Subnautica 2 Early Access First Impressions: A Gorgeous Dive That Needs More Depth

After years of waiting, Unknown Worlds has finally pulled back the curtain on Subnautica 2, dropping it into Early Access. Packing a massive engine upgrade and some heavy mechanical shifts, the game makes one hell of a first impression. But once the initial awe wears off, the reality of a launch-week Early Access title sets in.

I’ve spent the last several days diving deep into the new alien ocean. Here is our honest take on what works, what doesn’t, and why you might want to bring a friend along for the dive.

The Good: A Visual Masterpiece with Killer Controls

Let’s start with the obvious: the graphics are absolutely stunning.

Moving to a new engine has given the game a level of realism that breathes terrifying life into the ocean. The way light filters through the water, the terrifying realism of the deep trenches, and the sheer detail on the alien wildlife make it easily one of the most visually amazing games of the year.

Thankfully, the game doesn’t just look good—it feels good, too. The controls are great and incredibly easy to use, whether you are navigating a tight underwater cave or scrambling away from a predator.

Unknown Worlds also nailed the pacing of the core gameplay loop. Building in this game is remarkably easy and intuitive. The progression flows naturally: as you push forward into the story, you constantly unlock new blueprints, discover fresh materials on the ocean floor, and use them to craft your next major base upgrade, vehicle component, or survival tool. Speaking of the story, the narrative concept is very good. It hooks you early, keeps you intrigued, and genuinely makes you want to keep pushing into the depths to learn more about what’s actually going on.

And yes, the jump scares are back. Getting completely blindsided by the new Leviathan Squid is equal parts terrifying and hilarious, proving the developers still know exactly how to mess with the player’s heart rate.

The Disappointing: One Ride and No Defense

However, once you get past the initial “wow” factor of the visuals and the story hook, Subnautica 2’s current Early Access limitations start to show.

The biggest letdown right now? The vehicle situation. For a game all about deep-sea exploration, discovering that you only have access to one single vehicle is incredibly disappointing. Half the fun of the original games was upgrading from a nimble scout sub to a massive, walking Prawn Suit or a mobile base. Right now, that variety just isn’t there, and we seriously hope the developers plan to add a much larger fleet of vehicles as development continues.

Then there is the combat—or lack thereof. Just like its predecessors, you cannot hurt or kill anything in this game. You are strictly a pacifist scientist. The catch? The local wildlife can absolutely kill you. While this creates great tension early on, it can occasionally feel frustrating when you just want to scan a fragment but have zero ways to defend your territory or fight back against aggressive predators.

The Verdict: Bring a Buddy or Wait

The biggest hurdle Subnautica 2 faces right now is longevity for solo players. Without another player, the game gets boring real quick.

Because the game is explicitly built with co-op in mind, exploring the massive, quiet ocean completely by yourself can quickly turn from “atmospheric” to “lonely and repetitive” once the main story loop slows down.

At the end of the day, the game simply isn’t finished. There is a fantastic foundation here, the building is top-tier, and the world is beautiful, but there is still a massive amount of content that needs to be added to the game to give it true staying power.

Boss Rating: 8/10 (For Now)

• The Verdict: If you have a dedicated co-op partner and love the lore, dive in now to see the stunning new world. If you play strictly solo, you might want to wait a few patches until they add more vehicles and flesh out the endgame.

Here is a video of my latest adventure on the game..