I had the pleasure of booting up “Subnautica 2” the exact minute early access released for Xbox and PC users.
The game has only been released in early access right now, which means that the game is still in development. But for a couple of hours, I played alongside my brothers and father in a four-player world. As fans of the initial single-player game, we were excited that this sequel would have a multiplayer option.
Multiplayer survival games are almost always fun, whether it be “Minecraft,” “Terraria” or “Don’t Starve Together,” divvying up roles and discovering new things together is enjoyable to manage.
Together, my family and I built a large base, caught and cooked halfmoon fish into jerky and planned a rescue mission for our stranded submarine that was being tossed around by a giant squid.
I am absolutely terrified of the deep ocean and large marine life, so I was surprised that I enjoyed the first game. Even more so when I enjoyed it’s follow up just as much. While moments like encountering the Collector Leviathan, a whale-sized cephalopod, terrified me at first, it didn’t put me off of the game entirely, and the new multiplayer option helped me venture into the “Subnautica” world without fear.
Unfortunately, my multiplayer journey was cut a short when my family went out for the weekend and I decided to test out the game’s single-player option.
I breezed through the beginning of the game which mostly consists of gathering blueprints to create new equipment as well as basic materials for crafting. But suddenly I didn’t have my brother screaming “Swim away!” to make escaping the giant squid leviathan a little more humorous and the experience felt far scarier.
Despite my fears, I powered through and finished the current version’s main storyline. And my overall thoughts? It’s incredible.
Like the first game, the story is told through left behind logs from other voyagers who explored the planet long before you. You swim through the world, find voice recordings of lost crew members, scan structures and solve alien technology, unraveling the mystery behind what’s happened to the planet.
I love the storytelling method, and the gameplay is even better. The daily tasks of resource gathering, finding blueprints and slowly upgrading your equipment is very entertaining. And, even after completing the main storyline, I still boot up my single-player world to farm resources and expand my base.
To enjoy this game at its fullest potential, I suggest playing with friends. You get to build , explore and swim away from sea monsters together, making the gameplay much more of a fun shared experience. Especially if you’re frightened of the deep ocean like I am, the multiplayer can add a comical edge to the abyssal terror.
While the game is still in development and can experience frequent bugs within a smaller map size and shorter story, it still feels like a pretty big game with many hours of in-game enjoyment. But with how much I enjoyed this first version, I can’t wait to see how the game and story expand through future stages of development.
