Factor 5

Factor 5 at a Glance

Factor 5 is a German studio founded in Cologne in 1987 by five people who wanted to make video games. They released their first titles in 1991 and continued working until 2022. The company has 16 games listed on PlayPile, with all of them developed in-house while two carry the publisher credit. Their catalog covers a wide range of systems including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wii, PC, and older machines like the Amiga and Commodore C64. The studio is best known for shooters, which make up 11 of their titles. They also have seven platformers and four adventure games in their library. The data shows a clear shift in their output over the decades. Most of their work came during the 1990s when they released eight games. Activity slowed down significantly in the 2000s with only four releases, and dropped to just one game each in the 2010s and 2020s. This pattern suggests the company became much less active after their peak years. Quality varies across their history but leans toward the positive side. The average rating for ten of their titles is 73.7 out of 100. Their best work includes Turrican II: The Final Fight from 1991, which holds an 89.9 rating, and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II - Rogue Leader from 2001 with a score of 87.7. These two titles fall into the great category. Seven other games are rated as good, ranging between 60 and 79 points. There is only one title in the mixed range at 40 to 59, which is Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike with a 57 score. No titles fall into the poor category. Recent releases show they are still active but rarely. Super Turrican 2: Special Edition came out in March 2022, and a Director's Cut of Super Turrican appeared in February 2018. These modern entries rely on their older intellectual property rather than new franchises. The bio claims they push platform limits, yet the rating distribution shows a drop-off after their early success with the Star Wars titles. While they have technical skill, their recent output is limited compared to their prolific 1990s era.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution