Abiotic Factor Review (Valarian)
ABF has quickly become a personal favorite for three reasons
1. It has a hand-made map
2. If offers an immersive sim experience in a survival crafting package
3. The crafting system is incredible
It Has a Hand-Made Map.
Having a static map designed by a human is a bold choice for a survival crafting game—such games often rely on procedural generation for replay value—but this one choice pays off in spades. ABF’s map is a twisting thing of beauty, filled with shortcuts and secret passages reminiscent of the best portions of Dark Souls. No other survival crafting game has as thrilling of an exploration loop as ABF, which makes every hallway a compelling discovery and which consistently had me saying “huh, so *there’s* where that duct goes.” There are so many routes through the facility that even though it’s not a big open space, I never felt that restricted as I explored.
It offers an Immersive Sim Experience in a Survival Crafting Package.
In an interview with PC Gamer magazine, Lead Designer Geoff “Zag” Keene said that his team hadn’t intended to make an Immersive Sim, but that didn’t keep them from knocking this part out of the park. The interlocking map—combined with a strong skill ladder and well-thought out environmental systems—means that there are plenty of different ways to overcome obstacles based on your playstyle. Best of all, multiplayer means that you can combine your favorite playstyle with your friends’ playstyles to make a cohesive team. If you love sneaking and your friend loves hitting stuff with a big sledgehammer, you’ll find that both of you will have plenty of opportunities for your specific role to shine.
The Crafting System Is Incredible
I love that within minutes of playing, ABF leapfrogs right over the tech level of most survival crafting games. Where other games have you gathering wood and stone to make a spear, ABF puts you to work immediately looking for circuit boards and power supplies so you can make vacuums out of alien organs. The recipe trees become very complex very quickly, but there are enough quality-of-life features where it feels more satisfying than tedious. The supply and demand of materials is also remarkably balanced; you’ll undoubtedly be surprised at the “common” materials you run out of. Each item has heaps of personality, as well. You may wonder why you need a desk phone to craft a spear, but it all makes sense when you actually see the spear and realize that *of course* you need to have a little hand-guard to protect your delicate little science-fingies.
Advice For New Players
Build at least one base per sector. It’s entirely possible to build one big mega base in the first sector, but there are so many base locations and the crafting/scavenging is so fun, you’ll regret NOT building more bases.
Don’t Be Afraid to Tweak Difficulty. I personally turn down monster hitpoints and turn up damage for a faster but deadlier game that rewards good preparation. I think default difficulty is great and you should probably start with that... but since you have the option to balance difficulty mid game, it’s better to tweak a setting than give up entirely.
Multiplayer and Solo Are Very Different Experiences. I like Multiplayer best, but scheduling keeps my friends from playing consistently. My solo game has in no way diminished my fun in multiplayer, even though I’m much farther ahead in the plot.
Final Thoughts
The most common comparison people make with ABF is Half Life, though I think that is actually underselling it. Yes, Half-Life fans will find plenty to love here, but I most frequently find myself comparing it to Control—with its liminal uncanniness and its desire to categorize the inexplicable.The scientists of GATE have stumbled onto a world which can only be described as “arcane”, but that doesn’t keep them from firmly believing that any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science. Are they correct? Who knows! But the way ABF walks the tightrope between zany and eerie is impressive. If you’ve ever wanted to build a pillow-fort in a haunted mall then this is absolutely the game for you.