Before I jumped into Gravhounds, the new third-person co-op shooter from Octopus Panic, the most pressing questions on my mind were centered on gameplay. In trailers, it seemed to have touches of both Helldivers 2 and Deep Rock Galactic, so I wondered which it resembled more. I saw elements of physics-based gameplay, so I was curious how chaotic that might get. With its alien worlds, I was eager to know what exploration was like.
But once I finally got into the game, I was struck by a more immediate conundrum: Which dog do I pick?
Out now in early access on PC and consoles, Gravhounds is a third-person shooter with tower-defense and extraction elements. It is a little like Helldivers 2, a bit more like Deep Rock Galactic, and the physics of its world are fun, but damn, I took a long time picking which doggo hero to play as.
Currently, there are five characters to choose from, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. Though these are the aspects of a hero-based shooter that typically give me pause on a character-select screen, here they were merely secondary to the look and biography of each powerful pup.
Dozer is an English Bulldog who is meant to play the tank role of the group. I practically never use the tank role, as I strongly prefer mobility to health whenever I can choose, but his blue-collar attire is easy to love, and the tag on his ear makes me root for him. What jerk did that? I get that it may mean he's up to date on his vaccines, and that's great, but can't we think of a different system? He's already fighting aliens from 9 to 5. Let's give his ears a break.
Selene is an all-rounder with no major strengths or weaknesses in her attributes. That likely makes her a good starting class for most folks, which is pretty neat considering she seems to be a Weimaraner, often remembered as the dogs from Sesame Street. In a way, she was a lot of kids' first dog, too. Though those dogs from Jim Henson's world had human hands mimicking human behaviors, in Gravhounds, all dogs are pre-anthropomorphized, so Selene is shootout-ready, like the gun dog she apparently is.
Luna appears to be a Samoyed, also known as a Sammie. The breed famous for its "Sammie Smile" is a fun choice in this launch rotation of Gravhounds heroes because she hasn't yet let the rough world of Gravhounds break her spirit. She's described as radiating "warmth and optimism," and her special ability is a companion animal classic: zoomies. She speeds ahead and allows her allies to keep pace for a moment.
Unlike Luna, Zane is a Dobermann with a hard exterior. Admittedly, I haven't played with him much yet, so I'm not sure if that's a facade shielding his allies from his squishier, belly-rub-friendlier center, but the scar over his eye suggests he's seen some stuff. Partly why I haven't played with Zane much yet is because I didn't want to get attached. I clocked him as my brother's surefire favorite once I introduce him to Gravhounds, so for me it was like deliberately not falling in love with a shelter animal because you know you can't take them home.
Then there's Finn, the Shiba Inu in the group. His in-game description gave him big "Michelangelo from Ninja Turtles" vibes, and since he's my favorite of that foursome, Finn ultimately became my first choice in Gravhounds. It also helped that he offered great mobility, and his special ability makes up for his lack of starting health. I don't love his visor, I'll admit, but after roughly 25 surprisingly difficult minutes of deliberating on which furry friend to firefight with, Finn was my guy.
Like I said, Gravhounds is in early access, and in some ways it definitely feels like it. Each round is about dropping onto an alien world, extracting natural resources, then escaping with your life. Unlike Helldivers, which sees you trekking across great distances, and Deep Rock Galactic, which has you drilling down and into the world, Gravhounds keeps things localized to your mining facility and above ground, which you can fortify with turrets and other defenses to survive waves of enemies.
It's best experienced as a co-op game, and unlike some similar games, it doesn't really hold up in solo play right now. The world feels a bit empty and not reactive enough, and with its tower-defense-style gameplay loop, it quickly becomes too much to manage for one person. Enemies often swarmed my facility, breaking down turrets as I ran around the wide, arena-like levels seeking resources farther and farther from my base of operations.
In co-op, I'd have friends to keep things safe back at base while I was away. But in solo play, it feels like going on vacation and leaving your front door open. Balancing and mission depth aren't where they need to be yet, but I do love the look of the characters and some of the progression rewards, like its huge skill trees and upgradeable weapons.
Gravhounds feels like a game worth checking in on down the line. The new indie team at Octopus Panic includes veterans of shooters like Halo and Battlefield, and despite its faults elsewhere, the shooting feels fun and reliable, so there's definitely something to build on. Right now, though, Gravhounds is in its "peeing on the carpet" phase. It looks cute, and I can see a future where I love it, but there will be some growing pains between now and then.
Gravhounds is out now on PC and Xbox Series X|S, including Game Pass.