My concerns so far of Below Zero
Granistar
Manchester, NH Join Date: 2019-08-11 Member: 254249Members
Manchester, NH Join Date: 2019-08-11 Member: 254249Members
Hello, fellow community members!
So as I'm playing Below Zero again this morning on a day I actually have off from work and am able to enjoy a little gaming, I have to just share and really ask the community if I'm being the A'Hole here. But as I'm playing Below Zero and the new updates there are a few things that I enjoy:
1) The little changes in the story are nice in my opinion. It provides more of a "What Happened" instead of an "I was told to do this" narrative. To me, this is nice because the original story felt more linear: Go here, find this, go there, etc. In Subnautica we were dumped onto 4546b with only a breadcrumb trail of lifeboats to go to. But it was more of a background suggestion or consideration rather than an objective.
That's about the extent of what I am enjoying that is different. Which leads me to my dislikes:
1) I like the protagonist Robin. It's nice to have a fresh face and she seems strong and determined. However, does she have to talk ALL THE TIME? This dummy'ing down of Subnautica has gotten to the Nintendo era of annoying. "Found the drop-pod" as you climb into the drop pod, "Finally some speed" as you make fins, "I should get resources and make stuff" as you are gathering resources. I understand the need for idiot-proofing a game for new players, catching people up, etc. But this is like.. moron tutorials here. Why not just have her tell us "Press W or Gamepad Left Stick Forward to Move Forward"? Subnautica didn't tell us anything. Except for things like "Hey you found some copper, you might be able to build things from it", it kept resource finding and gathering vague. It let the PLAYER be in charge of the intelligence and focus of the character.
2) To piggyback off the former, where is the sense of wonder that Subnautica brought us? This is compounded by the protagonist not being able to shut the heck up. "I better go here and do that" etc etc. Don't tell me what I NEED to do in a game based on survival and discovery. Let me survive and discover! Do the datapad updates with information that presents subtle clues, or points of interest. This no longer feels like enchantment and wonder. It's like being on a tour, and yeah granted I'm in charge of the speed at which the tour moves... I shouldn't be on a tour of Disneyland, I should be finding wonder and discovering myself (No I have never been to Disneyland.
Anyway, I am sure that this post can be seen as a simple "Oh well you just want Subnautica: Below Zero to be like Subnautica" or "You just hate that UWE is trying new things". Both are good arguments, and I will back up both of those sentiments with an agreement of sorts. I do want Below Zero to be like the original Subnautica, I want it to present and contain the same sense of wonder, discovery, self-reliance, and mystery exploring. Subnautica is in my top 3 games of all time for a reason. As to trying new things, of course, a sequel or continuation or whatever HAS TO try new things. But if those new things take away from the original elements that made something so beloved and (I hate to sound cliche) magical. Don't take that away, build upon those core foundations, expand them, and ultimately create a new world or story built on them.
Anyway thanks for listening to me rant a little. I'm not angry at all and I'm looking forward to the continued development by UWE, I'm just disappointed that the game seems to be devolving instead of evolving. I'm sure I'll update more as I continue through this new game of Below Zero. Thanks for being such an awesome community of people, players, developers, and fans. I've never had a bad experience with you all!
Happy Holidays!
~Granistar~
So as I'm playing Below Zero again this morning on a day I actually have off from work and am able to enjoy a little gaming, I have to just share and really ask the community if I'm being the A'Hole here. But as I'm playing Below Zero and the new updates there are a few things that I enjoy:
1) The little changes in the story are nice in my opinion. It provides more of a "What Happened" instead of an "I was told to do this" narrative. To me, this is nice because the original story felt more linear: Go here, find this, go there, etc. In Subnautica we were dumped onto 4546b with only a breadcrumb trail of lifeboats to go to. But it was more of a background suggestion or consideration rather than an objective.
That's about the extent of what I am enjoying that is different. Which leads me to my dislikes:
1) I like the protagonist Robin. It's nice to have a fresh face and she seems strong and determined. However, does she have to talk ALL THE TIME? This dummy'ing down of Subnautica has gotten to the Nintendo era of annoying. "Found the drop-pod" as you climb into the drop pod, "Finally some speed" as you make fins, "I should get resources and make stuff" as you are gathering resources. I understand the need for idiot-proofing a game for new players, catching people up, etc. But this is like.. moron tutorials here. Why not just have her tell us "Press W or Gamepad Left Stick Forward to Move Forward"? Subnautica didn't tell us anything. Except for things like "Hey you found some copper, you might be able to build things from it", it kept resource finding and gathering vague. It let the PLAYER be in charge of the intelligence and focus of the character.
2) To piggyback off the former, where is the sense of wonder that Subnautica brought us? This is compounded by the protagonist not being able to shut the heck up. "I better go here and do that" etc etc. Don't tell me what I NEED to do in a game based on survival and discovery. Let me survive and discover! Do the datapad updates with information that presents subtle clues, or points of interest. This no longer feels like enchantment and wonder. It's like being on a tour, and yeah granted I'm in charge of the speed at which the tour moves... I shouldn't be on a tour of Disneyland, I should be finding wonder and discovering myself (No I have never been to Disneyland.
Anyway, I am sure that this post can be seen as a simple "Oh well you just want Subnautica: Below Zero to be like Subnautica" or "You just hate that UWE is trying new things". Both are good arguments, and I will back up both of those sentiments with an agreement of sorts. I do want Below Zero to be like the original Subnautica, I want it to present and contain the same sense of wonder, discovery, self-reliance, and mystery exploring. Subnautica is in my top 3 games of all time for a reason. As to trying new things, of course, a sequel or continuation or whatever HAS TO try new things. But if those new things take away from the original elements that made something so beloved and (I hate to sound cliche) magical. Don't take that away, build upon those core foundations, expand them, and ultimately create a new world or story built on them.
Anyway thanks for listening to me rant a little. I'm not angry at all and I'm looking forward to the continued development by UWE, I'm just disappointed that the game seems to be devolving instead of evolving. I'm sure I'll update more as I continue through this new game of Below Zero. Thanks for being such an awesome community of people, players, developers, and fans. I've never had a bad experience with you all!
Happy Holidays!
~Granistar~
Comments
thank You, that were my feelings exactly. With the new story update I am feeling pushed around even more with the location markers on alien artefacts all over and Al-An pointing towards alien facilities.
This is no longer fun. We should at least have the option to deactivate all that from the beginning. Switching off the active markers one by one is not enough.
Nowadays you can't even complete some quests without the quest marker.
Maybe the devs should create difficult 'modes' in Subnautica, like "interloper" in The Long Dark.
or even a customizible screen to select which stuff you want or not in your game.