Subnautica: Below Zero

Subnautica: Below Zero is a survival adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a first-person perspective. The player controls a researcher who is studying the local environment of a nearby alien facility, on planet 4546B.

Like its predecessor, the player's goal is to explore the environments and survive in the alien environment while also completing objectives to advance the game's plot. Players collect resources, construct tools, build bases and submersibles, and can interact with the planet's wildlife.

The game primarily takes place underwater, but unlike its predecessor, there is a sizeable amount of land-based areas to explore in the north of the game's world. There are more explorable structures to find both above ground and underwater which serve both as key locations for the story, but also for blueprints that the player can find for crafting. There is a day-night cycle which affects visibility, and dynamic weather which further affects visibility, such as wind, snow, fog and hail.

Alongside returning mechanics such as health, hunger and thirst, players now have a temperature gauge which activates when they are on land. If the player is exposed to harsh weather, they will begin to develop hypothermia. This can be prevented by finding shelter in caves or buildings, utilising plants or tools which can warm the player up, and by crafting appropriate survival gear which allows the player to stay outside in harsh weather for longer periods of time.

Upon beginning a new game, players must select a difficulty mode from the following four:

• Survival — The player must manage health, hunger, thirst, oxygen and temperature. Upon death, they respawn, but certain items are lost from their inventory.
• Freedom Mode — Just like survival, but with hunger and thirst disabled.
• Hardcore Mode — Just like survival, but if the player dies, the player will no longer be able to respawn and the save file is permanently deleted.
• Creative Mode — Health, hunger, thirst, oxygen and temperature are disabled, all the crafting blueprints are acquired, and no resources are required to craft. Additionally, the submersibles, a Seaglide, a mobile vehicle bay, a knife, a flashlight, a habitat builder, a scanner and a propulsion cannon are provided. They do not need an energy source and cannot be damaged (unless the player damages them intentionally).

The plot of Below Zero as of now is still not set in stone, as the game is still in early access. However, some elements of the story may be played in the unfinished version of the game.

• Official website