A while ago I would have streamed Factorio and eventually Satisfactory; I am glad I haven’t done so, as I don’t play these games in the most optimal way to appease internet comment sections. If there are grandmasters of Tetris, those that can produce a one-hundred percent optimal factory in video games deserve engineering degrees in my mind. Some video games have become a complete science within themselves, as you have logic this, and intricate– no human knows, only robots and Germans do.

With that more than tired introduction, that should express I played a little bit of Satisfactory‘s Alpha Weekend. This has been a game I have been excited for since E3 last year, as a member of the development team came out to the PC Gamer/Jimmy Fallon showcase, and gave us a glimpse of this game Coffee Stain Studios had been working on. Factorio, but 3D you say? Shut up and take my money! I am sure many, myself included, said something along those lines that night with glimpses of something colorful and fun. From this point, excitement grew and months passed: there was still no sign of a release date to be found. Then last Thursday, while perusing my usual gaming news sites I saw, “Satisfactory; early access release for March 19th.”: I almost burst with excitement.

Almost an hour after finding this news post on other sites, I had been sent an email from Coffee Stain’s PR team working on Satisfactory. This email was a blanket message informing everyone that those signed up to the PR mailing list would get an Alpha key for the test weekend. Like [exhausted metaphor for drugs] I would run to this alpha as soon as it opened and give this game a ruddy good showing what for of my stupidity.

So I did, as I opened the game and begun the descent into madness, or indeed falling in a drop pod as Satisfactory opened. I should also stop myself, and state this is neither a review, preview, or advertisement for the early access release this Tuesday, just my thoughts being given. With that said, stepped out of this drop pod thing into the alien wilderness of Satisfactory, with nothing but the tools I was given, and the computer (tutorial voice) telling me what to do and where to go. These were simple enough instructions, some of which I ignored, and I continued to ponder on the path that I usually do in these types of games.

This was a mistake. Not only was I doing my usual incongruity with these games, but completely ignoring important (every) portion of the tutorial that would save my life: literally. A few moments into Satisfactory I was told (in a more robot manner), “You see that thing in your hand? That will kill things trying to kill you.” which is something I didn’t realize until days later. Nevertheless, I carried on and went exploring for iron: and was immediately killed. I set off on another and was executed. Third times the charm? Or so they say.

As after I had become busy, and had gotten over my illness called death, I had one last run hours before the alpha weekend would close. With a galloping start, I began this run listening to every instruction I was given, including to use the weapon in hand as a weapon and not an accessory to my new fabulous planet. That said, this time when I went exploring for iron, I did find several Phacochoerus Plumeus Cauda (or aliens, for short), but I also found iron. Given this is a mining or Factorio-like game I dug this resource up as if it were diamonds, I did this until I had enough resources to create “the hub.” The hub is the heart of your factory, your original crafting bench, power generator, and progress tree all in one

With my newly found home, I progressed all the way up this literal tech tree for the next few hours. I didn’t create everything, and I don’t want to claim I have done everything I could have in the time I was given. However, I ran at this tech tree the way anyone would, full speed ahead and head first.

With that said, I only found enough time to climb oddly shaped rockfaces, create a container yard for my iron and copper deposits, and finally create my Molecular Analysis Machine, or M.A.M for short. Nonetheless, I did see the latter half of the tech tree which holds more creative functions, and more personal upgrade for your player character. All of which utilize the extra dimension that Satisfactory holds over its predecessor, and indeed Minecraft.

If I am honest, these more creative sections inside Satisfactory already remind me of building vaults and settlements in Fallout 4. Before this claim dissuades a few readers I want to make it clear the creative function is neither pushed upon you nor is fully implemented to completion. This was a view on an alpha weekend before the full early access launch, kinks will be ironed out and features will change. One of which I would like/did not see realized in-game already was a “snap to” other than a grid. I’m sure those that have tried building in first-person views can confirm without a snap tool to other buildings things will often be off of the mark.

In conclusion, I personally can not wait until this coming Tuesday when Satisfactory releases into early access for all through the Epic games store. I am anticipating the eventual builds of Satisfactory in two, six, and twelve months from now. I believe that Satisfactory will be a great success to come in the future, and if we look at the releases of Parkitect and Planet Coaster, both playing on two different styles of the same type of game, Satisfactory will do great.

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