Most players will agree that Subnautics and the sequel Subnautics: below zero are not typical survival games. They blend the rich and unique environments of the ocean with the underlying fear of what lies deeper below. But unlike other survival games, Subnautics series comes as a single-player experience, which differs from much of the game industry embracing multiplayer or cooperative gameplay styles. Other games like Rapid or grounded that offer like-minded experiences may include multiplayer options, so the Subnautics series stands as an outlier compared to its competitors.
Not including the option of multiplayer, even if it would only be limited to a select number of players, brings more drawbacks than benefits and sets Subnautics back compared to other survival games. Even if the series stays strong with its latest Subnautics: below zero by changing things up from the original, developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment should start considering expanding Subnautics‘s horizons for future games. One of these improvements should be the addition of a co-op system, where players can invite friends to join them on their deep-sea adventures and build underwater bases together.
The reason why Co-Op isn’t in Subnautica yet
According to Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Subnautics was originally intended to have a multiplayer element, but this was cut to make the game faster. However, now that the games have become a success, it admits it is now in a difficult position: Unknown Worlds Entertainment would still like to add co-op or multiplayer, but to do so it would have to start all over again to game mechanics to fit. In fact, Unknown Worlds Entertainment suggested it might someday follow in Don’t starve together multiplayer by releasing an updated version of the game.
Basically, for the small developer, multiplayer or co-op modes are not a priority as it continues to work on, patch and update its games. However, this does not mean that players never get a chance to play Subnautics how it was originally intended, now that the modding community has come to the rescue. While not official, mods exist for it Subnautics introducing multiplayer capability, and while it’s prone to the odd glitch, it does demonstrate the franchise’s potential if it finally re-dedicates to a proper multiplayer mode.
Future Subnautica Multiplayer
Whether it’s in the future Subnautics games that will include a multiplayer mode will continue to rely on Unknown Worlds Entertainment, but given the level of work it’s stated would be needed to transform the current formula to fit, it doesn’t seem likely. However, the developer should at least appreciate the idea of working with Subnautics modding communities or even third parties to find a way to officially include a multiplayer mode as it could greatly benefit the game. This would not only lead to Subnautics ahead to match those of other survival games, but it would add a depth of new possibilities.
While it’s possible to argue that by focusing on single-player gameplay Subnautics is capable of delivering a polished narrative experience, other survival games have still achieved this while still featuring multiplayer and cooperative modes at the same time. For example, grounded is an excellent example of a survival game that can accommodate a wide range of players while living up to its story, especially when grounded is expected to be fully released later this month. Even when it comes to early access, building survival games from the ground up with multiplayer in mind works.
By allowing multiplayer or co-op modes in the future Subnautics games, players can be incentivized to play with friends as the gameplay experience is both shared and built upon. Even limiting this multiplayer to four players or less will be more than enough to encourage players to get more creative and involved in the game. For example, some players can delegate roles from gathering resources to building a base, while others can push for team expeditions diving into the depths of the oceans. For a single player, all the fun, work, discoveries, wins and losses in Subnautics are all limited to just one solitary experience, but multiplayer would allow for new shared adventures.
Subnautics: below zero is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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