Subterrain

64%
Game Brain Score Based on 949 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • grinding
Subterrain Game Cover
Subterrain manages to be an interesting challenge, but can feel masochistic for the sake of it. Those looking for that challenge will find it, but not much else.
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Subterrain is uncompromising Sci-Fi survival on Mars! Manage the entire colony single-handed! Craft, Research, Explore and Fight against evolving mutants. Vast open world and randomly generated levels to explore! Can you survive long enough to escape the horror?

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 949 reviews
gameplay84 positive mentions
grinding154 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay with a mix of survival, crafting, and exploration elements.
  • Atmospheric setting that creates tension and a sense of urgency.
  • Well-designed mechanics that require players to manage resources and make strategic decisions.
  • Repetitive gameplay with limited enemy and weapon variety.
  • Grindy progression that can feel tedious over time.
  • Some bugs and issues with the user interface that can hinder the experience.
  • gameplay332 mentions

    The gameplay of Subterrain is characterized by a mix of survival mechanics, crafting, and combat, set in a top-down perspective reminiscent of classic indie titles. While many players appreciate the depth and complexity of the mechanics, including resource management and an infection system, the repetitive gameplay loop and grindy nature can lead to boredom over time. Overall, the game offers a solid experience for fans of the genre, but may frustrate those seeking variety and less tedious gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is solid, focusing on a loop of explore / loot / fight -> return to base / recycle loot / get upgrades.”
    • “The gameplay is really intense - you are juggling multiple crises at any given time.”
    • “Great little survival game - full of interesting emergent gameplay and lots of tension.”
    • “But the gameplay loop killed it for me, got bored after around 3 hours in.”
    • “Wanted to give this a thumbs up but honestly the way the grind is designed was just annoying and boring to the point of dropping the game just before the end, not because it was hard but because the gameplay loop became absolute cancer.”
    • “Tldr: Subterrain is 2D Resident Evil for about the first 10 hours, but then the gameplay becomes a tedious and repetitive loop that you will need to suffer through for about another 50 hours before you can beat the game.”
  • story230 mentions

    The game's story is described as having an interesting premise but suffers from weak execution, with many players finding it minimal and lacking depth. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the way the narrative unfolds through collectible logs, others criticize the repetitive gameplay and a disappointing conclusion that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as secondary to the gameplay, with potential for improvement in future updates or sequels.

    • “The story is well-written and interesting, and the cutscenes look pretty.”
    • “The greatness of this game comes from how well all of those pieces have been carefully chosen and pieced together into a seamless whole that will have you firmly embedded into the survivor's desperate attempt to escape before the things that lurk in the dark manage to catch you.”
    • “Very atmospheric, the difficulty will keep you on your toes, and uncovering the story will make you thrilled.”
    • “The story is minimal, but there are a number of quite funny logs to be found - these comic parts stand out much more than the main story, which has been done a thousand times already.”
    • “The devs ruined their own game with a bad end-level design and a story that disappears halfway through - how stupid is that?”
    • “The story itself is a little weak, riddled with cliches, but that aspect fades into the background very quickly and instead you find your own narrative in exploration and time management.”
  • grinding154 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that it transforms enjoyable gameplay into a chore. While some players appreciate the satisfaction of progress through grinding, the overwhelming consensus is that the game becomes monotonous, especially in the mid to late stages, leading to frustration and a sense of wasted time. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant drawback, making it a polarizing experience for potential players.

    • “Incredibly tedious, and when you get the tier 4 temperature regulators and oxygen generators you have to go to every sector again!”
    • “To make things worse, the game doesn't even introduce anything new you haven't seen already once you finish the tutorial area and reach the hub, so you'll be grinding through the same looking generic maps, killing the same enemies, using the same weapons and hearing the same music for the next 50 hours.”
    • “After spending hours upon hours tediously cleansing areas only to be forced to farm more in order to afford the best gear to fight something (after not needing it the entire game) just made this game too much of a slog.”
  • atmosphere116 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its immersive and oppressive qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension that enhances the survival experience. Players appreciate the dark, creepy environments, intense enemy encounters, and the clever use of light and sound to evoke fear, despite some noting that the visuals can become repetitive. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that keeps players engaged and invested in the game's narrative and challenges.

    • “It all comes together to craft an atmosphere of oppression you want to defeat, against all odds, that you put up with the repetitive game elements, that you overlook the flaws and missed opportunities, and give you the will to see it through to the end.”
    • “The atmosphere and sense of dread this game carries is best represented by hardcore mode.”
    • “The exploration is tense, resources are tight enough to keep you always on guard, and the atmosphere is thick.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark, you feel alone and scared, and there are many things to manage as you attempt to survive and save yourself from doom.”
  • graphics70 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a solid pixel art style that effectively creates an immersive atmosphere reminiscent of classic top-down titles. While some players note that the visuals are not groundbreaking and can feel repetitive, the overall aesthetic and design elements contribute positively to the game's dark sci-fi theme. The graphics are stable and free from major technical issues, enhancing the overall experience despite some critiques regarding animations and object clarity.

    • “With an art style reminiscent of Barotrauma and the like, it really nails the look of it all – the environment, interface, items, creatures, etc. Paired with the sound design, you really get immersed in your surroundings, and I love that.”
    • “Graphics are very good and suit the game perfectly, with a 2D presentation that pays homage to top-down titles of yesteryear, yet with a silky smoothness added that lets us know it’s running on modern tech.”
    • “Loved the art style and feel of the game.”
    • “The graphics are fine enough for a top-down shooter; the atmosphere is nice and scary, although it gets repetitive quickly because everything looks the same.”
    • “The crafting is a nice idea, but having to slowly get each software upgrade one at a time is just empty make-work. Given the repetitive environments and difficult-to-discern objects (the graphics for many of the objects make everything look like a weird couch or chair, whether it's a table or pipe or display case), and extremely boring combat, the game just didn't hold my interest.”
    • “The graphics are not impressive, nor are they meant to be.”
  • music58 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it for being overly repetitive and lacking diversity, often leading them to turn it off or listen to other audio during gameplay. While some appreciate the atmospheric and intense nature of the soundtrack, others find it grating and monotonous, particularly during extended play sessions. Overall, the music fits the game's dark and creepy atmosphere but may become tiresome for players over time.

    • “The music, the tone - the overall presentation is very clean and well-managed.”
    • “The music is apt, well-made and atmospheric, if a bit too uneventful.”
    • “This game is an intense, gripping and musically disturbing experience.”
    • “I couldn’t honestly tell you if there are more than 2 songs in this game because the ones I’m thinking about are played on constant loop - considering how waiting is a key mechanic, this is a nightmare scenario.”
    • “More musical diversity would definitely help with the overbearing monotony present in the mid/late-game.”
    • “Only complaint is the music which becomes annoying quite quickly; other than that, highly recommended.”
  • replayability16 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the random level generation and multiple difficulty modes that enhance replay value, others feel that once completed, there is little incentive to replay it due to a lack of additional content or significant changes in gameplay. Overall, it may appeal to those seeking a challenge but lacks depth for extended replayability.

    • “Very much enjoyable and nice replayability.”
    • “Love the random levels, good replay value.”
    • “With multiple difficulty modes and randomly generated levels, replayability is strong with this one.”
    • “It's also technically a rogue-like with the option of permadeath, but the randomizing of levels doesn't seem significant enough that it would increase replayability much, except to avoid a bit of exploring if you are going for a specific item.”
    • “Once you beat it once, which may take maybe 20 hours or less if you catch onto things fast, there's really no reason to play it again unless you just enjoy it and want to challenge yourself on higher difficulties.”
    • “No map maker, no custom content, or anything that would add more replayability.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its minimal story, which is often overshadowed by amusing logs and comedic moments, such as prioritizing trivial actions in dire situations. While some players find the humor engaging, others caution that many positive reviews may be more about the humor than the game's quality itself. Overall, the comedic elements provide a lighthearted contrast to the game's more serious themes.

    • “The story is minimal, but there are a number of quite funny logs to be found - these comic parts stand out much more than the main story, which has been done a thousand times already.”
    • “There is a story to it, so it's quite funny at times.”
    • “Plus it's funny when you're somewhere with low oxygen, you're slowly freezing to death but priority is taking a crap lol.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant performance issues, including lag on high-end machines, indicating poor optimization. Conversely, a few users claim the game is perfectly optimized, suggesting a disparity in experiences. Overall, many players express hope for improvements in optimization, especially given the game's potential.

    • “This game is perfectly optimized.”
    • “Puzzles are there, but they're puzzles of efficiency and optimization and not specific game implemented ones.”
    • “This is a good game for early access and I hope they will do something with optimization.”
    • “Game performance leaves much to be desired.”
    • “Also the game lags incredibly on my relatively high-end machine, which shows that this 2D game is extremely poorly optimized; there is nothing that justifies such bad performance.”
    • “This is a good game for early access, and I hope they will do something with optimization.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant glitches, particularly during the final boss encounter, while others report a generally polished experience on PC. Issues with controller compatibility have also been noted, leading many to prefer keyboard and mouse controls. Overall, the developers appear to be responsive to these concerns.

    • “The gameplay is great, but by god are the glitches either annoying or game breaking.”
    • “Stressful, slightly buggy, some odd design things but the dev seems very responsive.”
    • “My only disappointment so far is that, although it's supposed to be compatible with controllers, the controls with a gamepad are very buggy so you'll probably just end up using keyboard and mouse like I did.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the character development in the game is severely lacking, with critics highlighting a missed opportunity for rich lore and storytelling akin to other successful titles. The absence of meaningful character progression and narrative depth contributes to an overall negative perception of the game's design.

    • “I mean, there was ample opportunity for the devs to hire writers to write lore and stories and diaries and hide them for players to find, like in Fallout and, well, every other game, period, but no, I guess they didn't see the need for lore, or story progression, or character development.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players express a mix of emotions, experiencing excitement and joy upon discovering essential gameplay mechanics, such as creating an oxygen and thermal filter. However, the initial confusion caused by a lackluster tutorial leaves some feeling lost, highlighting a contrast between moments of triumph and frustration.

    • “When I figured out that all I needed to do was make an oxygen and thermal filter so that I didn't have to keep going back to central, I cried out in excitement.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

Buy Subterrain

Play time

33hMedian play time
35hAverage play time
11-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 26 analyzed playthroughs

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