Subnautica

For me Subnautica is the definitive soft-survival game. I say soft-survival as there are relatively few things to manage; the usual food/water meters, a generic health bar restored instantly by First Aid Kits and over time with full food/water and of course an oxygen meter. As for why it's definitive, Subnautica taps into the unique feeling of the vulnerability of being stranded alone in an ocean. Tasked with investigating the mystery of why you crashed & who crashed here before you and with escaping the planet, inevitably the story and the demand for increasingly exotic crafting materials pull you from the relatively safe shallow biomes into deeper and darker depths. Subnautica brilliantly captures the paranoia of being surrounded by increasingly murkier water which can hide increasingly dangerous beasts. It's a relief when you build your first vehicles an a terror when you realise they don't mean you're proof from danger. Even so, easily my favourite part of Subnautica is when you finally get the schematics and materials to build your Cyclops submarine, a beast in its own right it has variable speeds so you can try not to alert hostile fauna by cavitating and decoys for when you fail. It also has several cameras to help you pilot this thing, a docking bay for either of the smaller vehicles and enough room to build extra storage and crafting stations. There is no other game I know of that gives you control over such a vehicle that is casually fun while also playing into the hazards of the world both mundane and mysterious, something the sequel sorely lacks. You can find games with deeper (no pun intended) survival mechanics but personally I find Subnautica to be the perfect blend of fun, intrigue and terror.

All the positive reviews on other platforms got the quality just right. This game is amazing on multiple levels: 1. Great story to uncover, but I won't spoil anything. My advice is to just ignore any online guides and go exploring! 2. The crafting complexity is just right: not too simple, but not too complex to require spread sheets. 3. The atmosphere, the best part of the game, is something that you won't forget. There were times when I just stopped to admire the scene even if my oxygen was running low. Get your feet wet and start exploring! 4. It has huge, loud and scary monsters! Players who suffer from thalassophobia (and not only) be advised! :)))))

I bought this game for about $34 CAD, best decision of my gaming life! Within 3 days, I've managed to put in a whole 8 hours of gameplay. This game is so addictive, the lore in which the storyline progresses just keeps getting better. Even though there is a set storyline, you as a player are free to do whatever you want and whenever you want. I just can't wait to progress further in this game and eventually move on to the sequel!!!

This is one of the very best games I've ever played. You can easily tell that this game was made with a lot of love. The combination of engaging story, as well as GREAT atmosphere, visuals, and music. This game also gets truly terrifying at times! This is one of not many games I would give 10 out of 10. It got literally everything right!

Gorgeous game all the better in VR!!

It was fun and definitely made me feel like I was in the sea, so it was really good. And it has a story and I think I enjoyed the game.

Deeply disturbing yet captivating...

One of the best games ever, I thought it wasn't a game for me, since my favorite games are Diablo \ Xcom \ Deus ex likes, but this game is an absolute gem, totally recommended