This is Dr. Ultimarok, reporting. (With a review.)

Abiotic Factor. Where do I begin?

I went into this game with no idea of what to expect, outside of thinking it'd be just another of your typical survival crafting games. It ended up being SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!

If I were to summarize the type of game this is by comparing to other titles, then I would say that it's basically: Half-Life + MInecraft, with some SCP Containment and a bit of F.E.A.R. thrown in.

I've actually long-beaten this game as of several weeks ago weeks ago on December 25, 2025 - But have been letting it stew in my mind for a long while afterward, because I wanted to review it properly and describe my experience as best as I can. And even still, I kind of find myself at a loss for words because of how excellent the game is and how it completely subverted my expectations and totally surprised me.

As of this writing, I have 215.3 hours on record. 130 of that was in single-player with the rest being in an ongoing multi-player session with good friends of mine.

This is a real gem of a game, a real indie diamond. An indie that I originally did not have high expectations of, but (as previously mentioned) pleasantly surprised me and turned out to be really great. Now this? THIS is how you make a game. It's got a lot of depth and there's just so many layers to it - Especially since it's a giant love letter to the many games that inspired it and you'll even find subtle (and not-so-subtle) references to them here and there. This is not a "meme game" despite that and it does have some uniqueness. Even the frustrating parts of it are still fun and the mod support is great.

Let's get into what I liked about the game and what I did not or felt neutral about.

The control scheme is pretty good. I played the game with an Xbox controller, personally and it works fine with that. I can't speak as to the mouse and keyboard controls as I never used them. The only thing I used the keyboard is for console commands and a mod shortcut key.

The graphics, while not the best, are serviceable and the aesthetic suits this game well enough. They were going for a specific artistic vision here and it works - to great effect. I've been gaming since the 1980s, so clearly I'm used to far worse graphics, hence they don't bother me that much. The graphics are very similar to PlayStation 1 (PSX) graphics. They certainly work for a certain BASTARD'S facial expression at a certain part of the game. Ooh, that bastard... Let me tell you. (I won't though. Since, you know, it's a spoiler.)

The character customization is not bad, but it's also not too deep, and for the purposes of this game it worked well enough. I was fine with it. It could definitely be a lot better and could definitely use more options. You may find it annoying that some customization options are hidden behind stuff you have to find and active in-game or earned through other ways.

The story and lore. Oh MAN, the story and lore. To say that it's "deep" is an understatement to me. So, over the course of the game you will learn the story through dialogue with NPCs, e-mails at computers/terminals and through hologram recordings. (Often from Dr. Derek Manse, reporting.) While the story is definitely reminiscent of some other games, but I personally enjoyed this game's unique take on them and find it to be quite quirky. It'll keep you on your toes and constantly wanting to keep playing to find out what happens next. I know this is all a generic description so far, but I'm really trying to keep my review as spoiler-free as possible here. The depth for the story and lore isn't so much how "intellectually deep" it goes, than it is how many layers there are to it and there's quite a bit. There's some interesting theories and conspiracies in there too.

The game campaign/session customization is great. While it might not have the insane amount of customization options that others in the genre do, the options it does have are plenty and works well for customizing your game. Things that annoyed me, I was able to change at any time I wanted and it didn't affect my experience negatively and it also did not lock you out of any achievements, which I really appreciated. I think you'll be satisfied with the options you can change before starting the game proper.

The exploration - while I did enjoy it - is a bit of a mixed bag. It's actually really good, but the problem that docks points off of it is that while ALL of the facility is interconnected, it's very much a labyrinth that, sometimes, starts to feel like an annoying maze where it's very easy to get lost. And this DID annoy me deeply at times. But I decided to persevere in spite of it and I'm certainly glad that I did and stuck with it. The second half of the game is a lot easier to figure out and harder to get lost in than the first half of it. The exploration is contradictorily confusing, yet also rewarding and occasionally exciting in spite of it. Hey, the facility (GATE Cascade) is a BIG place! Lots of twists, turns, hidden/secret areas and etc. You can at least be sure that there's no shortage of things to discover.

The crafting is nothing too special. Just your run-of-the-mill crafting. However, it brings an interesting little twist: Before you can craft a blueprint you've discovered, there's a little research mini-game you play to figure out how it's supposed to be put together and with which parts. Just one of those "Here's how it could possibly and scientifically be done in real life" sort of things. After that you can craft it if you have the necessary materials shown in the final result of the crafting research mini-game. (Fret not, if it annoys you, then you CAN turn this off in the game customization options any time. Admittedly it does get old near the end of the game.)

Traversal in the game is pretty fun and there's a lot of good options for that. Without spoiling it, there's some things you can make that can make you move so far and so fast and so high that you can legitimately sequence break the game and get to areas you're not normally supposed to until later. They're very fun to use, even if some of them require power.

Base-building, like crafting, is nothing to write home about. You can't build your own house or anything like that. But you can turn existing areas into a makeshift fortress. There's quite a few choice spots. If you can't decide on a good one, don't be afraid to check the steam forum or elsewhere online for recommendations. I kept mine in the starting area for the most part, but eventually I'll branch out. Never be afraid to branch out and choose a different spot for your "home base". Teleporters will make things less painful, as will storage.

The survival mechanics are okay. I've personally never been a big fan of that in this genre, despite that being almost entirely what the genre is about in addition to crafting. Having to eat, drink, sleep and defecate frequently can get annoying really fast. But there are ways to mitigate this, again, using the game's customization options. (You can set it to never get tired, hungry, etc.) There's a stamina system, and you can break your legs a lot in this game, but again, there are ways to mitigate and lessen that aspect if you wish.

The combat in this game is pretty fun and some of the weapons are pretty unique and crazy. Combat itself is not entirely unique though and there's definitely games with better combat out there. For example, there's a lot of enemies in the later half of the game that are annoying bullet sponges.

Some of the references influences I've found so far: Half-Life, Minecraft, Silent Hill, F.E.A.R., Resident Evil, SCP Containment, 90s stuff and more.

I have to cut the review short here, running out of characters.

All in all, this game is truly a labor of love and is certainly worth your time, focus and enjoyment.

Best of luck out there, scientists!

With a truly immersive and detailled setting, thoughtful and challenging progression points, and abundance of tools, vehicles and upgrades, Abiotic Factor is easily the best survival game I have ever played.

To think I almost slept on this one... worth every penny.

I would call this the best survival-craft game out there.