While Deep Rock Galactic has been in early access on PC and Xbox for some time, the game has officially launched and is now out on PlayStation as well. Not only that, but the game is also featured as one of the PS Plus free games for January for both PS4 and PS5. Deep Rock Galactic is a sci-fi co-op shooter where players will team up with other dwarves to complete mining expeditions while fighting off hordes of alien bugs and abominations. But despite the simple general premise, Deep Rock Galactic has a lot going on beneath the surface that takes some time to really get the hang of.

With many new players trying Deep Rock Galactic thanks to PS Plus, it's worth going over what every miner should know before starting the game - from the basics of choosing a class all the way down to the endgame grind. Deep Rock Galactic has a lot of features that open up as players progress in the game, so here is everything new players need to know to get rolling

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Picking a Class in Deep Rock Galactic

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Deep Rock Galactic features four unique classes to play as: The Engineer, The Scout, The Driller, and The Gunner. Each class is equipped with unique weapons and tools which allow them to explore, fight, and mine in different ways. While they will all generally play the same, each class can bring a different style of gameplay to the table. Classes can be changed at any time while on the Space Rig, but class experience is gained on a per-class basis and is not shared.

The classes themselves are pretty straight forward. The Driller has drill gauntlets that allow them to quickly tear through dirt and rock to create pathways underground, as well as a shape charge to blow away terrain (or enemies) that are in the way. The Driller is great at giving the team paths to new parts of the caves quickly. The Scout is equipped with a grappling hook for quick traversal, as well as a flare gun to help light up caves, perfect for scouting ahead and getting hard-to-reach items.

The Engineer is equipped with Sentry Turrets that can be deployed to help secure and area and can be retrieved to move around as players explore. They also have a platform gun that allows them to create surfaces to help reach higher elevations. Lastly, the Gunner has a zipline gun to create pathways over large gaps or cliffs, as well as a dome shield that can be deployed for cover during hordes. The Gunner is excellent for cutting through hordes of enemies at a time to give the rest of the team some breathing room to mine and explore.

Each class has three different primary weapons and two secondary weapons unique to that class which can be swapped around before each mission. Ultimately players will want to level up every class, but since classes are not a commitment and can be switched at will in the Space Rig, there is little reason not to give every one of them a shot before deciding which class to "main" and level up first.

Leveling Up Characters and Player Rank

Deep Rock Galactic Dwarves Cosmetics

Classes gain experience after every mission, even if players fail the mission. The ultimate goal is to get characters to level 25 at least once for each class so that they can start diving into endgame content. Additionally, as players level up, they will be able to unlock new weapons to use, as well as new perks for their weapons, armor, and tools. There are two different "ranks" to keep track of: character rank and player rank.

Character rank is the level of the specific class that is being played currently, and as mentioned before classes only earn experience if they are brought on a mission. Player rank goes up as the player levels up any class, and is independent of character rank. As player rank increases, cosmetics and other features around the Space Rig unlock. Player Rank will passively go up as players work on leveling up their classes, so it shouldn't be worried about too much. With new players diving into Deep Rock Galactic, gamers will see plenty of high-rank players along their journeys. It simply means they have leveled and promoted their characters a few times over.

The level cap for character rank is 25. Once a character reaches rank 25, players can take on a special assignment on the assignment board that will enable them to promote their Deep Rock Galactic character upon completion. Promotions reset a character's rank back to level 1, but they keep all their unlocks, so it is purely a way to keep gaining player rank by leveling classes. Only promoted characters can take on Deep Dives, Deep Rock Galactic's endgame content. A couple other features, like the Forge, are locked behind promoting a character as well.

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Choosing Missions and The Assignment Board

Deep Rock Galactic Assignment Board

Every great expedition down to the planet of Hoxxes IV begins at the Mission Terminal. When players first start Deep Rock Galactic, they will have a 10-step assignment which is essentially the Deep Rock Galactic walkthrough of the different mission types in the game. Once completed, players will be able to freely choose assignments from the Assignment Board.

Assignments are multi-stage missions that will unlock various aspects of the game, such as new weapons or coveted pickaxe parts. Players should blitz through the initial assignment to unlock the Assignment Board as quick as possible, as the game opens up considerably at that point. Players can choose a Hazard Level, Deep Rock Galactic's difficulty indicator, when selecting a mission from the Mission Terminal. This can increase the amount of XP awarded upon completion. Hazard Levels 1-4 are available from the start, but Hazard 5 will have to be unlocked via the Assignment Board.

There are two other indicators on the Mission Terminal: a lightning bolt sign and footprints - both ranging from 1 to 3. These indicate the cave complexity and mission length respectively. Missions can also have good and bad modifiers. Bad modifiers, like Regenerating Bugs, will make the missions harder, but the XP payout will increase to compensate. Good modifiers, like the Rich Atmosphere modifier, are simply there to help make the mission easier or more beneficial.

Diving Into Deep Rock Galactic's Endgame

Picture of Deep Dive Terminal On Station.

Once players have reached character rank 25 and promoted at least one character, they will gain access to Deep Dives. Deep Dives are three-stage missions that will run back-to-back, and each feature two primary objectives that must be met during each stage, which will likely be highlighted on Deep Rock Galactic's expertly crafted terrain scanner. Completing each stage of the Deep Dive rewards Matrix Cores - a blank Matrix Core on stage one, a Weapon Matrix Core at stage two, and a Cosmetic Matrix Core at stage three.

Matrix Cores are used for crafting cosmetics and overclocks for weapons that take weapons and add special behaviors to them. Blank Matrix Cores can be used during missions if a Machine Event is present. Deep Dives can only reward Matrix Cores once per week, and if a player fails at any stage of the Deep Dive they will have to restart from the beginning. Players also cannot join a Deep Dive that is in-progress. Player ammo and Nitra carries over between stages, so gamers shouldn't waste any ammo or resources unless they have to should be sure to make the most out of called-in supply drops.

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Useful Tips and Tricks for Deep Rock Galactic

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Lastly, there are a few quick tips and tricks that can make Deep Rock Galactic even easier for new players.

Deep Rock Galactic is a blast to play with others, but if players want to dive in solo, the game gives them a drone that will follow commands to help out. The drone, lovingly named Bosco, can fight bugs, mine minerals, and shed light for the player as they navigate. Bosco has their own skill tree that can be accessed from the Space Rig. Deep Rock Galactic was designed for both newcomers and experts, and Bosco helps bridge that gap until players can really master the game.

Players should incentivize unlocking the Trading Terminal as soon as it is available, as it will allow them to exchange a surplus of minerals for credits, as well as to buy minerals they are short on. It comes in handy when trying to unlock upgrades for weapons.

Lastly, gamers should make sure to check the Perk Terminal on the Space Rig and claim Perk Points at every chance, as the passive and active perks on that terminal can make surviving the treacherous caves of Hoxxes IV far less challenging. After all, nothing says "back off" to a pesky bug like Thorns Damage.

That about wraps up everything new players need to know to get started with Deep Rock Galactic. There's a lot to unpack with the game, but once players get the hang of it, it can be one of the most fun co-op games out there with a surprising amount of depth. Thanks to Deep Rock Galactic's new take on seasonal content, players can expect to be playing the game for quite some time.

Deep Rock Galactic is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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