They had already hinted they wanted to make Subnautica 2 into a multiplayer co-op, and they specifically mentioned “games as a service”.
After backlash, they specified the multiplayer would be optional, and “games as a service” means long term updates, not microtransactions, which sounds suspiciously like a rollback to me…
I was already kind of expecting that, seeing as below zero’s map wasn’t half as interesting as the first game, the storytelling was mid, and the mechanics were all over the place, like they just wanted to make another hit by shooting in every direction, with half the work put into it.
When Below Zero came out it was clear that they had no idea what made Subnautica special, something that a sequel had no hope of replicating. Fear of the unknown and the drive to explore deeper. Once you’ve completed Subnautica you are a god of the sea, and that knowledge and experience cannot be lost.
Mobius Digital was able to make a successful DLC for Outer Wilds because they understood what made their game work, which is the player’s own curiosity.
They had already hinted they wanted to make Subnautica 2 into a multiplayer co-op, and they specifically mentioned “games as a service”.
After backlash, they specified the multiplayer would be optional, and “games as a service” means long term updates, not microtransactions, which sounds suspiciously like a rollback to me…
I was already kind of expecting that, seeing as below zero’s map wasn’t half as interesting as the first game, the storytelling was mid, and the mechanics were all over the place, like they just wanted to make another hit by shooting in every direction, with half the work put into it.
When Below Zero came out it was clear that they had no idea what made Subnautica special, something that a sequel had no hope of replicating. Fear of the unknown and the drive to explore deeper. Once you’ve completed Subnautica you are a god of the sea, and that knowledge and experience cannot be lost.
Mobius Digital was able to make a successful DLC for Outer Wilds because they understood what made their game work, which is the player’s own curiosity.
Co-op could’ve been a nice unlock for completing the game but yeah the isolation was the whole draw for Subnautica.
Missed opportunity to make a bunch of Subnautica puns