Subnautica isn’t fast or intense or even violent…quite the opposite actually. There will certainly be a few surprises waiting for you inside the wreckage…no spoilers here. Sooner or later you’ll probably want to revisit the Aurora, the giant ship you were on before it crashed into this alien ocean planet. I was blown away by the unparalleled freedom you have in not only the design but the materials in which you can construct your base. The longer you plan and the deeper you go, the more secrets you’ll unlock as you uncover the mysteries of Subnautica.Īfter enjoying all the eye candy you might want to build yourself a home, and that is where the impressive base-building system comes into play. Thankfully there are plenty of bioluminescent creatures scattered about to light up the darkness with their colorful neon glow. The seascape is amazing with a deformable ocean floor, exotic plant life like towering seaweed stalks and thick kelp forests or maybe an underwater cave system to explore. Of course all these gorgeous visuals are accompanied by excellent sound effects and an underlying score. There is a working ecosystem in place with a viable food chain that you can use as a tool to manipulate predators, and a night and day cycle also mixes up the danger level as some of the more deadly creatures only come out to play at night.
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Instead, it favors bright colors and fanciful alien designs and even a few scary creatures lurking in the depths of the ocean. The art style never attempts to be ultra-realistic. Just putting on the headset is much like wearing a scuba mask, so not only do you have the visual immersion there is also this tactile feedback of having something on your face. The Oculus Rift creates an intensely immersive experience. Thankfully, there is also a casual mode that disables all of the hostile elements that normally work against you and gives you the freedom to explore and enjoy the scenery…you know…get your feet wet. You’ll need to monitor your health and oxygen all the while scavenging for supplies and crafting useful tools to aid you on your journey.
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First and foremost, Subnautica is a game of survival.
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I was reminded of another recent Early Access game, iOmoon, but rather than a linear 3-4 hour exploration of a moon, Subnautica gives you an entire open world to explore and to survive. Unknown Worlds current game-under-construction, Subnautica, takes players on a magical aquatic adventure not on our planet but rather a mysterious alien ocean world giving the designers unbridled freedom in creating all sorts of whimsical sea and plant life the perfect setting for the ultimate survival game.Īs far as originality and creativity are concerned, Subnautica is off the charts. While Gene Roddenberry may have dubbed space as the “final frontier” there is something just as mysterious and potentially more dangerous waiting to be explored right here on our own planet…the ocean. This is an Early Access Review and as such opinions and scores are based solely on the state of the game at the time of review and subject to change as development progresses leading up to final release.