If Satisfactory and Factorio have proved anything since their respective releases, it’s that some find the prospect of dozens of hours of automation and optimization endearing (it’s me, I’m one of those people, despite mixed results). And lest you think the market isn’t ripe for any competition, especially with how much time you could sink into those two titles alone, there have been notable entries like Dyson Sphere Program, Captain of Industry, and more recently, Shapez 2. So when Creepy Jar, best known for the nightmarish survival/crafting title Green Hell, announced StarRupture, I was equal parts intrigued and confused.
A base-building game with automation where you explore a sci-fi planet, mining resources and fighting off alien bugs? It almost felt like Factorio, but in first-person, at least in terms of premise.
After spending some time with the early access version, which launches on January 6th for PC, the appeal of StarRupture has become a whole lot clearer. There’s a way to go yet, and definitely some improvements required in certain aspects, but it scratches that itch for one more unlock while pushing further and further across the planet.
"You see, Arcadia-7 is in the Ruptura System, and for some reason, the planet likes to go supernova every so often. That means a giant fiery wave roiling across the surface, incinerating anything and everyone in its wake (including me, as I unfortunately found out)."
And what a place Arcadia-7 is. You play as one of four convicts who join the Argos Program, which requires landing on the planet sans much equipment to mine its resources. And while the Claywood Corporation looms in the background, the focus at this point is to ship products for five different corporations: Selenian Corp, Clever Robotics, Moon Energy, Griffits Blue Corp, and Future Health Solutions. Supply them with specific goods, be it Titanium Rods or Wolfram Wires, and you’ll earn points towards their standing. Level those up enough, and you can redeem different rewards.
Now, you could take your piddly mining laser and try to extract those resources by hand before refining, but automation is the name of the game. Setting up an Ore Extractor with rails to feed into a Fabricator and a Smelter is only the start. You also need to set up Orbital Launch Devices to fulfil different orders, set up Solar Generators to feed power, collect resources to upgrade your Base Core, expand your Habitat to make room for more stations and fend off hunger and thirst. You know, the basic stuff. Before you know it, you’ll be rerouting rails, installing junctions, optimizing supply chains, and looking for shortcuts to supply the corpos faster. While the various animations weren’t quite as detailed as, say, Satisfactory, there’s still something oddly hypnotic about sitting back and watching your machinery diligently hum away.
Also, make no mistake – StarRupture offers a lot to unlock, even at this point in early access. Beyond producing more complex resources like Ceramics, Rotors, Metal Sheets, and whatnot, you’ll also need to unlock recipes for them. These require heaps of resources and Data Points, which are also used to progress your standing with corporations, providing a nice boost towards the next unlock. However, some of these will also need blueprints, which must be found in the wild, and don’t count on all the requisite resources being near your starting point either. As such, setting up multiple bases becomes essential, and they’ll especially come in handy when disaster inevitably strikes.
You see, Arcadia-7 is in the Ruptura System, and for some reason, the planet likes to go supernova every so often. That means a giant fiery wave roiling across the surface, incinerating anything and everyone in its wake (including me, as I unfortunately found out). Fortunately, you can always go back and collect your stuff on death, though some of it could end up broken. Multiple shelters thus become important in the early going. It’s more than an incredible sight – after a wave passes, your machinery overheats, but new materials and meteorites become available to harvest.
"Remember how I said you play as one of four convicts? Well, the other three are still connected to you and will chime in occasionally. At times, it can be interesting for learning their backstories, but some interactions felt like they’re missing something."
This leads to another core aspect of StarRupture – the exploration. Venture far enough away from your base, and you’ll discover a Geoscanner and a free pistol. Unlock your map, and this quickly becomes a way to scan the surroundings to provide more information on points of interest. It also serves as a mini horde event of sorts, attracting alien bugs keen on tearing you to pieces.
While they all die relatively the same, I was surprised at the variance that each had to offer, whether it’s the leapers that aggressively attack, the infection-carrying exploders or the slag-shooting pests that preferred to hang back. It may be easy enough to handle a few initially, but once their numbers increase, you’ll want to invest in some serious firepower (which requires collecting a completely separate currency).
Even if the current slate of POIs feels somewhat limited, Arcadia-7 has some pretty interesting locations to go with the mysteriously radioactive Monoliths, dead bodies, and drone wreckage. Despite being uninhabited, other similar crews came here before you. Two guesses on what happened to them. Alongside the various datapads, you’ll find voice recordings painting a grim picture of not just the planet but how the corporate overlords chose to handle things.
Unfortunately, it’s offset by the other narrative element of StarRupture – the cast. Remember how I said you play as one of four convicts? Well, the other three are still connected to you and will chime in occasionally. At times, it can be interesting for learning their backstories, but some interactions felt like they’re missing something. Even without hearing from the others, my own character would mouth their own one-liners, which got a bit repetitive. This may be a hit or miss for some players. Honestly, there’s probably someone out there who’s a fan of hearing their avatar say “om nom nom” while eating food, but I’m not one of them. The voice acting isn’t all that bad, though, and some of the interactions with the AI assistant can be amusing.
"I’m not quite sure how StarRupture will ultimately measure up against either Satisfactory or Factorio in terms of pure automation in the long run, but that’s the thing: It doesn’t necessarily have to."
There are other gaps for StarRupture to fill – which should be addressed through subsequent updates – but I’m still quite impressed with just how much Creepy Jar has managed to cram into early access. The automation aspects are complex enough to allow for extensive optimization, and that’s before we even get into arming your bases with turrets. As you perform different actions, you’ll level up combat, stamina, and survival, which allows for equipping LEMs to further customize your character with benefits like increased health, faster weapon swap speed, and so on.
Creepy Jar also has the right idea when it comes to the fundamentals. Despite some iffy rail connections, I experienced one bug, ironically, a bug floating in mid-air, and no performance hiccups (except for the occasionally brief stutter when saving). As always, your mileage and settings may vary, but even the production values are nothing to sneeze at, with some genuinely stunning sights and an odd yet fitting synth soundtrack.
I’m not quite sure how StarRupture will ultimately measure up against either Satisfactory or Factorio in terms of pure automation in the long run, but that’s the thing: It doesn’t necessarily have to. As long as it can expand and improve on its own gameplay loop, where combat, exploration and base-building function as one harmonious whole, then StarRupture could very well serve as a compelling third option. For now, if you’re looking for a first-person automation title to fill the hole left by Satisfactory, it’s worth checking out.
This game was reviewed on PC.
