Enjoy open-world survival games, but tired of the same old above-ground settings? Done with sprawling forests? Sick of climbing mountains? Then the perfect game for you might be Subnautica, which takes everything players love about the survival genre and transplants it into a beautiful yet deadly underwater world. And best of all? It’s on its way to Nintendo Switch!
Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s Subnautica first began early access in 2014. By the time the game entirely left the early access period, it was available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and Xbox One, with a PlayStation 4 release following shortly after. It also supported the use of VR headsets, including the Oculus Rift. Fans had been eagerly awaiting news of a potential Switch port for years — and it was finally announced today, during Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase live stream event.
Subnautica puts players into the diving suit and flippers of the lone survivor of a deadly spaceship craft. Stranded on an ocean-covered planet, the player must craft structures, harvest materials, fight off creatures, and learn exactly what happened to this bizarre underwater world. Players can choose between the aptly named “Survival” and “Hardcore” modes, which subject their character to hunger, thirst, and the need to manage oxygen levels, and “Freedom” and “Creative” modes, which remove these limiting factors to allow for less intense exploration.
A sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, is set on a brand new planet, which features a frozen arctic environment. It adds the brand new challenge of surviving in dangerously cold temperatures too low for human habitation. Below Zero, which is still in early access, is currently available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS.
Both Subnautica and Below Zero were announced to be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Although no official release date was announced, both games are expected to debut sometime in early 2021.
