Subnautica: Below Zero ▶ Trailer
Subnautica: Below Zero screenshot 1Subnautica: Below Zero screenshot 2
AdventureIndieOpen World Survival CraftSurvivalUnderwaterSingleplayerOpen World

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Subnautica: Below Zero Steam store

Game description

Dive into a freezing underwater adventure on an alien planet. Below Zero is set two years after the original Subnautica. Return to Planet 4546B to uncover the truth behind a deadly cover-up. Survive by building habitats, crafting tools, & diving deeper into the world of Subnautica.

Basic info

DeveloperUnknown Worlds Entertainment
PublisherUnknown Worlds Entertainment
PlatformsWindows · macOS
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateMay 13, 2021
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 7 64-bit
ProcessorIntel Core i3 4XXX series / AMD Ryzen 3 2.6ghz+
Memory8 GB
GraphicsIntel HD 530 or better
Storage15 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 438 reviews from the past 1 year

74.7/ 100
Bottom 40%

Steam rating: Very Positive (90%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 22, 2026)

A story driven return to an alien ocean, this time on an icy planet, Subnautica: Below Zero scores 74.7 across 438 analyzed reviews.

👍 Strengths

82 reviews enjoy it, and some say it improves on the formula with useful new features, though a few suggest buying on sale. 65 praise its visuals, and some single out the glowing biomes, dynamic weather and creature designs. Visuals & Sound ranks 647th of 1249. 64 love exploring its world, and some call the biomes dense and alive, with monsters that still feel scary. A few say a quick dive turns into hours lost underwater.

👎 Where it falls short

51 reviews criticize the story, and some find the plot scattered, the characters pointless or the PDA reading constant. Story & World ranks 933rd of 1096. 45 feel the content is too small, and some note a smaller map, fewer large creatures and fewer new tools. Content Volume ranks 1105th of 1351. 36 say exploration is confusing without clear guidance, and some got stuck not knowing where to go or where to find key blueprints. Gameplay ranks 1127th of 1396.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“enjoyed the game and hopes for a sequel” · 82 reviews
“new plants interesting, marine creatures amusing” · 65 reviews
“monsters are still scary and atmospheric” · 64 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 52% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Onboarding -1.85 · How easy it is to learn — tutorials and the first hours
Negative “removed navigation markers without providing logical clues, confusing exploration” · 36 reviews

Progression 13% · Difficulty 13% · Freedom 36% · Strategy 8% · Controls & feel 13%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 70% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

World +1.27 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “monsters are still scary and atmospheric” · 64 reviews
Negative “bland music and stale, forgettable experience compared to original” · 33 reviews

Story 51% · Characters 19%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 47% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Volume -1.14 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Negative “map is only 1/3 size of first game with fewer leviathans and no Cyclops” · 45 reviews

Variety 30% · Replayability 3%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 33% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +3.31 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “new plants interesting, marine creatures amusing” · 65 reviews
Negative “graphics became more cartoonish” · 2 reviews

Audio 14%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 4% of reviews mention this.

Playing together +1.13 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals

Community 0% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 11% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Balance -0.12 · Whether classes, weapons, and builds are evenly matched
Negative “ресурсов стало слишком много, редкость иных ресурсов увеличилась” · 2 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Pricing 7% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 11% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

Stability -0.10 · Crashes, freezes, save loss, and game-breaking bugs
Negative “game-breaking bugs like prawn falling through ground losing hours of gameplay” · 17 reviews
Positive “had way less issues with bugs than original Subnautica” · 1 review

Performance 2% · Developer support 4%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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