Given the very three-dimensional nature of the underwater environment, I suppose it’s understandable that there’s not a comprehensive map, but the lack of any sort of map whatsoever is frustrating, and particularly so given that it’s absurdly easy to get disoriented in this game - underwater things are murky and repetitive enough that it’s easy to lose track of where you are and where you’ve been, and on the surface so much of the world is just flat open ocean that there’s no way of orienting yourself apart from where you are in relation to the wreckage of the ship and your escape pod. Having said that, there are still a lot of inconveniences here that make this a game that’s hard for me to fully appreciate. Given that I’m not the biggest fan of survival mechanics in games, I much appreciate having these options. For those looking for a challenge, on the other hand, there’s a game mode here that allows players only one life. As such, one of the core gameplay loops of this game is finding resources, crafting tools that allow you to explore further or process additional resources, and then making use of that added utility to get even more advanced resources.įor those who aren’t a big fan of survival-style games, this game thankfully gives players multiple difficulty level options, including a more casual mode that allows players to forego the need to constantly seek out resources for food and water. As players progress, they gain the ability to process new materials with the tools they create, as well as to scan wreckage from the ship to gain recipes for new tools. The gameplay here has players scrounging resources from the surrounding area and bringing them back to your escape pod to be processed in a handy fabricator unit, transforming raw materials into useful tools, as well as food and drinkable water. For all its graphical faults, the Nintendo Switch version of Subnautica is still a visually-stunning game, and it is paired with a lovely synthesized soundtrack that does a good job of accentuating that beauty. A lot of attention has been made to little details in this game, from shark-like creatures that seem to be either playing with or possibly collecting debris from the downed ship, to a massive moon that causes everything to be cast in darkness when it eclipses the sun, causing bioluminescent life to be one of the only things you’ll see clearly as the landscape is cast in darkness. Having said that, despite these major sacrifices, the overall experience here remains largely intact, and that means this is a game that’s kinda’ a wonder to behold, presenting players with a beautiful underwater landscape full of lush, detailed fauna and flora, as well as some fantastic-looking water and lighting, with the game’s dynamic day/night cycle filtering down under the water to transform the wondrous landscape not only based on what part of it you’re looking at, but when you’re looking at it. There’s also some pretty significant load times to contend with. Also, every version of this game is known to suffer some pretty nasty pop-in, and the Nintendo Switch version is no exception in that regard either. The Nintendo Switch version also features more fog (or in this case, murky water) than in other versions of the game. The framerates have dropped from 60FPS on other platforms to 30FPS (with some brief but steep drops on occasion), and the texture resolutions are lower. Make no mistake, the Nintendo Switch version of this game bears all the hallmarks of a game that has made significant compromises to work on the handheld platform. I suppose the answer to that question ultimately depends on how realistic your expectations are. When this game released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2018, it was infamous for pushing those platforms in ways they struggled with, so when the game was announced for release on Nintendo Switch in 2021, one of the biggest questions everyone had was how well Nintendo’s hardware could manage a game that far more powerful machines struggled with. Awakening in an escape pod, players must head out into the strange, hostile aquatic environment to gather resources to survive and hopefully find a way to get off the planet. Subnautica is an Open World First-Person Survival Adventure game where players take the role of a space traveler whose ship has suffered some great calamity and crashed on an ocean-covered alien world. Note: This game is included in Subnautica + Subnautica: Below Zero, along with Subnautica: Below Zero. Genre: Open World First-Person Survival Adventure
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