I fell in love with Abiotic Factor the minute I strapped a couch cushion to my chest and called it armor—there's no other survival game like it
The co-op survival game climbing the top-sellers chart is making a fantastic first impression.
Three years ago, I got swept up in all the Valheim hype and pressed the big green purchase button. I made my viking, basked in the pretty forests, and then immediately got bored by chopping trees and crafting wood logs. I should've listened to the part of my brain that's known for years that I'm exhausted with this kind of game. I've bounced on and subsequently off nearly every well-reviewed "tree puncher" in recent years—Valheim lost me, Nightingale never had me, and not even Lego Fortnite's charming brick laying could hold my attention.
The survival-crafting brain fog had gotten so bad that I genuinely thought I was just done surviving and crafting. Then last night a buddy and I checked out Abiotic Factor, just released in early access, and the fog was lifted in minutes.
Abiotic Factor's brilliance begins with its conceit: You play as a pencil-pushing scientist trapped in a secret underground laboratory during a Half-Life-style alien disaster. Presumably while some guy in glasses is out there saving the world in power armor, you and up to five friends are left to fend for yourselves, crafting chest plates out of couch cushions and scrounging for snacks in vending machines.
Much of our fun in Abiotic Factor so far has come from discovering just how deep and smart its systems are. After character creation (where you select between a wide variety of tie fabrics and pocket protectors), you also choose a job within the lab that determines your starting stats. I chose Lab Assistant, a versatile role that gives me an edge in sprinting and sneaking, while my friend chose a Gastronomy speciality that lets him cook better food quickly.
Interestingly, you also pick from a long list of positive and negative traits. This is a really cool system—by default you only have enough points for a few positive traits, but the more negative traits you take on, the more positive ones you can afford. I chose to have a weak bladder (I have to relieve myself 20% more often) so I could afford the Decathlon Competitor trait (sprint a lot longer).
A few other touches I love so far:
