The feeling we all experience after finishing the first time. The game is immersive and the story unfolds in such a unique way that figuratively and literally pulls you in deeper and deeper
Honestly, after years of seeing this game being hightly praised and talked about i have never felt the urge to go forward and actually purchase the game to give it a go..... until i saw this review. Having played it for a few days now i can honestly say...... thank you! Thank you so much for opening my eyes to this epic game, i am hooked.
Welcome to Subnautica diver ! Trust me, you are experiencing one of the best feelings in a game. Don't rush, just absorb everything you can, the first time is really a blast!
Also they have been nonstop still working on it fixing pop-in and soo much more and backporting some stuff from below zero check out the experimental build. I will be playing this over and over till day i die one of the very few games i keep the music on. Also not taking away from your great video but everyone should watch neebsgaming epic game-play, hell the dev's even had them do some voice overs for the game. Great video and GL down there to all the depths await you
Just got my cyclops stuck on a small passage at the Ghost Florest and the juvenile ghost leviatan was there stuck also bitting the hell out of the sub. Saved the sub when "abandon ship" was playing by hitting the leviathan with the blade, but died. Eventually, the leviathan fled away from the blad and I unstuck cyclops at 3% energy to flee through deep grand reef. Boy, that escalated quickly
oh wow, only 190 subscribers?? when i clicked and watched this video, i was expecting that this was created by some small time yet full time youtuber who had perfected their flow. this was excellently written and structured, and well mixed and edited at that too! you point out a fair bit of things other subnautica reviewers haven't and i appreciate that. if you keep up this level of quality in the future, you're sure to blow up. amazing video!
I remember first jumping into the shallows and being terrified, then thinking 100m was really deep and just everything else in the game always amazed me, I think this is the closest to a perfect survival game I’ve ever played
I've played this game so much that even the scarier elements are quaint. Reapers still wig me out but I can just zip by them. I even named them. Absolutely adore this game, not as big on the sequel. Then again I was in on early access for Subnautica way back when the terraformer was in, so I've had a lot of time with it.
Your video popped in my recommendations and I enjoyed every second of it. The clips you chose were carefully picked and commented on, great job on the video!
Subnautica was an absolute masterpiece. I wish I could experience it all over again for the first time. Also your video quality is incredible for a smaller channel, I hope this gets some serious traction!
This is a video for my heart. A love letter for the first Subnautica. I think this is the best game I payed in the last 10 years, in terms of feelings, immersion and discovery. I love it so much, I am depressed since I first finished it....I can't find the same feeling anywhere. Maybe in Alien Isolation or Outer wilds, but never 100% like in Subnautica. Subnautica Below Zero is not the same. Not even close. These 2 games are like Alien and Aliens 2 movies. The first is a terror masterpiece, the second...just and action jump scare experience .Great video 🥂
Thanks so much! "A love letter for the first Subnautica" is what I hoped for when I first set out to make the video - I really appreciate you taking the time to write that.
@@CasualGamr your video made me reinstall the game. It hit me, when you sed about the Base construction , that slowly becomes your home. I remembered how relieved I was coming back to my base, or cyclops,but never thought about it in this way. This game makes you cope with you're inner fears. You make your base to upgrade etc.... but in fact you make a comfortable virtual environment to relieve the tension. At least when you play the first time. Years after finishing it, and realised the hole game feels like home now. Even now, sometimes I keep breath in real life, that's how immersive this experience is. Again, great video !
There's few things in life that I don't tolerate. And one of those things is you having less than 200 subscribers. I haven't even watched the whole video and I already know that it is amazing. Keep up the good work.
I have this review saved because it is just SO well written and connected. I want to like show it to my friends who have yet to play the game, and even to like my parents who don't play games but like horror and design. Very truly well done, and I love your connection to BZ. I played Subnautica on my PS4 until my... many bases became too much for the console to enjoy. I bought both games on steam and played BZ, and found myself charmed by Robin, but at the same time everything was off. Robin's character and her story drew me in, but I did truly get the chance to imprint on Riley in the original game. Me and my friends didn't call the MC "Riley" or "Mr Survivor," we said "I" because WE felt we were in the game. And the funny thing is: the big, huge, submarine-worthy world of the OG game was so daunting I've had friends who preferred the Seatruck in BZ. But that Openness, that emptiness, that thalassophobic nature of wide, murky, dark unknowns made the original game so horrifying and engaging. BZ had more in the seabase building department, but so often I found myself coming back to the original because it was so much bigger, and I never thought I'd appreciate that in a sandbox game (I only like sandbox games that have more than just "we're a sandbox." Coming from someone who was kinda cold on BotW or Mario Odessy, I can't play enough of Subnautica).
Thanks so much, I did work hard on achieving that so glad that's how it came across. T he story is such an important part of the game, I wouldn't forgive myself if I stole that from anybody!
There was one instance of horror for me. The telepathic messages you get from the [redacted] jumpscared the shit out of me. The first one hit me when I had just gotten back to my base after encountering my first warper. It instantly made my base feel less secure.
Yo i just found this channel and it's kinda crazy that you only have 5 thousand subs. The quality of these videos reminds me more of a channel with hundreds of thousands of subs. I really enjoy this and I will be here when you inevitably reach 500K subs.
Honestly thanks so much - I think I had like 800 subs when I made that video!! I'm woking on some more stuff now, hopefully can keep those numbers climbing, got me a long way to go :) I hugely appreciate the comment though, a little bit of encouragement goes a long way!!
Amazing review! I will agree that the original is superior to below zero, but both are honestly great in my opinion. They just offer different experiences. One of my most memorable experiences with the original was when I was cruising in my seamoth near one of the islands, I was sure I was safe because for some reason I was convinced that no leviathan would ever spawn in the area. Oh, how wrong I was! Out of nowhere amidst the silence I get hit from behind and my seamoth gets ragdolled like a toy. It was at that moment that I realized how terrifying Subnautica can be and drastically altered how I played the game.
What a profound review. Absolutely fantastic delivery and presentation. You knocked it out of the park and gave subnautica justice. Love the references and the amount of info presented here. Would love to see some more content from you!
Thanks so much, that’s really kind feedback. Already working on my next one so feel free to Subscribe and let me know what you think of the next one! Thank you again 🙏
I decided to start playing subnautica last week after having owned it for a few months. And honestly I enjoy it despite having a fear of dying in small enclosed spaces. I find it beautiful. The graphics are gorgeous, and the atmosphere is incredibly engaging. Still terrified of Reapers and Warpers, but hoping that once I have access to the prawn suits upgrades I won’t feel as scared and can explore the deep.
You started this review with a clip involving my favorite creature in the series (and many other series) the Crab Squid is such an awesome creature. Amazing design, even more amazing audio design. Crazy that a creaking door was edited into one of the most intimidating creature sounds ive ever heard.
Your review perfectly captured what made the original so special, great job! I would also mention the feeling of loneliness though, you're the only living person in the first game, which adds a lot to the atmosphere. When it comes to the tension, something that really helps is the lack of visibility, you always hear the leviathans before you see them, which makes staring into the abyss that much more terrifying.
I will always be amazed that some developers don't seem to understand why their own game was popular in the first place and end up doing something that nobody wanted. But funnily enough my expectations for the 3rd one are already low because it might end up with a multiplayer mode because of popular demand..
@@Avenray19 no it would not. Subnautica is subnautica because we are the only living person on the planet. the game wouldn't work the same and wouldn't be the same fun with a coop bud. there's plenty other games where you can hang out and bully the environment. let us keep subnautica as is, for us who want to be terrified at the edge of our senses and faculties. alone.
@@Avenray19 that's a whole different game with completely different balances, for example building resources.. for example net code and the whole network infrastructure. they don't need that now, why would they burden themselves with it? but each to their own. if they make Sub3 MP it's a nogo for me. they have lots of making up after Sub0 anyway. we're obviously wanting completely different games. why do you want to make your game from my game? you already have plenty of your games.
I've been playing video games as a hobby since I was 8. I'm 30 now, and Subnautica was my favorite gaming experience. I would wake up at 6am, with me coffee, I'd play for an hour before work and I felt so ready for the day afterwards 😭😭💜💜💜
This has to be one of the best reviews I've seen in a while. From beginning to end, you explained everything so well and created a beautiful structure for the video. Well done. You're an incredibly underrated youtuber, but you definitely have my sub.
I got in to the Early Access version about a year before release, but put it aside after exploring for an hour. I wanted a complete experience. When that came, it became one of favorites along the line of the Zelda games. That first time finding my way around, building small bases further, and further down. Loved the story, the ambience, the sense of discovery, the terror and the sense of achievement. My first playthrough was 72 hours.
I did not expect such a high quality video from someone with this little subscribers, this video is something I would expect from someone with hundreds of thousands of subs, not just hundreds
Ah wow what a gem to find amongst the comments, sorry I missed this. I'm so glad to hear that, even persuading one person makes it worth it! Did you make it to the end?
Subnautica is one the best games I've EVER played. Despite it's shortcomings. It's a surprising uncut gem. Every friend or acquaintance of mine that I know s/he plays video games, I always recommend it to to them no matter what they have to try it.
Love this breakdown, and how you added some new thoughts on the game (as far as I've seen on yt at least) Subbed, you deserve way more subs for the time, effort, and quality of this :) Much luck to you!
I've spent hundreds of hours playing this game. A new release may take my interest for a week or two, but it's guaranteed that I'll be back on 4546B before long. Legitimately might be my pick for Greatest Game of All Time.
Then there are the Thalassophobes, who "don't go near the water." Some are terrified at the idea of being completely surrounded by the unfriendly depths of Planet 4546B. Others can't bring themselves to "just jump in." A legendary Thalassophobe spent all of his first episode pacing around the top of Lifepod 5. However, once they face down their fears in the (somewhat) Safe Shallows, more of them "get Alterra's bill" than other kinds of players. This is a game of Exploration, and failing to "go far/go deep" means you won't leave Planet 4546B. This isn't for Mighty Hunters or Arcade Shooters. "Live and let live" will take you down to "The Boss Alien," which is "the horse of a different color." Definitely "an Experience masquerading as a mere game.";)
Funilly enough all deaths in my first 5 playthroughs happened in the Safe Shallows^^, with equal shares of drowning because I got lost in caves or simply forgot to watch my oxygen on the one hand and encounters with fauna on the other hand.
I have thallassophobia, but this game still feels so comforting to me. Maybe because I've known about it since I was 13, so almost a full decade, but it doesn't trigger panic attacks in me anymore ="))
For years I told myself I would never play this game because of how terrified of the ocean and deep/dark water I am. But now its currently the only game I have a platinum trophy for. Edit: Great video btw. Earned a sub from me.
Love the video, in the future would add a spoiler warning at the beginning or at the section where major game reveals are mentioned. Overall well made for the game. Will continue to be on the look out for new content.
Thanks so much! To be honest I worked hard at not revealing too many spoilers, but I was also very much aware that you either play this game completely blind (ideally) or you need a bit of a prod to get into it. Prodding sometimes requires a flash or two of something exciting. Bit of lava, a bit of Reaper teeth, hopefully not much else. Perhaps best not to discuss openly as comments can reveal spoilers too, but maybe IM if you have the time so I can take a look? Either way I really appreciate the feedback. Sometimes it just takes someone else to point it out!
Below zero is good but they fully erased the feeling of being alone and the fear you get when looking down into the water and not seeing whats below and wondering what kind of monster might pop out any second to give you a heart attack,thats what made me replay subnautica 4 times and now im doing it the 5th time and i still get a shiver down my spine when i dont see the bottom of the ocean or i see a reaper in the distance
I never actually had the chance to play this game, because my computer can't handle it. But I've been experiencing it over and over again, through UA-cam videos, since the early access days. I'd pay exorbitant sums of money to be able to wipe my memory clean of it and experience it again, now in its entirety, instead of getting a moderate amount of hype whenever I found out a new update just dropped.
If I were you, I’d stop watching everything right now. Just let it fade away with the passage of time. Just wait, and one day you’ll get a computer that can handle it, however old it might be, and that will be a glorious few weeks of gaming for you 👍🏼
I find Below Zero just as nerve racking if as the original Subnautica, if not more tbh. A quality of the game that really shines when you attempt to play on hardcore mode from start to finish.
I agree that Below Zero can be nerve racking in parts, in some ways more so because it sets up the scares by having leviathans blocking your path. But I felt that was exactly the problem - sometimes the original wasn't nerve racking at all and you can bask in the serentiy a little more. I felt Below Zero was just a little too mean spirited at times.
This game is a genuinely beautiful game... And the only game I've got a Platinum on 😂 The music is absolutely perfect as well, some of it reminds me of Perfect Dark on the N64.
I agree Subnatuica isn't really "horror". It can be tense, but generally speaking you're not in any danger you don't put yourself into. The creatures are animals, and work on animal logic, and the worst of them are generally not difficult to avoid. Yes, you do need to go into dangerous territory sometimes, but if prepared and careful you're not really in very much danger. It's more thrilling than scary really, and is more a matter of figuring out how things work and behave. Rushing in, not being careful or prepared, and being an idiot is what gets you killed. There's no "monsters" here really. Nothing is out to get you specifically. Reapers and some of the other creatures are territorial and aggressive, but are also not difficult to deal with unless you panic and don't respect their space. It's a survival game, but not really horror either.
Yes, but most players have a difficult time preparing before going into dangerous areas. They just blunder in there and think that the game will provide. Most of the time, players are right, and in the name of "accessibility", developers remove sources of frustration. Subnautica does not. If you go out into the deep with an inventory full of titanium and no water, you'll die. If you watch people playing this on Twitch, you'll see what I mean. It requires a level of deliberation that many players aren't accustomed to.
@@dmatech That's just the genre in general. Most survival games do this. You'll notice players who have played things like Minecraft, Rust, The Forest, Terreria, etc... tend to know what is up with Subnautica's gameplay loop, or at least figure it out quickly. [Also vice versa.] Half the point is preparing for more dangerous areas and planning ahead for ventures into less forgiving areas. Survival games are as much about managing resources and gearing up as exploration in general. Subnautica does a masterful job of poking the player into this kind of loop, more than a lot of other survival games. If you go into an area you're not prepared for, 99% of survival games will wreck you without mercy if you're not prepared. Grounded is a good example of another game in this genre that does a good job of communicating this to the player and prodding them towards preparing for tougher areas. I'd also posit a lot of UA-camrs do stupid things on purpose for that "reaction", and for the thumbnail and title. It's often not how a normal person would play, even if they are a casual user.
Add to that the fact that the game wasn't developed as, marketed as, or listed as horror. All these people calling it a horror game is like calling Skyrim a horror game because it has spiders and undead in it.
I agree, AL-AN wasn’t so much the problem, that’s why I didn’t talk about him because ultimately that was probably the more engaging side of the narrative. I probably should have mentioned it, but I like the fact that you could answer the call by choice 🤷 I never actually missed one but I presume it just snips that bit of narrative from the game as nothing he says during conversation is actually necessary for the final scene as I remember it.
Another issue I had with Below Zero, is that there were way too many repeat creatures. The squidshark comes back all the time, there's not enough unique characters to learn about...
Don't skip below zero. It's not great, but its still got things to offer for the price. I can't say I've completed a second play through, but it's not without its charms. Just exploring the icebergs is well worth the price. Just warn people not to build the hover bike and walk the ice-worm section...
Played like 500 hours of Subnautica across all platforms. My take on BZ: - The music is still great, definitely a sidegrade not a downgrade - aesthetically definitely amazing - why does the protagonist talk? The feeling of being alone is completely gone - there is a bit too much story in that imo - it’s called Subnautica, why am I on land? (More of a problem because the land portions suck) - the story is too much for a survival game. The first game‘s underlying idea was still to survive. In BZ thats only a secondary goal, you‘re there on purpose. There is more but I can’t really put that all in a comment
Based on what you mentioned about the similarities with Jurassic park, I wonder if a game with the same characteristics as subnautica but set in the setting of Jurassic park would work?
I must disagree with your assessment of Below Zero. I still found it very nice but It might be because of our different outlooks. I’ve always loveddddd the ocean and exploring so horror and terror was never a huge factor in my playthroughs of both games, though I did get scared a few times. I found the map of Below zero much better than the first game, it felt a lot more alive and full despite being smaller. I realllyy liked the aesthetic of it too, it was a gorgeous game. Though I will say a big factor in this probably came from me going in new to Below Zero knowing nothing about the game, but with Subnautica, I actually kept up with its development and knew mostly everything before I originally played it. So going in new in below zero actually enhanced the experience for me. It was definitely less scary but I found it more immersive, and I actually had more jaw dropping moments in below zero, moments that just blew me away or made me shit myself. SPOILERS: My first encounter with a shadow leviathan made me nearly shit myself, despite the companion announcing its presence it was still so unexpected. and holy crap the first time I felt the ground shake, and the giant Fuckin fuck all ground leviathan jumped out and ate a creature shocked the crap out of me. I never expected LAND LEVIATHANS Overall I actually really enjoyed Below Zero, but even through all that I still find the original better. It does have a different vibe tho like you mentioned. It’s good in its own way.
Sorry to say, I have browsed the shaders but based on the promotional images I never saw one that I thought looked better than the original. Modular games like Minecraft are improved by shaders and texture packs for sure, but the map of Subnautica was painstakingly hand made and tested for years so I don't think I could bring myself to deviate from their vision! Extra slots on the toolbar, however, that's more my flavour. Good luck in finding one that you like!
17:19 "and you have spare titanium" somehow i never have spare titanium im always struggling for lack of it, perhaps due to my terror of going out with my prawn to find the big amounts
I do hear you, I’d usually find it while doing missions tbh. I basically had three spare lockers on my Seamoth along with the essential shocker mod for those occasional Reaper encounters 🫣 and I’d just try to fill it to the brim on as many runs as possible by skirting around the bottom for debris, or using the scanner on items I’d already found.
@@CasualGamr ah, i never seem to get around to setting up the seamoth shocker and have gotten my moth eaten by reapers enough to be scared of bringing the moth to leviathan areas
I do not consider subnautica a horror game it is a survival sci fi game with some horror elements but it is not a horror game. subnautica below zero only confirms that this is the case.
I couldn't agree with you more - I just want to scream it at the developers. I'm interested to see where they go with the third, and if they take these things into account...
So weird because I never had any combat, aside from occasionally bopping a thing with my prawn arm. Most things will ignore you if you get more than 10 feet from it.
Man those Reapers though, I read there are something like 30 on the entire map, not just six or whatever which is what I thought. I’ve played it so much and still I get goosebumps on my back if I find myself in an area I don’t really remember.
hidden, lesser known games imo. Subnautica, Kenshi. imo kenshi may be the best game ever made..... to date. Subnautica is an amazing game on its own. but i put it further down the list because lack of replayability imo. once u know the story- biomes a lot of the lure, unknown ofc is gone. at least for me was huge driving point of the game.
If subnautica was really a horror experience it would involve consequences for ascending too fast or not being at pressure at deep depths (popping like a soda can and imploding into goo respectively)
That's a really good point - the larger experience is devoid of brutal death scenes and the like. Just reinforces the fact that they don't need any more horror in the game than they already have to ge the tension jsut right.
subnautica 1 is a mainly exploration survival game where you slowly figure out the lore of things that ended subnautica below zero is a story exploration game where the survival aspect was secondary honestly i liked how they made below zero have a different genre so you wouldn't feel like you're just replaying subnautica 1.
I guess... but what the fans wanted was and extension of the game we loved. Below zero is ok for what it does, but it reeks of unambitious development. They crippled the player experience and tried to distract you by throwing more "story" into the game. No one plays subnautica for the story... why make it the focus of the sequel?!?!
I won't lie, as Subnautica was one of the best games I have played in my life, this was one occasion where I wouldn't have minded just more of the same!
First, the sound designer for Subnautica was fired for posting Pepe memes. That's not "hateful"... Charlie is a SJW and sees pepe memes as a personal attack on his fragile emotions... so the sound design went to hell because Charlie is thin skinned and afraid of cancel culture. Second, Charlie says he wanted a "no guns game" in a game full of weapons and killing, depending on how you play. This doesn't pass the smell test. Again, its just more virtue signalling from the devs to their imaginary SJW audience. Finally, the voiced protagonist in the sequel was the final nail in the SJW coffin... they wanted to write the protag as a "black woman" and realized, somewhere along the path, that no matter how they approached it, it was going to come off as offensive to someone... not because the character was black or female, but because they tokenized their own character for SJW points and immediately ran into the problem of how to write a character without explicitly being racist by voicing her in a way that emphasized her race rather than making her interesting. Regardless, they were warned that voicing the protagonist would take the player out of the experience, but Unknown wolds wanted progressive-points and forged ahead, and even had to scrap the entire project and recast/rewrite it because they KNEW they messed up. Subnautica is my #1 game of all time. Below zero is ok, but unworthy. Unknown worlds suffers from the same issues that many games companies do in that they don't understand their audience. The best thing for that company to do would be to go back to basics... focus on making compelling products rather than trying to join a chorus of vapid narcissists running tech companies around the world. I wish there were some way to get this across to people... sanctimonious moralizing is a massive mistake... and in the case of below zero, it nearly sunk the franchise and the company that spawned it. Believe whatever you want, but infusing your dimly understood version of right and wrong into a mass media product is going to make you look like a dolt and undermine your message. Also, your editing was top notch, especially around the creature attacks. Respect!
Yeah the Simon Chylinski thing isn't as one sided as I made it out to be, I wanted to cut down on the below Zero section as it was getting lengthy and I regretted that. I think both sides were too hot headed and as a result one got fired and the other prioritised the wrong things and sent the series fishtailing. I very much hope mistakes are learned from and we get something special in the coming years... third time's a charm! And thank you also for the compliement, I very much appreciate the support 👍🏼
@@Troublechutor I only equip drill when I'm about to mine something. It stays in my inventory when I'm in the Prawn or in the Prawn inventory when not using it.
Gotta disagree with your take on Below Zero, I think it was a smart move to do something different, because otherwise how do you follow a game that achieved everything it set out to achieve so well? You can't improve on it, or you would have first time around, and you don't have anything more to say in the experience because it was self-contained and complete. So all you'd be offering would be more for the sake of more, which would have felt super disappointing. Instead they offered adjacent-but-different. I enjoyed the tighter narrative, the more linear progression, and the more puzzley feel. Yeah, not as much as the original, but it let me have a DIFFERENT experience in the same world rather than trying to give me the same experience as the first time, which was an impossible ask, because that experience was so focused on "first time" moments, and the base building, which... I could just still enjoy in the base game. Absolutely it felt like an expansion, but the distinction between expansion and sequel has blurred in meaning. Stand-alone expansions were a thing even in the days of CD-ROMs, and the age of DLC anything standalone feels like it belongs in the sequel bracket for clarity of "what you need to buy to play it" purposes.
Glad you enjoyed it, really that’s all that matters. I agree that the base building was great, the expanded rooms and functions was something I missed going back to the original Subnautica. However, to be specific, I thought the Shadow and Chelicerate leviathans were woefully uninspired, and more importantly placed in the key locations like the entrance to the lava zone and so on. I was so used to them by the end but there was affectively no fear. So as good as the game was, ultimately, it left me a little bored of the atmosphere and therefore disappointed, which is what I was trying (perhaps unsuccessfully) to explain throughout the video! Thanks for watching it all the way through though, I really appreciate it 😊
It’s so pathetic how Simon was fired for being “problematic.” What kind of dystopian world means that someone can be fired for not having the same opinions as others? Don’t get me wrong, I think he was a bit extreme, but removing him and slapping him with the label of “a bad person” is pathetic.
As I understand it, that was the original intention, but for whatever reason they chose to release it at the same retail price as the original and marketed it as an entirely new game. Which essentially, it was.
other than it is horribly optimized........ like probably worst game ever lol. game is amazing. looks nice, story, exploration, pace, u farm but its not grindy imo. unless u choose to build big base or something. that is Your choice. even then its not a lot of mats to build. just amazing well done game start to finish. and shows from all the attention-views people still get by posting vids on it.
I hate that everyone implies this game was created as a horror game. The devs have stated that its horror elements were completely unintentional and that it was not in any way designed to scare you.
You have no idea how much i wish i could wipe my mind of this game and experience it for the first time again.
I love this game soooo much.
The feeling we all experience after finishing the first time. The game is immersive and the story unfolds in such a unique way that figuratively and literally pulls you in deeper and deeper
i feel that way about a few games and subnautica is certainly one of them
Figuratively and literally pulls you deeper and deeper … nice … wish I’d thought of that one 😄
@@CasualGamr oh stop it, you're making me blush
Me too bro i watched this game for 4 years before i got it and played it
Honestly, after years of seeing this game being hightly praised and talked about i have never felt the urge to go forward and actually purchase the game to give it a go..... until i saw this review. Having played it for a few days now i can honestly say...... thank you! Thank you so much for opening my eyes to this epic game, i am hooked.
Welcome to Subnautica diver ! Trust me, you are experiencing one of the best feelings in a game. Don't rush, just absorb everything you can, the first time is really a blast!
@@bilibistroxRight on - it is one of the few games I wish I could play again with no memory of the previous playthrough!
Also they have been nonstop still working on it fixing pop-in and soo much more and backporting some stuff from below zero check out the experimental build. I will be playing this over and over till day i die one of the very few games i keep the music on. Also not taking away from your great video but everyone should watch neebsgaming epic game-play, hell the dev's even had them do some voice overs for the game. Great video and GL down there to all the depths await you
So satisfying when someone accurately explains why a game is so great
I never get tired of watching Subnautica analysis videos
Subnautica is the perfect type of Horror, one that even the creators didnt expect.
Just got my cyclops stuck on a small passage at the Ghost Florest and the juvenile ghost leviatan was there stuck also bitting the hell out of the sub. Saved the sub when "abandon ship" was playing by hitting the leviathan with the blade, but died. Eventually, the leviathan fled away from the blad and I unstuck cyclops at 3% energy to flee through deep grand reef. Boy, that escalated quickly
Sounds like another great Subnautica adventure right there!
oh wow, only 190 subscribers?? when i clicked and watched this video, i was expecting that this was created by some small time yet full time youtuber who had perfected their flow. this was excellently written and structured, and well mixed and edited at that too! you point out a fair bit of things other subnautica reviewers haven't and i appreciate that. if you keep up this level of quality in the future, you're sure to blow up. amazing video!
It's amazing that, in under 2 weeks, his sub counted has more than doubled, which is well deserved
The sound design and soundtrack are just exceptional, truly masterful. I listen to some of the tracks regularly, they're just so serene and relaxing.
I couldn't agree more.
I remember first jumping into the shallows and being terrified, then thinking 100m was really deep and just everything else in the game always amazed me, I think this is the closest to a perfect survival game I’ve ever played
I've played this game so much that even the scarier elements are quaint. Reapers still wig me out but I can just zip by them. I even named them.
Absolutely adore this game, not as big on the sequel. Then again I was in on early access for Subnautica way back when the terraformer was in, so I've had a lot of time with it.
Your video popped in my recommendations and I enjoyed every second of it. The clips you chose were carefully picked and commented on, great job on the video!
Thank you so much, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the positive feedback!
"reinventing the horror genre"
starts video with an actual fucking banger that can be heard in-game
Subnautica was an absolute masterpiece. I wish I could experience it all over again for the first time.
Also your video quality is incredible for a smaller channel, I hope this gets some serious traction!
Thank you so much for your comment! I made it to 1K, whoop whoop, so something's going right.
Onwards and upwards!
4:53 Below Zero: "...and I took that personally."
This is a video for my heart. A love letter for the first Subnautica. I think this is the best game I payed in the last 10 years, in terms of feelings, immersion and discovery. I love it so much, I am depressed since I first finished it....I can't find the same feeling anywhere. Maybe in Alien Isolation or Outer wilds, but never 100% like in Subnautica. Subnautica Below Zero is not the same. Not even close. These 2 games are like Alien and Aliens 2 movies. The first is a terror masterpiece, the second...just and action jump scare experience .Great video 🥂
Thanks so much! "A love letter for the first Subnautica" is what I hoped for when I first set out to make the video - I really appreciate you taking the time to write that.
@@CasualGamr your video made me reinstall the game. It hit me, when you sed about the Base construction , that slowly becomes your home. I remembered how relieved I was coming back to my base, or cyclops,but never thought about it in this way. This game makes you cope with you're inner fears. You make your base to upgrade etc.... but in fact you make a comfortable virtual environment to relieve the tension. At least when you play the first time. Years after finishing it, and realised the hole game feels like home now. Even now, sometimes I keep breath in real life, that's how immersive this experience is. Again, great video !
There's few things in life that I don't tolerate. And one of those things is you having less than 200 subscribers. I haven't even watched the whole video and I already know that it is amazing. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much! Well that made my day. You’ve inspired me to work even harder so I can get 200 subscribers and make yours 😂
@@CasualGamr if you keep up this level of quality and attention in your videos you are definitely going places. This was an insta sub from me
I have this review saved because it is just SO well written and connected. I want to like show it to my friends who have yet to play the game, and even to like my parents who don't play games but like horror and design. Very truly well done, and I love your connection to BZ. I played Subnautica on my PS4 until my... many bases became too much for the console to enjoy. I bought both games on steam and played BZ, and found myself charmed by Robin, but at the same time everything was off. Robin's character and her story drew me in, but I did truly get the chance to imprint on Riley in the original game. Me and my friends didn't call the MC "Riley" or "Mr Survivor," we said "I" because WE felt we were in the game. And the funny thing is: the big, huge, submarine-worthy world of the OG game was so daunting I've had friends who preferred the Seatruck in BZ. But that Openness, that emptiness, that thalassophobic nature of wide, murky, dark unknowns made the original game so horrifying and engaging. BZ had more in the seabase building department, but so often I found myself coming back to the original because it was so much bigger, and I never thought I'd appreciate that in a sandbox game (I only like sandbox games that have more than just "we're a sandbox." Coming from someone who was kinda cold on BotW or Mario Odessy, I can't play enough of Subnautica).
I love how you explained the story well without spoilers :)
Thanks so much, I did work hard on achieving that so glad that's how it came across. T he story is such an important part of the game, I wouldn't forgive myself if I stole that from anybody!
There was one instance of horror for me. The telepathic messages you get from the [redacted] jumpscared the shit out of me.
The first one hit me when I had just gotten back to my base after encountering my first warper. It instantly made my base feel less secure.
this guy needs more subscribers best video ive seen all day other than the start which I feel like 50% of people would stop watching on
Those horror vs terror attack edits were done very well and added a nice touch.
Yo i just found this channel and it's kinda crazy that you only have 5 thousand subs. The quality of these videos reminds me more of a channel with hundreds of thousands of subs.
I really enjoy this and I will be here when you inevitably reach 500K subs.
Honestly thanks so much - I think I had like 800 subs when I made that video!! I'm woking on some more stuff now, hopefully can keep those numbers climbing, got me a long way to go :) I hugely appreciate the comment though, a little bit of encouragement goes a long way!!
Amazing review! I will agree that the original is superior to below zero, but both are honestly great in my opinion. They just offer different experiences. One of my most memorable experiences with the original was when I was cruising in my seamoth near one of the islands, I was sure I was safe because for some reason I was convinced that no leviathan would ever spawn in the area. Oh, how wrong I was! Out of nowhere amidst the silence I get hit from behind and my seamoth gets ragdolled like a toy. It was at that moment that I realized how terrifying Subnautica can be and drastically altered how I played the game.
What a profound review. Absolutely fantastic delivery and presentation. You knocked it out of the park and gave subnautica justice. Love the references and the amount of info presented here. Would love to see some more content from you!
Thanks so much, that’s really kind feedback. Already working on my next one so feel free to Subscribe and let me know what you think of the next one! Thank you again 🙏
I decided to start playing subnautica last week after having owned it for a few months. And honestly I enjoy it despite having a fear of dying in small enclosed spaces. I find it beautiful. The graphics are gorgeous, and the atmosphere is incredibly engaging. Still terrified of Reapers and Warpers, but hoping that once I have access to the prawn suits upgrades I won’t feel as scared and can explore the deep.
heh, I've become MORE terrified the deeper I go, not less. Prawn suit or no, the fear of drowning gets me SO tense 😅
@@silversong4VR that's fair. Im just too curious for my own good. Just need the damn drill arm.
@@belphy205 "Just need the damn drill arm" LOL The universal cry of Subnautica players everywhere, right behind "I need more storage!"
@@HiddenWindshield problem being I've found one part of it. Just need the other bit. This is worse then the moon pool.
Incredible video. To little views. Underrated. You will blow up some time, I know it
Thanks so much, that’s the dream 🙏
You started this review with a clip involving my favorite creature in the series (and many other series) the Crab Squid is such an awesome creature. Amazing design, even more amazing audio design. Crazy that a creaking door was edited into one of the most intimidating creature sounds ive ever heard.
Your review perfectly captured what made the original so special, great job! I would also mention the feeling of loneliness though, you're the only living person in the first game, which adds a lot to the atmosphere.
When it comes to the tension, something that really helps is the lack of visibility, you always hear the leviathans before you see them, which makes staring into the abyss that much more terrifying.
I will always be amazed that some developers don't seem to understand why their own game was popular in the first place and end up doing something that nobody wanted. But funnily enough my expectations for the 3rd one are already low because it might end up with a multiplayer mode because of popular demand..
There is a demand for more co op options that tend to be ignored. Couch co op would be dope in Subnautica.
@@Avenray19 I'd be fine with a borderlands-esque co-op where 2-3 ppl can join in. I don't need 30 people on my 1 server
@@Avenray19 no it would not. Subnautica is subnautica because we are the only living person on the planet. the game wouldn't work the same and wouldn't be the same fun with a coop bud. there's plenty other games where you can hang out and bully the environment. let us keep subnautica as is, for us who want to be terrified at the edge of our senses and faculties. alone.
@@vine01 I disagree. I think it should be an option, so it can be played either single player, or co op. Give the player choice.
@@Avenray19 that's a whole different game with completely different balances, for example building resources.. for example net code and the whole network infrastructure. they don't need that now, why would they burden themselves with it?
but each to their own. if they make Sub3 MP it's a nogo for me. they have lots of making up after Sub0 anyway. we're obviously wanting completely different games. why do you want to make your game from my game? you already have plenty of your games.
I've been playing video games as a hobby since I was 8. I'm 30 now, and Subnautica was my favorite gaming experience.
I would wake up at 6am, with me coffee, I'd play for an hour before work and I felt so ready for the day afterwards 😭😭💜💜💜
This has to be one of the best reviews I've seen in a while. From beginning to end, you explained everything so well and created a beautiful structure for the video. Well done. You're an incredibly underrated youtuber, but you definitely have my sub.
I got in to the Early Access version about a year before release, but put it aside after exploring for an hour. I wanted a complete experience. When that came, it became one of favorites along the line of the Zelda games. That first time finding my way around, building small bases further, and further down. Loved the story, the ambience, the sense of discovery, the terror and the sense of achievement. My first playthrough was 72 hours.
I did not expect such a high quality video from someone with this little subscribers, this video is something I would expect from someone with hundreds of thousands of subs, not just hundreds
Bought this game based on your review and I've loved every second.
Ah wow what a gem to find amongst the comments, sorry I missed this. I'm so glad to hear that, even persuading one person makes it worth it! Did you make it to the end?
Subnautica is one the best games I've EVER played. Despite it's shortcomings. It's a surprising uncut gem. Every friend or acquaintance of mine that I know s/he plays video games, I always recommend it to to them no matter what they have to try it.
Me too, it’s become like my signature recommendation now. If I so much as say “Sub-” these days my friends just wave me off haha
Love this breakdown, and how you added some new thoughts on the game (as far as I've seen on yt at least) Subbed, you deserve way more subs for the time, effort, and quality of this :) Much luck to you!
Thank you so much, very much appreciate the sub :)
Excellent review , I went on your channel to check out what else you had reviewed only to be suprised that ur not a big youtuber yet. Keep it up 👍🏼
Thanks so much! I’m working on it, need to put lots of time into a a long video like SubNautica again, it’s definitely what people enjoy the most!
I've spent hundreds of hours playing this game. A new release may take my interest for a week or two, but it's guaranteed that I'll be back on 4546B before long.
Legitimately might be my pick for Greatest Game of All Time.
Then there are the Thalassophobes, who "don't go near the water." Some are terrified at the idea of being completely surrounded by the unfriendly depths of Planet 4546B. Others can't bring themselves to "just jump in." A legendary Thalassophobe spent all of his first episode pacing around the top of Lifepod 5. However, once they face down their fears in the (somewhat) Safe Shallows, more of them "get Alterra's bill" than other kinds of players. This is a game of Exploration, and failing to "go far/go deep" means you won't leave Planet 4546B. This isn't for Mighty Hunters or Arcade Shooters. "Live and let live" will take you down to "The Boss Alien," which is "the horse of a different color." Definitely "an Experience masquerading as a mere game.";)
Funilly enough all deaths in my first 5 playthroughs happened in the Safe Shallows^^, with equal shares of drowning because I got lost in caves or simply forgot to watch my oxygen on the one hand and encounters with fauna on the other hand.
I have thallassophobia, but this game still feels so comforting to me. Maybe because I've known about it since I was 13, so almost a full decade, but it doesn't trigger panic attacks in me anymore ="))
holy crap watched the whole thing thinking this is pretty big channel. 222 subs? man that is crazy. good job on the video
For years I told myself I would never play this game because of how terrified of the ocean and deep/dark water I am. But now its currently the only game I have a platinum trophy for.
Edit: Great video btw. Earned a sub from me.
I'm a major fan of this game and I've never seen a review so well show the game
This one and Below Zero are one of the best games I have ever played on PC.
Love the video, in the future would add a spoiler warning at the beginning or at the section where major game reveals are mentioned. Overall well made for the game. Will continue to be on the look out for new content.
Thanks so much! To be honest I worked hard at not revealing too many spoilers, but I was also very much aware that you either play this game completely blind (ideally) or you need a bit of a prod to get into it. Prodding sometimes requires a flash or two of something exciting. Bit of lava, a bit of Reaper teeth, hopefully not much else. Perhaps best not to discuss openly as comments can reveal spoilers too, but maybe IM if you have the time so I can take a look? Either way I really appreciate the feedback. Sometimes it just takes someone else to point it out!
Below zero is good but they fully erased the feeling of being alone and the fear you get when looking down into the water and not seeing whats below and wondering what kind of monster might pop out any second to give you a heart attack,thats what made me replay subnautica 4 times and now im doing it the 5th time and i still get a shiver down my spine when i dont see the bottom of the ocean or i see a reaper in the distance
You got yourself a new subscriber! Fantastic review, absolutely nailed it :)
Thank you so much! Bit late to the party with this response but better late than never - that was a lovely comment, cheers bud 👍
I never actually had the chance to play this game, because my computer can't handle it. But I've been experiencing it over and over again, through UA-cam videos, since the early access days. I'd pay exorbitant sums of money to be able to wipe my memory clean of it and experience it again, now in its entirety, instead of getting a moderate amount of hype whenever I found out a new update just dropped.
If I were you, I’d stop watching everything right now. Just let it fade away with the passage of time. Just wait, and one day you’ll get a computer that can handle it, however old it might be, and that will be a glorious few weeks of gaming for you 👍🏼
Should have way more subs for such a high quality vid,keep it up👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks so much, I always really appreciate the support 👍🏼
I absolutely love this game!
I've been playing it a lot lately, again hahah
Great video!
Subnautica is now officially my favorite game of all time.. it beat a record I had up for about half of my life
did not think this channel would be so small wtf lol good shit and massive potential here
I find Below Zero just as nerve racking if as the original Subnautica, if not more tbh. A quality of the game that really shines when you attempt to play on hardcore mode from start to finish.
I agree that Below Zero can be nerve racking in parts, in some ways more so because it sets up the scares by having leviathans blocking your path. But I felt that was exactly the problem - sometimes the original wasn't nerve racking at all and you can bask in the serentiy a little more. I felt Below Zero was just a little too mean spirited at times.
In my playthrough my Cyclops was only in danger about once or twice
Oh man, such an amazing game. I want to play it again in VR.
Ooo! You've a beautiful voice, my friend. I've just subscribed to become your 652nd subscriber.
Thanks bud, that's a new compliment for me but I'll take it haha
@@CasualGamr :3
This game is a genuinely beautiful game... And the only game I've got a Platinum on 😂
The music is absolutely perfect as well, some of it reminds me of Perfect Dark on the N64.
Looks good my man, beautiful in fact 🎉
Thanks so much, appreciate the kind words :)
When I first heard the sea dragon terrified because I thought I started up some machine because it kind of sounds like whining metal
I agree Subnatuica isn't really "horror".
It can be tense, but generally speaking you're not in any danger you don't put yourself into.
The creatures are animals, and work on animal logic, and the worst of them are generally not difficult to avoid.
Yes, you do need to go into dangerous territory sometimes, but if prepared and careful you're not really in very much danger.
It's more thrilling than scary really, and is more a matter of figuring out how things work and behave.
Rushing in, not being careful or prepared, and being an idiot is what gets you killed.
There's no "monsters" here really. Nothing is out to get you specifically. Reapers and some of the other creatures are territorial and aggressive, but are also not difficult to deal with unless you panic and don't respect their space.
It's a survival game, but not really horror either.
Yes, but most players have a difficult time preparing before going into dangerous areas. They just blunder in there and think that the game will provide. Most of the time, players are right, and in the name of "accessibility", developers remove sources of frustration. Subnautica does not. If you go out into the deep with an inventory full of titanium and no water, you'll die. If you watch people playing this on Twitch, you'll see what I mean. It requires a level of deliberation that many players aren't accustomed to.
@@dmatech That's just the genre in general. Most survival games do this.
You'll notice players who have played things like Minecraft, Rust, The Forest, Terreria, etc... tend to know what is up with Subnautica's gameplay loop, or at least figure it out quickly. [Also vice versa.]
Half the point is preparing for more dangerous areas and planning ahead for ventures into less forgiving areas.
Survival games are as much about managing resources and gearing up as exploration in general.
Subnautica does a masterful job of poking the player into this kind of loop, more than a lot of other survival games.
If you go into an area you're not prepared for, 99% of survival games will wreck you without mercy if you're not prepared.
Grounded is a good example of another game in this genre that does a good job of communicating this to the player and prodding them towards preparing for tougher areas.
I'd also posit a lot of UA-camrs do stupid things on purpose for that "reaction", and for the thumbnail and title. It's often not how a normal person would play, even if they are a casual user.
Add to that the fact that the game wasn't developed as, marketed as, or listed as horror. All these people calling it a horror game is like calling Skyrim a horror game because it has spiders and undead in it.
Well, there is ONE that's out to get you specifically. Kind of. It's also the absolute worst and most terrifying of them all to deal with imo
Fucking love how the subnautica ost is just psytrance lol
Yeah I'd mix psytrance into my other videos too but sadly most soundtracks are devoid of good psi action!
It'd be lovely to know which games were shown during the "Third dimension" segment of the video.
honestly i loved ALLEN he was my fav part of below 0 i do wish a silent protag was kept though but maybe leave chat options?
I agree, AL-AN wasn’t so much the problem, that’s why I didn’t talk about him because ultimately that was probably the more engaging side of the narrative. I probably should have mentioned it, but I like the fact that you could answer the call by choice 🤷 I never actually missed one but I presume it just snips that bit of narrative from the game as nothing he says during conversation is actually necessary for the final scene as I remember it.
Another issue I had with Below Zero, is that there were way too many repeat creatures. The squidshark comes back all the time, there's not enough unique characters to learn about...
Totally agree, that squidshark looked awesome the first time you saw it but the effect had long worn off by the twentieth.
Did you really have to hit me with that jumpscare at 2 in the night
Amazing video! Subnautica 1 is a must try experience! Skip Subnautica 2
And let’s keep our fingers crossed for Subnautica 3
Don't skip below zero. It's not great, but its still got things to offer for the price. I can't say I've completed a second play through, but it's not without its charms. Just exploring the icebergs is well worth the price. Just warn people not to build the hover bike and walk the ice-worm section...
nice review
Played like 500 hours of Subnautica across all platforms. My take on BZ:
- The music is still great, definitely a sidegrade not a downgrade
- aesthetically definitely amazing
- why does the protagonist talk? The feeling of being alone is completely gone
- there is a bit too much story in that imo
- it’s called Subnautica, why am I on land? (More of a problem because the land portions suck)
- the story is too much for a survival game. The first game‘s underlying idea was still to survive. In BZ thats only a secondary goal, you‘re there on purpose.
There is more but I can’t really put that all in a comment
Oh yeah the seatruck sucks really bad imo. Plus the creatures in BZ are way too loud
Based on what you mentioned about the similarities with Jurassic park, I wonder if a game with the same characteristics as subnautica but set in the setting of Jurassic park would work?
I mean … SubNautica crossed with Jurassic Park … could there be a cooler concept 😄
I loved your review! you are amazing!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the kind words! The game is amazing too, which does help haha
I must disagree with your assessment of Below Zero. I still found it very nice but It might be because of our different outlooks. I’ve always loveddddd the ocean and exploring so horror and terror was never a huge factor in my playthroughs of both games, though I did get scared a few times.
I found the map of Below zero much better than the first game, it felt a lot more alive and full despite being smaller. I realllyy liked the aesthetic of it too, it was a gorgeous game.
Though I will say a big factor in this probably came from me going in new to Below Zero knowing nothing about the game, but with Subnautica, I actually kept up with its development and knew mostly everything before I originally played it.
So going in new in below zero actually enhanced the experience for me.
It was definitely less scary but I found it more immersive, and I actually had more jaw dropping moments in below zero, moments that just blew me away or made me shit myself.
SPOILERS: My first encounter with a shadow leviathan made me nearly shit myself, despite the companion announcing its presence it was still so unexpected.
and holy crap the first time I felt the ground shake, and the giant Fuckin fuck all ground leviathan jumped out and ate a creature shocked the crap out of me. I never expected LAND LEVIATHANS
Overall I actually really enjoyed Below Zero, but even through all that I still find the original better. It does have a different vibe tho like you mentioned. It’s good in its own way.
quality content. you earned a sub 🤩
Welcome aboard! Thanks for subbing 👍🏼
I believe they look at below zero as a spin-off while the next game will be subnautica 2
Do you use / like shaders I don’t know any good shaders can you give me a good shaders dont understand me wrong the game look amazing but I want more
Sorry to say, I have browsed the shaders but based on the promotional images I never saw one that I thought looked better than the original. Modular games like Minecraft are improved by shaders and texture packs for sure, but the map of Subnautica was painstakingly hand made and tested for years so I don't think I could bring myself to deviate from their vision! Extra slots on the toolbar, however, that's more my flavour. Good luck in finding one that you like!
@@CasualGamr i think you are right i will search anyways thc for responding and good video btw
17:19 "and you have spare titanium" somehow i never have spare titanium im always struggling for lack of it, perhaps due to my terror of going out with my prawn to find the big amounts
I do hear you, I’d usually find it while doing missions tbh. I basically had three spare lockers on my Seamoth along with the essential shocker mod for those occasional Reaper encounters 🫣 and I’d just try to fill it to the brim on as many runs as possible by skirting around the bottom for debris, or using the scanner on items I’d already found.
@@CasualGamr ah, i never seem to get around to setting up the seamoth shocker and have gotten my moth eaten by reapers enough to be scared of bringing the moth to leviathan areas
I do not consider subnautica a horror game it is a survival sci fi game with some horror elements but it is not a horror game. subnautica below zero only confirms that this is the case.
4:45 this is a big reason why I love Subnautica but didn't stay interested in Subnautica: Below Zero
I couldn't agree with you more - I just want to scream it at the developers. I'm interested to see where they go with the third, and if they take these things into account...
So weird because I never had any combat, aside from occasionally bopping a thing with my prawn arm. Most things will ignore you if you get more than 10 feet from it.
Man those Reapers though, I read there are something like 30 on the entire map, not just six or whatever which is what I thought. I’ve played it so much and still I get goosebumps on my back if I find myself in an area I don’t really remember.
hidden, lesser known games imo. Subnautica, Kenshi. imo kenshi may be the best game ever made..... to date. Subnautica is an amazing game on its own. but i put it further down the list because lack of replayability imo. once u know the story- biomes a lot of the lure, unknown ofc is gone. at least for me was huge driving point of the game.
Kenshi looks pretty awesome, I hadn't heard of it. Anything I'm told is on par with Subnautica needs checking out!
that intro tho
Abandon ship still a bop
Brilliant intro
Thanks, appreciated! And of course I hope you liked the rest of it too!
If subnautica was really a horror experience it would involve consequences for ascending too fast or not being at pressure at deep depths (popping like a soda can and imploding into goo respectively)
That's a really good point - the larger experience is devoid of brutal death scenes and the like. Just reinforces the fact that they don't need any more horror in the game than they already have to ge the tension jsut right.
Surprised you didnt throw the Abyss into the inspiration list.
Ha well I thought that one was probably a little more obvious ;)
subnautica 1 is a mainly exploration survival game where you slowly figure out the lore of things that ended
subnautica below zero is a story exploration game where the survival aspect was secondary
honestly i liked how they made below zero have a different genre so you wouldn't feel like you're just replaying subnautica 1.
I guess... but what the fans wanted was and extension of the game we loved. Below zero is ok for what it does, but it reeks of unambitious development. They crippled the player experience and tried to distract you by throwing more "story" into the game. No one plays subnautica for the story... why make it the focus of the sequel?!?!
I won't lie, as Subnautica was one of the best games I have played in my life, this was one occasion where I wouldn't have minded just more of the same!
Why did it sound like a Sea Dragon was attacking you??
🤫
@@CasualGamr in the beginning you were in the lost river but a sea dragon was coming for you?
First, the sound designer for Subnautica was fired for posting Pepe memes. That's not "hateful"... Charlie is a SJW and sees pepe memes as a personal attack on his fragile emotions... so the sound design went to hell because Charlie is thin skinned and afraid of cancel culture.
Second, Charlie says he wanted a "no guns game" in a game full of weapons and killing, depending on how you play. This doesn't pass the smell test. Again, its just more virtue signalling from the devs to their imaginary SJW audience.
Finally, the voiced protagonist in the sequel was the final nail in the SJW coffin... they wanted to write the protag as a "black woman" and realized, somewhere along the path, that no matter how they approached it, it was going to come off as offensive to someone... not because the character was black or female, but because they tokenized their own character for SJW points and immediately ran into the problem of how to write a character without explicitly being racist by voicing her in a way that emphasized her race rather than making her interesting. Regardless, they were warned that voicing the protagonist would take the player out of the experience, but Unknown wolds wanted progressive-points and forged ahead, and even had to scrap the entire project and recast/rewrite it because they KNEW they messed up.
Subnautica is my #1 game of all time. Below zero is ok, but unworthy. Unknown worlds suffers from the same issues that many games companies do in that they don't understand their audience. The best thing for that company to do would be to go back to basics... focus on making compelling products rather than trying to join a chorus of vapid narcissists running tech companies around the world. I wish there were some way to get this across to people... sanctimonious moralizing is a massive mistake... and in the case of below zero, it nearly sunk the franchise and the company that spawned it. Believe whatever you want, but infusing your dimly understood version of right and wrong into a mass media product is going to make you look like a dolt and undermine your message.
Also, your editing was top notch, especially around the creature attacks. Respect!
Yeah the Simon Chylinski thing isn't as one sided as I made it out to be, I wanted to cut down on the below Zero section as it was getting lengthy and I regretted that. I think both sides were too hot headed and as a result one got fired and the other prioritised the wrong things and sent the series fishtailing. I very much hope mistakes are learned from and we get something special in the coming years... third time's a charm!
And thank you also for the compliement, I very much appreciate the support 👍🏼
Yes, another subnautica essay
Thanks for the feedback! I think 🤔
Seeing people fight with the drill arm always triggers me. Punching is better!
If you have a drill and grapple equipped... well?
@@Troublechutor I only equip drill when I'm about to mine something. It stays in my inventory when I'm in the Prawn or in the Prawn inventory when not using it.
Top 15 game of all time
I always say Top 5, but if I take all games I've ever played into account, perhaps Top 10 is more fair. Either way... it's up there!
Gotta disagree with your take on Below Zero, I think it was a smart move to do something different, because otherwise how do you follow a game that achieved everything it set out to achieve so well?
You can't improve on it, or you would have first time around, and you don't have anything more to say in the experience because it was self-contained and complete. So all you'd be offering would be more for the sake of more, which would have felt super disappointing. Instead they offered adjacent-but-different.
I enjoyed the tighter narrative, the more linear progression, and the more puzzley feel. Yeah, not as much as the original, but it let me have a DIFFERENT experience in the same world rather than trying to give me the same experience as the first time, which was an impossible ask, because that experience was so focused on "first time" moments, and the base building, which... I could just still enjoy in the base game.
Absolutely it felt like an expansion, but the distinction between expansion and sequel has blurred in meaning. Stand-alone expansions were a thing even in the days of CD-ROMs, and the age of DLC anything standalone feels like it belongs in the sequel bracket for clarity of "what you need to buy to play it" purposes.
Glad you enjoyed it, really that’s all that matters. I agree that the base building was great, the expanded rooms and functions was something I missed going back to the original Subnautica. However, to be specific, I thought the Shadow and Chelicerate leviathans were woefully uninspired, and more importantly placed in the key locations like the entrance to the lava zone and so on. I was so used to them by the end but there was affectively no fear. So as good as the game was, ultimately, it left me a little bored of the atmosphere and therefore disappointed, which is what I was trying (perhaps unsuccessfully) to explain throughout the video! Thanks for watching it all the way through though, I really appreciate it 😊
It’s so pathetic how Simon was fired for being “problematic.” What kind of dystopian world means that someone can be fired for not having the same opinions as others? Don’t get me wrong, I think he was a bit extreme, but removing him and slapping him with the label of “a bad person” is pathetic.
such a shame that the popin makes this game pretty much unplayable. i 100% it but it was painful towards the end.
Below Zero is a expantion not a sequel so
As I understand it, that was the original intention, but for whatever reason they chose to release it at the same retail price as the original and marketed it as an entirely new game. Which essentially, it was.
other than it is horribly optimized........ like probably worst game ever lol. game is amazing. looks nice, story, exploration, pace, u farm but its not grindy imo. unless u choose to build big base or something. that is Your choice. even then its not a lot of mats to build. just amazing well done game start to finish. and shows from all the attention-views people still get by posting vids on it.
p̶r̶o̶m̶o̶s̶m̶ 😞
The sequel was awful in comparison to the original. So many odd, bad choices. It didn't help following such an amazing game.
First!!
I hate that everyone implies this game was created as a horror game. The devs have stated that its horror elements were completely unintentional and that it was not in any way designed to scare you.