Subnautica 2, like its predecessors, has a strong theme of pacifism running through it. Rather than killing aggressive fish, the game instead provides tools for players to avoid or distract creatures to save their own hides. Now that the Unknown Worlds’ controversial sequel has launched, however, this dedication to non-violence has proven frustrating to a subset of the community.
Taking a brief look at community hubs shows a clash between developer intent and player demand at large. Take this post on the Subnautica 2 Subreddit, in which user TraditionalPhysical638 wrote about how they missed being able to defend themselves (something they believe was more than possible in the original game).
“I’m loving the game so far, everything is amazing. I have one issue that’s really putting me off. I can’t do anything to defend myself,” wrote TraditionalPhysical638. “I understand they don’t want us killing leviathans and that’s fine, but can I please kill a fish? Can I use the multitool to smack something to get it off me?
“The first game did a great job at making you feel vulnerable but you could still defend yourself. Maybe in future updates they will add a knife or support mods, but it’s just off putting I can ram into a tiny fish full tilt in a tadpole and I’m the one who gets slowed down.”
They are not alone in this stance. National-Park1154 echoed the sentiment, writing: “They stated that “if you want to kill things go play Sons of the Forest”. Which is dumb. You’re gonna eat fish, why is it forbidden to smack them if they get too close? It just sounds dumb as an argument. I understand their sentiment but come on.”
These players aren’t just complaining for the sake of it; they’re backing up their issues with valid examples from previous games. In the original Subnautica, players could use the stasis rifle alongside other gadgets to kill aggressive leviathans. In the frigid follow-up Subnautica: Below Zero, this option was removed, forcing players to find alternative ways to deal with major threats.
The lack of violence isn’t just a Redditor problem, either. Taking a look at the Subnautica Discord server, user Matt broke it down as such: “You are now at the mercy of whatever evasion tech or equipment the developers add to the game to escape even the smallest of predators. While I understand the game JUST opened to EA, flares being your only option early-game is insane, especially since they take up inventory space. Again, the world is crawling with things that want to kill us, but the developers have left us at the mercy of a dash biomod and flares? Players aren’t asking for a whole arsenal or ways to just purge the ocean of life. I just want to be able to thwack nibblers over the head with the axe or ram fish out of the way with the tadpole, and kill small predators, if necessary. We’re not asking to be able to fight leviathans. “
Still, there are arguments in favour of the developer’s approach. As Lonix on the Discord puts it: “I like the idea of killing the fish so I can peacefully explore the area but I won’t kick up a fuss about it. I get it but I don’t get the ‘uproar’ about it. The game feels, looks, sounds and plays as Subnautica. “
Also, some players have found interesting workarounds, like user Deathsprophet666 on the official subreddit, who attached a picture of them trapping a hammerhead in a clever enclosure.
The developers of Subnautica 2 knew this would be a continuous clash between players and design, with lead game designer Anthony Gallegos saying: “I think it’s a point of resistance that we’ll get repeatedly while making the game, though we feel strongly about it. For us, the main thing is we want to listen to feedback from players who feel they can’t defend themselves in an area or something like that, then we want to ideate on the means in which they can do that. But I think it’s an important and interesting constraint to challenge players on how they can avoid things.”
It’ll be interesting to keep tabs on this topic, to see whether the team at Unknown Worlds shifts its stance a little bit to accommodate more defensive options, or whether it’ll stand firm in enforcing its strict aversion to person-on-fish violence. Perhaps there is a way to balance the well-meaning artistic intent of the popular survival game, with the true frustrations of having to play within the guardrails it establishes.
