Factorio’s whopping Area Age growth has been within the works for an excellent few years now, and we lastly know after we’ll get our fingers on it. Area Age will arrive this October alongside a significant 2.0 replace for the moreish factory-automating hit, with the growth costing as a lot as the bottom sport. It seems like there’ll be loads to point out for that value, thoughts.
Area Age obtained a correct reveal final summer season, with builders Wube revealing its addition of 5 new planets – full with new assets and expertise to take care of – and the brand new means to construct house platforms after the top of the unique sport’s ranges. These house platforms will want defending from asteroids, both by taking pictures them down or catching them to refine into helpful assets, with the operational platforms working to ship cargo between planets.
The brand new planets will embrace the volcanic Vulcanus, the place Tungsten permits for brand spanking new metallurgic tech and lava can be utilized to smelt iron and copper. Fulgora, in the meantime, is a desolate planet racked by lightning storms that may be harnessed for electrical energy, particularly when used along with the brand new materials of Holmium, whereas the stays of a misplaced civilisation might be dug up and become new gadgets. There’s additionally a swampy planet, Gleba, stuffed with fruit and biochemicals, whereas the devs tease a fifth planet that “guarantees among the most original gameplay” amongst its darkish and chilly panorama removed from the solar.
Different additions within the growth embrace elevated prepare tracks to cross over terrain or just elevate rails above one another for extra transportation, new enemies and methods to defend in opposition to them, and high quality tiers for gadgets, entities and tools that grant varied bonuses as you advance them throughout 5 ranges from Regular high quality as much as Legendary – whether or not that’s higher vary, sooner crafting or one thing else.
In different phrases, it seems like there’ll be lots, with Wube beforehand evaluating the dimensions of Area Age to the unique sport, with out taking greater than 80 hours for veteran gamers to complete. With that in thoughts, the growth’s $35 price ticket – in step with the bottom sport – appears honest sufficient to me.
Even when that value is a bit a lot for you when Area Age arrives, you’ll be capable of obtain Factorio’s 2.0 replace at no cost when it arrives alongside the growth. The overhaul will add varied new options, from a brand new fluid system and distant view to enhancements to coach controls, combinators and employee robotic AI.
Each Area Age and replace 2.0 will drop on October twenty first, not far off the discharge estimate Wube gave final 12 months. The devs say the time between every now and then shall be spent sharpening for the launch, with sufficient time earlier than Christmas to observe up with any mandatory bug fixes.