Editor's note: Although we managed to play a pre-release version of Subnautica 2, it's worth noting that all impressions in this material refer to the preview build of the game, not what will be available on May 14 at 18:00. How much they will differ and what changes will be made to the version for all players — we do not know.
Searching for the Expedition
In Subnautica 2, the player takes on the role of one of the surviving colonists. The ship crashes on a planet almost entirely covered in water. At the start, two AI assistants appear, guiding the player through the story. One of them, NoA, appoints the hero as an investigator. His task is to find out what happened to the colonists who managed to build underwater bases and begin exploring the planet.
The plot progresses through audio diaries, black boxes, and traces of the lost expedition. These findings explain what threats the colonists faced, what conflicts arose within the group, and where to move next. This is especially important because the game lacks a familiar map and quest list. The entire playthrough is built on gathering information and gradually reconstructing the events.
However, the game doesn't leave the player completely in the dark. It marks already found outposts, and the AI periodically points to the colonists' black boxes. These hints don't turn the playthrough into moving from marker to marker, but they help prevent getting lost and maintain the pace of exploration.
The world is divided into several large biomes. Everything starts in shallow water, then the game leads to hot springs, and later opens the way to a deep-sea region. New resources, upgrades, and story zones appear in each biome. Because of this, staying at one base is unprofitable: sooner or later, you have to move part of your operations closer to new routes.
It's important to note that the map is hand-crafted. In single-player, survival, and creative modes, locations remain in their places. This is convenient if you get stuck, can't find the right resource, or lose your way in the story. You can separately open creative mode, check the route, and then repeat it in survival.
Adapt. Evolve. And Again.
Character development proceeds in two directions.
The first is related to symbiotic plants. They provide upgrades without which you cannot progress further in the story. First, the hero gets used to the local air, then adapts their digestion to the local fish. And later, resistance to high temperatures and the ability to read alien symbols appear. These improvements are needed for hot springs and puzzles in the depths.
The second is scanning. Unlike symbionts, which are rare, scanning is constant: plants, animals, structures, tools, and colonists' devices. This unlocks blueprints for bases, gadgets, workbenches, generators, modules, and vehicles.
They directly set the pace of the playthrough. A processing station is needed to use advanced resources. For example, with its help, you can assemble a sonic resonator — this device cleans symbionts from the local virus, extracts resources from large veins, and scares away predators.
A scanning station helps search for necessary materials, and submarines accelerate movement and provide an oxygen supply, which is especially important at great depths.
Later, the scanner can be upgraded. Then it will start unlocking not only blueprints but also character abilities through the study of local fauna. For example, after scanning a leviathan, the skill of detecting nearby resources appears. And studying a huge crab gives an improvement related to quenching thirst.
But there are limitations: you can only take one active ability and up to six passive ones simultaneously. In my build, I couldn't unlock additional slots, so I went through most of the playthrough with one passive skill.
The Beauty of the Seabed
Even at the start of early access, Subnautica 2 works well as a project about exploring an alien environment. The underwater world is built on contrast. In shallow water, there is a lot of light, bright plants, schools of fish, and smoothly moving algae. The deeper you descend, the less sunlight and the higher the risk of encountering a predator.
The world is beautiful but not friendly. It's pleasant to look at, but you can't relax in it. Glowing plants can lead to a new cave, a rare resource, or a dangerous zone. The player's curiosity is constantly associated with a lack of oxygen, high temperatures, aggressive fauna, and increasing distance from the base.
Sea creatures differ not only in appearance. Many have their own behavior patterns: sharks attack in packs, so a blow can come from behind; bone-crushing orcas can grab the hero and drag them to the bottom; spiny eels are dangerous at a distance — they, you'll be surprised, shoot a volley of needles at you.
From a technical standpoint, the pre-release build left a good impression. On an RTX 3060, the game consistently held 60 frames per second on "medium-high" graphics settings with DLSS in "quality" mode. At the same time, the picture did not look blurry, and familiar objects from previous parts had their textures improved.
The pre-release version took up about 15 GB — compared to modern releases, which often require 50 GB or more, this looks modest.
The only thing I couldn't check was co-op. Subnautica 2 announced a co-op mode for up to four players, but how it changes the pace of exploration, base building, and expeditions into dangerous zones will have to be evaluated in the early access version.
Verdict
At the start of early access, Subnautica 2 looks like a successful continuation of the series.
The game is already stable, offers an interesting world, and uses the plot as a gentle guide through all available content. At the same time, it doesn't hold the player's hand but regularly provides enough information for them to understand where to go next.
It's surprising that even though this is not yet the final version, it already has a clear underwater sandbox with a strong atmosphere, clear progression, and a good sense of exploration.
It's just a pity that I didn't encounter any sea monkeys in the beta.