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Subnautica 2 has been in the works for a while, but until very recently its fate was uncertain, given the fallout between developer Unknown Worlds and its owner and publisher Krafton.
But here we are: Unknown Worlds is back in the driver’s (or diver’s?) seat, Krafton is still publishing, and the most wishlisted game on Steam has finally been released in early access.
To my mind, the first entry was one of the best survival games ever made, thanks to its compelling mix of awe-inspiring underwater environments, slowly unravelling mystery, and fantastic toys to play with — not to mention the unbridled terror of the Leviathans.
So the sequel has a lot to live up to. And based on my first several hours with the game, I’m happy to report that it looks like we’re back in business. But there’s one element that’s yet to reveal itself, and I desperately hope it’s there.
Krafton vs Unknown Worlds
In case you’re out of the loop, the relationship between Krafton and Unknown Worlds fractured dramatically last year when the former fired key talent at the latter: studio founder and Subnautica director Charlie Cleveland, CEO Ted Gill, and special projects director Max McGuire. Krafton alleged they had failed to get Subnautica 2 ready for its initial early access release date sometime in 2025, so delayed it to this year.
This delay meant the developers were ineligible for an agreed $250m payout from Krafton had the game met its revenue targets for 2025 — which it obviously couldn’t if it wasn’t out. Krafton maintains, however, that the delay decision wasn’t “influenced by any contractual or financial considerations".
Naturally, the ousted leadership hit back, arguing the game was ready for a 2025 release and that the delay was orchestrated just so Krafton could avoid paying out. Then, when Kraton accused the axed developers of ‘abandoning’ the game, said developers took Kraton to court and won. Gill was reinstated as CEO and the team got their money.
If this whole affair wasn’t farcical enough, the ruling also confirmed that Krafton’s CEO Changhan Kim had asked ChatGPT for legal advice on how to avoid the payout, after the publisher’s head of corporate development, Maria Park, advised Kim that it’d likely still have to cough up despite the firings.
At least for now, though, the smoke has blown over and we’ve got our game. Subnautica 2 is now available in early access — but was it worth the wait?
Thrown in at the deep end
The game begins in much the same fashion as the original. You're in the midst of an emergency on board some kind of craft, resulting in ejecting yourself in an escape pod and crash landing on the water of an alien planet.
So far, so Subnautica. But the presentation is a cut above the original. The introduction is far more elaborate than in the first game, and environments are better looking and more detailed.
This applies to all the flora and fauna as well. The various sea creatures are more fascinating in their variety and striking designs. There are also more quirky behaviours and endearing animations on display, which really helps to sell just how foreign this planet you’ve landed on really is.
Then there’s the water. It looks much closer to the real thing than it did in Subnautica. In the first game, I often forgot I was underwater due to the lack of visual cues telling me I was. Here, though, there’s a subtly cloudy hue throughout, with bubble effects when appropriate and rainbow-colored dabbling on the sea floor. Best of all, though, rays of light can piece through the water to reveal particles of dust and debris, which looks incredibly photorealistic.
What’s more, the sense of depth when peering downwards is stronger somehow, which won’t be welcome news to thalassophobics. The sound of being underwater is absolutely spot on, too.
That same sunny, tropical vibe from the first game has returned to Subnautica 2 as well. Perhaps Unknown Worlds is keen to hark back to the original here to make clear that this isn’t going to be like the less acclaimed Subnautica: Below Zero, which had an arctic setting. However, there are more weather effects and more impressive sky boxes this time around, which again shows the progress the studio has made.
From what I’ve seen so far, the story of Subnautica 2 is closer to your typical sci-fi thriller, with many of the genre’s familiar tropes evident. You’re not even human, but some kind of digital entity in a ‘printed’ body, which can be ‘reprinted’ whenever you die. I presume this choice is at least in part designed to provide an in-game explanation for player deaths and respawns.
In keeping with the times, there are also hints of a malevolent AI at work. This impression is reinforced by the bots you encounter that provide you with tasks and information, known as Noetic Advisors (NoAs), which have a strong sense of HAL 9000 about them. And on top of all this, there are a few Lovecraftian allusions thrown in for good measure, which are seemingly unavoidable in any modern game with even the merest of horror pretensions.
The core gameplay of the first game is very much intact in Subnautica 2. You explore the planet to hunt for food and water to survive, gather materials to craft new gear and habitats, and discover its secrets. Some elements have been renamed and reskinned, but they essentially function the same as their original counterparts.
There are some new mechanics, though, such as adaptations, which are split into active and passive. These imbue you with certain buffs and abilities, and upgrades to things such as endurance and inventory space can also be found.
Your character is also customizable this time, although so far, the options are limited to four different body types and several colorways for your outfit. Doubtless more options will come in future, though. They’re also voiceless, which is another example of the game ditching an aspect from Below Zero and returning to its roots.
They feel more slick this time around, though. Aside from some better hand and held-item animations, movement is smoother and more precise, especially when walking on solid ground, which was clunky in the original. Also, there’s no spring-boarding out of the water whenever you rise to the surface, which always frustrated me in the first game.
One of the major differences in Subnautica 2, though, is its pacing. I’m not sure if it’s just me being au fait with the game’s essential systems from my experience with the original, but surviving is less onerous. To get water, for instance, there’s no need to catch those pesky bladder fish. Instead, there are water slugs, which are stuck motionless to the sea bed, making them easy to scoop up. They’re also abundant.
Also, habitat building is possible almost instantly. The controls for this are more refined than in the original, making it much easier to construct and alter all the various exterior and interior elements of your base. I’m especially thankful for the ability to move furniture such as lockers (even full ones) around after you’ve built them, as well as the snap-to-grid aspect of placements, which is great for a neat freak like myself.
What I haven’t seen yet, though, is the one thing I was desperate to get: submarines. I have seen a fragment of a Wakemaker, which looks like this game’s version of the Seaglide, the hand-held propulsion gadget. However, something akin to the beloved Cyclops has yet to reveal itself, or even be hinted at.
I’m happy to have my desires prolonged, since the wait in the original game only made its acquisition that much sweeter. I’m especially excited for the co-operative potential of such a vehicle, given the Cyclops’ sheer size and multiple points of interaction. After all, the first game states that it’s designed to be operated by three people.
Whatever the game decides to do with submarines, I just hope we get something better than Below Zero’s Seatruck, which, despite its interesting modular design, paled in comparison to the almighty Cyclops.
I haven't encountered any truly terrifying creatures yet, either, although the hints for their existence are definitely there. There are a few plants that spew noxious gas and some oddly adorable hammerhead fish that charge at you and one another, but nothing that’s had me quaking in fear yet.
Overall, though, my impressions of Subnautica 2 are very positive. I’m happy to report that it’s about as polished as you could expect an early access game to be. I didn’t experience any bugs, aside from one minor texture glitch.
I haven’t had a chance to experience the multiplayer co-op mode yet, but as soon as I do I’ll report back with my findings. Regardless of how it is, though, I’m hopeful Unknown Worlds will handle the early access phase well, judging by how well it handled Subnautica’s. So far, it’s shaping up to be a worthy successor to the original game that I lost myself in all those years ago.
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