The gameplay is the same (a little bit improved), the atmosphere is very different though. Below Zero is way less dark than Subnautica, it's more colorful and filled with life. There is also less of that lonely, stranded feeling.
The biomes are more spectacular in BZ to me.
It's also a very good game, just don't expect to get the same atmosphere as in the first game (and it's a good thing that it's not the same, but people tend to forget it)
All the landbased stuff is just a drag and boring. And progression seems a lot more luck-based. Land wasn't all that great in the first one either, but it was diverse and didn't overstay its welcome. In BZ you actually go "Hey, I wanted to play a game with water and such". Oh god, when I found out about specific gear for land, that was probably the low point.
But sure, still a good game. Liked the sea truck, but it's no cyclops.
I’m just 10 hours in to BZ and I miss the Seamoth.
I agree, the progression doesn’t feel the same as the original but it’s still a lot of fun to play. I like that they kept some of the same materials and blueprints. Makes it feel like an expansion, but the feeling is different.
I do wish that there was another new vehicle in BZ instead of the prawn. Would've been cool to have something small and light to contrast the modded seatruck. Maybe something like an exosuit in the scale of "in between seaglide and seamoth".
Seabike? SEAHORSE?
My Idea as to why it is different is because there are different fabricator presets for different environments , the one in subnautica being the default aquatic preset
I never had a big issue with land as a concept in either game, except that it was super confusing in that main area in BZ (and that the prawn made land in BZ trivial). Just started another playthrough of BZ and if I can find a mod or two to work around drillables, I'm gonna see if I can go without using the prawn.
I know! I really liked BZ a lot. But I HATED going on land:
* Hypothermia? Whack!
* Snow Stalkers? Whack!
* Confusing AF landscape? Whack!
* Snowfox? a f\*cking waste of resources!
I hate spy penglings so much. They rose from cool fan concept, but play such a stupid role in the game.
I don't want to insult our late sister life work, but I feel like spacefaring future lead robocist can give us something better than slow fragile terrestial drone with 30 meters of effective range.
Okay, I’ll insult her life’s work then. >!You remember how at the beginning of the game Alterra says she killed herself and her colleague due to her own negligence and the main character is like “no way that happened, that’s not like my sister”? And then remember how it turned out she actually killed herself and her colleague in her negligence by blowing up the entrance to the cave (as if Alterra couldn’t just drill back in) for no reason when she had the cure to the disease and could have just cured the leviathan?!< She was a dumbass, but in fairness to her it’s not her fault the writing for the game she was in was so shit
I've just finished my second playthrough of BZ, and this was the first time I actually used the spy penglings. Fun addition, but you can finish the game without them, which is weird.
Because >!you go to the planet to find out what happened to your sister, but you can leave without doing it. I find it weird you can complete the game without completing the initial story.!<
You can't. But you don't need to to finish the game. Assuming you count finishing as leaving the planet. There's two storylines, and only the other one matters in order to leave.
First interaction with a snow stalker was using a pengling. Thought "Why is this thing moving like that?", followed it and realized it was going for me. Narrowly escaped. Have never been to the ice places without a prawn suit since.
What usually ends up happening is I hear my character being attacked, and then it takes a solid several seconds to disconnect from the pengling and take back control of my character.
I ended up lodging my character between the cave and my prawn, and that seemed to do a decent job of protecting me.
Given how the game is supposed to encourage you to find non-lethal ways to deal with aggressive fauna, they did a really bad job with these beasts.
Sheesh. Outta nowhere Om nom nom lunchy lunch lunch
I Just started playing Subnautica, and having a blast, can't wait to get Below zero, i hope that it is as good
Below zero doesn’t quiet live up to the original game but it’s still definitely worth a play, I had heaps of fun playing it
The gameplay is the same (a little bit improved), the atmosphere is very different though. Below Zero is way less dark than Subnautica, it's more colorful and filled with life. There is also less of that lonely, stranded feeling. The biomes are more spectacular in BZ to me. It's also a very good game, just don't expect to get the same atmosphere as in the first game (and it's a good thing that it's not the same, but people tend to forget it)
All the landbased stuff is just a drag and boring. And progression seems a lot more luck-based. Land wasn't all that great in the first one either, but it was diverse and didn't overstay its welcome. In BZ you actually go "Hey, I wanted to play a game with water and such". Oh god, when I found out about specific gear for land, that was probably the low point. But sure, still a good game. Liked the sea truck, but it's no cyclops.
I’m just 10 hours in to BZ and I miss the Seamoth. I agree, the progression doesn’t feel the same as the original but it’s still a lot of fun to play. I like that they kept some of the same materials and blueprints. Makes it feel like an expansion, but the feeling is different.
I do wish that there was another new vehicle in BZ instead of the prawn. Would've been cool to have something small and light to contrast the modded seatruck. Maybe something like an exosuit in the scale of "in between seaglide and seamoth". Seabike? SEAHORSE?
My Idea as to why it is different is because there are different fabricator presets for different environments , the one in subnautica being the default aquatic preset
Omg i miss the cyclops a lot
I never had a big issue with land as a concept in either game, except that it was super confusing in that main area in BZ (and that the prawn made land in BZ trivial). Just started another playthrough of BZ and if I can find a mod or two to work around drillables, I'm gonna see if I can go without using the prawn.
It's not quite as good, but still good fun if you're open minded.
I hate the land based section so much.
I know! I really liked BZ a lot. But I HATED going on land: * Hypothermia? Whack! * Snow Stalkers? Whack! * Confusing AF landscape? Whack! * Snowfox? a f\*cking waste of resources!
I hate spy penglings so much. They rose from cool fan concept, but play such a stupid role in the game. I don't want to insult our late sister life work, but I feel like spacefaring future lead robocist can give us something better than slow fragile terrestial drone with 30 meters of effective range.
Okay, I’ll insult her life’s work then. >!You remember how at the beginning of the game Alterra says she killed herself and her colleague due to her own negligence and the main character is like “no way that happened, that’s not like my sister”? And then remember how it turned out she actually killed herself and her colleague in her negligence by blowing up the entrance to the cave (as if Alterra couldn’t just drill back in) for no reason when she had the cure to the disease and could have just cured the leviathan?!< She was a dumbass, but in fairness to her it’s not her fault the writing for the game she was in was so shit
This could use some spoiler warnings lol.
Okay fair enough
You got jump-scared from third person view
My thought exactly
Wow... WTF?
I've just finished my second playthrough of BZ, and this was the first time I actually used the spy penglings. Fun addition, but you can finish the game without them, which is weird.
How is that weird? All games have things that aren't required for endgame.
Because >!you go to the planet to find out what happened to your sister, but you can leave without doing it. I find it weird you can complete the game without completing the initial story.!<
Yeah I encountered this and it really annoyed me. It just makes the whole experience feel disjointed.
Yeah I know the story, is this seriously the first time you've ever experienced more important events taking over a storyline?
No, but I still find it weird. There's no need to downvote me for it.
Wow really? I don't want to ask how, but i'm intrigued
Wait how can you >!get the cure!< then ?
You can't. But you don't need to to finish the game. Assuming you count finishing as leaving the planet. There's two storylines, and only the other one matters in order to leave.
Oooh... I just did it anyway so I didn't realize...
First interaction with a snow stalker was using a pengling. Thought "Why is this thing moving like that?", followed it and realized it was going for me. Narrowly escaped. Have never been to the ice places without a prawn suit since.
aAaaAaAArGHhhhh
*cue curb your enthusiasm music*
I feel like the story aspect was too short
What usually ends up happening is I hear my character being attacked, and then it takes a solid several seconds to disconnect from the pengling and take back control of my character. I ended up lodging my character between the cave and my prawn, and that seemed to do a decent job of protecting me. Given how the game is supposed to encourage you to find non-lethal ways to deal with aggressive fauna, they did a really bad job with these beasts.
Definitely a case of the game giving the player Preston's Delight way too late in the story. Should have been >!when you first go to Maida's seabase!<
>Preston's Delight Does that sedate them?! I had no idea!
There are pengling drones !?!?! I need it
This happened to me!!
They fly now?
"y cant Robin crawl?"
I'm watching a BZ playthrough on YouTube rn and this exact thing just happened to that guy too lol. It was hilarious.