Subnautica 2: Playing the Early Access
After waiting for a few years, Subnautica 2 was finally released in Early Access. I was a bit apprehensive at first, considering the controversy surrounding Unknown Worlds and Krafton’s CEO, but I bought it anyway.
Well, actually, it was my daughter who bought Subnautica 2 for both of us to play. We’ve been fans of the franchise since the first Subnautica was in Early Access.
Now, keep in mind that this is not a full-blown review. I rarely review games that are in Early Access simply because too many things can change literally overnight. However, I figured I would share what we’ve experienced thus far.
Perhaps I’ll remember to update this post when things are added, removed, or changed. But considering I’m getting older and am incredibly busy, that’s probably not a good promise to make.
The memory isn’t what it used to be.
So Far, In Subnautica 2…
There are a lot of familiar functions in Subnautica 2, and a few that are new. I’ll do my best to highlight what I feel are some of the most prominent.
Remember, this is all from the perspective of the Early Access version of Subnautica 2. I’m sure there will be some major changes as game development continues.
Multiplayer and Pooling Data
One of the biggest reasons we’ve been waiting so long for Subnautica 2 is because of the multiplayer aspect. My daughter and I have been looking forward to exploring and building as a team.
When one player scans or discovers something, the data and information are sent to others in the game. That means one person can stay behind and build while another can explore. The data is sent to everyone’s PDA.
Other players appear on your HUD with a colored circle, allowing you to quickly find each other. This is convenient if someone needs rescuing or wants to show the rest of the group something cool they have found on the map.
Crafting from Storage Boxes
Perhaps my favorite function, aside from multiplayer, is how you can craft items using resources from containers. Instead of holding the inventory and making sure you have everything, crafting pulls resources directly from nearby storage units.
This is incredibly helpful, especially if you have a lot of lockers in your base holding a variety of random things you find in the ocean. You can still organize materials and resources, but you don’t have to clear room in your inventory when you’re looking to build something more advanced.
The crafting system will also pull resources out of portable units that may be floating outside of your base.
Interesting New Biomes and Creatures
Of course, Subnautica 2 was going to introduce us to new biomes and creatures. While some have a slightly familiar appearance, there are plenty that are absolutely unique.
Some of the more interesting may not even be in the water.
Like in other versions of Subnautica, there are some that can be cooked and eaten or turned into water. And the water slugs on the ocean floor are so much easier to catch than the bladderfish.
True to the franchise, the biomes are beautifully developed, with bioluminescence illuminating the landscape, especially at night. There are some amazing locations in the Early Access version, and I can’t wait to see what the creators have in store from a visual perspective.
There is also a new ability mechanic where you need to touch certain plants to gain a specific DNA. For example, you’ll need to find a purple plant nearby to touch it before you can “safely digest” the flora and fauna in Subnautica 2.
Don’t worry, though. The plant you need isn’t very far from the lifepod.
Using Undercurrents
Undercurrents are a thing in Subnautica 2. These are like thin rivers that quickly whisk you away from one area to another. They can be a boon to travel, or spell death if you’re not prepared.
So far, we’ve found several of these undercurrents. In fact, it’s how we found the giant crab-like creatures in one of the biomes. My daughter swam into one of these underwater rivers and was spat out near where they spawn.
We haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like some of them are large enough for a vessel to travel through.
Snap to Place Building and Moving Constructs
Subnautica 2 has a snap-to-place building mechanic for some of the structures and items you can create. This makes base-building a bit easier; however, I rather liked being able to precisely place a locker anywhere along the wall, as it was in the first Subnautica.
One of the greatest additions to the game is the ability to move items you have already built. For instance, instead of storing all of a locker’s inventory on your person and then deconstructing it to move the container to another room, you can simply use the “Move” command.
So, if you start off with a tube for a base and later add a square room for crafting materials, you can easily move all of the lockers to a new location without playing musical inventory.
Can’t Kill Fish?
One of the more controversial mechanics today in Subnautica 2 is the inability to kill fish. If you’re being chased or attacked by an aggressive creature, all you can do is run or outmaneuver it.
This is a bit of a dumb feature, in my opinion.
It’s not like I go out of my way to kill and eat all marine life in the game. But if I am wailing on a group of fish that is trying to eat me, I should be able to defend myself by any means necessary.
I can’t count the number of times I used the propulsion or repulsion cannons to defend myself from stalkers in the first Subnautica. There is something satisfying about using random things on the ocean floor as ammunition. That often includes other fish. Or, sending stalkers to the moon with a well-placed blast from below them.
In any case, a “no-real-death” mechanic in the game gives it a childish feel that takes away from the story. Of course, that is just my opinion. I’m all about mayhem, chaos, and destruction.
Is Subnautica 2 Early Access Worth It?
Currently, the Early Access version of Subnautica 2 is around $29.99. It’s a bit more than the first game in the franchise, but that’s how gaming works nowadays.
I’ve only clocked in a handful of hours playing Subnautica 2 since its release. We try to squirrel away what time we can to explore the game. But so far, I’d say that the $30 price tag isn’t too bad for what you’re currently getting.
Well, that also depends on the continuation of the storyline. We found that we can’t go too far from the starting point without getting blocked by unfinished development.
Nonetheless, I’m finding the game fun, especially when I have such a chaotic team member. It makes the adventure so much more…stressful.
So, yes, given what you get in the game, I’d say that Subnautica 2 is worth what you’re paying for it. But we’ll have to see. I only say that because of how successful Unknown Worlds was with the last two Subnautica games. Let’s cross our fingers that it doesn’t take years to release major updates.
Interested in Buying Early Access Subnautica 2?
It could be years before Subnautica 2 is out of Early Access. Nowadays, games often spend most of their existence in this mode as a way to drum up sales from an incomplete experience. And while some developers seem to half-ass the progress, Unknown Worlds did a pretty good job with the first title in the franchise.
With the whole Krafton controversy, I was a tad worried about buying the game this time around. I have reservations that the continued development of Subnautica 2 is going to be smooth sailing from here. Yet, I still have hope that it will turn out to be a great multiplayer experience.
Or, the controversies could continue, and the game becomes abandoned. I’ve seen it happen a lot to some potentially great titles. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, while enjoying what the developers have created thus far.
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