This review contains spoilers
Big fan of Subnautica here, I was a bit afraid when the release trailer came out, because of all the story cutscenes and dialogues and characters, as the story was not necessarily the strength or the appeal of the first game. And I was right to be afraid.
The main problem I have with the story is how it's segmented in 3 different quests and how it badly works with the open-world structure of the game. Finishing one quest just gave me some info about another quest I was already done with. Another time, the game straight up told me ( because our characters are constantly having little not very interesting discussions ) "Remember that place ? Go there now" talking about a place I never actually explored ?
Overall, the exploration is just really not as good as in the first game. In Subnautica, you're dropped at the very center of the map, so you can go in whichever direction you want ; and during the second part of the game you have to explore those massive interconnected caves. In Below Zero you're dropped at the very north of the map (not even in water), so you can only go south and if you set your base there like me you have to go through the same zones everytime you go explore ; and there are a few caves here and there.
Same with the story : In the first game you crash on the planet so your first goal is to survive until you get to leave, and while stuff happens and some story elements do enter the stage later, ultimately the goal still stays the same during the whole game. In Below Zero you go volontarily on the planet to find your sister, and once you do that well you kinda stays there to do what feels like some sidequests. ( I've read that the main writer left the team at some point during the production of the game, and that the scenario was changed a few times )
The game is not awfully bad; the environnements and fauna are still very beautiful and unique, and I can still feel that Subnautica vibe/mood while playing. I can also understand that they tried to do stuff differently with the story being more present, or with that whole on-land section. But I had very high hopes and it just didn't met the standards of the first game ...
The main problem I have with the story is how it's segmented in 3 different quests and how it badly works with the open-world structure of the game. Finishing one quest just gave me some info about another quest I was already done with. Another time, the game straight up told me ( because our characters are constantly having little not very interesting discussions ) "Remember that place ? Go there now" talking about a place I never actually explored ?
Overall, the exploration is just really not as good as in the first game. In Subnautica, you're dropped at the very center of the map, so you can go in whichever direction you want ; and during the second part of the game you have to explore those massive interconnected caves. In Below Zero you're dropped at the very north of the map (not even in water), so you can only go south and if you set your base there like me you have to go through the same zones everytime you go explore ; and there are a few caves here and there.
Same with the story : In the first game you crash on the planet so your first goal is to survive until you get to leave, and while stuff happens and some story elements do enter the stage later, ultimately the goal still stays the same during the whole game. In Below Zero you go volontarily on the planet to find your sister, and once you do that well you kinda stays there to do what feels like some sidequests. ( I've read that the main writer left the team at some point during the production of the game, and that the scenario was changed a few times )
The game is not awfully bad; the environnements and fauna are still very beautiful and unique, and I can still feel that Subnautica vibe/mood while playing. I can also understand that they tried to do stuff differently with the story being more present, or with that whole on-land section. But I had very high hopes and it just didn't met the standards of the first game ...