Deep Rock Galactic - Dark Future Pack Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-09-23
  • Strong Armor and Helmet Designs
  • Excellent Weapon Skins and Paintjobs
  • Sci-Fi and Cyberpunk Aesthetic
  • Missing pickaxe paintjob
  • Armor looks generic and bland
  • Unappealing helmet designs
Deep Rock Galactic - Dark Future Pack header

Emotions

Archetypes

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

Steam review verdict

Excellent weapon skins and cyberpunk aesthetic, though armor and helmets feel generic or unappealing and the pickaxe lacks a paintjob.

What players like

Strong Armor and Helmet Designs: Many players praise the armor and helmet designs, finding them cool, neat, and a great addition to the game's cosmetics. Specific armor sets are noted for their high quality and unique look.

Excellent Weapon Skins and Paintjobs: The weapon skins and paintjobs are highly praised for their appearance and versatility, especially the black paint that gives a clean, tactical look. They work well with various weapon frameworks.

Positive Developer Support and Monetization: Players commend the developers for their ongoing support, free updates, and fair monetization model that restricts paid content to cosmetics only. The free battle pass and frequent content additions are highlights.

Good Value and Quality DLC: The DLC is considered one of the better ones, offering good value for money and high-quality cosmetics without technical issues. Many appreciate that it is purely cosmetic and fairly priced.

Sci-Fi and Cyberpunk Aesthetic: The robotic, cyberpunk, and tactical sci-fi themes are well-received, with players comparing the look to franchises like Halo, Titanfall, and XCOM. The futuristic armor designs add a unique flavor.

Common complaints

Missing pickaxe paintjob: Multiple reviewers note that the DLC pack lacks a matching paintjob for the pickaxe, preventing a fully coordinated set. This gap is cited as a notable omission that diminishes the pack's completeness.

Armor looks generic and bland: Armor sets are criticized for lacking detail, class-specific variation, and imagination. Colors and designs are seen as unremarkable.

Unappealing helmet designs: Helmets are described as ugly, goofy, or resembling a wearable toilet. Some also mention an inferior helmet variant that cuts off the beard.

Scout chest armor mismatches picture: The Scout chest armor does not match the promotional image and is missing two blue light strips. Its front also appears bland to some.

DLC lacks eye-catching content: The DLC is considered unimpressive and among the least good available. It fails to stand out compared to other packs.

Gameplay and performance

Cosmetic DLC includes skins and armor: Multiple clusters describe the DLC as a cosmetic pack containing armor sets, skins, helmets, and color options. This is a core content type for the game's paid add-ons.

Supports both co-op and solo: The game can be played cooperatively or solo, with a helpful CPU-controlled robot assisting in solo play. This flexibility is a positive feature noted by players.

Many character customization options: The game offers extensive customization for characters, including a dwarf aesthetic with many beards and class-specific color palettes. This depth appeals to players who enjoy personalization.

Mix and match armor and weapons: Players can freely combine different models and paint jobs on all armors and weapons. This allows for extensive personalization.

Weapon paintjobs are not frameworks: Feedback clarifies that the weapon skin is a paintjob rather than a framework. This distinction is important for players expecting certain customization types.

Modest system requirements: Players note that the game demands relatively modest hardware specifications, making it accessible on a wide range of PCs. This low barrier to entry is frequently mentioned as a positive aspect.

Small install size: The game's installation footprint is modest, which players appreciate as it saves disk space. This is often highlighted alongside the game's accessibility.

Recommendations

General Recommendation for All: Many reviewers simply recommend the DLC for everyone, citing its all-rounded nature and broad appeal. It is often described as a safe purchase for fans of the game.

Supporting Developers Drives Purchases: Many reviewers recommend buying the DLC primarily to support the developers, especially if they have enjoyed the game. This sentiment appears across several clusters, emphasizing goodwill toward the studio's continued work on DRG.

Wait for Discounts: A common recommendation is to wait for a sale, with suggested discounts ranging from 40% to 50% or more. Some reviewers consider the DLC worth it at any price if you have the money, but sales are a recurring theme.

Optional Cosmetic DLC: The DLC is widely regarded as purely cosmetic and optional, with no pressure to buy. Reviewers note it's only worth it if you care about appearance or want to support the developers.

Armor Quality and Variety: The armor pieces included in the DLC are praised for their quality and are seen as a good addition due to the limited armor options in the base game. However, some feel there are other packs with better armor.

Buying context

Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00.

Endgame: 200.0h.

The game has a steeper learning curve than other PvE shooters, and reports indicate that enjoyment arrives after players invest effort in learning its flow. Broad praise for its co-op experience is common, while one review criticizes late-stage content and season-pass grinding.

Friction: Steeper learning curve than other PvE shooters.

Unlock drivers: Putting a little effort into learning the flow of the game.

Player profiles

Cosmetic Fashion Collector: Mix and match cosmetics into themed or class-specific loadouts. Motivation: Expressing style through armor, weapon skins, and color schemes. Stance: buy.

Supportive Patron: Buys DLC as a voluntary contribution after extensive base-game play. Motivation: Supporting the developers and ensuring continued development. Stance: buy.

Co-op Shooter Enthusiast: Plays co-op missions with friends, with solo bot-assisted runs as a fallback. Motivation: Team-based co-op shooter action and shared play with friends. Stance: buy.

Extra review signals

Monetization: Reviews indicate the game uses optional cosmetic DLC packs and free updates, with a free battle pass lacking a premium track. There is no evidence of pay-to-win, paid gacha, loot boxes, paid convenience, or currency obfuscation. The main monetization criticism is mild overpricing of $7.99 cosmetic packs, while other users defend the DLC as optional developer support.

Other review notes

Purchased to support developers: Many buyers explicitly state they bought the DLC to support the developers, often citing the free updates and the game's underpriced value.

Purely cosmetic DLC: The DLC contains only cosmetic items, with no pay-to-win elements or gameplay advantages, and all content is earnable through gameplay.

Combines well with MegaCorp: The Dark Future Pack's armor and paint set combine well with the MegaCorp Pack to customize weapon appearance, and they are often purchased together.

Free updates by developers: The developers regularly release free content updates and bug fixes, which encourages players to support them via cosmetic DLC purchases.

Supporter pack positioning: The pack is positioned as a supporter pack in scope and content, similar to the Supporter Upgrade, and is seen as a way to fund ongoing development.