Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, which is a survivor-type spinoff of the Left 4 Dead-esque shooter, Deep Rock Galactic, has recently dug into the early access phase. And while it’s been having a positive and promising reception, it’s a little too hard for certain players with some failing to get past its initial levels.
Players are Digging Themselves into a Hole
A recent forum post on Steam has sparked a discussion regarding Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor‘s difficulty. Steam user Shroom, the original poster, even stated that they couldn’t get past the second dive or the second stage of the first map while asking for tips from the community.
Several players have agreed with the sentiment with some even claiming that the developers ‘didn’t test their own game.’ Others cited that they had tried out the demo prior to the early access release and the balancing was better back then.
For the record, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is a “horde-survivor-type” action game similar to Vampire Survivors where you have no control over your character’s attacks from a top-down perspective. All you can do is direct and maneuver their movements while they automatically attack swarms of enemies.
To help you survive, you get upgrades and you also have to be tactical with every movement and moment-to-moment decision-making or risk-taking.
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is Hard Though
So out of curiosity, I tested out the game as well and found out that my sentiments aligned with how the game is too hard. My run ended in the third dive after the giant bug swarms ruined all the chokepoints I set up.
For reference, the judgment is coming from a Souls veteran who stubbornly (and barely) won against Elden Ring‘s Malenia solo (with no Mimic Tear or NPCs) and managed to kill the Reaper in Vampire Survivors.
Much of Deep Rock Galactic Survivor‘s difficulty revolves around the guns’ slow reload speeds. The sudden difficulty spike is also notable, particularly in how they abruptly introduced too many enemy varieties too soon, not to mention the bugs that explode on contact. Level-up upgrades can also feel too stingy or weak.
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor Can Always Improve
We do have to remember that Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is still in early access and thus has plenty more room for improvement. If the consensus of difficulty ramps up and continues (or even affects the ratings), the developers might adjust the game’s difficulty.
For now, it might be best to just grit your Dwarven teeth behind that scraggly beard and dig deeper, even though you might be digging your own grave.
