More realistic water physics and environmental interaction

This is part 2 of 2. I had quite a lot of feedback and suggestions to share, so I had to split my comment into two posts due to the
character limit.

This leads me to what I consider an even more important issue: the feeling of danger. I feel that Subnautica 2 currently does not make us feel enough that we are in a hostile and potentially dangerous environment. In the first Subnautica, from the very beginning, certain areas genuinely made you want to turn around: you could hear the calls of predators from a distance, you knew that a creature could be somewhere in the tall grass or behind you, and simply approaching certain areas could create a real sense of apprehension. The first encounters with certain predators, such as Stalkers or Sand Sharks, genuinely created that feeling of “I don’t know if I should go over there.” That fear of the unknown is something I would really like to see return in Subnautica 2. The creatures that are currently present are interesting and their animations are successful, but many of them do not create enough tension, and there are currently not enough biomes or areas that genuinely make you want to turn around because you do not feel prepared enough. In particular, I would like sounds, calls, behaviors and the presence of predators to play a greater role in creating fear, rather than simply encountering a creature and continuing on your way. We should be able to hear something in the distance without knowing exactly where it is, see a shadow pass by, hear a cry somewhere below us or catch a glimpse of something in the depths and wonder whether we should really continue. In my opinion, this is an essential part of Subnautica’s identity: we should not only be afraid when a Leviathan attacks us; sometimes, we should be afraid before we even know what is in front of us.

Regarding the Leviathans specifically, I also feel that their attacks could be developed further in order to create a real challenge rather than a situation where you almost immediately know that you are going to die as soon as you are caught. The animation of the Collector Leviathan or the Shiver Leviathan is impressive, but when a Leviathan grabs you and the outcome is practically already decided, there is ultimately very little you can do. The Reaper in the first Subnautica worked in a way that I found much more interesting in this regard: when it grabbed you, it could carry you around, damage you and put you in an extremely stressful situation, but you could then potentially escape, regain control and repair your vehicle while hoping that you would not be caught again. I would therefore like encounters with Leviathans to become situations in which the player has to think and try to survive, rather than simply an animation followed by death.

In general, I think Subnautica 2 would benefit enormously from strengthening the feeling of danger, depth and interaction with the environment. I am not simply asking for more monsters or for enemies to deal more damage. What I would really like is to recapture that particular feeling of the first Subnautica, where you could feel vulnerable, isolated and sometimes genuinely terrified by what might be waiting for you in the ocean. You should be able to feel safe inside your base, but once you leave it, you should never be completely sure of what might be waiting for you outside.

That being said, I would still like to emphasize that I already think many things in Subnautica 2 are very well done, particularly the creatures’ animations, their movement and the overall atmosphere of the world. It is precisely because I see the enormous potential of this game that I am taking the time to write such a long comment. I sincerely hope that these remarks can be read and that some of these ideas might eventually be considered for future updates. In my eyes, it is precisely these details — water that genuinely reacts to the player’s movement, plants that move, sand that is disturbed, a much more diverse wildlife, greater depths, more varied environments and, above all, a true sense of danger — that could make the ocean of Subnautica 2 an even more living, immersive and frightening world. Thank you very much to the entire team for the work you have already done and for listening to the community’s feedback. I sincerely hope that this comment will be read and, if possible, contribute in some small way to the future development of the game.