Subnautica 2: dive in and immerse yourself
The most wishlisted game on Steam has arrived in Early Access – and it delivers on every front. I just wish Subnautica 2 were a little more innovative.
The disputes between publisher Krafton and studio Unknown Worlds couldn’t derail this sequel to the underwater survival sensation. Of the more than five million fans who added the game to their Steam wishlist, a large portion whipped out their credit cards on launch day. Within twelve hours, the Early Access version of Subnautica 2 had sold two million copies on PC and Xbox. By now, it’s passed the four million mark. That isn’t even counting everyone who’s playing it on Game Pass.
I, too, slipped on my wetsuit right on time for the launch, diving headfirst into cold water. I start off just like in the original. On my way to a new home, my colony spaceship crashes and I find myself stranded on an alien planet. It’s different from the first one, but again one that’s mostly covered in water. I’m tasked with finding out exactly what happened. Instead, I explore the vast ocean world and build my own underwater base.
A world to lose yourself in
Subnautica 2 looks amazing. A switch from Unity to Unreal Engine allows for a much more detailed and vibrant world than in the previous game. The countless new underwater creatures behave more realistically too, with huge schools of fish scattering frantically as a potential predator approaches. Animals reacting to one another at all is new. Some of them fight, though I’m still their favourite target. Especially early on, without flippers or motorised transportation, I get nibbled on the regular.
But Unknown Worlds hasn’t just tweaked the fauna; the flora’s also more diverse than ever. You’ll discover some truly strange plants. Some spray poison, others glow in the dark like neon signs, and others turn out to be giant crabs when I get close.
The largest plants I’ve come across so far are called Angel Combs. These unusual specimens provide me with essential upgrades, such as heat resistance, allowing me to explore new regions. There are only a few of them around, and I have to free some using the right tool. Everything in Subnautica 2 revolves around discovering new resources and using them to build new gadgets that let me dive deeper to discover even more.
Dive in, explore, build and start all over again
This loop grips me once more right away. By now, I’ve already set up a proper underwater base. Mind you, it wouldn’t stand up to the critical scrutiny of fellow editor and amateur architect Debora Pape – despite its beautiful panoramic windows. I’ll admit, I like taking a pragmatic approach.
Building bases is intuitive. Provided you have the necessary resources and tools, building a few rooms, installing windows and constructing machinery won’t take long. The Biolab is a new addition that lets me select active and passive skills. My first few include the Dash, used to evade aggressive fish, and Pathfinder, a pheromone that works like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumb trail, but more reliably.
Underwater currents have also been added. They’re handy since they let me enter caves really fast, like a turbo boost. I’ve already been swept up in a current against my will. Of course, this always happens when my oxygen’s already in short supply. Those few extra metres to the surface feel like an eternity. Luckily, new gadgets like the Air Bladder have already saved my life a few times. This pillow can either provide a bit more air or send me soaring right to the surface. Apparently decompression sickness doesn’t apply to my diver. Later on, I can build turbines in the underwater currents to power my base.
These days, I don’t swim myself as much any more. My latest pride and joy is the Tadpole, a small one-person submarine. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost it for good on its maiden voyage. Of course, I had to dive right into the first deep trench I came across, ignoring a warning that this area of the world is still under development. Two seconds after this message, all I see is a huge maw barrelling towards me. A moment later, the Bioped back at my base prints out a new copy of me. Meanwhile, my lovely Tadpole No. 1 rusts away at the bottom of the ocean.
Co-op? No thanks
Although the submarine only has one seat, a second player can hold on and ride along outside; Subnautica 2 features a co-op mode. However, I haven’t tried it yet. For me, this takes away an important part of the experience as a whole: that sense of being lost in the middle of a vast ocean on an alien planet.
The Early-Access content available so far is easy to complete on your own, even without spending days grinding for resources. Unlike other survival games such as Valheim or Enshrouded, Subnautica 2 requires less teamwork to unlock and experience everything. And if you have friends like me who spend countless hours on it in just a few days, there’s less left to discover. Your progress is, in fact, shared. As soon as someone discovers a new crafting recipe, everyone has it.
I’d rather go diving on my own. There’s something to discover in every direction. No other game does as much justice to the word «immersion» as Subnautica 2. Accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack, I keep exploring the fascinating environment that Unknown Worlds has created. I’m glad the studio still isn’t providing any weapons. No matter how annoying some fish can be, I could never bring myself to kill them. The developers reiterated as much in response to a question on the topic.
You can check out what else they had to say about the game in Debora’s Subnautica 2 preview.
Mind you, not every fish escapes my grasp. A few little critters do end up in my pan – or rather, in my Fabricator – turned into delicious meals for me. I have to get the protein for my dives somewhere, after all; they’re getting longer and longer. I can also use marine life to make fuel for my generators. Yet, Subnautica 2 remains a peaceful game at its core.
One area where the studio could be a bit more aggressive is innovation. In the current Early Access version, the new additions are still quite meagre – apart from co-op mode. The sea could be even more vibrant. My flashlight scaring certain fish away but attracting others is a start, but I want more. What if I could study animals and their behaviour? Be it for new upgrades or just to build up a nice collection. The entries for scanned creatures in the Codex aren’t exactly thrilling. I wouldn’t say no to a drill for building a Bond-villain-esque cave hideout either. According to the roadmap, their plan is primarily to release content updates and quality-of-life improvements, but who knows.
Even without many revolutionary changes, Subnautica 2 is already a brilliant game. Over the coming months and years, Unknown Worlds is likely to continue improving the game based on community feedback, just as it did with its predecessor. That, in turn, is the only thing keeping me from fully immersing myself in Subnautica 2. Because even though the game already has a lot of content, I quickly reach its limits. I prefer my toys to be whole from the off. Although, I might still be able to expand that one room in my base. And I only need one more system chip to make a second Tadpole. This would let me explore that one cave I marked. But after that, I’m definitely done.
Subnautica 2 is available for PC, Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass.
As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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