Rocking and stoning

I first booted up Deep Rock Galactic way back in May of 2020, for some COVID-lockdown virtual socialization. It didn't stick with me then; I was confused by the different mission structures, and the progression mechanics felt grindy. I moved on.

Years later, my Palworld and Ara: History Untold virtual crew was looking for something new, and ... well, now I'm hooked.

It was DRG's colorful and collectible-filled seasonal events, Yuletide and Lunar Festival and Anniversary and Great Egg Hunt, that actually piqued my interest; I loved that every few weeks we were greeted by new Space Rig decorations, and there were new holiday-themed twists in our missions. (I've been missing those events, I hope there's a summer one coming up.)

And it takes more than a little practice to "get it" -- to understand how each dwarf's mobility tools really work, and how to efficiently tackle each type of objective, and which weapon upgrades are worthwhile.

And then it takes more work to unlock the mechanics that make Deep Rock worth coming back to week after week, month after month: promoting your dwarves and collecting overclocks that can power up your weapons even further.

Is it a grind? Yeah, it sure is.

But once it clicks, once the mechanics finally make sense, the exploring-and-mining gameplay - with friends, with drinks, with the dwarves' lighthearted banter - and the unpredictable emergent moments of randomly-assembled missions, like when your Dreadnought boss fight is interrupted by a swarm of exploding bugs ... it feels worth some grinding.