high resolution subnautica below zero map

This game digs its hooks into our most basic, primal fears of the ocean, of drowning, of getting lost in treacherous underwater caverns or succumbing to some great monstrosity in the deepest, darkest depths. This is such a wonderfully well-realised world too, remarkably beautiful at times with a diverse range of biomes to slowly and methodically discover - it can also be truly and utterly terrifying. That said, we really don't want to spoil too much about the unlockable gadgets or the story, as just uncovering it all for yourself is where the real magic of Subnautica lies. There's an absolute ton of craftable tech and building components to discover here that expand and evolve cleverly as you progress, enabling you to search ever further and deeper. Maybe you'll also choose to spend hours building huge deep sea bases with the game's comprehensive habitat builder, providing yourself with alternative living accommodation to the cramped lifepod in which you start your journey. Construction of a nifty Seaglide enables you to spin around the depths at speed, high capacity oxygen tanks prolong the time you can spend exploring and gathering in the game's spectacular biomes and, eventually, you'll even craft your very own submersible Seamoth vehicle, enabling you to explore the darkest depths of this alien abyss at a more leisurely pace.

Early doors you'll craft a basic scanner to survey and document the various alien flora and fauna you come across, alongside a torch, survival knife and repair tool, but then the game gradually starts spitting out the really good stuff it's this constant, addictive drip-feed of tantalising tech, alongside some of the most immersive exploration we've experienced in a game, that keeps you hooked in for the long-term.Īs your tech tree expands, as you search, discover, mine, scan and build, you'll begin to get a proper grip on this huge and hostile environment. You'll immediately need to dive right into the vast ocean below your pod if you want to live, get to gathering food, water sources and the vital materials necessary to put together your very first life-saving tools. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)įrom here, Subnautica expertly delivers tantalising little nuggets of its sci-fi narrative, providing just enough intrigue to drive you forward as you get to grips with its excellent crafting and survival mechanics. Climbing the steps up and out of your pod for the very first time, you're greeted by an endless ocean stretching out on all sides, with the enormous burning remains of your mothership, the Aurora, the only structure visible in any direction. Kicking off with your silent protagonist crash-landing on the alien planet 4546B, Subnautica immediately throws you into this heady mix as you fight to extinguish a fire aboard your tiny little escape pod before getting your bearings and coming to the realisation that you need medical aid, sustenance and an explanation as to what's just happened. It's a constantly thrilling marriage of fiendishly addictive gameplay loops, with hugely satisfying crafting and base building, well-implemented survival mechanics and a world and story that absolutely ooze wonder, mystery and full-on existential dread in equal measure. Subnautica really is one the great indie early access success stories, a game that's been honed to near perfection over a long gestation period on PC, with lots of input from avid fans helping to shape the core experience as it exists today. Beyond the now expected lowering of textures and graphical bells and whistles across the board - and some asset pop-in that we've actually also experienced whilst playing this one on PC and PS4 - this is one of the all-time great survival experiences, and its excellent sequel, looking and running spectacularly well on a handheld gaming device.

We're not exactly sure what kind of secret underwater alien technology Unknown Worlds has employed in its porting process here, but both Subnautica and its sequel on Switch feel like nothing short of a minor miracle. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

High resolution subnautica below zero map