Confession time: I never actually finished the original Subnautica. It’s not that I didn’t love its clever mix of sandbox survival and structured narrative; it’s just that I’m a massive wuss when it comes to the sea. Or what lies beneath, at least. Subnautica’s sun-kissed Safe Shallows? Fine, lovely. Kelp Forest’s increasing murk? Nerves starting to tingle. The yawning abyss of oceanic horrors pretty much everywhere else on the map? Bollocks to that. Let’s just say I played most of the original cresting gingerly along the surface trying not to think too much about what might be lurking below. So when I finally reached the point the only way left to go was down, well, that was me done. In other words, I could immediately see the appeal of Subnautica 2‘s co-op companionship, the reassuring sense of safety in numbers, the moment it was announced.
