Last Updated on Oct 2, 2026 @ 22:35:52 PM.
There have been numerous games set in space throughout all kinds of genres, but GRAVHOUNDS asks the important question, which is, if we couldn’t send humans to space, who should we send? And the simple answer is let’s merge dogs with humans and send them!
If you haven’t heard of GRAVHOUNDS yet, then let us tell you a little about it, as we recently had the opportunity to hear from the devs about this upcoming game and their ideas for it, and we are incredibly excited to see what they have in-store for us when the game releases.
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GRAVHOUNDS Sends You to Numerous Planets in Search for Resources
During the press event where I was able to talk to the developers behind GRAVHOUNDS, I was privy to some rather interesting details, such as how the game will function, which, if you do not know, is that you will be sent to various planets in order to gather resources and bring them back to an extractor ship while defending said ship from an alien swarm.
While playing through the game, you will be able to venture to numerous different planets, each with their own unique ecosystems, designs, and alien swarms that you will have to deal with in order to gain plenty of resources that you will send back to Earth to help the human race.
Although this seems like an impossible challenge, at least for a dog/human hybrid that can hold a gun, there are plenty of ways to aid you and your team in defending this ship while being planet side.
For example, terrain is very important, as each time you return to a world, the map will be the same, allowing you to get used to the different paths that the enemies will take and the best places to set up defenses, allowing you to create a unique wall of defense to prevent the enemies from surrounding you.
A Strong Offence Can Be Bolstered With a Strong Defense
When you are fighting planetside within GRAVHOUNDS, you will not be alone within this battle, as yes, you can also play with up to 3 other friends in this adventure, ensuring that you have a slightly easier time fighting off the enemy hoards, but the biggest aid you will receive is in the form of the gravsystem and the numerous turrets and defenses you can acquire.
As you are playing through the game, you will be able to create a tram system in a sense while on the planet that works like a portable tower defense system. The way this works is that you can create a long chain away from the extractor ship, which at certain intervals will have defense stations for you to slowly build up your defenses and create a wall of protection around your ship.
Although once you begin the game there aren’t many defenses you can use, as you upgrade your profile in the metaprogression system, you will slowly earn new defenses to aid you in your quest, with them getting more and more powerful as time goes on, especially when you begin to combine them to make unique effects.
Sadly, we weren’t able to see too many of the different turrets and defense options, but we have been told that there are quite a lot to choose from. Providing plenty of choice and with each player having their own bank to purchase from, this allows for an even more unique gameplay session, as players aren’t restrained by their friends and can simply do what they want with their money.
One of the biggest uses the gravsystem has within the game is that it can even be used for traversal in a few different ways, with one being moving the player around the map at a fast pace or by using it to easily transfer your resources back to your ship autonomously rather than manually, which was a rather interesting aspect to see.
GRAVHOUNDS Has Plenty of Weapons and a Few Breeds to Choose From
If you are worried you will have to rely on turrets and running around to save your life, do not worry, as GRAVHOUNDS has you covered with loads of weapons for you to acquire within the game that you can even upgrade and unlock as you play through the game, along with different dog breeds that you can use, each being as unique as the last.
At the current moment after the recent playtest, GRAVHOUNDS currently only has four different breeds for players to use, but the devs have confirmed that they are looking towards bringing in more breeds in the future.
In terms of the various guns, there is at least one gun for every player in regard to their types, as players will have a large variety to choose from, especially once they begin to upgrade their character and unlock new weapons later on, and combining these with the different defenses, players could become entirely unstoppable depending on the level of enemies they fight against.
Along with having various weapons, players will also have a reasonable amount of traversal to help them survive in space, as they have boosters attached to their character that can send them flying in all kinds of directions, providing them height or even rapid maneuverability to escape dangerous situations.
At the time of writing, GRAVHOUNDS is currently set to release into early access on November 2nd on both PC and Xbox Series X/S with the game being available day one on Game Pass.
For your next read, why not check out our review of the Ducky OK-M keyboard or our article about the two upcoming Last of Us projects that have been teased by Neil Druckmann?
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
