Hello everyone, I’m gladly back, sorry for the sudden disappearance, I had to sort some stuff, but I’m back and ready to review more games. This time I played one of the most interesting concepts in a while, Subnautica. If you like exploration games like No Man’s Sky, Abzu or even Minecraft, this game is for you.
Diving into the review
This captivating underwater survival adventure was crafted by the talented team at Unknown Worlds Entertainment. An American video game developer based in San Francisco. Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire established the firm in 2001, and since then, they have been developing games with an emphasis on exploration, narrative, and immersive experiences.
Subnautica, one of Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s most notable games, debuted in early access in December 2014 and went on sale in full in January 2018. With its original approach to the survival genre and its immersion into an exotic ocean planet full of secrets, sea life, and a sizable open environment for exploration, the game immediately became well-liked.
Throughout the development of Subnautica, the team at Unknown Worlds has been praised for their commitment to player feedback and engagement. During the early access period, they actively engaged the community, leveraging player feedback to enhance and add to the game’s features and content. The success of the game was largely due to this approach, which was centered on the community.
Through their meticulous attention to detail and immersive gameplay, they’ve managed to create an experience that rivals AAA titles. One of the most captivating aspects of their game design is the minimalistic portrayal of the main character, allowing players to become the true protagonists of the story.
Gameplay mechanics
As we venture deeper into the game, the world unfolds before us, revealing its secrets in a way that makes us feel like we’re genuinely a part of this captivating adventure.
As mentioned before, one of the key aspects of the game is exploration. In the game, the player is thrown into an alien world, completely covered by water. Having only a tiny pod serving as a base, we will need to explore and discover the secrets this mysterious planet hides, in order to grow our base and equipment, to ultimately find a way out.
Another key element is crafting and resource gathering. The world is filled with everything you could need. For food, you have the fish, for water, you have other animals, for equipment and crafting, you have a very diverse set of minerals and abandoned equipment by other investigation teams also stranded on the planet.
This is one of the elements I like the most in these kinds of games. The freedom to explore and create your own base gives the world life and by establishing these hubs, you can make this world yours.
Not everything will come easy, as many dangers and challenges await us in the depths of this world. As basic human needs like eating and drinking water, to facing numerous dangerous creatures, the challenges will put you to the test, as well as your abilities to craft and adapt.
Besides building and growing your base, many articles and vehicles are also available for you to create and use, so exploring and gathering becomes easier. Subnautica offers players the chance to pilot various vehicles, such as the Seamoth and Cyclops submarines. These vehicles can be upgraded and customized, enabling players to reach deeper and more dangerous areas of the ocean.
Subnautica features a diverse array of marine life, from harmless and mesmerizing creatures to dangerous predators. Understanding the behavior of these creatures is crucial for survival. Being underwater means players must manage their oxygen supply efficiently. Diving too deep or staying submerged for extended periods can be risky, so players must always keep an eye on their remaining air.
The game features a day-night cycle, affecting visibility and the behavior of certain creatures. Players must plan their exploration and resource gathering based on the time of day. Scanner and Technology Progression: To unlock new blueprints and progress in the game, players use a handheld scanner to study various life forms, artifacts, and technologies. Some sort of marine pokedex.
The graphics and visuals of Subnautica are just fantastic, enveloping players in a beautiful and vivid underwater environment. Each biome in the game seems different and alive because of the art style’s flawless balancing act between realism and aesthetic flair. From swaying kelp forests and bioluminescent plants to historic ruins and magnificent underwater tunnels, the submarine landscapes are brimming with complex features.
The creatures themselves are evidence of the designers’ creativity; they have unique designs that go from adorable and friendly to awe-inspiring and menacing. Each creature moves with grace and fluidity, adding to the immersion and giving the undersea habitat a visceral, living feeling.
In the end
As mentioned before, what I liked the most about Subnautica is the level of immersion. Since the main character doesn’t say anything, you are the real main character, and the possibility of developing a base from scratch and getting new and innovative artifacts to make your journeys easier.
The fact that the story of the game unravels as you explore, gives it an edge over other similar exploration games, making it a stellar element of the game. The only thing I would’ve liked more from the game is a little bit more of variety in creatures. It’s not long before you start to recognize all of the creatures inhabiting the world, but this, as some might now, might be addressed in the new Subnautica entry, which we will review here soon.
In the end, this is a fantastic game for exploration and experimentation with the many elements the game provides. I can guarantee a vast amount of time having fun in this subaquatic world. For more reviews and recommendations on the fascinating world of indie games, check out our Blog page for more content! And if you would like to check the game out for yourself, get some help or just be part of the community, check out the devs website.