Subnautica: Below Zero

Subnatica: Below Zero is an excellent survival game, being equally beautiful and terrifying. The narrative is strong but can feel out of place at times.

86%Game Brain Score

graphics, music

story, stability

90% User Score Based on 51 reviews

Critic Score 83%Based on 29 reviews

Platforms

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About

Subnautica: Below Zero is a single player survival action adventure game. It was developed by Unknown Worlds and was released on May 14, 2021. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

Brave the cold

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 51 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features smooth and gorgeous graphics, enhancing the overall experience.
It offers a fun and engaging gameplay experience, with improvements in crafting and resource management.
Many players found it enjoyable and a great gift for younger audiences, with positive feedback from children and parents alike.

The game suffers from long load times, especially on PS4, and has been reported to crash frequently.
Some players felt the story and characters were weak and illogical, detracting from the overall experience.
There is a lack of exploration tension and mystery compared to the original game, making it feel less engaging.

story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging narrative and exploration elements, while others criticize it for being illogical and poorly developed. Many appreciate the clear objectives that guide players through the story, but some find the characters unlikable and the plot difficult to follow. Overall, the story is seen as a significant aspect of the game, though opinions on its quality vary widely.
- “Game story is amazing.”
- “The story keeps you looking for new crumbs and parts of the narrative.”
- “Gripping story and a new world to explore.”
- “You won't understand the story.”
- “Which I could maybe get on board with if the story and characters were not so bad and so illogical to a fault.”
- “This is just an example of how the story and characters make no sense whatsoever straight from the first minute of the game.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are consistently praised for their smoothness and visual appeal, with many users highlighting the impressive quality on both PS4 and PS5. Overall, the visuals enhance the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable and engaging.
- “The graphics are smooth and gorgeous.”
- “Amazing graphics, good follow-up to Below Zero's first game.”
- “The mechanics are smooth; controls are really good; graphics are pleasant.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report that it never crashes and is more stable than its predecessor, others experience frequent freezes and glitches that detract from the experience.
- “Even being brand new, the game freezes all the time!”
- “And though the second one is still good apparently, it glitches... a lot!”
- “Glitches”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Gameplay is characterized by smooth mechanics and good controls, complemented by pleasant graphics. However, the main character's incessant self-talk and lack of depth detract from the experience, and many players feel that the gameplay represents a significant decline compared to the previous installment.
- “The mechanics are smooth; controls are really good; graphics are pleasant.”
- “The main character also brilliantly succeeds in becoming extremely unlikeable from the first few minutes of gameplay with its nonstop self-chatter and incredible plain stupidity.”
- “The gameplay is also a massive step back from the first game.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be initially tedious, as it requires careful management of hydration, nutrition, and warmth. However, as they progress, they appreciate the rewarding systems that allow them to overcome these challenges, enhancing their sense of achievement and mastery.
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the soundtrack as a standout feature.
- “Great soundtrack!”