Never before has a video game at the exact same moments filled me with such intense wonder and awe and fear. As a lover of the ocean and all the awesome and unique creatures that live within, getting to explore an alien world through the lens of the ocean was absolutely magical. The way the progression and mechanics are designed to constantly push you further and further into danger in order to progress, making you walk a delicate tightrope of caution and recklessness. The way it never lets you feel truly safe, making even the powerful vehicles you acquire feel uniquely vulnerable in their own ways. The way it has a crafting system i genuinely really enjoyed despite never liking crafting in games. This is one of the best games I've ever played. Never before has a game given me an experience like the one Subnautica gave me. Admittedly I did play this on freedom mode instead of survival, and that was definitely the right choice for me. The added stressors of food and water kinda ruin the experience of this game for me personally, so a mode with those removed but all of the other dangers still in place made for the perfect balance for me to really get hooked.