Summary

  • The best defense in Abiotic Factor is a good offense, whether you're playing alone or with friends.
  • Craft or find weapons from humble crowbars to devastating firearms for survival in the game.
  • Choose your weapon wisely based on damage, range, and strategic benefits to maximize your chances of survival.

Whenever you find yourself scavenging your way through the abandoned halls of a forsaken facility filled with horrors beyond mortal comprehension, you'll be sure to want a good weapon by your side. Thankfully, there are a plethora of tools ready to be both crafted or discovered in Abiotic Factor, a survival game developed by Deep Field Games with a distinctly Half-Life flavored twist.

The coworker can be seen crawling on the tiled floor in the main plaza.
Abiotic Factor: How To Find And Feed Jerome

See a guy crawling on the floor? We call him Jerome.

As with many other games that include crafting, there are successively more powerful weapons to acquire, from humble makeshift tools to devastating and rare firearms. Whether you're playing alone or with friends, the best defense is always a good offense.

8 Crowbar

Damage: 35

The Crowbar from Abiotic Factor

While the humble crowbar may not seem impressive, this weapon is nevertheless both reliable and easy to acquire. A favorite of theoretical physicists everywhere, the crowbar is equal parts tool and weapon, useful when both dismantling and defending.

Using this as a weapon against enemies necessitates getting up close and personal, a downside not shared with weapons that can damage at a distance. Even with those downsides, however, the crowbar (and other weapons like it) are a necessary stepping stone on your way towards survival.

7 Throw Net

Damage: 0

The Throw Net in Abiotic Factor

The throw net might not seem like much at first, but in reality this weapon is an indispensable tool that can function in a variety of situations. Whether trapping small enemies or stalling larger ones, the true value of the throw net comes to light when used strategically and in conjunction with other weapons.

A screenshot from Abiotic Factor showing a town filled with mist, a police car and infrastructure can be seen in the foreground. In the background is foliage and a large monster with long bony arms and legs that stands taller than the trees.
Abiotic Factor: How To Navigate Through Flathill

Learn how to navigate through Flathill in Abiotic Factor!

Tactical use of the net can enable you to take down much larger enemies than you would otherwise be able to conquer or be used to make a hasty escape when cornered.

6 Lightning Spear

Damage: 26

The Electric Spear in Abiotic Factor

If the long range of a spear wasn't enough, the electrical spear raises the bar with shocking effects. Keep your distance with this electrifying weapon, an added benefit that other, more close-range melee weapons can't offer.

If that wasn't enough, the lightning spear can also deal area-of-effect damage to surrounding enemies as well. All in all, this makes the lightning spear a fearsome option balanced by the materials necessary to craft it, without those materials being prohibitively rare.

5 Pipe Pistol

Damage: 50

The Pipe Pistol in Abiotic Factor

Is the pipe pistol a hastily bashed-together mess of office supplies and frayed wires that looks like it could just as easily explode in your hand as it would damage your enemies? Yes. Is it also the first option you might have to get your hands on a firearm able to safely damage foes from a distance?

A screenshot from Abiotic Factor showing some rock formations and neon blue, green, and orange plants growing across landscape in a different dimension.
Abiotic Factor: 11 Beginner Tips

Here are some beginner tips to get you started in Abiotic Factor.

The answer, as you may suspect, is also yes. While the pipe pistol might not stack up to the more powerful firearms attainable later on down the line, that by no means makes it a poor choice.

4 Security Pistol

Damage: 28

The Security Pistol in Abiotic Factor

While the security pistol may serve as the most basic of weapons in many standard first-person shooters, in Abiotic Factor, it's a relief to finally have a weapon capable of reliably dealing damage from a distance without putting yourself directly at undue risk.

This weapon is, in all regards, absolutely average, but compared to makeshift melee weapons, the average doesn't look too bad, and no crafting is required to boot. This is tempered by the scarcity of ammo, so rely on this weapon sparingly.

3 Military Shotgun

Damage: 20

The Military Shotgun in Abiotic Factor

When you absolutely need something gone in the blink of an eye, a shotgun is always your best bet. Better used up close and personal rather than from a distance, the shotgun balances this need to close the gap with the large bursts of damage it is capable of dishing out.

The Best Xbox Game Pass Survival Games
Best Survival Games On Xbox Game Pass

The Xbox Game Pass service packs in all sorts of games, not least of which is the survival genre. Here are the ten best survival titles on Game Pass.

By 

In the early stages of the game, there is very little that can stand up to this barrage. Less useful at a distance, the shotgun nevertheless excels in the narrow hallways you'll tend to find yourself in.

2 Military Magnum

Damage: 100

The Military Magnum in Abiotic Factor

The military magnum essentially ups the ante when compared to the regular security pistol, sharing many of the same upsides and downsides as its more basic counterpart. The capability of dealing extremely high levels of damage is tempered by the need to aim carefully before firing and the scarcity of ammo that every missed shot will emphasize in no small terms.

A weapon capable of dealing such high damage is, understandably, on the rare side, making it a welcome addition to any arsenal, even if only as a backup plan.

1 Submachine Gun

Damage: 25

The Submachine Gun in Abiotic Factor

Each individual shot might not seem like much, essentially coming in around the same threshold as a pistol, the true value in the submachine gun lies in its ability to lay down fire with unprecedented speed.

Be careful to watch your ammo, as it can be easy to both spray and pray until all your stores are gone, leaving you helpless. As long as the ammo lasts, however, you can count on this weapon, and the reliability with which you can acquire it from enemy soldiers means it's almost always an option.

Joel in the last of us, alien and ship from no man's sky, and cannibals from the Forest
The Best PS4 Survival Games

The survival horror genre has exploded over the last decade. Here are some of the best available to play right now on PS4.

1