Below Zero Review – GameSpew

If at first you don’t succeed, drown, drown once more. That’s how third of my Subnautica: Beneath Zero aqua-treks went and I remorse nothing.

True, I wasn’t the one expiring on an alien planet however simply roaming the waters of Subnautica: Beneath Zero is such a satisfying expertise that you just gained’t remorse a couple of deaths by misadventure. Positive, you may lose an merchandise or two out of your usually packed stock, nevertheless it’s nonetheless price that further glimpse of the deeps.

Make no mistake, exploration is Subnautica: Beneath Zero‘s beating coronary heart. This sequel has extra of a narrative than the unique Subnautica and the notion you’re in search of justice for the “unintentional” dying of your sister drives the plot when it must. You should have a slight benefit in case you’ve performed the unique; not as a result of the territory is acquainted (you’re exploring a completely completely different a part of the planet) however since you’ll have skilled the identical cycle of exploration, useful resource gathering and constructing.

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There’s crafting to be carried out (except you select Beneath Zero‘s inventive mode) however that too pushes you deeper into the depths. Discovering the items of a sea glide helps you to craft the automobile, for instance, so you’ll be able to transfer sooner and dive deeper earlier than your oxygen expires. Positive, you may stumble throughout an oxygen plant, however that’s a threat.

Then you definitely discover the items of a Sea Truck and, grinning with glee, you realise you’ll be able to plunge deeper with out the hazard of asphyxiating. Besides… among the elements that you must recreate it are… odd. You’ve by no means heard of those so, threat be damned, you head into the depths, tagging oxygen crops as you go. An hour or so later, you’re the proud proprietor of a Sea Truck. There’s only one downside: this factor has a crush depth of 150 metres. Wait… there’s a depth module? What do I have to construct that?

Even in case you’re not actively in search of sources, Subnautica: Beneath Zero‘s numerous biomes are great to select by means of or observe. For the sake of reviewing Beneath Zero, I held again on the bottom constructing, however in Subnautica I spent hours constructing down and down, then simply sitting in my observatory watching the animals, together with a colossal leviathan, go by. A very powerful enchancment right here over the unique Subnautica is that it’s extra welcoming to new gamers.

It’s not simpler as such, and the deeper down you go the extra issues there are that may kill you, straight or not directly. You’ll find yourself frantically hammering a button as a result of a carnivorous anemone has mistaken you for a fish; it’s not going to eat you, however you’re seconds away from working out of oxygen and that oxygen plant is simply 5 metres away. However regardless of the risks that await as you progress, Subnautica: Beneath Zero‘s opening space eases you into the sport, with creatures that may steal from you reasonably than straight up homicide you.

In reality, Subnautica: Beneath Zero shakes issues up sufficient to shock followers of the unique. You possibly can head onto the ice (the story requires you do sooner or later) and, engrossed in gawping on the lovely penguin-a-likes, freeze to dying earlier than you’ll be able to dive again into the water. Nicely, both that or be torn aside by an alien polar bear. The one factor I do miss from Subnautica is the Cyclops submarine. It’s cool to have the ability to connect modular “trailers” to the Sea Truck, nevertheless it’s not as immersive as having the ability to roam round the entire of your tin can or lose it when it begins filling with water.

I’m not about to provide away story beats and, anyway, it’s extra enjoyable to find the “fact” for your self. However every now and then, Beneath Zero pulls you again into its story, providing you with simply sufficient incentive to revisit areas you’ve already explored. It helps that the sport is beautiful to have a look at and scary when it must be, with creatures (some hostile, some not) which can be appealingly alien but shut sufficient to an Earth species that you recognize precisely what they’re able to.

Throw in an incredible, evocative soundtrack and also you’ve obtained a recreation that’s enthralling precisely once you need it to be and and terrifying once you most likely don’t. The worry issue isn’t omnipresent, however the off-putting factor about Subnautica: Beneath Zero – or, certainly, about any aquatic open-world recreation – is that enemies can come at you from wherever. Wherever.

So, whereas I beloved diving decrease and decrease in my Sea Truck, discovering some new, unusual flora or fauna, there was all the time the nagging sensation that one thing massive might come at me from beneath. Then comes the purpose when your truck hits crush depth and, as you disembark to discover additional, you’re horribly, acutely conscious you’re approach down the meals chain.

Subnautica: Beneath Zero does require a level of persistence, not due to any evident design flaws however as a result of the sport doesn’t take you by the hand. It is going to nudge you within the “proper” route although, and it’s simpler to find new issues than in Subnautica; for instance, submerged know-how is less complicated to identify. And sources are scattered round extra evenly, so whereas most of a specific useful resource is perhaps in a sure space, there’ll be one or two elsewhere.

However there are specific sources which can be out of your attain till you’ll be able to dive deep sufficient and you’ll spend time searching for them with out understanding you’re unlikely to search out them. Rubies, for instance, are sometimes deep down; I half-recalled this from enjoying Subnautica but when I hadn’t, I might have spent for much longer searching for one thing I wouldn’t discover. That, nonetheless, is the worst factor I can say about Subnautica: Beneath Zero.

It is a recreation the place there’s not a radio tower, time trial or prolonged side-quest to be seen, and with a couple of exceptions, it’s right down to you to make your individual enjoyable. And you recognize what? It’s an absolute pleasure to only get on the market and fiddle, embracing the fun of discovery. It manages to be contemporary, even in case you’ve performed the unique. Subnautica: Beneath Zero is essentially the most refreshing, participating sandbox recreation I’ve performed in ages and there’s no cause why you shouldn’t dive proper in.

I nonetheless need my Cyclops again, although.

Subnautica: Beneath Zero Evaluation: GameSpew’s Rating

This Subnautica: Beneath Zero evaluate is predicated on the Xbox Collection X model, with a code supplied by the writer. It’s out there on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X/S, Swap and PC.