Anthony Lead:We're aiming for Subnautica 2 to be accessible to newcomers. Of course, familiar elements from the previous games will make an appearance. The mega-corporation Alterra is back, and many crafting items will feel similar. However, narratively, it's a separate story from 'Subnautica: Below Zero' and the original 'Subnautica'. Certain events or established lore from the previous games will appear as callbacks. You can enjoy it without prior knowledge, but having it will certainly enrich the experience.

Anthony Lead:There are callbacks to those characters and their impact on Subnautica 2 within the story. However, the focus is on new individuals. While names like Ryley might be mentioned, they won't directly appear. If you've seen the 'Voices from the Void' video series, you'll find explanations of how characters like Kara and Ryley, and events from the original game, tie into Subnautica 2. It's more about the refugees who had to leave due to the chaos caused by the Kara incident. We haven't forgotten the narrative threads, even if we're not bringing back the characters themselves.

Anthony Lead:Maintaining that 'same series' feel is important; core survival elements like oxygen management and world exploration remain. The differentiators lie in the new world, new creatures and alien species, and the story and mysteries to unravel. There are also gameplay elements not shown in the trailer. The Bio-Mod system is one such example, a supplementary progression system allowing players to inject active and passive abilities into their bodies. We also have upgrade tools for players to utilise over time. The key is not to drastically alter the game, but rather to layer progression onto the existing gameplay.

Scott Media Producer:The enhancements to creature AI and the environmental system are significant. You'll see creatures interacting with each other in much deeper ways. While impossible with the previous engine, Unreal Engine 5 allows for interactions that truly make the planet feel alive.

Anthony Lead:There's an area near the end of the Early Access content that truly reveals the essence of this world. It's currently the deepest part of the game, featuring incredibly dramatic moments. It's a challenge to describe without spoilers, but I'll just say it's a region with 'magnificent architecture.'

Scott Media Producer:I'm particularly proud of the handling of the Tadpole. The Seamoth was beloved by fans in the first game, and with the new Tadpole, we've not only recreated that feel but elevated it beyond the original Seamoth with additional chassis. It's common for sequels to receive comments about not feeling the same, but this time, we've got that authentic feel down pat.

Anthony Lead:Our vehicle design philosophy leans towards the original game's approach. While you'll eventually acquire a large, efficient vehicle late-game, its size will necessitate deploying smaller vehicles from certain points. Even those smaller vehicles might not reach certain areas, requiring you to disembark, scan, and gather resources manually. Even with the safety a larger vehicle provides, we want to put players in situations where they still feel vulnerable.

This is well-represented in the Tadpole's handling. The Tadpole serves as your first submersible and a safety net, with its chassis attachments granting distinct personalities. The base Tadpole, the Scout Ray wings, and the Hull variant shown in the trailer all offer different experiences. The Hull, with its added multiplayer and storage functions, feels very much like a delivery truck. We're also working on a mech suit similar to the Prawn Suit from the previous game, and a full-fledged version of the massive Cyclops-class submarine.

Anthony Lead:It offers significantly more freedom than the previous titles. In the past, we connected pre-fabricated shapes. Now, you can pull and stretch parts to create dynamic forms. We anticipate players creating bases that aren't necessarily practical. We want players to express themselves freely, to build something that excites them through the act of construction itself. You can even customise window shapes, which alters how light enters the building. We've applied the pull-and-push system to corridors as well. In the future, you might be able to stretch sofas into desired shapes.

Scott Media Producer:I particularly want to highlight the windows. You can create porthole-style windows or expansive picture windows as you please. I'm eager for players to see the light streaming into their bases through these custom windows.

Anthony Lead:We plan to add more Leviathans throughout Early Access. At launch, there will be five species. Two of these are aggressive, similar to the Sea Dragon or Reaper. One is the Collector, an octopus-like creature that pursues players. The Seaver Leviathan is akin to the Void Leviathan. There's also a colossal Coral Crab and a massive clam known as the Great Jaw. We also have the Deepwing Brooder, a species yet to be revealed. We have aggressive species, docile ones, and everything in between.

Anthony Lead:We intend to include something similar. We haven't decided whether it will be a tamable creature or a robotic companion, but it's something we want to implement. We want to provide players who desire a companion for their journeys with one. However, it should be optional. A key aspect of creature design is the blend of realistic fauna with cute and quirky beings.

Scott Media Producer:I think the reason people loved the original Hoverfish was that it was cute and also minding its own business. We have a similar creature: a small crab that wanders around anemones. It'll briefly glance at you before going about its day.

Anthony Lead:Multiplayer was something the team wanted to implement even back in the original game's development, but we ultimately decided against it. However, when developing the sequel, we reviewed a great deal of fan feedback, and multiplayer was a significant request. The original game had an online multiplayer mod called 'Nitrox' which garnered over 700,000 downloads.

Regarding the isolation and horror, I want to emphasize that multiplayer is not mandatory. Cooperation is an option, and this game remains a single-player experience with optional co-op. Even when venturing into the deep together, with a maximum of three other players, the sense of isolation can still be felt.

Scott Media Producer:In our testing, we found that experiencing horror together is also possible. It's akin to watching a horror movie in a cinema. You can feel the same fear in Subnautica 2's co-op play. When a Collector Leviathan is chasing you, or when you're being pursued in a dark, foggy area, you can share that sense of dread.

Anthony Lead:The graphical fidelity won't diminish the horror. Realistic lighting actually enhances the sense of darkness in certain areas, reminiscent of the original. Furthermore, the volumetric 3D fog effect maintains a short draw distance, creating that submerged feeling. In reality, when you're in the ocean, you can only see about 20 meters ahead; this limited visual information naturally breeds fear. Story-wise, there will be elements of psychological horror as players uncover what happened on the colony.

Anthony Lead:We're aiming to provide breathing room between biomes. While some areas will be contiguous like in 'Subnautica: Below Zero', we'll also have separated biomes similar to the original. We are aware of the navigation issues. It's important to provide just enough guidance so that players feel they are the ones making decisions and discoveries.

Scott Media Producer:Responding to the criticism that the map felt too condensed, we're creating a better map for Subnautica 2. We'll have sprawling areas, ensuring not everything is crammed into one place.

Anthony Lead:Our target experience is closer to the original game. In terms of lighting, creatures, and the flow of progression, the original serves as our benchmark. While the Steam reviews were positive, we acknowledge that there was valid criticism. We're using the original as our standard, but we aim to retain the quality-of-life features introduced in 'Subnautica: Below Zero'. We believe the pacing issues, which were pointed out, stemmed from how the character communicated with the player. We're returning to a narrative where players discover things for themselves.

Scott Media Producer:We've been conducting tests with fans who have deeply enjoyed the series and have made adjustments based on their feedback. Because we've been listening to fan voices from early on, we believe it's improved by the time of launch.

Anthony Lead:We're confident in the core gameplay systems. However, aspects like story pacing and level design are areas that benefit immensely from player feedback during development. Receiving feedback from a larger audience in a live environment is the foundation for all games. The story itself has been rewritten. You'll witness the game evolve in real-time.

Scott Media Producer:Before joining the studio, I was a fan myself. Embarking on the Early Access journey together means the community's heart is woven into the game.

Anthony Lead:We can quantify this by average playtime. For the Early Access launch, most players will spend around 20 hours to complete the available content, depending on how much they explore and collect creature data. For developers aiming for speedruns, the fastest clear time is 7 hours. Subnautica 2 will be a longer and larger game than anything we've created before.

Anthony Lead:It's a great fortune to have people interested in the game and talking about it. We're grateful to all our Asian fans. We hope your voices are heard throughout this open development process.

Scott Media Producer:Once Early Access is live, we hope everyone will send us their feedback. We're always eager to hear your voices.