Subnautica: Below Zero will arrive on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on May 14 and new gameplay from the sequel was revealed during the latest State of Play event. The title will also be released on the same day as the PS5 version of the original underwater exploration and survival title Subnautica.
Blue Zero is the sequel to Subnautica, set two years after the events of that first game. Players will return to an arctic region of Planet 4546B in a bid to uncover the truth behind the incident involving their sister. Who were the aliens who inhabited the planet before and why were they there? Alterra left the planet in a rush, abandoning research stations and leaving a lot of things behind that reveal the truth behind these events, but not everybody left the planet in their wake.
There are harsh environments to be explored, including Twisty Bridges, the Crystal Caverns, the Glacial Basin, and even erupting Thermal Vents. Throughout there is evidence to find and new creatures to discover, such as the Titan Holefish, the Shadow Leviathan, and Pengwings. Not all of these are friendly and the temperatures can be incredibly icy; the only way to survive is to build a shelter, scavenge for resources, and craft the equipment needed to achieve those goals.
The PlayStation 5 DualSense controller features will also be used throughout Below Zero. The controller’s visual and audio haptic feedback will give cues “linked to key game moments,” as well as when players are using the game’s tools and vehicles. Those players who choose to buy the game on PS4 won’t be able to experience this initially but they can always make use of the free upgrade path to grab a copy of the PS5 game at a later date.
Subnautica: Below Zero launches on May 14, the same day the PS5 version of Subnautica launches. Those who have started the latter game on PS4 will be able to transfer their save files to their PS5 as long as they still have both consoles. The catch is they can only be used on the PS4 version of the game through backwards compatibility due to formatting. Those wanting to play the PS5 version of the game will need to start a new save file. The good news is that PS4 players will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for free.
[Source: PlayStation Blog, Twitter]
