everything that made it great during its Early Access days, and then some, while Ghost Ship Games have proven to me that even games in Early Access can be worth your time, as long as they're in the hands of the right developers.

The complaints I've had in the original review about the upgrade and perk systems being too straightforward have been completely alleviated, as the developers have expanded on both of them. Weapons have received multiple balance patches to make all of them viable and fun to use, and the Overclock System, which lets you equip your weapons with powerful mods, some of which completely change the way they function, allow for various playstyles, even with the same weapon.

Perks have also undergone similar changes, with them now being split into Active and Passive. Active perks can be activated a certain amount of times, gated either by a usage cap or a cooldown, while Passive ones have bonuses that persist throughout the mission.

All the other systems, such as the bar, weapon and armour customization and the brand new pickaxe customization, have been substantially improved upon as well. No one can say that Deep Rock Galactic lacks options for players to express themselves.

The Soundtrack, which was already excellent, has almost doubled in length. All of the new tracks fit the game well, with some of them being even better than the old ones.

Complaints boil down to a couple of annoying glitches, especially ones that are related to sound, that have been present even during my initial review. Some areas of the Space Rig, the hub area in the game, are still seemingly unfinished, as they lack the proper models, still using basic ones from Early Access, and texturing. You also get reprimanded by the game's narrator when entering certain areas, with him citing that they are still "under construction", despite them being finished. One has to ask themselves, could Deep Rock Galactic not have spent an additional month in Early Access to iron these issues out, as it still would have made its Q2 2020 launch window.

Overall, it is a beautiful game with plenty of content, some of the best co-op gameplay there is, rich customization, a great soundtrack, and enough variety to keep you entertained for dozens, if not hundreds of hours, and it's only bound to get bigger and better in the future, as devs already have additional mission modes and biomes scheduled to release later this year. It's just a shame it couldn't have been polished to its entirety before release, as it cheapens and gives a bit of an arbitrary feeling to the Early Access tag, as if it wasn't already so.



Update (28/11/19): Nominated for the Labor of Love Steam Award. Even in the short period that I have owned the game, Ghost Ship Games have shown the utmost respect for their community, and a dedication to their game that is hard to find anywhere else.

Original Review:

I'm not one to purchase Early Acces titles, but I respect a lot of things Deep Rock Galactic is doing and trying to do.

For starters, it's got its core gameplay loop down. All that should be done now is add more of what we already have, while polishing what is already there, without trying to reinvent it. It's clearly a game with a focused vision and an experienced development team behind it, so I hope that it will avoid falling into the trap of endless content creep.

While the game's gunplay is surprisingly satisfying, there's a lot more to it than that. The co-op element is greatly emphasized, as it should be. Each of the 4 classes has its own unique abilities and they all complement each other well. For example, if the team spots a mineral vein high up on the wall, the Engineer can use his platform gun to put a platform underneath it, while the Scout uses his grappling hook to climb onto it and mine the vein. It elevates the gameplay above "4 people shooting at a thing in the room... TOGETHER " which co-op titles tend to boil down to more often than not.

Playing alone unfortunately means that you'll be missing out on the great co-op experience, but it can provide you with a more atmospheric and tense one, thanks to the great visuals and lighting effects. Every aspect of the game's presentation is focused on making you immersed as much as possible. Even the way you select, go to and from missions, and spend time in the lobby are all connected and make sense within the game's world.

Completing missions nets you gold, minerals, as well as perk points, that you can then use to upgrade your gear, stats, and customize your character. While the customization is varied enough, the upgrade and perk systems are a little bit bare-bones, as they don't offer much room for experimentation, essentially forcing you into always picking the upgrade that's objectively the best instead of the one that's the most suited for your playstyle. I feel like this is the only element of the game that should be revised before launch to give it more depth. Even so, it's far from not being serviceable and, outside of some technical ones, the only issue I have with the game.

Regarding the aforementioned technical issues, there's the occasional sound glitch when interacting with some objects, especially the resupply pod, as well as some inconsistencies with the terrain's hitboxes. Nothing that noticeably hampers the experience, but can take you out of it.

If the developers keep up this level of quality while staying focused and not falling into the trap that is endless content creep, Deep Rock Galactic will become a must-own title once it officially launches out of Early Access later this year.

[b] Update (23/5/20): [/b] With officially launching, Deep Rock Galactic has retained everything that made it great during its Early Access days, and then some, while Ghost Ship Games have proven to me that even games in Early Access can be worth your time, as long as they're in the hands of the right developers. The complaints I've had in the original review about the upgrade and perk systems being too straightforward have been completely alleviated, as the developers have expanded on both of them. Weapons have received multiple balance patches to make all of them viable and fun to use, and the Overclock System, which lets you equip your weapons with powerful mods, some of which completely change the way they function, allow for various playstyles, even with the same weapon. Perks have also undergone similar changes, with them now being split into Active and Passive. Active perks can be activated a certain amount of times, gated either by a usage cap or a cooldown, while Passive ones have bonuses that persist throughout the mission. All the other systems, such as the bar, weapon and armour customization and the brand new pickaxe customization, have been substantially improved upon as well. No one can say that Deep Rock Galactic lacks options for players to express themselves. The Soundtrack, which was already excellent, has almost doubled in length. All of the new tracks fit the game well, with some of them being even better than the old ones. Complaints boil down to a couple of annoying glitches, especially ones that are related to sound, that have been present even during my initial review. Some areas of the Space Rig, the hub area in the game, are still seemingly unfinished, as they lack the proper models, still using basic ones from Early Access, and texturing. You also get reprimanded by the game's narrator when entering certain areas, with him citing that they are still "under construction", despite them being finished. One has to ask themselves, could Deep Rock Galactic not have spent an additional month in Early Access to iron these issues out, as it still would have made its Q2 2020 launch window. Overall, it is a beautiful game with plenty of content, some of the best co-op gameplay there is, rich customization, a great soundtrack, and enough variety to keep you entertained for dozens, if not hundreds of hours, and it's only bound to get bigger and better in the future, as devs already have additional mission modes and biomes scheduled to release later this year. It's just a shame it couldn't have been polished to its entirety before release, as it cheapens and gives a bit of an arbitrary feeling to the Early Access tag, as if it wasn't already so. [h1] 9/10 [/h1] [b] Update (28/11/19): [/b] Nominated for the Labor of Love Steam Award. Even in the short period that I have owned the game, Ghost Ship Games have shown the utmost respect for their community, and a dedication to their game that is hard to find anywhere else. [b] Original Review: [/b] I'm not one to purchase Early Acces titles, but I respect a lot of things Deep Rock Galactic is doing and trying to do. For starters, it's got its core gameplay loop down. All that should be done now is add more of what we already have, while polishing what is already there, without trying to reinvent it. It's clearly a game with a focused vision and an experienced development team behind it, so I hope that it will avoid falling into the trap of endless content creep. While the game's gunplay is surprisingly satisfying, there's a lot more to it than that. The co-op element is greatly emphasized, as it should be. Each of the 4 classes has its own unique abilities and they all complement each other well. For example, if the team spots a mineral vein high up on the wall, the Engineer can use his platform gun to put a platform underneath it, while the Scout uses his grappling hook to climb onto it and mine the vein. It elevates the gameplay above "4 people shooting at a thing in the room...[b] TOGETHER [/b]" which co-op titles tend to boil down to more often than not. Playing alone unfortunately means that you'll be missing out on the great co-op experience, but it can provide you with a more atmospheric and tense one, thanks to the great visuals and lighting effects. Every aspect of the game's presentation is focused on making you immersed as much as possible. Even the way you select, go to and from missions, and spend time in the lobby are all connected and make sense within the game's world. Completing missions nets you gold, minerals, as well as perk points, that you can then use to upgrade your gear, stats, and customize your character. While the customization is varied enough, the upgrade and perk systems are a little bit bare-bones, as they don't offer much room for experimentation, essentially forcing you into always picking the upgrade that's objectively the best instead of the one that's the most suited for your playstyle. I feel like this is the only element of the game that should be revised before launch to give it more depth. Even so, it's far from not being serviceable and, outside of some technical ones, the only issue I have with the game. Regarding the aforementioned technical issues, there's the occasional sound glitch when interacting with some objects, especially the resupply pod, as well as some inconsistencies with the terrain's hitboxes. Nothing that noticeably hampers the experience, but can take you out of it. If the developers keep up this level of quality while staying focused and not falling into the trap that is endless content creep, Deep Rock Galactic will become a must-own title once it officially launches out of Early Access later this year.