If the player dies, the player will not respawn and their save file is deleted.

Hardcore - Survival mode with permadeath.

Freedom - Just like survival, but with hunger and thirst disabled.

Upon death, they respawn, but certain items are lost from their inventory.

Survival - The player must manage health, hunger, thirst, oxygen and temperature.

Upon beginning a new game, players must select a difficulty mode from the following five: The player will gradually lose body heat and freeze unless they replenish their body heat by jumping into water, finding shelter, consuming certain items or standing next to a heat source. It functions much like the oxygen gauge does underwater. There are structures and wrecks to find both above ground and underwater, which serve as key locations for the story, providing blueprints and recordings of conversations that slowly reveal lore.Īlongside returning mechanics such as oxygen, hunger, and thirst, players now have a body heat gauge which comes into play when walking on land. The game primarily takes place underwater, but, unlike its predecessor, there are much more expansive and dangerous land-based areas to explore. Generally, the player must face harsher environments the further they progress, requiring better equipment or upgrades for old ones, like suits that resist the cold, oxygen tanks with higher capacities, or vehicles that can withstand deeper waters. They must also acquire blueprints to craft new items, either through finding and opening databoxes in the world or by scanning fragments of the item. To survive and progress, the player must collect raw materials from the environment, including various minerals, flora samples, and fish, while avoiding or countering threats like hostile fauna and blinding snowstorms. Players collect resources, construct tools, build bases and submersibles, and interact with the planet's wildlife. Like its predecessor, gameplay involves exploring and surviving in alien environments while also completing objectives to advance the game's plot. The player controls xenologist Robin Ayou, who lands on ocean planet 4546B in pursuit of answers about her sister's disappearance. Subnautica: Below Zero is a survival adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a first-person perspective. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

The physical versions of the game were published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Introduced in early access via Steam and the Epic Games Store in January 2019, Subnautica: Below Zero was released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 14, 2021. Subnautica: Below Zero is an open-world survival action-adventure video game developed and published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment.

Subnautica below zero release date