![]() ![]() The wide space becomes oppressive, a distressing counterpart to the apparent exhilaration of the open world “see that mountain/you can go there” ethos. In practice, however, underwater navigation collapses the minuscule certainty and security we cling to in more straightforward horror games, stripping us of our knowledge of where we need to go and from which direction something freaky will emerge. The unknown becomes a direct and quantifiable space right there in front of us, and by moving through it we essentially carve a safe zone out of the darkness, either totally clearing enemies and obstacles from the areas behind us or mentally noting their presence if we must ever return.Ĭonversely, Subnautica ‘s oceans offer plenty of nonlinear space, with plenty of escape routes and room to maneuver that should, in theory, work against any feeling of vulnerability. We steel ourselves against what we believe is to come, which is an effective approach to horror in its own right - our minds cook up possibilities for what could emerge from the unknown, and the only way to progress is to step forward against our better judgment and risk finding out.īut such linearity also comes with a vague certainty of where we must go and where the really hairy, bone-chilling stuff is going to happen. It strings us along one-way paths because linearity is the surest bet to successfully engineer tension, allowing developers to count on players being in certain places looking in certain directions when something finally goes, “Boo!” (Not for nothing did so many early entries in the genre operate from fixed camera perspectives.) And in a tightly scripted, claustrophobic horror game, we can somewhat prepare. ![]() The traditional horror game unfolds in what are either claustrophobic corridors or thinly-disguised versions of them. Though the scary parts of Subnautica are often inherent to its very premise of underwater survival, the ways that premise has been realized through a video game work in conjunction with versions of and/or responses to modern game design conventions, creating a game that has these frightening qualities baked into its very structure. But I think that stress stems from more than a specific brand of instinctual terror, certainly related but not quite the same. I can’t say for sure whether this is the root of my own reaction to the game, but either way, I’m sure it would make playing any Subnautica - both the original game and its arctic-based standalone expansion-turned-semi-sequel Subnautica: Below Zero - a rather stressful experience. I am not one of these people, and I will not pretend to understand them.Ī cursory search around a more relatable demographic, people who are in fact scared as shit by playing Subnautica, points again and again to “thalassophobia,” which means the fear of deep bodies of water. For these people, the gradual acquisition of resources to construct bases, vehicles, and tools to more efficiently acquire resources is a serene process, a task to do at your own pace while leisurely following story threads about what happened on the mysterious Planet 4546B. They find it pleasant to swim through an underwater alien world where distinct and colorful biomes seamlessly melt together, dense with extraterrestrial flora and fauna. Nice.There are people who, I am told, feel relaxed when they play Subnautica. There's plenty of challenges when it comes to surviving the elements and progressing through the higher stages of terraforming technology, but you won't have to kill anything to do it. And unlike many survival games where you spend a lot of time hunting animals for food or defending against attacks, The Planet Crafter is a non-violent game. The Planet Crafter has an appealing Subnautica vibe to it, and there's a nice chunky sci-fi look to the base modules and other machines you build. You may start off growing crops in hydroponic tubes inside your base, but the end goal is to be able to farm them outside under a bright blue sky. Eventually you'll be able to create a breathable atmosphere and bring life to the world in the form of trees, plants, lakes, and even wildlife. As you explore and collect minerals and other resources, and keep yourself fed and oxygenated, you'll craft tools and gear, build a base, and fabricate machines and modules that can begin warming up the planet. The Planet Crafter, now in Steam Early Access, drops you on a barren, arid world that looks a lot like Mars, and your job is not to merely survive but ultimately to make the planet habitable for other humans.
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