Subnautica: Released (SPOILER WARNING past Post #1)

[luj1]

So is the first Subnautica still the best one? As opposed to Below Zero

 

[cvv]

So is the first Subnautica still the best one? As opposed to Below Zero

BZ is like a smaller, shallower, less ambitious standalone DLC, with an extremely annoying overland area nobody asked for.

Still worth playing IMO, if you fell for the basic game loop.

 

[luj1]

So is the first Subnautica still the best one? As opposed to Below Zero

BZ is like a smaller, shallower, less ambitious standalone DLC, with an extremely annoying overland area nobody asked for.

Still worth playing IMO, if you fell for the basic game loop.

I see

Are there any must-have mods you use for the base game?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

So is the first Subnautica still the best one? As opposed to Below Zero

Subnautica is an ocean world, whereas BZ is an aqua zoo.

 

[Machocruz]

Rain World has been on my list of stuff to try anyway. I checked Steam and somehow I have 114 hours in Subnautica o_O. Although my in-game save says 35. So yeah, I can't complain that it's a one-and-done.

 

[Elthosian]

As I assumed, game is not that interesting on a second play. Not that I intended to, I just got it in my mind to go back in and build up my base some more. But somehow I lost my end game save and only had one from mid game. No Prawn or Cyclops yet. Did the Aurora, which was cool the first time but now just eh. Have the Prawn now, but for the life of me can't find all the drill or grapple arm parts despite doing more intentional exploration than I did the first time. The combination of darkness and geography make exploration/navigation kind of tedious when when purposefully looking for things. Enjoyed finding things "organically" the first time.

Try Rain World, it takes the portrayal of its ecosystem as a hostile, living thing very seriously. The tales of Dark Souls/Hollow Knight junkies jumping in and getting filtered are legendary. It makes Subnautica (itself a great game) feel like a theme park visit, tbh, and I say it as somebody who struggled a lot with it due to fearing the ocean. What makes it superior is how complex the AI is and how all creatures interact with each other organically. Also, in regard to your complaint about further runs, the first playthrough has you escape most creatures, so it feels like a stealth survival experience whereas the next two campaigns have you face the wildlife with more combat proficient characters, enabling you to see a wholly different side of the ecosystem and a lot of AI patterns you will not see in the first run.

Sounded promising but it's a platformer. Does it have exploration or building as good as Terraria?

The exploration is fairly good but no building, note however that until a certain point when you're able to 'use' some special items, the reward is often in the exploration itself and getting to see new creatures and interactions. IMO, worth it even if it's just to experience the ecosystem.

Sounded promising but it's a platformer. Does it have exploration or building as good as Terraria?

Checked it out, it looks like a Metroid Vania without getting new abilities or stats or gear during the game. Sounds p. weird tbh.

It ends up being more of an immersive sim, think Thief. There is no 'permanent' gear you can get but items with various uses you can find around the map, and there are even creatures/corpses you can leverage as tools. Aside from that, a lot of the progression comes from the player getting better at controlling the character and getting familiar with creature behavior. The lack of stats or upgrades results in the ecosystem remaining dangerous until the very last hour with no way for the player to declaw it.

 

[Machocruz]

Checked it out, it looks like a Metroid Vania without getting new abilities or stats or gear during the game. Sounds p. weird tbh.

It ends up being more of an immersive sim, think Thief. There is no 'permanent' gear you can get but items with various uses you can find around the map, and there are even creatures/corpses you can leverage as tools. Aside from that, a lot of the progression comes from the player getting better at controlling the character and getting familiar with creature behavior. The lack of stats or upgrades results in the ecosystem remaining dangerous until the very last hour with no way for the player to declaw it.

So Metroid if it wasn't stuck in 8-bit Nintendo or modern "sick moves bro" popamole mentality?

 

[Elthosian]

Checked it out, it looks like a Metroid Vania without getting new abilities or stats or gear during the game. Sounds p. weird tbh.

It ends up being more of an immersive sim, think Thief. There is no 'permanent' gear you can get but items with various uses you can find around the map, and there are even creatures/corpses you can leverage as tools. Aside from that, a lot of the progression comes from the player getting better at controlling the character and getting familiar with creature behavior. The lack of stats or upgrades results in the ecosystem remaining dangerous until the very last hour with no way for the player to declaw it.

So Metroid if it wasn't stuck in 8-bit Nintendo or modern "sick moves bro" popamole mentality?

Pretty much, the game does everything I could have wished to see in a hardcore no punchs pulled Metroid game but even better and with far more of an identity. What a masterpiece.

 

[Machocruz]

Pretty much, the game does everything I could have wished to see in a hardcore no punchs pulled Metroid game but even better and with far more of an identity. What a masterpiece.

Games like Subnautica and what I've seen of Rain World present the kind of atmospherics, immersion, and physicality* I projected onto the first three Metroids as a kid. Imagine a subterranean world that is actually dark and foreboding and feels like an actual world, Nintendo.

*Super did have a sense of weight and physics, if rudimentary in comparison.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Subnautica 2 Is a ‘Multiplayer Sequel’ Using Game as a Service Model, Says KRAFTON; Will Be Made with UE5​

Alessio Palumbo • Feb 8, 2024 08:00 AM EST

In its Q4 2023 earnings release, KRAFTON shared an interesting update on Subnautica 2. According to the publisher (which acquired developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment in October 2021), Subnautica 2 will be a 'multiplayer sequel' adopting the GaaS business model. The game will also be powered by Unreal Engine 5, abandoning the Unity engine used in the previous entries.

• Multiplayer sequel to the original IP pursuing fandom snowballing
• Explore an oceanic world in stunning stylized graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5
• Single or 1-4 player co-op to uncover the mysteries on an entirely new alien planet
• Game-as-a-Service model with enhanced replayability

We first heard about Subnautica 2 in KRAFTON's previous quarterly report. The game is tentatively scheduled to launch in the first half of 2025. Its predecessor, Subnautica: Below Zero, was rated 7.5/10 by Chris Wray in Wccftech's review.

Related Story Subnautica Is Getting a New Game By June 2025, Says Publisher​

If you liked Subnautica, Subnautica: Below Zero still has the base of what made the original great - the charm, the wonder, the building and even some of the exploration - but this has been tempered somewhat. The story-focused approach here is interesting, even compelling at parts, but the game doesn't do enough to keep you on track or from getting lost in the many enclosed caves, caverns and tunnels running throughout. Also, like the original, this does have its fair share of bugs and issues. Still, no matter the issues, it is still a genuinely good game. While it may not be as good as the original, it's still up there as one of the better survival games around.


Beyond Subnautica 2, KRAFTON also plans to release the following titles throughout its fiscal year 2024:

• Dark and Darker Mobile
• Dinkum Mobile
• Inzoi (a life simulation game)
• Black Budget (an extraction shooter based on PUBG gunplay)

Furthermore, KRAFTON aims to expand the PUBG IP to become a multi-product franchise valued at $10 billion through the following steps:

• Explore changes in platform/genre player experiences reflecting the core values of PUBG
• Priority on strengthening and expanding IP through games
• Gradual expansion of branding and products beyond games to create cultural trends

Multiplayer sequel! Are you excited? PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!!

 

[cvv]

 

[Hellraiser]

Anyone promoting the GaaS model should get the GaaS chamber.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

The Devs are backtracking fast:

Hello Subnauts,
A few of you noticed some information shared online by our publisher, KRAFTON
While some of the news is exciting, we’d like to clarify:

• Early Access is not intended for release in 2024, but we plan to share a lot more information later this year!
• In reference to “Games-as-a-Service,” we simply plan to continually update the game for many years to come, just like the previous two Subnautica games. Think our Early Access update model, expanded. No season passes. No battle passes. No subscription.
• The game is not multiplayer-focused. Co-op will be an entirely optional way to play the game. You’ll be able to enjoy the game as a single-player.

As always, we are so proud and incredibly grateful to have such a passionate and engaged community, who love the Subnautica games deeply.
Thanks for keeping an eye out for any news about our progress on the next game.
We’re so excited to show you what we’ve been working on and hope that you love it as much as we do.
– The Subnautica Team

 

[HoboForEternity]

Is it claimed specifically in their initial press released or is it journos assuming ans using the term GaaS without research?

 

[Hellraiser]

Is it claimed specifically in their initial press released or is it journos assuming ans using the term GaaS without research?

I'll go for a compromise here and state it was KRATFOFF suits/PR drones using the term GaaS without research.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Krafton are Koreans, so one has to assume they see a GaaS in everything.