I picked up Subnautica back in 2018 on a bit of a whim. It had a lot of praise around it, and I’ve always had a soft spot for underwater levels in games, even though I’ve got a pretty real fear of deep water.

The opening pulled me in straight away. You plunge into the ocean and land in a shallow area filled with alien sea life and bright, saturated coral. The music does a lot of the work in setting the tone, and for a while I was completely in I spent around 10 hours there, exploring, upgrading my gear, getting comfortable.

I remember heading towards the huge crashed ship, getting closer than I probably should have, and then running into the Leviathan. That was it. I stopped playing not long after.

Eight years later, the reveal of the second game pulled me back in. Even in early access, it felt familiar, but better in ways that were immediately noticeable. The lighting especially stood out, everything felt more alive.

This time, I pushed further. After spending a while in the shallows again and getting better ways to move around, I finally stepped outside that comfort zone. I headed toward one of the largest creatures in the game, the Collector. I stayed close to the ground as the music shifted, moving between cover, one column to the next, until I realised I’d made it through.

On the other side was a completely new area, surrounded by this massive alien structure that made the world feel even bigger than before. That was the moment it really clicked.

About 30 hours in, I felt different playing it. I’d learned how the creatures moved and how to avoid them. I got deep into the base building, which is surprisingly intuitive and easy to lose time in. I ended up finishing the early access story and finding every blueprint currently available.

Somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling intimidating and became something I actually wanted to return to. It turned into a space I was comfortable in.

I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.