Subnautica mobile review - "A hypnotically beautiful survival gem"

• Engaging survival gameplay
• A breathtaking underwater environment
• Lack of guidance gives you freedom to play your way

Subnautica, the popular console and PC adventure focused on underwater exploration, has made its mobile debut. Taking place on a water-based alien planet, Subnautica tasks you with exploring the vast ocean world, as you scavenge for materials, survive encounters with wildlife, and craft the supplies you need to survive.

Survive on an Alien Planet in Subnautica

After crash-landing in an alien sea, you'll need to brave the deep waters, salvage materials, and craft much-needed supplies if you're going to survive. You wake up in your escape pod, which will be your base of operations. Your pod features a fabricator, which you'll use to craft your gear.

With a deep fear of drowning instilled in me by the early Tomb Raider, my first priority was maximising my air supply. However, this required me to brave the vast ocean.

One of the first things you’ll notice is how absolutely beautiful the alien world you landed on truly is. As you explore the vast depths of the oceans, you'll be charmed by the beautiful caverns and mysterious flora and fauna, both of which you’ll use to survive.

From the gorgeous creatures like the Reefback Leviathan to the Stalker, which looks like a cross between a crocodile and a shark, there are plenty of creatures for you to discover, scan, and use as ingredients. You'll also encounter plenty of flora, such as acid mushrooms and Creepvine seed clusters, which you can use to craft items like lubricant and silicone.

There's no Handholding in Subnautica

In Subnautica, you're really on your own. While you'll receive messages from the escape pod's computer, ultimately, what you choose to do and in what order is up to you. Yes, there is a story, but it never tells you what to do and doesn’t force you onto a linear path, so you can truly immerse yourself in this aquatic world.

You’ll begin with access to some crafting recipes. However, others you’ll gain access to via exploration or story progression. For instance, the blueprint for the radiation suit becomes available after a critical event.

You can also build a scanner that you can use to scan flora, fauna, and bits of broken items from your ship. Scanning enough pieces of a particular item will unlock its crafting recipe. From the Seaglide, which allows you to speed through the water, to the Laser Cutter, there's a tool or item to craft for all your survival needs.

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The controls are fairly simple. Use the virtual joystick to move around and the up and down arrows to move towards the surface or deeper into the depths of the watery abyss. Place your thumb on the right side of the screen to adjust the camera. The controls are very intuitive, which is always a plus, especially since traversing the sea can be disorienting until you craft a compass.

Subnautica Features a Game Mode for Players of Every Skill Level

Subnautica offers multiple modes with varying levels of realism. Survival mode requires you to craft food and water, keep on top of hunger and thirst, while also watching your air supply and keeping an eye on your health.

Freedom mode removes hunger and thirst, while creative mode disables death, food, pressure, and oxygen so you can explore at your leisure. Whether you’re a survival pro or venturing into the genre for the first time, there’s a mode to suit your skill level.

Autosave Freeze Glitch Brings Subnautica Down a Notch

My only qualm is that several times the save screen froze, forcing me to close the app and reload my save. This was especially annoying when losing a substantial amount of progress. Typically, this happens during autosaves rather than manual ones. However, you may have a better experience if you’re using a newer iPad or iPhone, as Subnautica is compatible with my iPad 10th generation, but only at low graphics settings.

Subnautica is a survival masterpiece that reminds you just how deep and dangerous an ocean can be. The lack of handholding lets you experience the world in your own way, at your own pace. Unlocking a new crafting recipe will give you a real thrill. 

With a multitude of underwater biomes to explore, each sporting breathtaking and sometimes aggressive creatures, you’ll feel a strange meld of serenity and tension as you explore. While the issue with the autosave freezing is annoying, the beautiful environments, intuitive controls, and engaging survival gameplay combine to make Subnautica a survival adventure worth diving into.