Dear Readers,
Today, I want to tell you about a game I played over the holidays called Subnautica. Available on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, MacOS, and Windows, Subnautica is a game that takes the player into the sea of an alien planet.
Subnautica
Learn more at: http://subnauticagame.com
The story begins with the player waking aboard a lifeboat floating in the middle of the ocean. Dazed and confused, he turns to the onboard radio, where a recorded message awaits. You soon discover that the spaceship you were on suffered an unknown catastrophe, causing it to crash in the ocean of an alien world. Armed with only the most basic swim gear, you venture out of the lifeboat and into the shallows in search of the raw materials you will need to survive.
As you swim further and further away from your lifeboat, you discover that the lifeforms on this planet are far from friendly. It becomes necessary to build a habitat using your handy hab-building-laser gun thing. Man, I wish that was a real thing. The first time I discovered the mushroom caves, I was in awe. The caves are dark but illuminated by the soft glow of jellyfish-like mushrooms. It is a beautiful sight! This is one of those games where, as you explore more and more of your environment, you discover beautiful landscapes (or, in this case, seascapes). Playing Subnautica has re-ignited in me the desire to populate the fish tank that my wife gave to me for my birthday (Christmas?) several years ago.
Tangent: I should explain about the fish tank. Several years ago, I expressed a desire to set up a fish tank – a big one. My wife kindly purchased me a 10-gallon tank and the basics to get it going. All I needed was water and fish. Sounds doable, right? Well, little did she know, but I had already committed to reading this book that I have about fish tanks before setting it up. If I’m being completely honest, I was hoping for a bigger tank and was disappointed that the tank I received was only a 10-gallon tank. I know, I’m being childish. My attitude is a work in progress.
It’s a game not meant to be horrifying, but it is horrifying.
– Kaleb Sheley
One of the best things about playing Subnautica is that one moment, you can enjoy a peaceful swim, and the next moment you are swimming for your life as an enormous creature chases you into a deep, dark trench. In various locations around the map, you encounter leviathan-class creatures. They are big, they are mean, and they want to eat you.
The storyline is enjoyable too. As you explore, bits and pieces of story are revealed to you. Some take the form of radio transmissions from other escape pods. Others are written journal entries from the members of an exploration team that became stranded on this planet at some point in the past. Their journal entries give you clues about other base locations and artifacts that you can explore.
I don’t spend much time playing games, so when I do, the game has to really capture my attention. Subnautica has hit the mark for me. It’s a beautiful game with an engaging storyline. You can adjust the game’s difficulty by having your character experience hunger. Typically, I choose to turn this option off since it takes plenty of effort to make sure I don’t run out of oxygen without worrying about running out of food. Turning that feature on adds a layer of complexity to the game that some will find satisfying.
Speaking of satisfying… Remember the handy hab-building-laser gun thing I mentioned? Nothing is more satisfying that building your own epic underwater base. Start with a small, general-purpose habitat, and it won’t be long before you build your first moonpool so that you can dock and modify your Seamoth. You can build in the shallows where it’s safe, or you can build your base on the edge of a precipice where you’ll have easy access to rich resources of the depths. You might even choose to build multiple habitats so that you’ve always got a base nearby, no matter where you are on the map.
I would love to say, “Don’t be afraid to dive deep.” But you need to be afraid. Very afraid. Dangers and challenges increase the deeper you go, but you know what they say: “No risk, no reward.”
There’s a lot more that could be said about this game, but hopefully, the little bit I’ve given you has piqued your interest. I definitely recommend that you get a copy of this game and dive as deep as you can.
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It’s March, and Spring is just around the corner.
In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to get the garden started, and the bicycle tires aired up. The gloom of winter will soon pass, and the sun will be our companion. What is one thing you will do this year to make this your best summer yet? Share your ideas in the comments.
The Nutcracker Trilogy
I will continue to shamelessly promote these books because I’m so excited about being a small part of Drosselmeyer’s journey. If you’re new here, let me encourage you to check out The Nutcracker Trilogy by Paul Thompson. All three books are available in print and as e-books. Books one and two are available as audiobooks, narrated by yours truly. Click the links below to explore.
Oh, and it doesn’t have to be Christmas for you to enjoy these stories (just like it doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy Harry Potter).
Apple Books / Apple Audiobooks / Amazon / Audible
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David Sheley 