A beautiful expansion of an already gorgeous game, Subnautica: Below Zero is probably just Subnautica Plus, but to me it was incredibly enjoyable anyway.
The game flow and mechanics remain very similar to the first entry, up to the point that gameplay felt rushed in its earliest stage: I'm not sure if it was because I "knew how to play" already but I had the impression I got a ton of blueprints, items and upgrades way too fast. It's only after the setup, and after finishing that "Subnautica 101" (get a vehicle, get depth upgrades, build a home) when the differences start to add up.
More than anything, it's the narrative what got a nice glowup. Themes such as our need for closure and the legacy we want to leave behind are explored more directly than in the first game, with more "cutscenes" and relying less on flavor texts and Firewatch-like narration. I won't spoil anything, but I was SO happy to see that elements from very secondary plots in the original Subnautica get to be under the spotlight here, that was a really pleasant surprise. It shows a lot of loving care of your own worldbuilding.
The new biomes had nice level design, with new ideas for fauna and flora that invite you to take risks and make room for great emergent narrative. I was skeptical at first about the absence of the old vehicles, but the Seatruck turned out to fit in very well. It has the same feeling of home with wheels the Cyclops used to have, with a higher level of customizability.
On a somewhat negative note:
- Annoying accumulative performance issues, even with a high-end machine.
- I found the ending surprisingly meaningless: I managed to beat the game without ever visiting one notable location that was being constantly foreshadowed. This, plus a couple of continuity errors, left me very confused when the credits started to roll.
The game flow and mechanics remain very similar to the first entry, up to the point that gameplay felt rushed in its earliest stage: I'm not sure if it was because I "knew how to play" already but I had the impression I got a ton of blueprints, items and upgrades way too fast. It's only after the setup, and after finishing that "Subnautica 101" (get a vehicle, get depth upgrades, build a home) when the differences start to add up.
More than anything, it's the narrative what got a nice glowup. Themes such as our need for closure and the legacy we want to leave behind are explored more directly than in the first game, with more "cutscenes" and relying less on flavor texts and Firewatch-like narration. I won't spoil anything, but I was SO happy to see that elements from very secondary plots in the original Subnautica get to be under the spotlight here, that was a really pleasant surprise. It shows a lot of loving care of your own worldbuilding.
The new biomes had nice level design, with new ideas for fauna and flora that invite you to take risks and make room for great emergent narrative. I was skeptical at first about the absence of the old vehicles, but the Seatruck turned out to fit in very well. It has the same feeling of home with wheels the Cyclops used to have, with a higher level of customizability.
On a somewhat negative note:
- Annoying accumulative performance issues, even with a high-end machine.
- I found the ending surprisingly meaningless: I managed to beat the game without ever visiting one notable location that was being constantly foreshadowed. This, plus a couple of continuity errors, left me very confused when the credits started to roll.