Subnautica 2: Is it worth jumping into Early Access?

Subnautica 2 finally entered Early Access on May 14. After the enormous success of the first game, which became one of the biggest indie highlights of 2018, expectations were naturally high – and it seems that developer Unknown Worlds has largely managed to meet them. For anyone wondering whether the roughly $30 Early Access price is worth it, two key questions matter most: How good is the sequel itself, and how polished is the Early Access version right now?

How good is the sequel?

Subnautica 2 sticks closely to the formula that made the original so successful. Players explore an alien underwater world, gather resources, build bases, upgrade equipment and gradually descend into increasingly dangerous depths – while encountering plenty of strange new sea creatures along the way. New additions include co-op multiplayer, expanded base building, DNA customization and a new vehicle called the “Tadpole.”

According to the German outlet GameStar, Subnautica 2 in its current state feels very close to the first game. The review essentially describes it as “Subnautica 1, but better.” Unknown Worlds has not tried to reinvent the wheel here. Instead, the sequel focuses on meaningful improvements rather than radical new ideas. That may not necessarily be a bad thing. GameStar particularly praises the atmosphere, which reportedly feels much closer to the original again after Below Zero was seen by many fans as a slight step backward. Criticism mainly targets the story, which GameStar describes as slow, predictable and clichéd. Even so, Subnautica 2 already has more than 97,000 Steam reviews with a very positive average rating of 91%.

How polished is the Early Access version?

Technically, Subnautica 2 appears to be in unusually good shape for an Early Access launch. According to GameStar, there are hardly any major bugs or performance issues. Reddit users have also praised the game’s technical condition, and it is already Steam Deck Verified. There still seems to be room for optimization, though. Some users report that even powerful PCs do not deliver exceptional frame rates. Content-wise, fans should keep their expectations in check for now. Many players feel that the map, story and crafting systems are still unfinished, although that is expected to improve throughout the Early Access period. According to the roadmap, the game is set to receive smaller updates as well as at least one major content drop during development.

Conclusion: Is Early Access worth it?

Early Access will likely appeal most to existing fans who want to recapture the feeling of exploration, wonder and cautious dives into unknown depths while following the game’s development up close. In that case, the currently limited amount of content will probably be easier to overlook. Players expecting many new gameplay mechanics or a stronger focus on storytelling, however, may end up disappointed.

Fans who are hesitant because of potential technical issues can probably buy in with confidence based on the current state of the game. Whether Subnautica 2 is the best choice for newcomers is more debatable. For first-time players, the original Subnautica is probably still the better option. It simply offers more content, a complete story and a fully realized world – and for many players, it remains one of the best survival crafting games ever made. Although Subnautica 2 already looks very promising and successfully recaptures the atmosphere of the original, its content is still in an early stage. Anyone planning to play the game only once and wanting the complete experience right away should probably wait for version 1.0, which is not expected for quite some time.