Mining Crystals In Highguard Is So Damn Satisfying

"You get some from killing enemies and raiding or defending bases, but a fast and efficient way to get a lot of crystal shards is to mine the large deposits that litter the map. And mining these larger veins of crystal is satisfying. On PS5, you click the right stick to begin a simple timing minigame that lets you quickly smash through a big crystal deposit with a satisfying series of sounds and a big crushing blow at the end."

"Every time I do this perfectly, I feel good. I love it. I sometimes take a moment to break a few more crystals, even if I don't really need to, because smashing them perfectly is such a joy. I may at one point have been caught off-guard and quickly killed by two enemy players because I was distracted while mining crystals. Awkward."

Highguard is a free-to-play raid shooter on PC, PS5, and Xbox that uses blue crystal shards as in-match currency for shields, guns, ammo, and upgrades. Players acquire crystals by killing enemies, raiding or defending bases, and by mining large deposits scattered across the map. On PS5, mining uses a simple timing minigame with tactile sounds and a final crushing blow when executed perfectly. Perfect timing grants a reward: the next crystal mined breaks instantly. The minigame delivers strong satisfaction and can distract players during matches. The economy around mining and spending crystals likely needs balancing.

Read at Kotaku