Subnautica: Below Zero

 PC
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. New Game Network
    May 19, 2021
    74
    Subnautica: Below Zero is a good survival game, even if the new frozen land areas are not fun to explore and the story has several pacing issues. Fortunately, the solid progression system and mastery of the sea makes it easy to recommend for fans of the original.
  2. Games.cz
    Jun 28, 2021
    70
    The new Subnautica is brilliant as long as you stay under water, much less so when you’re forced to leave it. Still, it’s almost as good as the original game.
  3. Checkpoint Gaming
    May 28, 2021
    70
    Subnautica: Below Zero is another masterclass in survival gaming, setting itself apart from the overabundance of survival games on the market with its tranquil ocean setting, addicting exploration, and unique wildlife. If you are a fan of the previous title or survival games in general, this really ticks all the boxes that you are looking for, providing an enthralling world to explore and get lost in, all with gorgeous graphics and sound design. It can at times feel like a retread of the previous game with a few tweaks and additions, but Subnautica was by no means a bad game, so this is still a very well-crafted follow-up in the series. It is a hard title to put down as you are always on the cusp of something new and evolutionary, so players in search of something more fast-paced will need to search elsewhere. In saying that, I still think this is a title that everyone should check out or at least give a go, as it really does represent something unique and captivating that is hard to not recommend.
  5. MGG
    May 18, 2021
    70
    Below Zero is not a bad game, but it is a downgrade of the original Subnautica in every way. The scenario is less natural, the map is much less memorable and the land exploration, the great novelty of this episode, is simply badly implemented. An honest trip for those who are nostalgic for 4546B, but a useless expense for those who don't know the series, who will use their agent much better by acquiring the first episode.
  6. The Indie Game Website
    May 17, 2021
    70
    The story makes the whole experience rich, and although it’s Unknown World’s first stab at fully acted and voiced cutscenes, the characters are well written, and voiced with nuance and warmth. It doesn’t add anything revelatory to the world of Subnautica, but there is still a sense of accepting the past, of moving forward—fitting for a game about exploring areas and mining material to build and survive, but with little incentive to return to them once they have outlived their usefulness.
  7. IGN France
    May 11, 2021
    70
    It's nice to get back to Subnautica for more narration and survival in this intriguing SF world built by Unknown World. But Below Zero feels like it aimed for more and didn't achieve it. We're left with a nice new story and great environments, but also a bit of frustration.
  8. App Trigger
    May 12, 2021
    60
    Subnautica: Below Zero feels like more of Subnautica, and that is only a good thing to a certain extent. Where it falls short by copying its predecessor is in the story and thematic department, making it feel like an uneventful and unimportant step in the series.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    May 13, 2021
    It's another superb explorer's game.

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best PC Game of 2021
40
#40 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 190 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 190
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 190
  3. Negative: 46 out of 190
  1. erkmacgurk
    May 22, 2021
    2
    An epic fail. Just abysmal. The original was so good, and all the base code was all ready there, so how did they screw it up so badly? Simple.An epic fail. Just abysmal. The original was so good, and all the base code was all ready there, so how did they screw it up so badly? Simple. The original talent left/went on holiday/got sacked and got replaced by the usual mediocre culprits. So all the mediocre ideas come gushing out, like "how about voicing the Emergency PDA with someone who speaks English as a second language?' and 'lets make the main protagonist say things like "this could come in handy" when picking up a rock!'. Lets replace the mystery of the original with a banal nonsensical story about shallow characters and the **** things they say about each other. Lets make the sandbox so small its not a sandbox anymore. you can't travel 10 metres without finding something significant.

    The dialog is so cheesy and moronic it will make you wince. Forget about the subtle humor of the original, think what really stupid people say to each other in real life and now you know what you're in for. As for all the other mistakes, trudging around on land (huh?) for hours in blinding snow, playing stupid mini games with a remote controlled robot penguin, spoon fed game progression, truly awful sound effects, pathetic attempts to be cute, down to to an alien that broadcasts an distress signal in Morse code (no really, they did that).

    I was so shocked by how bad it was, I thought I was looking at the original through rose-colored glasses, so I went back and replayed it. Nope, these morons took one of the best games of the last 20 years and ruined it.    … Full Review »
  2. TwiTu
    Jul 26, 2021
    0
    "Being inclusive is not political. Playing as a woman is not political."
    Thats what one of the developers replied to a customer complaining    "Being inclusive is not political. Playing as a woman is not political."
    Thats what one of the developers replied to a customer complaining how much effort they put into race and gender, while blatantly ignoring real issues with the game.

    Shoving the sexuality (and sexual preference - WTF kids play this game too!) of protagonists, how strong they are for women and how diverse the characters are, that all your white and male characters are either dumb, goofy, gay, evil, corrupt, stupid and useless down the throat of people is the very definition of politics and makes your game propaganda.

    Everyone knows what the last game was. Nothing political was included at all. But I am sure you will make your Keep Calm Kitty brown or black too once someone on Twitter claims youre racist for having a white kitty on it. Or just from this review, just to spite me.

    Back then you still understood that nobody plays games for politics. Not even political simulations. They do it to escape the overly political real world. Making the story revolve around it and mentioning/pointing it out every single dialogue is the very definition of political propaganda. Have you never been shown Soviet or Nazi propaganda in school???

    You could have easily added a customizable player character. You could have easily made the story more of a mystery like on the last game. But due to the choice of character, and your urge to virtue signal, she bleats out the whole plot already after 30 mins of gameplay.

    Not to mention, the way you portrayed these "inclusive" characters made them extremely unlikeable. They are incompetent, arrogant, overly aggressive, cant control their emotions, unfunny, cringy, narcissistic, insecure and stereotypical in general. So what picture are you trying to paint here in any case? Is that supposed to be inspiration for POC and females? You only look like the devs of TLoU2, who tried to be woke and then made the worst people POC and/or female, made you kill doggies and horses, made the vast majority of the people you need to kill POC and female and to top it off even added a Jewish character who has a huge nose.
    Bravo. Congratulations. But thats what happens when you force something without even understanding it. Politics after all.

    Other than that I cant really add anything that others havent said already, except that... well... Racists do make bad games, because all they care for is race while neglecting the important things like story, immersion, map, vehicles, characters, dialogue, bugs, controls and early access player feedback in general. Just like in this game. Seriously, if you look at the choices they made, the feedback they blatantly ignored and how they treat their players, it seems this game was just made to make the people mad that they think are racists. Yet they are the racists themselves. No self-reflection at all.
    Yet they dont mind taking the money from the people they think that are racists. Again, very telling.

    When you look at Steamcharts its very obvious that most players dont like this game nearly as much as the last one. Even now the 3+ year old game has 1000 to 2000 more players than the new Below Zero. And the peaks in player numbers are even more drastic. Sometimes twice or triple that of Below Zero.
    Get woke go broke.    … Full Review »
  3. Bl4ckbeard
    May 20, 2021
    0
    Downgrade from first game and disappointment in almost every way.

    - Smaller ocean - Bad vehicles. Seamoth and Cyclops are combined into    Downgrade from first game and disappointment in almost every way.

    - Smaller ocean

    - Bad vehicles. Seamoth and Cyclops are combined into one vehicle, and vehicle progression is gone, you just get seatruck and then find add-ons for it.

    - Big iceberg biome is terrible. Such enormous land biome doesn't belong in Subnautica. It's called Subnautica for a reason. Also your character kept getting stuck on terrain all the time.

    - Biomes. In first game, every biome felt like you're entering new world. In BZ almost all biomes feel samey and boring. There's no scary biomes like Blood Kelp or Grand Reef from first game, or really dangerous biomes like Dunes or Mountains from first game.

    - Protagonist. It felt like devs tried to make the protagonist as "selling point". Really cringey, kept getting offended when alien said something.

    - Story. When you start the game, you're under the impression that you go to find out what happened to your sister, but all this ends up being fully optional, instead main objective is to help the alien.    … Full Review »
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