Summary
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is a bullet-laden take on the multiplayer mining sensationDeep Rock Galactic. It turns the concept into a top-down solo experience where you level up, tinker with your build, and attempt to stay alive through swarms of angry bugs. It’s an endlessly engaging experience, thanks in no small part to the variety of gameplay approaches it offers.
In terms of playable classes and their mods, you start with only the humble and reliable Scout Classic. However, it won’t be long before your options expand. You will unlock other Classes and Class Mods to vary up the unique brand of devastation you wreak on Hoxxes IV. In total, you’ll end up with 12 Class Mods, three per class, to play with. While they all provide a unique and interesting experience, some of them could be seen as simply better and more effective than the others (as with the base Classes themselves). Which ones are the best? Though the game is in Early Access at the time of writing, Here they all are as they presently play, ranked.
For the Classes themselves, Scout is available from the beginning, while the player must reach Rank 3 to acquire the Gunner Class, Rank 5 for Engineer, and Rank 7 for the deadly Driller. To unlock the Class Mods for each, simply continue gaining experience with and levelling up the specific Classes.
12Engineer - Maintenance Worker
Their Range Of Mechanical Helpers Could Use Some More Power
The Maintenance Worker Class Mod is truly unique in theory, with thatmastery over drones and turrets. However, the unfortunate reality is that Construct weapons are just too underpowered to be very competitive in higher-level play. They’re also quite unwieldy to use, a common thread with the Maintenance Worker’s abilities.
The Drone-type Constructs don’t deal enough damage, and while the turrets pack rather more of a punch, they force you to stop to deploy them. To compound this issue, you also have to remain very close to them to maximize their damage potential unless you have the Tank Tracks Overlock. In a game where you need to keep moving to avoid getting swarmed, the Maintenance Worker doesn’t give you enough incentives to hold still.
11Scout - Recon
Often Not As Evasive As You Might Hope
The Recon Class Mod specializes in the aptly-named Light weapon class, which is light on damage. Paired with an unwieldy starting weapon, there’s just not enough going for this sub-class. Those who typically enjoy playing fast and evasive characters in such games can certainly make it work, but the balance of pros and cons could be considered uneven.
Theoretically, the game plan for a Recon Scout is to move quickly and dodge hits, acquiring a buff by doing so that affords even faster movement. The reality, unfortunately, often doesn’t live up to this. There’s only one item that increases your Dodge Chance in the whole game, and even then, you must take damage in order to gain that bonus. Combine this with an inherent lack of firepower and you’ll often find yourself swarmed in even the middle Hazard difficulties.
10Engineer - Demolitionist
AOE Damage Is Great To Have, But It Does Have Harsh Limitations
Another Engineer sub-class proves to be a little disappointing. This is a shame, because the Engineer is great fun to play in the original Deep Rock Galactic. While the Demolitionist Class Mod isn’t as dedicated to one specific role as its Construct-focused cousin, it doesn’t fare much better.
Explosive weapons, while they seem impressive and leave an impact, are comparatively weak as a weapon class. They’re good at spreading damage over a large area, which means that they can really help you cut big groups down to size before you’re overwhelmed, but this comes with the cost of unimpressive damage per target. While the early and middle Hazard difficulties can be fought through using explosives, they’re quickly outscaled at higher Hazards.
9Driller - Foreman
A Master Driller, If Not A Fighter
Driller is a good class overall, if only for the fact that it has the fastest Mining speed of all the classes, a great bonus. However, of all the available Class Mods for the Driller, Foreman is arguably the worst. It boasts the highest starting Mining speed (albeit conditionally) in the game, but this doesn’t entirely make up for its shortcomings.
Mining isn’t the only ability you’ll need to survive the game, of course, and Foreman’s potential increase to Mining Speed is almost unnecessarily high for a class that already has a +20 percent built-in bonus to that stat. Ultimately, the Foreman’s weakness comes down to its starting weapon, the Subata 120, which is lacking in damage and only fires away from the direction you’re facing.
8Engineer - Tinkerer
Begins With Advanced Weapons, But Other Stats Will Need To Be Chosen With Particular Care
An additional +10 percent boost to XP growth (a 15 percent bonus in total).
Weapons are level 3 from the beginning.
Initial Equip: “Warthog” Auto 210.
Tinkerer is the Engineer’s best Class Mod and revels in his familiar purpose in this game: Serving as the character who levels up the quickest. The Tinkerer starts with what is arguably the most potent Class Mod buff of all: All your weapons begin at level 3. Combined with an additional bonus to XP Gain on top of the Engineer’s innate skill gain, you’ll be boosting weapons in no time.
The downside of this offensive focus is that it left no room for any defensive skills. The Engineer has no damage mitigation to speak of, and doesn’t move quickly or mine very fast. While the boosted weapons are enormously useful, you’ll be left to focus on your other stats in order to stay alive.
7Driller - Strong Armed
A Bit More Explosive Potential
Strong Armed suffers from a lot of issues that the Demolitionist Class Mod does, since a lot of Explosive weapons are also Throwable weapons, but edges it out by boasting more versatility and a more robust possible kit. The bonus range is nice, but it’s a double-edged sword. With weapons like the Impact Axe and the Voltaic Stun Sweeper, it’s very useful to be able to impact a wider range of foes, but grenade-type weapons won’t benefit in the same way. Speaking ofthe Impact Axe, it’s one of the better Throwable weapons in the whole game: Dealing big damage and knockback (offering very valuable breathing room) at the cost of having a slow firing rate, it’s a great tool to have by your side.
6Scout - Classic
A Standard Scout With Solid Advantages And No Downsides
Appropriate enough for the starting Class Mod, Classic is squarely in the middle of the pack. While not stellar, Classic still boasts a stat range and set of weapons that you may play from the beginning all the way into the higher Hazard difficulties.
While it can feel underpowered at times (especially when you start unlocking other Class Mods), the standard Scout keeps up nicely with the others as you unlock new weapons, expanding your options in the process. Much like the character, the Deepcore GK2 is a reliable weapon that won’t let you down but won’t blow you away, either.
5Scout - Sharp Shooter
A Deadly Critical Hit Dispensing Machine
A direct upgrade from the Classic Scout, the Sharp Shooter boasts boosted Critical stats as well as an ability that adds an AoE effect to certain big hits. Appropriately enough, they also come equipped with a sniper rifle. The M1000 Classic, when used carefully and appropriately, offers fantastic results as one of the hardest hitting weapons of the game. The weapon also has some bonus synergy with this Class Mod, since its heavy single hits also result in the increased chance of an Overkill attack. Compared to the Classic Class Mod, though, it’s vital to note the Sharp Shooter trades survivability and mobility for heavy, consistent damage potential. If you can make the best of this, it’s a more than worthy exchange.
4Gunner - Weapons Specialist
A Tanky Warrior With High Damage Potential
Though its starting weapon is kind of unwieldy, shooting only in the direction you’re facing, the Weapons Specialist is still quite a strong Class Mod. This is especially true since the sheer output of the “Lead Storm” pairs nicely with this Mod’s special ability. Build into Projectile weapons, the specialty of this Class Mod, and you’ll constantly be spitting out bullets. There will be a learning curve as a result of the unconventional firing pattern, but the Gunner’s natural survivability ensures that you’re under less pressure as you learn the ropes.
3Driller - Interrogator
Trading Direct Damage For Potent Status Effects
Often, in terms of raw damage numbers, non-elemental weapons are a more efficient choice than elemental ones. In the case of this Class Mod, however, the opposite is true. The Interrogator can burn and melt a path through enemies with relative ease. Such weapons have another bonus too, in that they also tend to splash multiple bugs.
In later Hazards, the Interrogator falls off a little bit. However, with a little luck on your upgrades and some skillful evasion, you’ll still turn all your foes into bubbling puddles before long.
