Abiotic Factor, a co-op survival game heavily inspired by the original Half-Life, has been around for over a year now in early access on Steam. But it has now received a massive 1.0 update, left early access, and made its way to consoles, too. And on top of all that, this very good survival game is now available on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, complete with crossplay.
First announced in 2022, Abiotic Factor looks a lot like Valve’s classic ‘90s FPS Half-Life. And it is even set in a similar location: a secret underground research facility filled with nasty interdimensional aliens and deadly military goons. But unlike Half-Life, Abiotic Factor is a survival game like Minecraft or Rust. Here, though, instead of harvesting trees and rocks, you scrounge for pencils and paper, breaking open closets and desks for resources. It’s a very interesting spin on survival, forcing you to build armor out of plastic binders and garbage cans and set up camp in offices and bathrooms. And as you get deeper into the game, you discover alternative dimensions filled with new loot, resources, and dangerous, creepy monsters.
Here’s the game’s official description courtesy of the Xbox store:
After a catastrophic containment breach, your workplace has become a cosmic battle zone: anomalous entities are on the loose, enemies from other dimensions are invading via portals, and an arcane military sect – known as The Order – is targeting personnel and entities indiscriminately, aiming to seize artifacts and put an end to the chaos. Containment procedures have failed and help isn’t on the way.
Stranded miles beneath the surface, it’s up to you and your fellow scientists to band together, plan your escape, and make this underground complex your new home – for now.
I’ve been playing Abitoitc Factor on and off for about a year now since it came out, and I’m so excited to check it out on console with my group of friends. And the fact that it’s on both Game Pass and PS Plus Extra makes it super easy for me to convince them to give it a spin. You should try it as well! I’ve made it clear on this site that I don’t like all the tree-punching and cave-living that most survival games involve, and that’s still true. But Abiotic Factor’s contemporary setting and Half-Life vibes really do make it feel different.
So even if you’re burned out on punching rocks and trees, give Abiotic Factor a go on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, or PC.
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