Subnautica Critic Reviews

Unknown Worlds Entertainment has delivered everything they said they were going to plus so much more with more updates on the launch horizon and for these reasons they can easily be forgiven for taking this long. It was worth the wait.

Subnautica works brilliantly as a serene, lonely, contemplative adventure. It's one of those rare games I'd take to a desert island.

In terms of settings, gameplay dynamics and sheer fascination, Subnautica is the best single-player survival game out there. It's full of bright discoveries, a great sci-fi experience, and at the same time a cruel and unforgiving survival horror. James Cameron would absolutely love it.

Subnautica is hands down the best survival game I have ever experienced. I completely lost track of time while playing it and for the first time in ages I rescheduled my appointments and neglected my responsibilities to spend more time with a game. If I could I would hand out free copies in the streets so as many people as possible can see how ridiculously good Subnautica is.

It isn’t without performance hiccups, especially the deeper you go. But the breadth of content here and the open-world nature both in terms of playspace and just pure choice in how you go about it is something rarely seen in games.

Subnautica is a template for what open-world survival games should strive to be. It’s fantastical, fresh, and frightening from surface to seabed, with a story that kept on surprising me and a cast of sea monsters that quite literally haunted my dreams. Even with more than 50 hours sunk, I have yet to discover all of its secrets. It’s a testament to how enticing those secrets are that I’m willing to face my fears and plunge my submersible into the darkest corners of its unforgiving ocean again and again.

Subnautica achieves with good decisions to build a survival rich in nuances and possibilities, without ever losing any interest, staying true to its objective. A game that opens up little by little showing imagination and finesse. Rarely this genre in its late game has managed to engage so much without trusting in its multiplayer facet.

So far Subnautica has been the outstanding title of 2018 for me. We're only a month in, but the time I've had with this game has been incredible, and I'm sure it will be a game I remember in December when the year is wrapping up. Even after completing it, I'm itching to go back and see what nooks and crannies I missed.

Subnautica is an exceptional game of exploration, crash-landing the player on an unknown planet with unfamiliar terrain, unexplored depths, and strange wildlife. While some smaller creatures will appear more afraid of you, it's the larger predators that will make your oxygen levels quickly drop with the increased heart rate. It's a game that captivates you as soon as you step out of the lifeboat with the gorgeous water effects and stunning environment.

No matter which way you prefer to play, Subnautica is an incredibly engaging experience. It’s one of those games that you can play for 10 minute chunks, or lose four hours without noticing.

Unknown Worlds has made the best survival game on earth... or in the ocean.

The best survival game ever released, and an indie game that goes toe to toe with AAA titles out there.

Subnautica's story, scares, and beautifully rendered underwater setting make it one of the most fascinating survival games around. You will always have to grind away to a certain extent to gather necessary resources, but the overall experience is both accessible and refined. Subnautica may not make you eager to get back to the beach this summer, but right now there is no better virtual way to experience the beauty, and the terror, of the deep blue sea.

An incredible journey onto the depths of the sea, Subnautica keeps surprising the player with its breadth of options and incredible gameplay. Highly recommended.

Subnautica is a great survival game that is totally unique. Despite some small issues it captivates and ensures that the player has a need to explore its ocean.

For a game with as much crafting as Subnautica has, it needs to constantly steer the player towards materials they’ve not seen before. Excellently, Subnautica delivers here too.

Subnautica proves that sandbox games don't actually need any kind of multiplayer to be successful.

An ambitious game that manages to pack in a beautiful open world, complex survival challenges, and lots of teeth.

Probably the best survival game we have tried to date. A game that respects the player, offers a spectacular world to explore and keeps giving new and unique experiences even after you have spent dozens of hours under the waves exploring the beautiful alien ocean.

Subnautica is an atmospheric, wonderful survival game full of surprises. You never know what to expect every time you dive in the depths of the ocean.