Subnautica

 Xbox One
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Vandal
    Dec 17, 2018
    85
    Subnautica is a fantastic survival game, and we could only ask for some minor technical issues to be polished on the console versions. It’s a game that could and should run better on Xbox One, particularly on the X, but the great core experience remains untouched.
  2. Generación Xbox
    Dec 28, 2018
    82
    Subnautica is a very solid example of the best survival games in recent years.
  3. 4P.de
    Dec 17, 2018
    82
    A fascinating survival adventure in a wonderfully weird underwater world.
  5. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Feb 27, 2019
    80
    A totally unique surveillance experience impressively set in a compelling alien world.
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  6. God is a Geek
    Jan 17, 2019
    80
    Subnautica is not without its issues, but it successfully manages to combine a strong sense of exploration and discovery with an interesting story hook and an exceptional soundtrack to make it one of the very best examples of the genre.
  7. TrueAchievements
    Dec 27, 2018
    80
    If you're into resource gathering, crafting and exploring, then Subnautica is simply a title that you have to play. The wonderfully colorful and diverse environments invite exploration. Using all of the technology available and being able to create your own habitats and vehicles just encourage you to voyage further.
  8. Windows Central
    Dec 10, 2018
    80
    Despite the performance issues, Subnautica is definitely a title that you shouldn't sleep on. The open world exploration and survival mechanics are on point, and the world is massive, deep, and rich in detail; it's just a shame that it's being held back a little bit by problems with how it runs.
  9. TheXboxHub
    Dec 10, 2018
    80
    It’s rare for a game to provide such an amazing and deeply rewarding sense of discovery, yet Subnautica does it successfully. It’s a joy to look at its lush and colourful visuals, explore its cryptic environ and utilize the extensive range of tools to do so.
  10. XboxAddict
    Jan 11, 2019
    75
    Subnautica is a fantastic exploring and survival game that I cannot wait to dive deeper into, but it is in desperate need of a patch that fixes the pop-in and framerate. I’ve completed a lot of what the game has to offer, but I know there is so much more of this ocean planet to explore. I learned of a fear I have that I didn’t know existed, and learning about that fear makes me respect guys like Jacques Cousteau and the guy in search of the blue diamond in Titanic so much more.

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best Xbox One Game of 2016
35
#35 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 130 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 114 out of 130
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 130
  3. Negative: 6 out of 130
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Dec 10, 2018
    8
    The presentation side of the game does a great job of creating an eerie yet calm atmosphere and both the visuals and sound design stand out aThe presentation side of the game does a great job of creating an eerie yet calm atmosphere and both the visuals and sound design stand out a lot. There’s a huge underwater world for you to explore and when exploring nooks and crannies you always tend to get a very rewarding feeling. I found the crafting elements in the game to be very enjoyable and I must admit that I was surprised by the amount of depth present here. Each aspect of the game’s story has been cleverly designed and the thought and effort placed into the story keeps it interesting throughout. In terms of content the game has a decent amount for you to get to grips with and you’ll no doubt return back to the game time and time again. Every now and then the game suffers with a few technical issues and whilst none of them are game-breaking they can impact on the immersion levels a little. It takes a bit of getting used to at the start and the slow pacing at the start can be a little tedious. Subnautica was in the Xbox Game Preview program for quite a while but I never played the game when it was in that process, but in some ways I wish I had now. Subnautica is a game focused on exploration and survival and I’m pleased to say that they get these aspects spot on. For me exploring always felt rewarding and the underwater world in which the game takes place in is huge and full of secrets along the way. The content the game has then never felt aimless and I must admit that I was surprised by how much content the game had. Accompanying this content is a story that’s not only worth finding out about but it also makes sense as well and this in turn made it stay interesting throughout my time with the game. As mentioned earlier the game features a survival side to it and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much depth the crafting elements have. This depth means then that crafting always felt important and whilst it takes a bit to get going at the start you soon find out that working your way through this slow-pace is very worthwhile. At the end of the day then Subnautica ticked a lot of boxes for me and in many ways it offers a unique experience and when it’s all said and done I can’t recommend this game enough to you. Thumbs up!… Full Review »
  2. HarryPotter1
    Jan 18, 2018
    10
    Subnautica manages to juggle being gorgeous, rewarding, addictive, mysterious, and fun, whilst also being unbelievably terrifying.
  3. Rbox
    Dec 19, 2018
    6
    Allthough SN is a gripping experience (I've been playing preview since February 2018) the enormous amount of bugs and performance issues takeAllthough SN is a gripping experience (I've been playing preview since February 2018) the enormous amount of bugs and performance issues take the whole game down. Immersion is constantly and completely broken due to those 2. Still I keep on playing. I want this game to be good so much. But alas the developer chose to put their time into DLC (and the broken PS4 port) instead of fixing the problems. Without the issues, I would gladly score it 8.5.… Full Review »
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