It’s easy to feel a sense of relief upon reaching an island, as though you’ve been saved. While some weapons are eventually craftable, for the most part, players don’t stand a chance against most creatures.Įven when players find themselves on land, they are made to feel like they don’t belong. The leviathans in particular serve to make players feel small and helpless. From introducing more aggressive creatures and disorientating cave systems, everything about the depths continues to make players feel unwelcome. While the shallow starting area provides a comfortable beginning, players quickly have to head into deeper waters. Each moment spent in the water continues to deplete your oxygen, and sooner or later you will begin to drown. Out of Your DepthĮvery aspect of the game is intentionally designed to make players feel as though they do not belong. The ocean floor never felt like a safe place to be again. It was the first time in any game that I genuinely held my breath, afraid it would somehow hear me. A giant serpent-like shadow appeared in front of me, and when I looked up, a Reaper Leviathan swam above. One of my most nerve-racking experiences happened as I swam along the seabed. Even so, the game continuously reminds players of nearby threats, as the sounds of cries and roars are almost constant.

The first-person perspective of the game also limits player visibility, making every threat feel just outside of the camera’s periphery. Similarly, sticking close to the seabed restricts your manoeuvrability should something attack from above. Swimming atop the surface completely hides what could be lurking below. Subnautica is terrifying because it is so difficult to avoid this state of vulnerability.

It becomes all the more suspenseful at night when the dark further obscures the dangers of the depths. The most heart-pounding space to exist in the game is floating in the middle between the surface and the ocean-floor. Subnautica, by contrast, imposes an all-encompassing sense of dread by opening up the possibility of threats from all directions. Similarly, not as many threats come from the sky, so players rarely concern themselves with above and below. Each flank opens up a vulnerability, but the ground feels safe. On average, players feel the need to maintain a sense of vigilance regarding what’s in front and behind. Most games afford players the luxury of a least a few directions of safety. 6) The Best and the Worst Experience The Danger is All Around

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