Subnautica is one of the most beloved games around. It’s an open-world ocean adventure where you have to do your business underwater. People with Thalassophobia may hate this game, but what people hate is that it can be confusing.
The Basics
Here are the things you need to do before you even progress in the game.
Survive
There are four things you need to watch out for in the game. These are your HEALTH, HUNGER, THIRST, and OXYGEN bars. Health is lost when you get attacked by the sea creatures or the environment. Hunger and thirst mean that you have to eat and drink something (both bars require one of each). Finally, Oxygen only runs out when you go deeper. If your hunger, thirst, and oxygen run out, that damages your health. So make sure that you keep your health up.
Crafting
Exploration is key to everything, with the things you find underwater. You will be able to gather some resources that are essential for your crafting game. You need to craft items and equipment that will allow you to progress through the story. Think of it as a restriction, so if you’re not ready yet, then the game locks you in place.
How to Progress the Story
This is the part where most people don’t know what to do. You can explore the ocean, survive, and craft, but how do you really beat the game? Don’t worry, we won’t be spoiling too much of the game, just a general guide on what you need to do.
Following Radio Signals
As you repair your life pod’s communication system, you’ll start receiving distress calls from other lifepods. These radio messages are one of the main ways the story unfolds early on. Each signal leads you to a new location, often containing logs, blueprints, or clues about what happened to other survivors. Visiting these lifepods expands the narrative and nudges you toward deeper and more dangerous parts of the ocean.
Accessing Different Biomes
Progress in the story is directly tied to how deep you are willing and able to go. As you upgrade your equipment and vehicles, you gain access to deeper biomes where more important story elements are hidden. These areas contain alien structures, wrecks, and data terminals that reveal the planet’s secrets. The deeper you explore, the more the mystery of the planet and your situation becomes clear.
Alien Structures
Eventually, exploration leads you to massive alien installations built by an unknown civilization. These structures are critical to the main story, as they explain the infection affecting the planet and why you cannot leave. Interacting with these facilities unlocks major plot points and introduces new objectives that guide your next steps.
In Closing
That’s all we’re going to divulge now, because we’ll just be spoiling the story. To summarize, follow or read the data that will get you those radio signals. Go to where the signals are telling you, which will then lead to points of interest and then those alien structures. From there on out, you can figure out things for yourself until the endgame kicks in.
