All Around Pennsauken

By Rachael Shugars, AAP Columnist

If you enjoy open world adventure survival games then the game I recently reviewed is just for you. Set in the oceans of another planet far, far away from the safety of Earth exists the water world of Subnautica. You play a lone survivor (or are you?) of a huge crash caused by these mysterious energy pulses of the space ship, Aurora, that lands you on the water covered surface of an unknown and completely unexplored planet.

Developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment and release in 2018 for most gaming platforms (I played on my PS4) this single-player survival game takes a short time to get your bearings. After the cinematic intro that sets the story for you, you are left to gather what you can and gain what information you can via a tiny survival pod left floating near the crash site.  You get basic tools and equipment to use to navigate your surroundings. I have to say, those surroundings are beautiful, if not also a bit terrifying.

Without giving too much away about the game I say that the missions and story line are pretty decent and tasks are tough. My suggestion for anyone new to survival games in general OR new to this game specifically, give the free play mode a try first. After trying a nearly dying way too many times on the normal mode I tried the free play mode which gives you unlimited everything and you can’t die. With this mode I was able to get through the story line a bit better without fearing that I would run out of air or get eaten by aaa…. anyways. This mode helped me understand how to operate all of the machinery you have and build the tings you need. It also let me take a tour of the ocean and see all of the amazing creature that designers Cory Strader, Brian Cummings, and Scott MacDonald, along with their teams, could think up.

This game is fun, tricky at times, generally family-friendly and free if you check PS4 shops. Some of the downsides are the general vastness of the world itself. I feel like you could travel a million meters in any direction all for nothing if you wanted to which can be a bit overwhelming. It’s also scary enough, at times, that smaller children might never want to go in the ocean again. My son is 5 and loved the creatures of the deep BUT insisted that I play the entire time as he wasn’t quite brave enough to go into the darker areas you need to explore to progress.

Subnautica has gained such underground popularity, having sold over 5 million copies, that a second game was developed and released in May of this year called Subnautica: Below Zero. Apparently, the monsters in this version or even more fantastical and, though I haven’t played it yet, I anticipate this being just as visually satisfying as it’s predecessor. PC Gamer has reviews Subnautica as an, “underwater Minecraft.”. It also won awards in 2018 from the Golden Joystick Awards for Breakthrough Award, PC Game of the Year, and the Gamers’ Choice Awards for Fan Favorite Indie Game. I think this game is worth playing and has the potential to consume a few hours or your time. Head to my Facebook page AAP Game Adventures and let me know if you give this game a try. Tell me what you think and always enjoy your Game Adventures.