In the video game industry, there is perhaps no genre as overdone as the survival simulator. Originally made famous by zombie survival mod DayZ for military simulator Arma 2 in 2013, the survival genre has since seen dozens of similarly designed games released by small independent studios, and, while none have yet reached the same rabid popularity that gripped DayZ, they nonetheless tend to share a few characteristics.
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The most common trait is the tendency to release the title before it's complete in an "early access" form; players can (and probably will) buy the title at a reduced price than what it'll likely cost by release, and in exchange have guaranteed free updates while it's developed. The idea is that development teams can receive the monetary support they need to finish the product, all while receiving feedback by a swarm of enthusiastic play-testers.
The reality, of course, is that almost none of these titles are ever finished. Or, at least, that's the trend.
Every now and then however, a real gem will be found amongst the coals. Such is the case with aquatic survival game Subnautica, which has seemingly raised the bar for fans of the genre. The game takes place (you guessed it) almost entirely underwater, where a massive adventure of beautiful scenery, thrilling adventure, and dangerous marine life awaits.
Unknown Worlds, the development team behind Subnautica, released a major update for the title this past Thursday. Dubbed "Silent Running," the update largely focuses on revamping the Cyclops submersible while including a variety of improvements to the rest of the gameplay.
Check out the trailer below:
Aside from the immersive stealth feature, a number of new mechanics have been added to Subnautica. Among the most noteworthy are the additions of terrain scanning sonar, a personal shield, and a fire suppression system for the player's ship. While seemingly minor, these kind of improvements can take upwards of several months to properly implement for a small studio, depending on the scale of their project.
Other new features include:
- An interactive, dynamic holographic image of the ship that displays its status in real time.
- A radar-like HUD element that uses sonar to alert the player to nearby creatures.
- Decoys that can be used to distract dangerous submarine life just long enough for the player to escape.
- A newly redesigned damage system for the Cyclops. Now players will be forced to extinguish fires, make repairs, and, if necessary, abandon their submersible on the fly.
For an extensive list of all the changes, read the patch notes on Unknown Worlds' update page.
Interested in Subnautica? Check out the game's official website for pricing, forums, and regular news from the developers.
