Subnautica: Below Zero

Genre: Open World First-Person Survival Adventure

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in Subnautica + Subnautica: Below Zero, along with the original Subnautica.)

Subnautica: Below Zero is an Open-World First-Person Survival Adventure like its predecessor, the original Subnautica. The two are pretty similar, partly because Below Zero was originally designed to be an expansion for the original game, but gradually expanded to become a full-fledged sequel, released on multiple platforms in 2021, including the Nintendo Switch, which received a port of the original game on the same day.

Much as in the first game, players take the role of a space traveler who crashes down on an ocean-covered alien world – the same one as in the first game, though in a different, arctic region. However, where the first game’s story was largely told through gameplay and observation, Below Zero’s female protagonist has come to this planet with a purpose – to discover what happened to her sister, who was working at a polar outpost on the planet. As such, while you are exploring this game’s strange, hostile aquatic environment to gather resources to survive, you’ll also hear her commenting on goings-on, and even encounter a few story events along the way.

Where the first game was released a few years prior to its Nintendo Switch port, Below Zero’s same-day release means that this game technically isn’t a port, it’s a multiplatform release. Still, one could be forgiven for thinking that the newer game would fare worse on Nintendo’s limited hardware. Imagine my surprise at discovering that apparently the opposite was true – Below Zero loses less in the transition to Nintendo Switch than the original game does.

Make no mistake, there are definitely still cutbacks to this version. I don’t doubt the Nintendo Switch version has lower texture detail, lower resolution and framerates, and like the original game, there’s still pop-in here. However, the graphical flaws are far less noticeable this time around. The pop-in is less egregious, the framerates are mostly smooth, save for a few brief moments here and there, and the murky underwater fog is a lot less prominent this time around. While the original Subnautica was playable on the Nintendo Switch, Subnautica: Below Zero looks good.

I don’t say that lightly, either. Much as with the first game, Subnautica: Below Zero’s open-world underwater environments are vast, complex, and teeming with animated life, but this time the reduced prominence of graphical issues lets the game’s natural beauty shine through, and I would argue that what’s here goes well beyond the already visually-striking stuff we saw in the first game.

The wonderful purples, blues, greens, and whites of the lush underwater environments in this game are absolutely gorgeous, and can even contrast with the lovely oranges and reds of the sunsets when looking at the skies above. At other times, you’ll surface at night only to be greeted by a beautiful aurora borealis. What’s more, there are all sorts of little details that can at times be shockingly beautiful. Going from above water amidst a massive snowstorm with little visibility down beneath the water’s surface, seeing hail pounding down into the water, and seeing lightning reflect off the surface of your underwater habitat as its light penetrates down… yeah, this game is a feast for the eyes, and while the original Subnautica was impressive in that it’s able to run on the Nintendo Switch at all, Below Zero manages to be one of the more visually-stunning games on the platform.

It’s not just the visuals that are improved over the original game, the gameplay features some improvements too… although even the improved visuals help the gameplay. One of the issues I had with the original game was how the muddy fog of the game made it harder to get your bearings. This time around I feel like that’s less of an issue, though it is still extremely easy to get disoriented in the game’s complex environments without any decent map to assist you. Early-game progression is also somewhat smoother, with more abundant resources in your starting area. However, most of my criticisms of the original game do still hold true here.

Much as with the first game, Below Zero refuses to hand-hold players. You’re not told how to operate the game’s menus, not told how to use the important tools at your disposal, and not told exactly what it is you should be working on or where you should be going, save for when you’re wanting for food, water, oxygen, or medical attention (though much as with the first game, you can thankfully play without the need to collect water and food, at least), with this game also adding a temperature meter that limits your above-ground exploration, with this above-ground exploration taking a more prominent role in this game. And as with the first game, the fabricator you get to create tools early on does indicate what resources you need to craft the tools you have recipes for, but you’re often not given an indication where you can look for these resources, or if they’re even something realistically attainable at your current point in the game.

For players who like to figure things out for themselves and not be told what to do, I’m sure this will seem like a dream come true. But for me, it resulted in me constantly having to dip down to fruitlessly search for something I could use to enable me to spend longer underwater without drowning, only to have to bob back up to the surface before much time had passed, then repeat the process while trying to keep myself properly oriented and not lose track of where I was going and where I had already been.

This isn’t even getting into the hostile creatures you’ll have to fend off, largely using only defensive weapons, with the game requiring you to manually switch over to them in a way that can be highly frustrating. At the very least, the enemies this time around feel a bit more varied and creative, but the first game’s dumb and easily out-maneuvered creatures make a return as well.

One final note – like the original game, this version of the game does not feature gyroscopic motion controls or touchscreen controls, even though I feel it could have greatly benefitted from both. What you’re getting is a straight port. However, there’s an argument to be made that this in itself is more than Nintendo Switch owners could have realistically expected.

In the end, while I was somewhat mixed in my opinion of the original Subnautica on Nintendo Switch, I’m a bit more pleased with its sequel. The improved visuals, some of the best I’ve seen this year on the Nintendo Switch, make a huge difference in making the exploration of the complex underwater environments playable. However, I think this game is still held back by its decision to refrain from giving the player helpful information about where to go or what to do. I know there are some who will absolutely love this, especially fans of Survival games. However, others will feel lost. If you’re not sure which of those two categories you’re likely to fall into, I’d say this game may be worth a try, but perhaps have guides on-hand, and be sure to pick the easier mode that doesn’t require you to collect food and drinking water.

tl;dr – Subnautica: Below Zero is an Open-World First-Person Survival Adventure game that improves on its predecessor with some stunning visuals that make the gameplay somewhat smoother, especially in the earliest parts of the game which is designed to allow for somewhat easier progression. Having said that, this game’s lack of direction given to the player will undoubtedly be daunting to some, and as a result this won’t be a game for everyone. However, if you’re a fan of Survival Adventure games, this is an absolute must-have.

Grade: B+

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2021 Game Awards:

Runner-Up – Best Port/Remake, Best Graphics, Best Action-RPG

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