Subnautica 2 Review Summary

Stunning Visuals and Graphics: The game is widely praised for its beautiful and stunning graphics. Players appreciate the visual marvel and the gorgeous locations, making it one of the best-looking games.

Minimal Bugs and Smooth Performance: Players report a very small amount of bugs and minimal lag. The game runs smoothly on high settings with consistent FPS, even on older PCs.

Engaging and Fun Gameplay: Players enjoy the fun and engaging gameplay. The game is praised for being enjoyable, especially when playing with friends.

Positive Comparison to Subnautica: The game is seen as a worthy successor to Subnautica, capturing the essence of the original while introducing improvements and new features.

Immersive Sound Design: The game features amazing sound design and voice acting. The immersive soundtrack and excellent soundscape contribute to the overall audio depth and immersion.

Poor optimization issues: The game suffers from significant optimization problems, with many players reporting poor performance and the need for better optimization.

Lack of FOV slider: The game lacks a field of view (FOV) slider, which is considered a basic setting for modern PC games and is highly requested by players.

Uninspired flora and fauna: The flora and fauna in the game are criticized for being uninspired and hardly changing, leading to a disappointing experience.

Missing or poor animations: There are reports of missing or downgraded animations, including specific mentions of missing climbing animations.

Game feels unfinished: The game is perceived as raw and unfinished, with players noting that it feels like a disaster in its current state.

Exploration of seas and biomes: Players enjoy exploring the seas, discovering new areas, and interacting with diverse biomes. The underwater exploration and map discovery are highlighted as exciting aspects of the game.

Diverse creature encounters: Players enjoy the variety of creature designs, behaviors, and interactions. The diverse biological interactions and predator behaviors add depth to the gameplay.

Resource gathering and survival: Resource gathering and survival mechanics are key aspects of the game. Players appreciate the exploration and content discovery tied to survival and resource management.

Multiplayer functionality: The multiplayer setup and experience are noted to work well, providing a good cooperative gameplay option alongside the single-player story mode.

Building and crafting mechanics: The building and crafting mechanics are appreciated, with players noting the new building system and the importance of crafting materials for upgrades.

Poor optimization: Several reviews mention poor optimization, leading to lower FPS and performance issues, especially on lower-end PCs. This is a common complaint among players.

Good overall performance: Many players are satisfied with the game's performance, describing it as smooth and without major issues. This includes positive experiences on various hardware configurations.

Stable performance on medium settings: Many players report stable performance around 50-60 FPS on medium settings at various resolutions, including 1440p and 1080p. Some experience higher FPS with DLSS enabled.

Smooth performance on high settings: Players with higher-end hardware report smooth performance on high settings, often achieving 60-80 FPS without significant stuttering or lag.

Graphical and texture bugs: There are reports of minor graphical glitches and texture loading bugs, which can affect the visual experience.

Highly recommended for its value: Many players find the game to be worth the price and highly recommend it, especially considering its cost.

Recommended for fans of the series: If you enjoyed the first Subnautica game or Below Zero, this game is highly recommended for you.

More content needed: Players are requesting additional biomes, ore crops, underwater vehicles, and more content inspired by previous games.

Early Access considerations: Players suggest buying the game during an Early Access sale and note that it is worth playing even in its current state, but some recommend waiting for more content.

Add online and multiplayer features: There is a demand for online features and multiplayer options to enhance the gameplay experience.

Community fair range: $25.00 - $30.00.

Game completion: 5.0h.

Story completion: 12.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game becomes significantly more enjoyable and engaging when played in multiplayer mode, particularly for activities like base building and exploration. The improved mechanics and beautiful graphics also contribute to a more immersive and fun experience.

Reported time to anchor: 30m.

Friction: Single-player experience may not be as engaging; Technical issues and bugs; Performance issues on lower-end PCs.

Series Enthusiast: Explorative and cooperative. Motivation: Exploration and discovery. Stance: buy.

Co-op Adventurer: Cooperative and social. Motivation: Shared experiences and cooperative gameplay. Stance: buy.

Visual and Audio Connoisseur: Immersive and appreciative. Motivation: Aesthetic and sensory experience. Stance: buy.

Performance varies significantly across different hardware cohorts, with higher-end systems generally reporting smoother experiences. Lower-end hardware often struggles with frame rates and stability, while mid-range and high-end setups show mixed results depending on specific configurations and settings.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: mixed. Performance is inconsistent, with some users reporting smooth gameplay and others experiencing significant issues even with DLSS enabled.

Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM: mixed. Lower-end hardware struggles with frame rates and stability, but some users report playable performance with adjusted settings.

Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM: mixed. Performance is mixed, with some users experiencing smooth gameplay and others facing crashes and optimization issues.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals several critical issues. Performance problems are widespread, with many users reporting low FPS and the need for upscaling to achieve playable performance. Compatibility and launch issues are also significant, particularly on Linux and Steam Deck, requiring extensive troubleshooting. The lack of FSR support and the necessity of upscaling have frustrated many users, impacting visual quality. Privacy concerns related to data collection and the EULA have also been noted. Additionally, battery life issues have been reported, which can be particularly problematic for portable gaming devices.

Linux and Proton: The game generally runs well on Linux with Proton, with many users reporting positive experiences and minimal issues. However, some users encounter performance and compatibility problems, often requiring specific Proton versions or launch commands to achieve smooth gameplay. The overall consensus is that while the game is playable on Linux, it may need some tweaking for optimal performance.

Monetization: The analysis of user reviews reveals significant concerns about the game's monetization strategies, perceived as a cash grab by multiple users. Privacy and value concerns are also prominent, with users expressing distrust over the handling of personal information. While there is some positive feedback regarding the game studio's player-centric approach, the overall sentiment is marred by criticisms of lack of content and gameplay elements. These issues collectively indicate a need for the developers to address monetization perceptions and enhance game content to improve user satisfaction.

External guides: The game has received mixed feedback with significant complaints about the lack of in-game guidance and technical issues such as crashes and performance problems. Users appreciate the game's design that encourages self-discovery but feel frustrated by the lack of information on upgrades and adaptations. The overall sentiment highlights a need for better in-game guidance and technical improvements.

CPU spikes from shaders: The game experiences significant CPU usage spikes due to shader compilation, which can impact performance.

TOS controversy mentioned: Some reviews mention a controversy related to the game's Terms of Service. This seems to be a notable point of discussion among players.