Satisfactory then becomes a title about realising what’s possible. “But what if we built a bridge over that ridge?” ![]() “But what if as well as automating iron production we also did it with the copper deposits that are over the other side of that ridge?” “But what if I split my conveyor belt so that some of my ingots went to making iron rods, and the rest went to making iron plates?” ![]() And that’s when you suddenly realise what this whole game is about. Once I got the knack there was no stopping me, I was placing them like an engineer unleashed. You can even raise their height should you need space at ground level for other things. It’s incredibly easy to do as well, with intuitive controls to be able to place belts just where you need them and to go where you want them too. Materials are automatically made for me, so they’re on hand for the larger milestone requirements of later unlocks. And then, the game-changer, conveyor belts, are unlocked, and I realise I can link the two, so that ore goes from the ground, straight into my Smelter, and then I can even conveyor it to a Storage Container for when I need it later. ![]() I can now replace my Robo Miner with a fully functioning Mine that works much faster, and I can build a Smelter to craft those ingots so I can be busy with other things. This, in its most reductive state, is Satisfactory’s core progression loop, but the reality of what else you can unlock and the impact it has is so much more than that.īecause where Satisfactory really shines is how those new unlockable upgrades make you feel. And so you create, and you unlock, to create more and unlock more and expand your repertoire. These can then be reworked to craft a variety of other materials, such as iron rods, plates and even screws to provide you with an ever-growing inventory to tackle the requirements for the next of Satisfactory’s milestone tasks. Pretty much all tasks of refining materials can be done by hand at the Crafting Bench meaning you can take that iron ore and use it to craft ingots. You can busy yourself with other tasks and simply come back later to fill up on that precious ore. One of the earlier unlocks for example is a Robo Miner which can be placed on those iron ore deposits to save your tired hands from chipping away at them yourself. These mini-tasks when completed unlock more things to build and enhance your current ways of working. Satisfactory provides prompts to what to do next to slowly build your empire. Once the metaphorical dramatic music has faded and the associated zoomed-out panning camera has returned to first-person perspective, things can continue. The adventure for all intents and purposes, starts now. Once this mighty structure is built, I imagine this is where you should expect to see the game’s title screen appear, like in so many games these days. After having looted enough you can build a base of operations, and the start of your mechanical operations. Not one to rest on sentiment, your first task is to scrap your landing ship to give you the components you need to build a scanner to locate the local iron ore. You land on a planet – the blank canvas to paint your perfect automated picture – with simply the rocket you land in and a suit to keep you alive. The pleasure that comes from Satisfactory is in its progression. So much so, in fact, that I can’t stop thinking about it. ![]() And now I’ve discovered Satisfactory by Coffee Stain Studios, and my word, does is scratch this unique itch I have. Overbearing control and organisation aren’t normally sub-genres that get people’s juices flowing, but they do for me. I like things “just so”, to be neat and tidy and as they should be. And if that wasn’t enough of a red warning flag, my compulsion for storage on Astroneer should have been another. After all, I’m known as the guy with an unhealthy obsession with flowers on Animal Crossing time and time again. I’ve been known to have some weird perspectives and even weirder gaming obsessions. I’ll admit right away that I’m quite an odd man.
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