Recent reviews by DOGMASCHINE

bow down, peons. you are now in the presence of PEAK

the game will call you "the Sorry Cop" on your first playthrough, which immediately makes the real goal NEVER getting called that again

my g key is broken and my wallet is empty, thank you based smilegate

i've played this game for 13 hours and i've already played this game for 25 hours

Hey there, Traveller. It's been a while, but here we are again. The sea calls our names, and we can do naught but answer. We take to the waves, and then to the stars, and the only master we see ourselves beholden to is the burning light of day and the lantern-light of the moon. And, uh, the $1,000,000,000,000 we owe our creditors. >_>


This game is the definition of a labor of love. Every inch of the design is worked over with a fine-toothed, lovingly handled comb, and it shows oh so wonderfully. From the moment Life Pod 5 first graces the waters of Planet 4546B to the moment our PDA-borne accomplice reminds us that we owe Alterra somewhere to the tune of “a ♥♥♥♥-ton of money”, every second is filled to the brim with charm and confident, impactful story-telling (with, unfortunately, some notable caveats). Subnautica is a prime example of what it means to pour one’s entire being into a project, and over the course of the last 6 years it has blossomed into a wondrous experience unlike any other. The medium of video games as a vessel for story-telling is a nuanced and complex subject that I’ve been obsessed with for nearly a decade, and while there are definitely some weaknesses I’ll (probably) go over later on in this review, Subnautica nails that feeling of curated interactive narrative beautifully. Every story beat is delivered in such an admirably organic and natural way throughout the course of gameplay, and whilst there are a few times a radio broadcast or PDA update comes across as an obvious nudge in the direction of the next source of exposition and progression, there’s never a moment that just feels wrong. Having witnessed the progression of this game from its earliest moments as a proof-of-concept on a forum nearly a decade ago to a wonky demonstration of mechanics in 2014 to a fully-fledged experience only a few years ago, I can confidently say that this is how early-access as a system is meant to be wielded. If you’re on the fence about picking this game up on sale or even taking a chance and lobbing a full $30 at the developers on a whim, agonize no further. Even if you’ve already been spoiled on every major moment, it’s still worth experiencing for yourself. There’s an indescribably large amount of emotional investment that goes into your adventure on Planet 4546B and the payoff is so damn worth it. I’m literally begging you to dive into this game as blindly and eagerly as you possibly can, because this is the kind of experience that sticks with you long after you’ve exited the game for the final time. I’m going to sit down at some point and write out a much more thorough and detailed analysis of Subnauticas story and gameplay at some point in the near future, but for now I’m just going to encourage you to breach the swell with as little information as possible (if you can).

Anyway, this is Captain Leftwood signing off for now, but definitely not for the last time. Godspeed and farewell, you beautiful bastard. Enjoy the game (PLEASE)!

o7

just want her back,,

help

Great fun with friends and it's (mostly, I guess) free to play!

This game should be a no-brainer.

don't play this game if u have adhd and are prone to hyperfixation i haven't slept or eaten in 3 days

You like flying mobile homes into the upper atmosphere?

Yes: play this.

No: yes you do. Play this.