Vortex Gaming

· The first Subnautica achieved great success not only because of its underwater theme but also due to the horror atmosphere it successfully built, differentiating it from other sea-themed games.
· Fear in games often stems from threats like sharks, but Subnautica 1 created horror through exploration of increasingly dark and mysterious depths, even without the presence of large predators.
· Biomes like the dark Lost River, filled with mysterious sounds, successfully instilled fear in players, an element deemed lacking in Subnautica: Below Zero.
· Subnautica: Below Zero was criticized for its overly bright atmosphere and less frightening biomes; even its Leviathan designs were considered less intimidating, resembling shrimp.
· Subnautica 2 is expected to bring back the sense of horror through dark biomes, threatening Leviathans with shaking effects, and an atmosphere in the trailer that begins in the deep sea darkness.

· Subnautica 1 successfully presented significant ocean depths, with players needing to reach 1000 meters to complete the story, offering a sense of exploration into mysterious areas like the lava zone.
· Conversely, Subnautica: Below Zero was criticized for its very shallow depths; even the Leviathan, the apex predator, lived at depths that should have been safe, making the exploration experience feel less impactful.
· The deepest point in Below Zero only reached 700 meters, and this area was depicted as bright and not very threatening, unlike Subnautica 1 which had real threats at depth, such as the Ghost Leviathan and Lava Lizard.
· Subnautica 2 is expected to offer significant depth again and very dark biomes, potentially being scarier than Subnautica 1.
· The Void depth in both games reaches 8,192 meters, but in Subnautica 1, this area felt empty except for the Apex Predator. The hope for Subnautica 2 is for content or story that makes exploring the Void more engaging.

· In Subnautica 1, Leviathans tended to stay within specific biomes and wouldn't follow players if they moved to other areas.
· It's hoped that in Subnautica 2, Leviathans can rotate and move to other biomes, even if they are not in their natural habitat.
· This will make players more cautious when exploring new areas and increase the sense of dread in the ocean.
· Subnautica should not only showcase the beauty of the ocean but also its dangerous side and the real pressure, which was successfully conveyed through the gameplay experience.

· The initial concept of a large ship for Subnautica: Below Zero was canceled, replaced by a simpler but less functional ship that was slow when equipped with many modules.
· The Cyclops ship in Subnautica 1 became iconic because it provided the experience of being a real ship captain, supported by the ship's internal sounds.
· Subnautica 2 is expected to bring back very large ships, even more than one design, considering the multiplayer feature supporting up to four players.

· The success of Subnautica 1 was greatly driven by its deep story, starting with the main character stranded on an alien planet and having to survive alien creatures.
· Players feel the devastation upon learning that no one survived the ship, or finding the last voice messages from victims before their deaths.
· The mystery of the Kara bacteria and the story of aliens arriving thousands of years ago added depth to the narrative, which could be missed if players didn't pay attention to PDA details or wait for the end credits.
· Subnautica 2 has already shown potential for a deep story through its early episodes depicting a world affected by the Kara bacteria and the last hope for saving it, as well as the story of 40,000 people trapped on a ship that sank on an alien planet.
· It's hoped that Subnautica 2 maintains the same story depth, perhaps even darker than its predecessor.

· Subnautica 2 is planned for release through early access, which is a positive aspect as Subnautica 1 was developed with community input over 4 years.
· The open feedback approach in Subnautica 1 made the game considered a masterpiece.
· Unfortunately, the early access for Subnautica: Below Zero felt shorter and didn't receive significant community input, resulting in a story that some players found lacking in depth.
· It's hoped that Subnautica 2 will re-implement the same open feedback system as Subnautica 1, allowing players to participate in the game's development.
· The Prawn Suit in Subnautica 1 was very agile and lightweight, even becoming a popular feature, whereas in Below Zero, the Prawn Suit felt slow and took a long time to descend to the seabed.
· It's hoped the Prawn Suit in Subnautica 2 will be easier to use.

· Subnautica 1 had a relatively small map size with a light download size, focusing on underwater exploration.
· Subnautica: Below Zero added a considerable amount of land, but Subnautica as a main franchise focuses on the underwater world.
· With Subnautica 2's download size reaching 50 GB, it's expected that the game will feature a very large map with many diverse underwater biomes to explore.

· The biggest hope is that Subnautica 2 will not be rushed in its development, even if it means waiting 3 years for a full release.
· It's important that the game isn't released in an unfinished state, as some players felt with Subnautica: Below Zero.
· During the early access period, developers are expected to consistently listen to community feedback and be open to criticism, just as happened with Subnautica 1.
· The return of the core development team is expected to bring Subnautica 2 back to life and receive full support from players.