Whether it’s the shrunken world of Grounded or the monster-collecting chaos of Palworld, it only takes one great idea to make the familiar parts of a survival game feel completely new. Subnautica did just that way back in 2014 by plunging the usual formula underwater, easily emerging as a favorite by the time it left Early Access in 2018.
Eight years and one icy spin-off later, Subnautica 2’s own Early Access debut has once again pulled me in like an ocean current. The game-changing addition of co-op multiplayer makes the depths a little less lonesome, but the experience is currently defined by its promising start rather than its finished state. With red barriers waiting outside the small map and a short list of gear to craft, I started to run low on new things to do after just a few hours. This makes the current ocean feel more like a pond than a vast sea, but that won’t be a surprise to anyone who followed the original from its early days. Dipping my toes in now has made me extremely excited for the updates that await in the months and years to come.
Returning to the Blue Abyss
Returning fans will recognize most of the weird stuff going on in Subnautica 2. A creepy water planet filled with dangerous sea life? Check. A sci-fi story that goes from mildly stressful to soul-crushingly depressing in a matter of hours? Check. Building massive bases and crafting gear and vehicles solely so that you don’t have to keep swimming to the surface to catch your breath? You know it.
This sequel doesn’t change a whole lot about the core structure of the first game. It wisely submerges itself almost entirely back into the water after Subnautica: Below Zero experimented with more action on land. You’ll gather resources that help you travel farther away from your life pod and explore deeper reaches of the ocean, facing new threats as you do. These include:
- Infected waters filled with hostile lifeforms.
- Oppressively hot regions with volcanic geysers that threaten to boil you alive.
- Diseased areas swarming with carnivorous fish until the source of corruption is destroyed.
What we said about Subnautica (2018) highlighted its status as a template for open-world survival games. It was fantastical, fresh, and frightening from surface to seabed, with a story that kept on surprising me. Even with more than 50 hours sunk, I have yet to discover all of its secrets. It’s a testament to how enticing those secrets are that I’m willing to face my fears and plunge my submersible into the darkest corners of its unforgiving ocean again and again.
A Story That Pulls You Deeper
One area Subnautica 2 improves upon its predecessors is its story. It takes the mostly environmental storytelling style of the original and pulls it up from the depths, offering something that’s even more compelling. While we don’t get to see more than a tease as of its Early Access release, this early section is already chock full of interesting characters and sci-fi concepts, as well as some truly devastating revelations along the way.
What’s great is that while this story is certainly more direct, it manages to tell it while retaining the sense of isolation and mystery that feels like an essential part of the series. If anything, learning more about the state of the world and the terrifying planet you find yourself on only heightens the disquiet as you explore. And if this is just a taste of things to come, then I genuinely fear what’s in store.
While the story is a significant leap forward, many of the survival mechanics remain mostly the same with a few new additions and optimizations. You’ll still hunt for various crafting materials like copper and silver, scan every bit of flora and fauna in sight to unlock new schematics, and cook up all the kelp and seafood you can stomach so you don’t starve.
That process is a bit more streamlined now. Just about every material has multiple functions to make collecting them a worthwhile use of your time. No longer will you be filling up your storage with acid mushrooms and feel quite silly a few hours later when you realize you grabbed more than you’re ever likely to need. The pacing (at least in the sections currently available) also feels much better, as I always felt like I knew exactly which materials to hunt for and which areas I should explore next.
Genetic Modification and New Depths
The survival loop might not be particularly novel, especially for those who have braved Subnautica’s waters before, but per usual, the main draw is that you’re required to explore increasingly unpredictable and dangerous depths if you hope to continue moving forward. That’s where Subnautica 2 shines, as each new stretch of water or unexplored cave features untold dangers, surprising lifeforms, and bits of lore to find along the way.
One interesting new idea is the ability to modify your genes via the bio lab machine, which can either be built in your settlements or found in the world. These allow you to gain access to new active abilities, like one that lets you quickly dash around underwater after a cooldown, or passive abilities, like one that gives you a larger lung capacity. The ability to customize how you play is a pretty neat feature, although there’s only a handful of options at the moment, so it’s a bit hard to tell what that system will look like once it has a chance to evolve over time.
Moments like these, where everything is new and unexpected, are the best parts of Subnautica 2. Some areas have an enormous clam-like creature hiding valuable resources within its shell that can be claimed by those willing to risk waking it. These discoveries keep the exploration fresh, ensuring that even in this Early Access phase, the ocean remains a place of wonder and terror.
