Game: Subnautica
Platform: PC – Steam
Cost: $24.99 as of 08/29/2019
Other Details: Single-player; Full Controller Support; VR Support
Are you looking for a game that you can submerse yourself in and actually enjoy? Subnautica might be the game for you.
I first heard about Subnautica from one of my favorite Twitch streamers. BarbarousKing (www.twitch.tv/barbarousking) recently had a 24-hour stream where he played a variety of games, including Subnautica. What immediately drew me in was how beautiful the game looked. What sealed the deal was the fact it did not make me motion sick. Unfortunately for me, I do tend to get motion sick from certain types of games. Generally, I can’t play flying games, water games, or games with shaky camera angles.
What kind of game is Subnautica?
Subnautica is described as an underwater adventure game set on an alien ocean planet. A massive, open world full of wonder and peril awaits you!
Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more – all while trying to survive. (https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/Subnautica/)
What’s the story?
Basically, you crash-land into an alien water planet. You must navigate this alien world slowly regaining the technology you need to survive. You will collect resources, craft gear, habitats, and even vehicles. The deeper you venture, the more valuable the resources, but often at great peril.
The end goal is to safely leave the planet, however, I can’t go into too many details without spoilers. Just know that there is a story line and the goal is to leave the planet.
What do I enjoy most about this game?
At the time of writing this post, I have sunk almost 24 hours into my game. I am no where close to completing the objective, nor have I fully gathered and/or completed the blueprints for a lot of the technology. The game play is so immersive, that I had no idea I already put that much time into it, which is a great indicator of good game play.
The beautiful part of this game is you go the speed you want to go. There are four different difficulty modes: Creative, Freedom, Survival, and Hardcore.
In creative mode, you cannot die and do not have to worry about health, oxygen, hunger, or thirst. Others may refer to it as sandbox mode. If you just want to play the story and freely build and explore, you can do that.
In freedom mode, you do not need food or water.
In survival mode, you must manage your food and water levels. If you die, you lose all of the items in your inventory, but you do respawn.
In hardcore mode, you guess it. One life. You die, the game is over.
There is so much to explore in this game, and as I mentioned, I recognize that I have barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer.
Do I recommend it?
If the concept intrigues you at all, for $24.99 on Steam, it is worth the gamble. It’s a game you can easily put down and pick up when life allows you to. You can focus on habitat building, or exploring, or pursuing the story line. I think, no matter what level you choose to do, you’ll enjoy the game. If you end up really loving Subnautica, there is an early-access sequel entitled, Subnautica: Below Zero. So, when you’re ready to move on to different content, that option is already available for $19.99 on Steam.
While I played Subnautica on PC, you can also grab your copy for the PS4 and XBOX One. You can also check out my YouTube video!
Filthy Casual for Life 