Subnautica
Subnautica
Subnautica est un jeu d’action-aventure et de survie développé par Unknown Worlds, également éditeur du titre aux côtés de Gearbox Publishing. Sorti le 23 janvier 2018, il est classé dans les genres aventure et indépendant et disponible sur PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS, SteamVR et Oculus Rift. Le joueur y contrôle Ryley Robinson, survivant d’un crash de vaisseau spatial sur une planète océanique extraterrestre, avec pour objectifs de trouver des ressources essentielles, de survivre à la faune et à la flore locales et de trouver un moyen de quitter la planète. Développé avec le moteur Unity, le jeu est proposé au prix de 29,99 euros. La durée de l’aventure principale est estimée à environ vingt-neuf heures et demie, et à cinquante-deux heures pour un achèvement complet.
L’univers de Subnautica invite à descendre dans les profondeurs d’un monde sous-marin extraterrestre, des récifs de corail ensoleillés aux fosses abyssales, en passant par des forêts d’algues, des plateaux, des récifs et des systèmes de grottes sinueux. La gestion de la réserve d’oxygène est essentielle, et l’eau est peuplée d’une vie dont une partie se révèle utile, mais dont une grande partie est nocive. Après le crash, le joueur doit trouver de l’eau et de la nourriture, collecter des ressources dans l’océan et concevoir des équipements de plus en plus avancés pour explorer toujours plus loin. Le fond marin utilise un système de terrain voxel dynamique, permettant de creuser des grottes, de cacher son butin ou de créer des raccourcis, tandis que les impacts de véhicules et de créatures explosives modifient la forme du monde. La nuit, les prédateurs apparaissent et les zones sûres deviennent dangereuses, tandis que les profondeurs révèlent des passages sombres éclairés par une faune et une flore bioluminescentes.
À sa sortie, Subnautica a obtenu un score Metacritic de 87, un score OpenCritic de 84 et une note agrégée de 85,33. La presse a salué l’expérience : Destructoid écrit que le jeu « works brilliantly as a serene, lonely, contemplative adventure » et qu’il fait partie de ces rares jeux que l’on emporterait sur une île déserte. GameSpace évoque un studio qui a livré « everything they said they were going to plus so much more ». Des joueurs soulignent également la réussite de l’atmosphère océanique, l’un d’eux estimant que le jeu « perfectly builds an oceanic atmosphere in an unknown world », tandis qu’un autre salue un titre qui représente le monde sous-marin à la fois comme un lieu de beauté et d’horreur. Sur Steam, un joueur décrit Subnautica comme « la meilleure thérapie pour thalassophobes », et un autre évoque des débuts où l’on commence l’aventure en exterminant la faune locale pour boire leur jus corporel, sous les encouragements d’une IA de bord.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« Unknown Worlds Entertainment has delivered everything they said they were going to plus so much more with more updates on the launch horizon and for these reasons they can easily be forgiven for taking this long. It was worth the wait. »
« Subnautica works brilliantly as a serene, lonely, contemplative adventure. It's one of those rare games I'd take to a desert island. »
« In terms of settings, gameplay dynamics and sheer fascination, Subnautica is the best single-player survival game out there. It's full of bright discoveries, a great sci-fi experience, and at the same time a cruel and unforgiving survival horror. James Cameron would absolutely love it. »
« Subnautica is hands down the best survival game I have ever experienced. I completely lost track of time while playing it and for the first time in ages I rescheduled my appointments and neglected my responsibilities to spend more time with a game. If I could I would hand out free copies in the streets so as many people as possible can see how ridiculously good Subnautica is. [04/2018, p.62] »
« It isn’t without performance hiccups, especially the deeper you go. But the breadth of content here and the open-world nature both in terms of playspace and just pure choice in how you go about it is something rarely seen in games. »
« Subnautica is a template for what open-world survival games should strive to be. It’s fantastical, fresh, and frightening from surface to seabed, with a story that kept on surprising me and a cast of sea monsters that quite literally haunted my dreams. Even with more than 50 hours sunk, I have yet to discover all of its secrets. It’s a testament to how enticing those secrets are that I’m willing to face my fears and plunge my submersible into the darkest corners of its unforgiving ocean again and again. »
« Subnautica achieves with good decisions to build a survival rich in nuances and possibilities, without ever losing any interest, staying true to its objective. A game that opens up little by little showing imagination and finesse. Rarely this genre in its late game has managed to engage so much without trusting in its multiplayer facet. »
« So far Subnautica has been the outstanding title of 2018 for me. We're only a month in, but the time I've had with this game has been incredible, and I'm sure it will be a game I remember in December when the year is wrapping up. Even after completing it, I'm itching to go back and see what nooks and crannies I missed. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« This game perfectly builds an oceanic atmosphere in an unknown world—specifically, the planet 4546B. It excels at implementing a system for gathering materials and exploring the globe to locate necessary resources. The exploration—and the fear evoked by the depths of this alien world—is executed phenomenally; the game’s setting, atmosphere, soundtrack, and incredible sound design create a deeply unsettling, thalassophobia-inducing experience. It stands out as one of the best survival-horror experiences I have ever encountered. The marine life—ranging from passive creatures to aggressive ones, especially the Leviathans—adds a unique touch to this game. The story is equally impressive: you and your crew embark on an expedition aboard the massive ship *Aurora* to planet 4546B, but the mission goes disastrously wrong. An alien weapon utilizing technology millions of years ahead of its time destroys anything entering or leaving the planet's orbit—a measure enforced because the planet is under quarantine due to a deadly, ancient disease for which the alien civilization never found a cure. After the *Aurora* explodes, the crew scrambles into escape pods, but you emerge as the sole survivor of the cataclysmic event. You must gather resources and explore every corner of the map to figure out how to escape and find a cure for the deadly disease—only to discover, as time passes, that you are infected yourself. You must discover for yourself what happened to the ancient alien civilization that once inhabited this planet before its extinction due to the deadly disease known as "Kharaa," and you must also escape the planet; you will learn all of this through pre-recorded messages and transmissions from other ships that provide context and aid for surviving on this unknown world. »
« Finally, a game that successfully make the underwater world as both beauty and horror place. this game offered a phenomenal underwater survival experience, especially with some of the surprise elements (not gonna spoiler). definitely recommended »
« I am not a great fan of survival games, but this one is so special, the world that you have to explore is so beautiful, well done, interesting »
« [SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.] »
« Too much water Nearly every objective requires swimming through water. Resources are underwater. Creatures are underwater. The map is underwater. Even the fish are underwater. Players hoping to enjoy a nice walk will be disappointed to discover that approximately 99% of the game takes place in an ocean. The developers clearly became obsessed with water and refused to show restraint. At times, I found myself asking, "Could there perhaps be less water?" The game responded by adding a deeper ocean biome. Despite this glaring issue, Subnautica delivers one of the most immersive survival experiences ever made. The atmosphere is unmatched, exploration is constantly rewarding, and the sense of discovery remains magical from start to finish. Verdict: An unforgettable masterpiece unfortunately ruined by the excessive presence of water. Thankfully, the other 99.9% of the game is perfect. 10/10. »
« One of the greatest of all time, Subnautica is an amazing game. It does have its flaws, but the environmental storytelling is unmatched. It may not fill your niche, but for the ones it does, it does it well. »
« I wouldn't recommend this game unless you are a die-hard fan of the survival-crafting genre. In 2026, we shouldn't have to rely on online guides just to navigate a game. While I appreciate that it doesn't hold your hand or point you directly to every objective, the execution is severely flawed. During my 10-hour playthrough, the distress call quests bugged out twice, leaving me completely stranded with no indication of where to go. This completely killed the momentum and the **** you don't mind constantly looking up tutorials for directions and tolerate tedious, time-wasting grinding, you might enjoy this. However, as an adult with limited time, I simply cannot afford to spend hours backtracking across a vast map just because I missed one-third of a blueprint five hours ago. The core gameplay loop urgently needs to be more refined. »
« Subnautica 1 is a punishing resource grind. Essential items spawn randomly in a way that can block progression for hours. Base construction and inventory control is janky. This game also breaks gaming conventions in way that sometimes needs a tutorial or yellow bars. »
