Satisfactory looks a lot like first-person Factorio
Shameless, but neat-lookin'
We'll build machines to build machines to build machines to build a mysterious massive machine in Satisfactory, the next game from Sanctum and Goat Simulator developers Coffee Stain Studios. If that sounds a lot like Wube Software's fantastic Factorio, you'll probably think it looks a lot like it too after watching the new trailer. "It's x but y" is always a crude way to describe a game but... Satisfactory sure does resemble Factorio but first-person. Which, really, I am up for.
There we are, sent to an alien planet by our bosses to construct a gigantic device of unknown purpose for their 'Save The Day' program. Like in Factorio--words I seem to be saying a lot--we start out scrabbling in the dirt, picking up minerals and clearing vegetation with our own hands. But start crafting powertools, building automated mines, building conveyor belts to transport minerals, machine to process the minerals, conveyor belts to take the resources to machines which craft them into components which are taken by self-driving tricks and trains to machines which combine those components with other components to... it's one huge factory-automating engineering sandbox.
Add to that a pretty planet to explore, local wildlife trying to murder you, vehicles, and the mystery of what the heck our ultimate machine even does, and it all looks a lark. A shamlessly Factorio-y lark, but a lark none the less.
Being in three dimensions should make for some interesting/nightmarish factory construction, with things snaking over, under, and through each other. It'll support some multi-level constructions too, and will offer jetpacks, catwalks, and bouncepads to help us navigate that tricky Z dimension.
Oh, and if the alien spiders put you off, here's some comfort from the FAQ: "I'm also arachnophobic. So I made an 'Arachnophobia Mode' which turns the spiders into cute cat sprites. I spent two hours on it so it looks terrible, but at least they aren't spiders anymore. But I guess you probably shouldn’t watch the trailer again."
Satisfactory is coming to Steam, er, whenever it does. Having recently missed an alpha testing deadline, Coffee Stain are too cautious to commit to a timeline. Fair does.
As for Factorio, it's out now in early access, costing £21/€25/$30 on Steam and GOG.
Check out our E3 2018 tag for more announcements, trailers, news, and goodness knows what else.