This is going to have a more far-reaching impact on the world of indie games people realize even now in 2020 as it hits its 1.0 release. Factorio's tight build/fight/fix loop is overlooked in favor of its fun and brain-candy feeling of automating production, but the genius of the game lies in its ability to cater to people who want a sandbox and to those who want a tighter, more dangerous experience.
If you were to ask the average gamer about Factorio, they would probably say "What the hell are you talking about", but if you were to ask someone who HAD heard about the game, they would probably tell you that it's very addicting. With endless potential for improving your factory and a low-pressure environment to do it in, it's easy to get invested and keep incrementally optimizing for hours. However, if you're not the kind of person that typically likes those games, Factorio is difficult to recommend. It's the gold standard of its niche, but it doesn't spend much energy giving guidance or setting goals to entice the newcomers. Luckily, it has a low price point of $20, so it's worth a go.
My first thought when playing Factorio was "How has nobody done this before?". The idea instantly made perfect sense, of course this would be a great game.
There's so much depth, creativity and planning involved in the construction of your Rube Goldberg-esque factory and immense satisfaction in watching your creation tick away.
There's always something to think about in Factorio and always something to do. The factory must grow.
There's so much depth, creativity and planning involved in the construction of your Rube Goldberg-esque factory and immense satisfaction in watching your creation tick away.
There's always something to think about in Factorio and always something to do. The factory must grow.
It's kinda of a niche game, but amazingly executed. All game mechanics kinda fit together. Balanced and pretty fun, It's the perfect example of an indie studio pouring love into their game.
I hear constantly that it's a difficult game, yet there are several minitutorials and tips that explain you all basic mechanics when you unlock them throught the game, and also a tutorial mode. Still, you can complete the game on your first try with your own means, and you can also beat it with super optimized stuff, which is the best part: there is never a "right" way to play this game.
I hear constantly that it's a difficult game, yet there are several minitutorials and tips that explain you all basic mechanics when you unlock them throught the game, and also a tutorial mode. Still, you can complete the game on your first try with your own means, and you can also beat it with super optimized stuff, which is the best part: there is never a "right" way to play this game.
An absolutely phenomenal and satisfying game by all means. But also one that I felt my brain ramming into the deeper I went in. After about the 25-hour mark, I simply felt like things were getting too complex for me to play efficiently. If I ever end up majoring in engineering then I'll make sure to come back to it, but until then, so long factorio
I think Factorio manages to do what very few other games in this sort of mini-genre of factory games do and threads a very fine line between being a very satisfying and complex factory strategy game while also conveying through just its aesthetic that this sort of enormous-scale industrialization is definitely making you the bad guy.
This review contains spoilers
Factorio is fun enough as a game to explore and tinker with until the player hits a wall or becomes completely hooked. I felt the draw to this game and even started watching some tutorials online to help me optimize my progression. However, I ultimately gave up on the game after playing multiplayer through a mod with some friends.
My issue with this game is that, unlike other crafting-progression style games that I've played, there never came a point where I felt I could just sit back and admire the progress I'd made so far. In other games, some items feel like milestones, allowing the player to make visible, important cosmetic changes or feel a significant growth in combat prowess. While I understand that some would find the same satisfaction in a well-working factory line, this simply isn't gratifying enough for me.
I would recommend this game to those who want to solve the challenge of logical puzzles and efficiency with minimal risk.
My issue with this game is that, unlike other crafting-progression style games that I've played, there never came a point where I felt I could just sit back and admire the progress I'd made so far. In other games, some items feel like milestones, allowing the player to make visible, important cosmetic changes or feel a significant growth in combat prowess. While I understand that some would find the same satisfaction in a well-working factory line, this simply isn't gratifying enough for me.
I would recommend this game to those who want to solve the challenge of logical puzzles and efficiency with minimal risk.
The most satisfying, customizable, enjoyable game I've ever played. 550+ hours over 7 playthroughs, still haven't touched the two most well-regarded content mods.
Update 2023: Over 1k hours now. Best modpack is Krastorio 2. AngelBob is a bit too heavy, shelved it temporarily about halfway through. Space Exploration is very mediocre.
Update 2023: Over 1k hours now. Best modpack is Krastorio 2. AngelBob is a bit too heavy, shelved it temporarily about halfway through. Space Exploration is very mediocre.