Subnautica: Below Zero Critic Reviews

Subnautica: Below Zero is a leaner, meaner standalone expansion to Subnautica that improves on the story and mechanics, but doesn't give us as much room to explore.

Mix the feeling of weakness of the movie Open Water with a compelling story, a world to explore in metroidvania style kind of like in Don't Starve, add the maniacal detail of In Other Waters, shake and there we have Subnautica: Below Zero, an intriguing sci-fi survival with just a bit of horror. While at first it might seem a little limited in scope, with a bit of patience you will soon realize how great of a game it is.

Below Zero has taken no steps backward and instead offers an even more polished experience than its predecessor. As for gameplay and story, it’s not necessarily a better game, but it is certainly just as good.

The successor Subnautica: Below Zero does not have to hide from the original, but can show a completely different arctic adventure with more story and for the first time also dialogues through unique, fresh puzzle pieces. Personally, I prefer the clearly dark isolation setting and the slightly livelier soundtrack of the first part, but at the end of the day that's a matter of taste. Whoever wanted more after Subnautica should definitely grab it.

The world of Below Zero is much smaller than its predecessor’s, but it is still an absolutely brilliant survival game that tells an interesting story set in a fascinating environment. Additionally, it is more friendly towards less experienced players, and managed to get rid of some technical issues that affected the original Subnautica.

Subnatica: Below Zero is an excellent survival game, being equally beautiful and terrifying. The narrative is strong but can feel out of place at times.

Below Zero is a mostly brilliant sequel to the best survival game of all time.

Subnautica: Below Zero makes you feel like arctic explorers as you traverse the icy climate of planet 4546B. If you are able to stick with it and continue to move forward to find ways to dive deeper, Below Zero has plenty of discoveries to uncover.

Even if there are a lot of shared elements between the two games and the ground-based traversal isn't everything it's cracked up to be, Below Zero's greater focus on character-driven storytelling lands well and this standalone adventure captures the unrivaled magic of underwater exploration all over again.

Subnautica: Below Zero presents an exciting adventure as you explore the unknown. Whether you're trekking through the snow or diving down unfathomable depths, there's a feeling of dread as you try to survive, and a sense of wonderment as you discover something new.

In a genre that often isn’t for everyone, it’s hard to see who wouldn’t enjoy what Subnautica: Below Zero has to offer. It flourishes an enthralling sense of exploration and progression with a serviceable narrative to boot. It’s not without its flaws, but there’s nothing quite like it besides its predecessor, perfectly encapsulating the curiosity and dread that comes with exploring the deep.

Standalone expansion of a fabulous survival game that equals its predecessor.

Subnautica: Below Zero presents the player not only with a harsh tundra to live in but the icy depths underneath it all. It’s tense, challenging, and always engaging, pushed on by a surprisingly in-depth narrative and characters that make eventually leaving behind all those magnificent alien animals all the more challenging when you eventually roll credits.

Subnautica: Below Zero cannot match the original game in terms of scale; therefore it is a standalone expansion instead of a full-fledged sequel. Despite this, it offers a more immersive and streamlined experience through a more emphatic story, great voice acting and plenty of quality of life additions. The three bucks that Below Zero costs are more than worth the at least twenty hours of exploration fun.

A motivating survival adventure set in a fascinating ice world.

Subnautica: Below Zero takes up the basic elements of its predecessor to give us a fun experience with a more narrative approach. The environmental and sound design stand out, but the experience falls short compared to the first game. Despite this, Below Zero is a good survival game.

If you liked the first one, you will love Subnautica: Below Zero. It improves everything previously played and adds necessary novelties to this sequel. Everyone who loves underwater world and survival genre will be delighted with this video game.

Subnautica: Below Zero doesn't reach the same heights as the first game, but it's proof Unknown World's 2018 survival game wasn't a fluke. The act of exploring a mysterious underwater world whilst trying to survive is nearly as captivating in Below Zero as it was then. I'm still not a fan of the survival genre, yet I loved every moment I spent with Subnautica: Below Zero. I may know most of the tricks by now, but that didn't make the experience any less magical.

Subnautica: Below Zero is a masterfully horrific experience that encourages you to push on despite your fears. It's a fine balancing act of the horrors you'll face underwater and the rewards you can get for evading them. It's really very hard, but it's also really very good.

Subnautica Below Zero does not seem to want to walk in other steps than that of its big brother. By reducing the map or vehicles, Below Zero is more to be seen as a very good expansion of the original game, more scripted version and a little more hostile than the first episode. If Below Zero undoubtedly does better than the competition when it comes to making a scripted survival game, with a universe as enchanting as it is frightening hand-crafted, it would undoubtedly have gained more from the experience of 'origin to fully conquer the veterans of the franchise, who, despite everything, will take undeniable pleasure to go diving again, just like the newcomers, who will have the chance to discover for the first time this atypical and oh so immersive way of approaching the game of survival.