Much like Hollowknight, this game guides players in a seamless way. Radio signals and ships crashing from the sky make the game progress in a natural way that most other games can't. I had an absolute blast playing this game, which is surprising because I always hated water levels in other games.
One thing I want to point out was that it's genius that Subnautica makes sure players always feel like the "prey" in this world. We're the intruders, we can't just upgrade our gear and kill everything. Sneaking around biomes to dodge levianthans is one of the most thrilling experiences in the game, the devs knew that a combat system would ruin this. This one feature separates Subnautica from most games in the best way possible.