Deep Rock Galactic is a shocking gem

A clever setting with fluid gameplay may top even Back 4 Blood for new Left 4 Dead clone

PlayStation announced its lineup for their PlayStation Plus free games of January a few weeks back: Persona 5 Strikers, Dirt 5, and Deep Rock Galactic.

A fine line up, for sure, with Persona 5 Strikers seeming like the likely standout and crown jewel of the Jan. 2022 cast, but on recommendation of Blessing Adeoye Jr. on Kinda Funny’s PS I Love You episode 101, Deep Rock Galactic is worthy of a chance. 

A friend and I found it also on Xbox Game Pass so we decided to download it and give it a chance. I only found the time to play it once this week for a few hours, but even in the short session of play, Deep Rock Galactic may be a sleeper hit.

Deep Rock Galactic, described by Ghost Ship Games, is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. This game is very akin to a Left 4 Dead mixed with Minecraft.

You play as a heavily-armored dwarf in a procedurally-generated asteroid mine deep in space. With four different classes, your group of dwarves can go on missions to gather a specified resource while fighting off hordes of alien enemies.

The atmosphere of the caves is eerie and full of suspense knowing that an alien may pop out at any time or a new alien may appear that will throw you for a loop. It also has just enough of a challenge that getting to the extraction point feels like a real dash to safety. 

With the amount of different skill sets that each class has, we found that there is a huge benefit to having a four person team. With only two, we had run into some problems that with four people could be solved much easier.

In the hub between missions, there are a ton of customization options with weapons, pickaxes, armor, cosmetics and skills. In later missions, I am sure that certain builds are necessary to completing certain objectives. 

There is also no lack of content with basic missions and long mining dives. There also is a season system in place to gather different upgrades, cosmetics and currencies. 

The entire aesthetic of the game is pleasing and interesting with a mix of fantasy dwarven lore and a very science fiction setting. It is complimented with a great soundtrack that fits into certain moments very well. It adds to the hype and the dash to the finish line.

Through PS Plus or Game Pass, I’d highly recommend giving this a try. It was a pleasant surprise that I didn't see coming. If you can gather a group of friends or even a team of two, then Deep Rock Galactic is worth your time.