Subnautica: Below Zero

Subnautica: Below Zero is a great example of a game that succeeds by simply offering its players a choice of how they'd like to play. Had I been forced into Survival mode, I would not have liked it nearly as much. But as it is, it's great! [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 17]

Subnautica: Below Zero does a great job at giving Subnautica fans a new part of the world to discover. All packed in with a story and interactions to help you not feel so alone in the world this time around. Planet 4546B is still an amazing underwater world filled with weird and dangerous wildlife. The story helps keep you focused if you want to see everything there to see with some goals to aim for. Or, if you wish, you can focus on gathering resources, building up your base and soak in the world at your own pace. Subnautica: Below Zero is a solid game on the Switch, and both runs and looks better than expected. If you want an enjoyable survival game or underwater exploration game, you should dive in.

Slight niggles aside, Below Zero absolutely delivers in providing more of the excellent deep sea survival antics that we know and love from the original Subnautica. This is a super solid port too, a joy to sink time into in both docked and portable modes, with only a little stuttering here and there as you enter new biomes - and the series' ever-present scenery pop-in - to mention in terms of technical shortcomings. Unknown Worlds has served up another superb slice of survival shenanigans here, one that we highly recommend diving right into.

Subnautica: Below Zero doesn't revolutionize the Subnautica formula, but builds on it. Every new venture into the depths is full of calculated terror, the narrative is more interesting and personal, the horrors are memorable, and survival rarely feels trivial. Subnautica: Below Zero is as good a Thalassophobia simulator as anyone could hope for.

Ultimately, there is much to discover both below and above the waterline, including aliens, mysterious messages, and even a mech that can walk on the ocean floor. While those looking out for signposting and clear directions should probably keep their feet dry, those who enjoy a more laid-back, albeit grindy, experience can safely dip their toes in these waters.

Subnautica Below Zero does not seem to want to walk in other steps than that of its big brother. By reducing the map or vehicles, Below Zero is more to be seen as a very good expansion of the original game, more scripted version and a little more hostile than the first episode. If Below Zero undoubtedly does better than the competition when it comes to making a scripted survival game, with a universe as enchanting as it is frightening hand-crafted, it would undoubtedly have gained more from the experience of 'origin to fully conquer the veterans of the franchise, who, despite everything, will take undeniable pleasure to go diving again, just like the newcomers, who will have the chance to discover for the first time this atypical and oh so immersive way of approaching the game of survival.

While not quite reaching the heights of its predecessor, Subnautica: Below Zero is still a survival game worth diving into.

In many ways survival games represent the ultimate conclusion of the open-world ethos - the experience is entirely about moving around a large space and scouring it for "loot", while largely doing away with elements like storytelling, character and any purpose beyond existing with that big space. In the interest of being entirely frank, this kind of thing just isn't for me, but with that being said I do think that Subnautica: Below Zero is one of the better examples of it in motion. It's not perfect, and the game is so weighted towards aesthetics that if you've got an alternative to the Switch you're better off seeing the full, uncompromised creative vision on that platform instead. However, this Switch port is still more than adequate, especially for those that want to craft, build, mine and craft some more while on the go.