The multiplayer on this looks exciting. That's one of the features i felt was most lacking in the original
1It's happening!!!! 🤩
Trailer looks decent enough. Seems to lean strongly into the horror elements, which might be overdone, but also, it's kinda what Subnautica 1 made a splash with, how strongly it triggered thalassophobia before munching you as a giant sea snake.
2I absolutely LOVE the original Subnautica, but was frustrated with Below Zero. I've posted multiple rants about it on Lemmy before.
Already skeptical about this game because it looks like it has
Tap for spoiler
two characters instead of one
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A big appeal of the first game was the isolation you felt, and the struggle to find life and accomplish gargantuan tasks.
Cautiously optimistic for this installment.
Please don't have any characters yap & quip throughout this one, god, please!
11This game has 4-player co-op. Hence the second player being shown. They talked about that a long time ago that SN2 will be MP.
2It's Multiplayer. Odds are those aren't characters as much as they are alternative player-avatars.
4
One of the things that sets the original apart from a lot of other open world survival craft games is that it was designed to be a single-player experience. Hopefully they can make it work well for both solo and co-op, but that's a tricky balance.
One thing I'd really like to see is for creatures to be able to damage structures, and to balance that by having defenses to protect those structures. Being able to throw together an invincible fortress in seconds made some of the dangerous areas a lot less threatening.
19Yeah I kinda hope they just go for full atmosphere solo, and say "fuck it" if people want to play it MP it'll ruin the terror anyways.
That is, optimize the mechanics to work both solo and MP, but optimize story and atmosphere solely for solo play.
2
I'm worried it might be a disappointment. The first one was catching lightning in a bottle. Below Zer0 has put some doubts over their ability to do it again.
32I'll be honest, Below Zero was... mighty fine?
It was super disappointing in many regards, sure. But only compared to the extremely lofty heights of Subnautica. Years later, Below Zero is still easily the second-most-atmospheric survival game I've played. It's huge problem - that the on-land sections don't work in how they were shown before release and were clearly intended because access to heat is way too readily available and easy to trivialize - cuts deep into it since it takes a huge chunk of atmosphere out (and the on-land part looks pretty bad, it was clearly relying on the terror of having to warm up again quickly). But, even with that, the water parts close the wound up. Deep Arctic is even worse thalassophobia than the crater edge in the first game!
Sure, it's disappointing and meh compared to the first game, but that's just a too high bar to clear. I'd advise to not expect this game to clear it, either. Like you said, Subnautica 1 was kinda lightning-in-a-bottle. Compared to a 100/100, even a 98/100 would feel disappointing. 💡
2I dunno, there are plenty of valid criticisms of both games, but they were both great games. I played through both of them more than once and loved them. They were janky, glitchy, and the second game added a lot of new ideas, seemly at the cost of map size and polish.
I’m buying the day it’s available, I know it’ll have an issue or two but I’ll still love it.
20Some configuration file tweaks and an m.2 drive had the first one run great for me. Just had a few areas with clipping issues but no real problems. Some QOL mods definitely made it an awesome game, so yeah; it definitely took some work to polish up, but the mystery and story and exploration is something that I think they could pull off again, and the technical side of things....well, they'll surely have a bit bigger employee count and can hire some talent.
2I think the reason why the first one was such a great experience for me is that I got it much later after a lot of the issues with the bugs and gameplay were fixed and the story line was completed. I'm glad I did so. I might do the same with that one and wait a year before getting it, if reviews are decent.
6
I think Below Zero was made by a (mostly) different team, which could explain at least some of the differences. I wonder who will be working on this new one.
7One thing that is very noticeable is that the sound/music design. The original designer isn't working at Unknown Worlds anymore after making some very regrettable comments on social media and I'm not expecting him to come back. As a result Below Zer0's sound design was OK but pales in comparison to the amazing atmosphere that was set in the original game. Unless they manage to find a very talented sound designer it might miss the mark again.
11
Below zero was still an excellent game. I don't think it was as good as the original, mostly due to the stupid snow Fox and must of the on land sections, but it doesn't deserve anywhere near the level of hate it gets. The story was way better and more interesting than the first, and the world design was a great attempt at a different form of world building. I hope they expand on both and we can get an experience that propels the format further. No other game let's me engage and chill out to anywhere near the same level.
2Agreed, I loved Below Zero. It was very much a small step forward from Subnautica, and I think people were expecting a bigger step forward. But it was always a glorified DLC for the original. Knowing that, it's extremely enjoyable. I've played it through twice and I do love it in it's own right.
This teaser has me hopefully that Subnautica 2 will be a true sequel. More polished, a bigger improvement on the original. Maybe I'm naive, but I'm gonna choose to be hopeful.
1
I don't think I like that this trailer shows characters' faces. It has been years since I played the original game, but my memory of it is entirely first-person perspective, which was an important part of it being so immersive. It felt like being in all those tense situations myself, rather than watching someone else from a distance.
0Yes, in the main picture. However all the gameplay photos from Subnautica 2 are in the first person perspective.
6That's reassuring. Thank you.
1
I hope enough people will buy it in EA, so they can get the required money. But I'll 100% wait til the game is complete for my first run.
5Subnautica has sold over six million copies. If they don't have the cash to fund making subnautica 2 after that, then I sure don't want to give them EA money.
3I panicked for a moment and thought you meant like the EA origin or whatever store instead of early access... I was wondering how they got their grubby mitts on it. Lol
9
cyclops or no buy
8Please no. Something faster than a cyclops. I enjoyed cyclops being a mobile base, but my god was it slow. I don't remember what issues I had with the sea truck but I'd probably still prefer the truck to the cyclops.
13
Not much to go on, but glad to see something about it!
10Probably the most exciting part of the trailer is that it all but confirms multiplayer which was probably the biggest missing element of the first game.
15That was the best thing to have missing. The isolation made the game.
- edit: rockpapershotgun had more info. There's going to be solitary play mode/story, but also an up to 4 player co-op.
2Yeah I went through a small emotional rollercoaster! it felt so alone when he was running out of oxygen, then we were safe now that we had a friend.
but then we're both still way in the deep
6The description and comments on the video 100% confirm multiplayer. Honestly I'd be excited for the game either way, but I have a lot of fun playing crafting/survival games with friends so it's appreciated.
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