Satisfactory

Developer: Coffee Stain Studios
Release: Sep 10th 2024
Platforms:
Single-player Multi-player Adventure Indie Simulation Strategy
Addictive
Creative
Beautiful
Tedious
Cumbersome

" Immersive adventure simulation with deep factory-building and exploration but tedious late-game scaling "

Satisfactory Review

Satisfactory is a highly addictive and engaging 3D factory-building and automation game that has captivated a vast player base with its intuitive gameplay and stunning environments. Players start as pioneers on an alien planet, tasked with building and optimizing sprawling factories while exploring diverse biomes filled with unique resources and challenges. The game’s progression system and tech tree gradually introduce complexity, encouraging creativity and problem-solving. Its humor, immersive soundtrack, and community-driven development further enhance the experience.

However, the game faces criticism for its late-game scalability issues, where resource demands spike dramatically, making factory expansion feel tedious and overwhelming. The 3D building mechanics, while immersive, introduce alignment and placement challenges that can frustrate players. Despite these drawbacks, Satisfactory remains a rewarding experience for those who enjoy strategic planning and base-building, with multiplayer support adding cooperative fun. It is highly recommended but with a caution that many players do not complete the game’s final phases due to difficulty and repetition.

Highlights

Players praise Satisfactory’s beautiful graphics and richly detailed, expansive map with distinct biomes. The gameplay mechanics are lauded for their balance of intuitive and technical aspects, offering a satisfying progression through automation and factory optimization. The game’s soundtrack and humorous AI companion add charm and immersion. Exploration is rewarding, and the multiplayer mode enhances enjoyment. The community engagement and ongoing updates from developers are also highly appreciated, making the game feel polished and continuously evolving.

Criticisms

Common criticisms include the steep difficulty spike and exponential resource requirements in late-game phases, which many find tedious and discouraging. The 3D building system can be cumbersome and time-consuming, especially with conveyor belt alignment and height adjustments. Quality of life issues such as limited blueprint functionality, lack of mass editing tools, and insufficient in-game guidance lead to frustration. Combat is viewed as minimal and sometimes unnecessary, with hostile creatures occasionally feeling intrusive. Some players also note occasional bugs and a lack of scalability upgrades for machines, making repetitive building a chore.

Pros

  • The game features stunning, lush, and diverse biomes that enhance exploration.
  • Intuitive yet deep gameplay mechanics balance creativity with technical challenge.
  • Progression system gradually introduces complexity and new technologies.
  • Highly satisfying factory-building and automation experience.
  • Engaging and humorous AI companion adds personality to gameplay.
  • Excellent soundtrack that complements the immersive atmosphere.
  • Strong community support with frequent developer updates.

Cons

  • Late-game resource demands spike exponentially, causing tedious scaling.
  • 3D building alignment and conveyor placement can be frustrating and time-consuming.
  • Limited blueprint functionality and lack of mass editing tools reduce efficiency.
  • Combat is minimal and sometimes feels unnecessary or intrusive.
  • Quality of life features such as undo, better UI, and factory throughput info are lacking.
  • Repetitive building in late-game phases can feel like a chore.
  • Some bugs and glitches persist despite stable releases.

Rating Criteria

Story
Difficulty
Graphics
Duration
Stability
Worth the Price

About This Game

Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!

Construct

Conquer nature by building massive factories across the land. Expand wherever and however you want. The planet is filled with valuable natural resources just waiting to be utilized. As an employee of FICSIT it’s your duty to make sure they come to good use.

Automate

Construct your factories with gracious perfection or build intricate webs of conveyor belts to supply all your needs. Automate trucks and trains to reach your faraway outposts and be sure to handle liquids properly by transporting them in pipes. It’s all about minimizing manual labour!

Explore & Exploit

Venture on expeditions to search for new materials and be sure to put everything to good use. Nature is yours to harvest! You have vehicles, jetpacks, jump pads and more at your disposal to make the exploration easier. Equip the proper safety gear as well, just in case you run into the local wildlife.

FEATURES

Open World: Explore the huge (30km2) alien planet that is Massage-2(AB)b with its unique fauna and creatures.
Co-Op: Build a factory yourself or share the joy with your friends. Up to you!
Factory Building: Experience building a huge factory from a first-person perspective. Automate and optimize it to perfection for your personal satisfaction.
Customization: Customize your factory to your own liking. Build at high altitudes or over wide plains, there is almost no limits in the making of your tailor-made factory.
Vehicles: Travel the world with class. Use jump pads, factory carts, jetpacks, hypertubes, trucks or trains. The choice is yours!

Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!

Release Date Sep 10th 2024
Publisher Coffee Stain Publishing
Developer Coffee Stain Studios
Platforms

User Reviews

Overwhelmingly Positive (114,822)
98% Positive 2% Negative

Online Reviews

Metacritic
91