Ghost Ship Games are the lovely developers behind one of the best co-op action games to ever run on a hard drive! Deep Rock Galactic holds a special place in my heart simply because it completely threw me off guard and offset my expectations. I’ve been playing since the early access days on Steam back in 2017 and haven’t stopped! It gets a lot right with content and that is all thanks to the amazing developers that treat its players with respect and build the title in conjunction with the community.

For those unfamiliar with the title, Deep Rock Galactic is a four-player co-op first-person shooter that centers around an intergalactic mining company run by dwarves. They scour the galaxy searching for precious mining materials on alien planets. The four-player dwarven team must explore the depths of the planet's caves in search of said gems, all while fighting for survival from the never-ending alien onslaught.

The game has multiple modes with different objectives to spice up the gameplay. There are four different classes, each with their own weapons and items that help the team reach their quota. With the recent introduction of free Seasonal updates, progression and player customization is better than ever and give players more of a reason to keep playing!

Deep Rock Galactic is a fine mixture of intense chaotic horde-based gameplay and exploration. There are six different biomes in the game that all have their own unique gameplay niche other than their aesthetic differences. The sand biome is much easier to dig and manipulate the terrain but periodic sandstorms threaten your line of sight. The glacial biome is filled with snow and ice that allows the player to fall from great heights while taking minimal damage when landing on the soft snow piles. However, the constant threat of becoming a frozen popsicle looms throughout the mission due to periodic snowstorms and ice-mutated aliens. These are just two great examples of how varied the gameplay can get.

On top of this additional layer of unknowns is the fact that no two matches are ever the same because of the fantastic RNG system. The caves are always randomly generated, creating a unique experience every single time you hop into your Drop Pod and take on a mission. Throughout my hundreds of hours of playtime, I have yet to experience a cave that even felt somewhat similar. Alien spawns, loot placement, objectives, and cave layouts are always different. This helps create a feeling of an endless gameplay loop which is very hard to nail correctly. Some recent co-op titles, such as Back 4 Blood, try to replicate some form of RNG but nowhere near the scale of Deep Rock Galactic.

I have a hard time finding a game that I can play consistently for years and still have it be just as entertaining as the first time. I have always preferred co-op multiplayer games as opposed to competitive simply because it tends to reward teamwork over MVP gameplay. I love my fair share of competitive titles like Halo, Call Of Duty, and Battlefield but co-op games are my go-to. Deep Rock Galactic gives players the tools to foster great teamwork and reinforces it with an addictive and satisfying gameplay loop. The key ingredients to making a great game and an all-time favorite for any co-op first-person shooter fan.