Summary
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivoris an exciting spin-off title ofDeep Rock Galactic, the amazinglyfun space dwarf co-op shooter. It faithfully sticks to the frantic yet enjoyable loop of mining for minerals and precious stones while shooting and running away from hordes upon hordes of alien bugs, but in an auto-shooter survivor setting.
Amid the chaos and missions that need to be completed each time players are dispatched into one of the alien bugs’ worlds, it can get overwhelming tocheck off the to-do listwithout running into some mistakes. This can be costly, especially when players are about to complete their run, only to fall just before the finish line. Here are somemistakes players need to avoidduring their excursions.
8Not Choosing Movement Bonuses
Exploration is key when playingDeep Rock Galactic: Survivor. This is why, when leveling up and picking upgrades, it is essential to get movement speed bonuses first, especially during the first few early runs. Damaging enemies isn’t going to be as urgent an upgrade as getting movement speed bonuses, since players will be more likely to get swarmed by the alien bugs, and their damage output won’t be that high enough to stop them outright.
Having decent movement speed in the early portions of the run allows players to fully explore the level, collect side mission resources, mine Nitra, Gold, and upgrade ores, and dig their way out of dicey situations once the swarm inevitably closes in on them.
7Not Completing Side Missions
Just As Important As the Main Missions
The main goal inDeep Rock Galactic: Survivoris todefeat the Dreadnoughtat the last stage of each run. However, the levels leading to that final fight will see players being tasked to complete side missions apart from taking out the elite enemy per stage.
While generally it is better to focus on taking out the elite enemies, they typically take a while to spawn, leaving players ample time to accomplish side missions. Completing side missions not only give players gold, they also provide a hefty amount of XP. Players need XP to level up and get vital upgrades to their arsenal, ensuring their damage output will be enough for the tougher fights later. This is why it is best practice for players to try and complete the side missions as early as possible before the elite enemy appears.
6Not Mining for Upgrade Materials
Precious Ore is Required for Better Dwarves
Keeping true toDeep Rock Galactic, mining is still an essential game mechanic inDeep Rock Galactic: Survivor. Each level generates random mineral nodes that areessential for upgrading passivesthat dwarves can take advantage of.
During the course of a run, the imminent threat of a swarm can be daunting, and players might skip mining mineral nodes for more urgent missions. However, investing in specific mineral nodes is a good idea because using them for upgrades will make subsequent runs more manageable. That said, players need to be attentive when it comes to what specific mineral node they want to prioritize during runs to avoid being vulnerable to getting swarmed.
5Not Accessing the Supply Drop Items
Clear the Landing Zone and Pick Essential Perks
Supply Drops provide players more versatility and a greater chance of survival during runs. Once it becomes available, players can zero in on the location where the Supply Drop will be deployed. Usually, its landing zone is riddled with terrain and other obstructions that need to be cleared.
After clearing the landing zone, players need to stay in the circle until the Supply Drop lands. During tense moments when a swarm is biting at the player’s heels, staying inside the Supply Drop zone might be risky. Once it lands, players need to remember to get close to the Supply Drop toaccess its perks,which offer more assistance and support for miners during the course of their runs. Clearing the landing zone can be difficult, which is why players should get dutifully rewarded for completing such a task.
4Not Focusing on a Specific Weapon to Level Up
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivorhas four classes players can choose from, each of which have different playstyles, and their arsenals can have varying levels of learning curves. For instance, the Scout is good with light to medium weapons for run-and-gun tactics, while the Driller excels with area-of-effect weapons that generally spew out of the character.
Each weapon can be upgraded, and while it is tempting to level up as many weapons during a run, during the first few hours, it is best to focus on leveling up a particular weapon. Once a weapon reaches a certain level, the player will unlock its Overclock perk that can be activated in subsequent runs. These vary from weapon to weapon, but generally they significantly ramp up the effectiveness of that armament. That is why players should look for a weapon that suits their playstyle and level it up until they unlock its Overclock perk.
3Not Picking Class Mods
Choose Your Dwarf Wisely
Speaking of classes,Deep Rock Galactic: Survivorlets players unlock the four main dwarf miners that have specific classes. After leveling up the miners, eventually they will get a Class Mod which gives them specific attributes whenever they are chosen to start a run.
Generally, the first Class Mod is the most beginner-friendly one, but eventually, taking the other Class Mods for a spin is key, since it will further provide players more insight as to how that miner can best be played. This will open up the door for players toget creative with their buildsand last longer or even complete runs down the line.
2Not Choosing XP Gain Boost
Experience is the Best Teacher
The early stages ofDeep Rock Galactic: Survivorcan feel like the miners’ damage isn’t too strong. To get more bang out of their weapons, players need to level up as often as possible. Apart from taking out bugs, another way to get XP is to choose it whenever players level up.
This might be counter-intuitive for some, since they would rather startupgrading their weapons’ potency, but the long-term gains from investing in getting quick XP allows players to have more options and perks to choose as they go deeper into their runs. Moreover, the more players level up, the more stuff they unlock in subsequent runs.
1Not Checking the Map
Always Check the Upper Left Part of the Screen
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivoronly has three biomes for its stages. They are procedurally-generated and can often lead players to dead ends if they are not paying attention. The map during runs is essential since it provides useful information such as the location of mineral nodes, side mission collectibles, where the Supply Drop will land, and where the Dreadnought egg is in the last stage.
Most players will just take in the sights and sounds of the game as they explore each biome without peeking at the map. While that can be a strategy, during more frantic moments when countless bugs are chasing players, one wrong turn can lead to disaster and an incomplete run. This is why glancing over the map occasionally mitigates instances of death by obstructions or dead end.
