I played Subnautica 2 like a horror game and like a cozy game and had to learn that it is neither of those.

Subnautica 2 is the most requested game on Steam. MeinMMO editor Lydia has dived into the new survival title. However, she initially played it completely wrong.

Oh, what’s that in the back? I’ll take a look – OXYGEN DEPRIVATION! Phew, barely made it to the surface – BITE WOUND! YOU ARE BEING HUNTED! Okay, then I’ll stay close to my escape pod and gather resources… NO! YOU ARE THIRSTY, YOU NEED WATER-SLUGS!

My first swimming attempts in Subnautica 2 went something like this. I actually had a plan. Fascinated that the games are often recommended as Cozy Games despite the horror tag on Steam, I wanted to play the new installment in two different ways.

I wanted to explore the magical underwater world, but it wouldn’t let me

In fact, I found the first jump into the pitch-black water quite creepy. But after the initial shocks, the escape to the pause menu, and the inevitable drowning deaths, the creepiness quickly turned into frustration. Subnautica 2 constantly dangled a juicy carrot before my nose and then punished me for wanting to snag it.

I mean – you can’t just put a huge tree in my line of sight and expect me not to swim towards it immediately, right?

With a new pioneer and in Creative mode without hunger or danger, I could enjoy the underwater world for the first time. From admiring the nightly bioluminescence to the first dawn over the waves: Subnautica 2 looks simply fantastic.

Freed from constant alarms, I began to explore freely. I swam in every direction, scanned everything that came in front of my sights, and started to set up a nice base.

This revealed a new strength of Subnautica 2. The numerous creatures lead a kind of independent life that doesn’t revolve solely around me as the player. The creatures don’t just wait for me to cross their line of sight but interact with their environment and each other.

I wasn’t really satisfied with my cozy experience either. Due to the complete lack of restrictions, I was able to sequence break the game completely. Suddenly I found myself in areas that I clearly should have only seen after several hours and many tedious upgrades. The rather interesting story couldn’t be fully experienced like that.

A cozy atmosphere wouldn’t settle in anyway beyond the colorful glowing starting area.

Back to the Basics

However, the Creative mode helped me learn the basics at my own pace and without constant fear. Here I had to admit: Subnautica 2 is neither a horror nor a cozy game, but primarily a survival game.

And lo and behold: As soon as I started treating it as such, it clicked. I switched back to my survival save but approached it differently this time. No brute forcing into areas where the game obviously didn’t want me (yet).

Instead, I stayed near my escape pod, made short dive trips, gathered resources, and secured my first genetic modification.

Over time, I became a bit braver and began to explore the surrounding structures. This way, I was able to craft my first tools and soon also build my first base. Okay, I was still missing the blueprint for “room,” so it was just a construct of corridors – but that felt way more deserved compared to my fully glazed underwater villa in the other save.

Whenever I found a new blueprint on my travels, I hurried back to my base to create my achievement right away. Then I quickly stashed materials, and I plunged back into the water.

Speaking of: Swimming in Subnautica 2 is really a lot of fun. It feels great to glide through the water, and the freedom to move in any direction makes every exploration trip an experience.

The verticality stands out: In my preview version, I dove to depths of over 600 meters. Well, not much happened down there. But just the fact that I could was delightful.

In between, I continually discovered traces of the pioneers before me. Remnants of buildings, black box recordings, but also remnants of their daily lives: posters, furnishings, beds that haven’t been slept in for ages. And… remains of a non-human civilization. I gathered snippets and tried to piece together what had happened here.

Just one more dive, or: why is it suddenly 2 AM?

And meanwhile, quite unnoticed, I began to fall in love with Subnautica 2. The mechanics that I initially struggled with became a simple habit. And my pioneer’s stomach doesn’t growl that often.

I found a rhythm that was almost meditative. Dive, gather, surface. During the day, I gather resources for my next building and crafting projects, and try to uncover the mystery of the planet. At night, when I don’t want to stray too far from my base, I read the entries of the scanned flora and fauna and process my gathered materials.

There are still a few frustrating moments. Like when I finally manage to secure the blueprint for the missing tool to break down larger resource chunks – only to find out that I need exactly the resources to craft it that I cannot collect. But instead of angrily putting the controller aside, it immediately starts clicking: Where haven’t I looked yet? If I look here again… maybe with the device…

The gameplay loop sucked me into a pull that I usually only know from my beloved roguelites: Every discovery allows me to craft new tools, with which I can progressively delve further into the world. Each new area promises further discoveries. And that captivates me so much that I want to dive over and over again.

Even while writing this preview, I could really only think of a corner I couldn’t fully explore yesterday. And so I excuse myself… my tadpole is waiting, and I still miss half a blueprint out there.

MeinMMO freelancer Johanna is also looking forward to the release of Subnautica 2 – despite not having played its predecessors. Why this survival game holds a special place in her heart, you can find out here: I have Subnautica 2 at the top of my wishlist, even though I am afraid of the ocean and have never played the first part