Subside

About

Subside is a single player simulation game. It was developed by A2D Software and was released on September 17, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Submerge into a serene underwater world in Subside, a visually stunning VR simulation game. Explore multiple areas while interacting with lifelike aquatic creatures, all designed with unparalleled realism. Experience the freedom of swimming and d in shallow waters, creating a truly immersive aquatic adventure."

Genres & Tags

Simulation

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 352 reviews

graphics72 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

Incredible graphics and immersive environments that make you feel like you're truly underwater.
The swimming mechanics are intuitive and realistic, providing a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Great potential for future content and expansions, with many players eager for additional environments and features.

The game can feel light on content, with some players wishing for more specific tasks or objectives.
Limited interaction with wildlife and objects can detract from the immersion, as players cannot grab or manipulate larger sea creatures.
Some players find the price point a bit high for the current amount of content, suggesting it feels more like a tech demo than a full game.

graphics
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
23%
3%
The graphics in this VR game are widely praised for their stunning realism and immersive quality, with many reviewers highlighting exceptional water effects, detailed environments, and lifelike animations. Players describe the visuals as some of the best in VR, often comparing them to high-profile titles like Half-Life: Alyx, and note that the combination of graphics and sound design creates a deeply engaging experience. While a few critiques mention lower-quality textures in certain areas, the overall consensus is that the graphics significantly enhance the gameplay and exploration aspects of the game.
- “The graphics are stunning and deeply immersive – the water rendering, both above and below the surface, is exceptional.”
- “From the moment I put on my headset, I was drawn into a visually mesmerizing world with stunning graphics, where every detail—lighting, textures, and environments—felt vivid and alive.”
- “The graphics of the game are simply stunning, beating out a lot of AAA-type games especially given it's by a solo dev, with very detailed environments and reactive wildlife.”
- “Nothing special, areas are quite small, graphics aren't that great, lighting is ok I guess, textures are low res, muddy and rough looking, lack of settings/options, creatures look mid though the animations look great, overall a low quality tech demo with unrealistic graphics, teleport is crap, you just teleport 2 feet in front of you which gets irritating fast (yes I know there's swimming but the missus can only teleport in VR), wait till sale and only play if there's nothing else to do.”
- “Do not expect a full 'game' as per se, but explore the ocean and creatures with some top-notch AAA graphics that fully immerse.”
- “Overall a low quality tech demo with unrealistic graphics, teleport is crap, you just teleport 2 feet in front of you which gets irritating fast.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
47%
9%
The gameplay is highly praised for its immersive and intuitive swimming mechanics, which effectively recreate the sensation of snorkeling and exploring underwater environments. Reviewers highlight the engaging gameplay loop, stunning graphics, and intricate environmental interactions, suggesting that the game transcends a mere tech demo. Overall, the combination of well-crafted mechanics and beautiful visuals contributes to a captivating VR experience.
- “The swimming gameplay mechanics are particularly impressive, with controls that feel extremely intuitive, allowing you to naturally glide, dive, and explore underwater environments with ease.”
- “The environments are some of the best in VR, and the gameplay loop is a blast.”
- “Very immersive, all the game mechanics work beautifully together to give you that great sense of presence.”
- “I think the gameplay loop and amount of content stretches this just beyond a limited tech demo.”
- “Sell the mechanics and engine to Subnautica, or work with them.”
- “It's really about the journey more than the gameplay itself.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
The game "Subside" lacks a traditional narrative or plot, focusing instead on a relaxing underwater exploration experience. Players engage in treasure hunting and collecting items, with no enemies or forced objectives, allowing for pure exploration without the need for a structured story.
- “Subside is a wonderfully relaxing experience where you explore stunning underwater environments without forced quests or objectives, though there is a hunt for treasures that unlock more levels.”
- “As others have noted, there isn't a typical game story; instead, the focus is on exploring and finding things, including a few kinds of collectibles (they fit right in).”
- “There is no plot, no story or enemies; these things could not improve what this is - a fantastic underwater exploration experience.”
- “As others have noted, there isn't a typical game story; the focus is instead on exploring and finding things, including a few kinds of collectibles (they fit right in).”
- “No story necessary, just pure exploration.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
56%
22%
The game is highly optimized, delivering fantastic visuals and top-notch performance, particularly on high-end hardware like the 4090, where users report being locked at 90fps with max settings. It supports both native Oculus and SteamVR drivers, ensuring optimal performance for most users, and its performance is comparable to other leading titles in the genre.
- “Performance is better than a lot of other equivalent games too; with everything maxed out, I was locked at 90fps (admittedly on a 4090).”
- “The visuals are fantastic and performance is top notch as well for the most part.”
- “Performance is better than a lot of other equivalent games too, with everything maxed out I was locked at 90fps (admittedly on a 4090).”
- “The game supports native Oculus drivers and native SteamVR drivers, so most users should get optimal performance.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highlighted as rich and immersive, enhanced by stunning water rendering that captivates players and draws them into the game world.
- “Come for the stunning water rendering, stay for the rich, immersive atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the collecting system somewhat tedious, yet acknowledge that it encourages deeper exploration of the game’s environments, balancing out their frustrations with its overall qualities.
- “The grinding aspect feels overly tedious and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The collecting system is a bit tedious at times, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than an adventure.”
- “While the game has its strengths, the grinding can become monotonous and frustrating.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game demonstrates excellent stability, with smooth performance and responsive controls contributing to a positive gaming experience.
- “The game looks great, runs great, and controls well.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a remarkable soundscape characterized by ambient noises that enhance the immersive experience, though it lacks traditional music. This attention to environmental sounds contributes significantly to making the world feel vibrant and alive.
- “A great soundscape, no music mind you, but always ambient noises that make the world feel alive.”