Second Look: Subnautica
OK the survival loops swept me away this time. It was 2am when I surfaced :/
Lost in Loops:
The core game (right now) is the way you extend the depths you can dive too, unearthing more exotic loot as you go, and discovering greater threats amongst the reeds and radiation.
Balancing your greed and inquisitiveness against the need to ascend is a fun tension. The dynamics can change, as you descend below 100m (and burn through your compressed O2), meaning the 30-second-warning is no longer quite long enough...
Pushing it too far as you ferret through a crashed ship section, or plunge deeper into an inviting cave, is super easily done. Streaking upwards towards the slanting sunbeams, thrumming with 'not gonna make it' thoughts, breaching the surface while nearly unconscious, is all pretty striking at times
Familiar Territory:
Cool as it is to reach the safety of your floating base, or gird yourself for greater survival and adventure... The best bit so far has been the way you get to know the wildlife around you, and get a feel for the local biomes, noting striking locations for future exploration.
The audio is solid, cuing you in to whether that giant basking seal thing has just released its distress defence, or alerting you that a dino-shark creation is speeding out of its reedy den towards you. Which is handy, because you can't face everywhere at once
. So it's cool that you can also hear the minor grunting that means the seal-thing is just chilling beside you, as you navigate to your next target...
Story Mode All The Way:
Definitely a lot more fun in 'story' mode rather than 'survival'. (As easy as it is to snag colourful fish, actually squeezing sustenance out of them is just needless busy work :|)
There are enough loot/craft loops and lurking threats to keep you occupied as it is, as you nudge the narrative along, and the food stuff just repeats the worst of those mechanics really. And besides, you've got bigger fish to spy
VR :
- You need your VR legs to imitate those sea legs, to a degree. Any scampering around your tiny base is done with the stick.
- 'Head look' underwater has no nausea threat, but brings its own issues. Want to swim straight down? Kinda have to stare at your own crotch for a bit then... Want to swim up as fast as possible? You'll be craning at your ceiling.... (Possibly there are alternatives for this, but I haven't found them yet )
- Generally though: Claustrophobic caves filled with explosive puffer fish? Giant ocean sunlight shafts? Shifting lights as you descend towards a possible jewel in the darkening depths? Yeah, all that stuff works pretty good
- (Would still lurrrrvv hand controls in this, for defensive knife-fencing with sharks, and torch shining, and directing your free-floating forays. But it ain't happening, so this'll do )
![[VR] optimal_909](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/109/109067.jpg?1553781733){kind=avatar}
