Let’s rewind back to late 2014 when Subnautica first hit early access. No one knew at the time that it would blow up to be one of the most popular survival games of the past decade. People loved the exploration of the oceans of Planet 4546B and thalassophobia creeping in when the sun went down and you were just alone with the sounds of who knows what (usually a leviathan) out in the dark waters. Now, over a decade and one spinoff later, the sequel Subnautica 2 is finally here in Early Access. Last week, we got to attend a preview of the game and, while we didn’t get to go hands-on with it, still learned a ton about how that game returns to the franchise’s roots, but still stands on its own without feeling too much like the original.

With how popular Subnautica is, the developers wanted to make the sequel retain what made the first game so beloved while introducing new things and concepts so it’s not just “more Subnautica.” The developers spoke on this by dividing the mechanics and gameplay into thirds so that it’s 1/3 the same as what players have come to expect, 1/3 improvements on some concepts and ideas from past games, and then 1/3 new ideas and mechanics completely. They showcased this almost immediately as to differentiate Subnautica 2 from previous games is that this game takes place on a completely new planet. Thus, there are all new biomes to explore and creatures to interact with. Then, to show something old they stated that they are returning to having a silent protagonist like the first game had thanks to fan feedback from the voiced protagonist in the Below Zero spinoff.

Then, there’s the improvements to what was already there. Resource gathering is more streamlined with a “What you see is what you get” approach. Meaning you know exactly the resources you are getting when you see it in the environment. The biggest overhaul in gameplay appears with the building aspects. Base building still starts with a square area, but players can now use a brush to design their bases which allows more creativity and player expression in their designs. This also extends to vehicle customization as the developers mentioned that the unnamed submersible, while not being able to customize its size or shape, will have a fully open floor plan for players to build out to their hearts’ content. Gameplay isn’t the only thing that is seeing improvement either as the world is set to be more reactive to what the player does as well as creatures feeling more alive in their environments.

Improvements aren’t the only updates they are doing to gameplay either as there are a plethora of new additions to the game. Being on an alien world means the player has to actually adapt to their new life stranded here. For example, the protagonist cannot eat the fish and other creatures that inhabit the planet at first. Thus, you must go find plants that are scattered throughout the game, and interacting with them will unlock permanent adaptations for the protagonist to be able to do things like eat. There are also biomods that players can discover which are swappable and provide a certain stat boost depending on the equipped mod. There’s also a new vehicle called the Tadpole which can be equipped with different chassis such as wings to go faster.

On the story side, we only got a small tease. The protagonist has arrived on the planet with no idea how they got there. There is also a failed human colony on the planet which you will learn what happened there which the developers called out to being similar to Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture. The protagonist also isn’t truly alone as they are accompanied by the AI Noah. However, Noah is only able to be interacted with while at your base. Thus, when you’re out exploring you are still all alone until you return. As of this moment, the game features more than ten biomes and will take 12-20 hours to complete what story there is in the game so far, but more story content will be added in the future.

Speaking of which, the developers stated the plan is to keep Subnautica 2 in Early Access for at least two years. During this period, they want to build the game alongside the fans and respond to feedback so that the game still appeals to both old and new players. The release cadence for the game will be big updates with smaller updates in between the big ones. With the game hitting Early Access at the same time on PC and console this time around, the developers did stress that that there will be parity between the two versions of the game meaning no base will have to wait for updates to come to their preferred platform at a later date. We also got to hear what the first few updates will entail. The first update is set to be a quality of life update which will add minor updates and additions like a sprint button. The second update will be a co-op centered one which will add proximity chat and emotes. After those, future updates will add new biomes, creatures, resources, and vehicles as well as adding more story content.

Overall, with the game just now out, there’s a ton of cool ideas the developers have in store for the game. They want Subnautica 2 to be more of what made fans fall in love with the first game but adding new fresh ideas to it. There are said to be a ton of winks and nods to the previous games, but anyone will be able to jump into Subnautica 2 and have a good time. The game in now available on PC and Xbox platforms in Early Access for $29.99.