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Subnautica: Below Zero has left early access

Time to talk about the birds and the freeze

A beautiful undersea scene seen through googles in a Subnautica: Below Zero screenshot.

If you've been waiting patiently for Subnautica: Below Zero to leave its early access adventure, then I have some good news for you: the icy explore-a-thon launched in full today. Set two years after the events of the first Subnautica, Below Zero plunges you into a frostbitten new region with new creatures to discover - such as terrifying penguins with beaks atop their heads.

Below Zero takes place on the same planet as the first game, but you play as a new scientist swapping out the tropical waters for a much chillier climate. Unsurprisingly, your arrival to this frosty area is met with disaster, and you'll need to craft and build to survive.

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If you're looking to take your first leap into Subnautica, Brendy reckons the first game is a better starting point. Below Zero is still fab though, and he'd rather you play this one than not play any Subnautica at all.

"It's another superb explorer's game," he writes in his Subnautica: Below Zero review. "If you like looking behind waterfalls, try these frozen cascades. As an insufferable manager of a futuristic corporation might say: Come on, are you a subnautican or a subnautican't?"

I haven't tried any of the Subnauticas myself, mostly because I'm a giant wuss. I'm intrigued by the ocean, just less intrigued by the terrors within it. If I could drag my pals down with me to bear the brunt of the scariness that'd be a different story, but there's no multiplayer. It's not like I could just chill out safely on the land either, look at how many teeth Below Zero's Snowfox has!

For braver players than I, Subnautica: Below Zero is out of early access, and available right now on Steam and the Epic Games Store for £25/€30/$30.

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Imogen Beckhelling avatar
Imogen Beckhelling: Imogen is a lore enthusiast and lover of all the fun shenanigans game communities get up to. She spends too much time playing Overwatch, and not enough time having interests that aren't to do with video games.
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In this article

Subnautica

PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch

Subnautica: Below Zero

PS4, Xbox One, PC

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