Off the Shelf Media

Satisfactory, on its surface, seems like another automation game similar to games like Factorio, Hydroneer, or Anno. While that is a big part of the game, there is so much more hidden under the surface here. It truly is a game for everyone, even those who don’t love the genre or if you just give it a try. They continue to develop and release large-scale changes to the game, with Version 1.2 dropping on June 2, 2026. 

Gameplay: 2

I know this type of game isn’t for everyone. I’ve put hundreds of hours into games like this one. The main thing I always heard about this game is that it’s just 3D Factorio, but it really is so much more. 

The comparison makes sense in a lot of ways. You start from humble beginnings with basic resources and work your way through a technology upgrade tree to get more complicated resources to support your factory. While the formula is similar, I would encourage every player coming from Factorio to try to see it as something new and not play it the same way. There’s so much involved with exploration and creativity that the 3D world provides, and it adds a lot of layers to a fantastic game. 

That said, the first 10-20% of the game can seem like a grind. Before you master coal power, you are running around picking bushes and cutting down trees to power your factories. I started this game two or three other times and fizzled out at this stage. I can’t recommend enough to anyone else stuck to keep pushing and get through that loop. It’s the only area of the game I found that is really complicated and stressful, especially for a new player.

Once you automate power, you feel a sense of freedom in a detailed and vibrant world. It’s at this point that I felt comfortable truly exploring and not worrying about my factory. There are so many interesting little caves and helpful items hidden around the world, and it is always worth the time to grab them. Super powering machines and powering advanced technology like chests that can be accessed from anywhere, it is a total game changer. 

As you progress, the scale change can be staggering. Early on, you have all your machines centralized near your first resource nodes. As you need more and more resources, and complicated resources like Oil and Aluminum, every step of the process gets more complex. Harvesting a resource goes from putting an automated mining rig on it to having to merge multiple types of resources and liquids just to acquire the base resource. The complexity builds at a great speed to where you never feel truly overwhelmed, and the lessons you learn from earlier tiers build on each other. 

 My strongest recommendation for new players is to not get lost in optimization and peak efficiency at the jump. There are so many helpful guides and websites that can really help you effectively get the most out of every square inch of the world. That said, I think a big part of the experience your first time through is the trial and error, and figuring out what works for you. While it is fun to have a perfectly optimized factory with no waste, there’s something great about seeing the spaghetti of conveyor belts and machines strewn across your world that gives this game a certain charm. 

Story: 1

Satisfactory has an interesting story that slowly develops as you progress through the game, but it has some real character to it. The overarching plot is that you work for Ficsit, a company that has enlisted you to land on this planet and work to save the world. They don’t really tell you how, but as you continue to progress through the main objective of building a space elevator, you learn more and more about the storyline. 

You start struggling to get power to generate your first factories. You are trying to automate the most basic of resources, and slowly but surely, you get your feet settled under you. As you progress through the tiers, the game’s scale develops, and the small plot of land you start on expands as your conveyor belts, trucks, trains and drones eventually swallow up all the available resources and real estate. It’s a really cool progression and fun to just explore your factory late game and reminisce on how it all started. 

To me, a highlight is the AI Ada that guides you through each stage. It really reminds me of Glados from the Portal series, but still unique enough that it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. There is also a lot of interaction between this AI-sounding voice and some anomalous activity that occurs during certain parts of exploration, and I found the writing to be really engaging and funny. A thing to keep in mind is that you may go hours upon hours between updates to the story. That’s fine by me as it’s not the focus of a game like this, but I feel that the pacing still works and keeps you wanting to progress through the tiers to unravel the mystery of it all. 

Atmosphere: 2

I could sit in this game all day. The world that they have designed for us to explore is picturesque with all sorts of hidden oddities and surprises if you explore a bit. The different biomes all feel like you are in a different game with how everything from lighting, plant life and resources change around you. You walk for five minutes in one direction and barely recognize it from where you started. 

The sound design is also top-notch in this game. The soundtrack is chill and perfectly fits the vibe of a game where you lock in for hours on end. The sound effects also blend in well, from the crack of the hammer at the crafting station to the chainsaw echoing off the cave walls around you. They did a great job of immersion, and sound design plays a big part as everything just feels so natural, and usually in games of this scale, it’s a detail that gets thrown aside. 

Where it really shines is when you have a massive factory later in the game. You can fly up in your jetpack and see the steel and concrete behemoths you have created over a sprawling forest or ocean, and appreciate what it took to get to that stage. As you walk through your factory, the hum of the machines like smelters and assemblers ties in with the horns of trains bringing more resources in for processing, and really immerses you in a way I did not expect but truly appreciate the level of detail included. 

Value: 2

At this point in time, I would say that this game is well worth the price tag. They have been developing it for years, and adding tons of new content patches, and I feel what they have delivered is a phenomenal game, especially given the price point. 

That said, I understand a game like this is not everybody’s type of game. There is probably a good percentage of people who don’t enjoy automation and production-type games like this, and those aspects of the game will be a knock to this price. 

For those who do enjoy similar games, the argument I would make is that it is that and so much more. The exploration for one adds another element I haven’t seen executed in similar games before, and makes it feel like you are truly investigating an alien world, while also happening to build factories, as opposed to just building up and progressing through research. I would say that if you do enjoy these types of games, you will be more inclined to agree the price is fair, and even if you don’t give it a shot and see if you like it. 

Duration: 2

This is truly one of those games where you can get whatever you want out of it. If you want to just blitz through the main story and unlock all the tiers, estimates online range from 100-200+ hours depending on the level of completion you are looking to do. It really is a massive undertaking and is deceiving how quickly the game progresses. As you go from tier to tier, you may feel like you are at a certain % completion. However, each tier is exponentially more difficult, complex and logistically challenging, providing unique challenges and roadblocks for you to navigate. The issues you face in the first 10 hours of the game will seem laughable to you by hour 100. 

The game also offers several different starting locations, each with its own unique set of pros and cons. From a desert rich in resources but low in starting fuel for your generators, to starting deep in a forest lush with trees and bushes but complicated in its resource development, and everything in between. This offers a lot of different options on how to start the game and completely changes how you play. 

The replayability is also something that I think adds to this. As you play more and more, you get better at the mechanics and plotting out your next move. The first time you build out a massive iron plates factory, you likely will take up way more resources, space, and time than you need. As you play through things again, you will have a better eye for the future and what is needed, and can scale your factories for the future tiers more efficiently. This strive to play better than your last run will have you coming back for more even after you beat the game a few times. 

Total Score: 9/10

Satisfactory is one of the better games I have played in years and has a level of detail and polish that came from years of development and updates by the game developers. While there are games that have similar ideas and mechanics, Satisfactory blends so many in a way that is unique to the genre and really pushes boundaries the more creative you are with your factories. Even if you are someone who feels like these sort of games are work and tedious, I would highly encourage you to give this one a shot, and see how quickly it hooks you in.