Of all the survival games that exist today, the work developed by the people of Entertainment of unknown worlds, Subnautica, continues to be in the spotlight and with increasing popularity. After all, this captivating underwater survival adventure as beautiful as it is fraught with danger that captured the hearts of the most adventurous was an experience that, for all intents and purposes, revealed a sense of loneliness and abandonment, followed by a fascination with discovery. Recommended for pacifism from a player’s point of view in a context framed by an extremely varied fauna where all kinds of species predominate, from the most passive to the more predominant.
It was and still is an adventure that shows its virtues every minute and that the San Francisco-based studio wanted to reproduce by shaping a new opus: Subnautica: Below Zero, a continuous and fun trial in equal parts. However, in the work in progress, we’re not going to limit ourselves to trying to escape Planet 4546B, like in the original title, because Robin, the leader of this iteration, has a purpose and a personality. In fact, Subnautica Below Zero wants to ensure that these two things are reflected in all aspects of the game by using the environments to offer story information to the player, allowing for their immersion, and making a connection to the world within. which one we find ourselves.
Anyway, our stay in this new environment not limited to the grammar of the story, because it has greater charm and at the same time it brings functionality to a set that promises to leave us frozen.
Technical section
The world around us in Subnautica: Below Zero is alien to us and trying to figure it out is a growing need then. Although we have freely explored the alien ocean planet, also known as 4546B, in the past while gathering resources to survive, this frigid new region is a huge contrast to the environment we have already traveled. The one who now wants to give us understanding and waste sympathy, with animal species of all kinds, from adorable alien penguins, to hollow fish that are free to manifest natural behavior and ending in creatures that our protagonist can use as a mount to be able to navigate at ease.
The experience of underwater life is a waste of vitality and visual virtuosity, as are the many adverse conditions to which we are subjected. And while we may have seen a few drops in frame rate during stressful times, the game is still a delight for the eyes that generates good impressions, especially with its cycle between day and night. So much so that if some animals are awake during the day to act as they please, others have a different rhythm, betting on nocturnal habits. In the end, these aspects provide great action and a sense of realism, an organic and natural experience that contributes to greater immersion.
Gameplay
Most of us live in areas with temperate and tropical climates, where the thermometer usually does not drop to abnormally low values. And while a handful of locals are used to living in harsh winter conditions, the association between extreme temperatures and increased mortality keeps us away in order to survive, as our hearts are forced to work harder to pump blood. In other words, we cannot stand the effects of the cold, because it can have disastrous consequences on our health. And Subnautica Below Zero brings the effects of low temperatures to a whole new environment.
An environment that tries to make us feel cold through a proposal that seems familiar to us compared to what we could already see in the original adventure, since they have retained many of their characteristics. A proposal based on the exploration of every nook and cranny to obtain materials with which to advance in the adventure, to cook food as one of the most basic needs, and the justification for survival, with animal species from all kinds and behaviors for almost every aspect of life imaginable. The rules of the game have changed, since then a cold indicator has been included which increases if we are outside for a long time and which decreases if we take shelter around certain plants that give us heat, but the good is maintained and included. new tools dedicated to making our lives easier.
Yes, we are faced with such simple things, but always present, like cold and hunger in worlds without a clear goal. However, unlike other proposals in which we have to use our own ingenuity to try to survive, Subnautica Below Zero consider up to two different scenarios: a realist and a more optimistic one. We learn to be free, without being tied to hundreds of small issues that limit us, condition us and deprive us of freedom. Now, if we start to feel like we have no purpose, the ingenuity game offers us various hints for the plot to take its course. It is a way to satisfy all types of players.
Duration
Despite the great investment and learning of many of its contents, one of the intrinsic elements of survival games is that they get us trapped for long sessions of hours and hours trying to solve all kinds of problems. situations. The chill that comes from the scene of Subnautica Below Zero is no exception, as completing the main story takes a lot of hours, about 20, composed of several narrative, descriptive and dialogue sequences.
However, while the story is very important, more if possible than what we saw in the original work itself, what makes the title in question a thief of hours lies in everything. the mysteries that lie ahead of the icy depths of the planet 4546B. In this regard, to investigate all animal species, dismantle the bases to create new habitats in more favorable areas, as well as personalize them in different ways thanks to the so far new concepts that have been introduced. Inventiveness is the order of the day, especially if we rely on standard and creative survival modalities, so the limit lies in our imagination.
conclusion
The story, a desperate search, the great mysteries of planet 4546B and the surprises that we will find there. Subnautica: Below Zero considers these elements in order to provide us with an icy underwater adventure that expands the experience of the original work. An enjoyable and beneficial adventure for all types of players that survives in the freezing cold without depending on anyone. He also claims the importance of enhancing discovery and exploration for full development; the importance of experimenting to solve the different problems that can arise in a dynamic, complex, diverse and hostile environment. After all, we are all explorers who want to understand the world we find ourselves in.
