Subnautica vs Subnautica: Below Zero
Subnautica is an action-adventure horror game from Unknown Worlds Entertainment (2014) while Subnautica: Below Zero is a horror open-world game from Unknown Worlds Entertainment (2021).
Quick answer: Subnautica rates higher, 8.4 to 8.1 on the GamingPickz Score.
What each one is
Subnautica is filed under Action-Adventure and Horror. In contrast, Subnautica: Below Zero under Horror and Open-World.
Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive.
Dive into a freezing underwater adventure on an alien planet. Below Zero is set two years after the original Subnautica. Return to Planet 4546B to uncover the truth behind a deadly cover-up. Survive by building habitats, crafting tools, & diving deeper into the world of Subnautica.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Roughly 1,000 years prior to the game's events, an alien race known as "the Architects" begins investigation of the ocean planet 4546B for a cure to the Kharaa bacterium, which has devastated their civilization. They discover that the Sea Emperor Leviathan species naturally produces "Enzyme 42" in its digestive tract, which makes the species immune to the bacterium. The last of the species is too old to produce the enzyme in sufficient quantities, and… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Subnautica received positive pre-release reception. Ian Birnbaum of PC Gamer described Subnautica as an "underwater Minecraft ", remarking that "with an experienced developer at the helm and a limitless variety of the oceans to play with, it's going to take a lot for Subnautica to go badly wrong. As the toolbox gets deeper and the shape of the end-game gets set, Subnautica will be a unique example of the ways survival can be tense, rewarding,… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Two years after the events of the original game , the Alterra corporation that originally crashed the Aurora on planet 4546B had built several bases on the planet for research on the Kharaa bacterium, and on the alien precursor race, dubbed Architects, that had studied the bacterium prior. Xenologist Robin Ayou smuggles herself onto the planet in a frozen sector named "Sector Zero" to investigate the circumstances of her sister Sam's death, which Alterra… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Subnautica: Below Zero received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Andrew Reiner of Game Informer praised the game, saying "Below Zero is what every sequel should be, building upon the established core formula in clever ways to make the new content feel just as exciting and unpredictable. " IGN 's Leana Hafer commented "New vehicles, new gadgets, and across-the-board tune ups to… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Subnautica | Subnautica: Below Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.4/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Steam rating | Overwhelmingly Positive (97%, 379,053) | Very Positive (90%, 108,227) |
| Critic aggregate | 87/100 | 76/100 |
| Price | $29.99 | $29.99 |
| Install size | 20 GB | 15 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Developer | Unknown Worlds Entertainment | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Subnautica vs Subnautica: Below Zero, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
SubnauticaAction-adventure horror gameSubnautica: Below ZeroHorror open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
SubnauticaOpen World Survival Craft, Survival, HorrorSubnautica: Below ZeroOpen World Survival Craft, Survival, UnderwaterThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Subnautica ✓Score 8.4 · 97% on Steam · 87 criticSubnautica: Below ZeroScore 8.1 · 90% on Steam · 76 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Subnautica379,053 reviews · 1 add-on · 20 GBSubnautica: Below Zero108,227 reviews · 1 add-on · 15 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Subnautica$29.99Subnautica: Below Zero$29.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
SubnauticaVerifiedSubnautica: Below ZeroVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Subnautica takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueSubnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Mobile
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Subnautica (GamingPickz Score 8.4)
- Lighter on storage: Subnautica: Below Zero (15 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Subnautica (379,053 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Open World Survival CraftSurvivalHorrorOpen WorldUnderwaterExplorationCraftingBase-Building
Where they differ
VR
Story Rich
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Subnautica is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Subnautica: Below Zero is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Subnautica | Subnautica: Below Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | Intel HD 4600 | Intel HD 530 |
| Minimum CPU | Intel Haswell 2 cores / 4 threads @ 2.5Ghz | Intel Core i3 4XXX series / AMD Ryzen 3 2.6ghz+ |
| Minimum RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 20 GB | 15 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Subnautica · Subnautica: Below Zero.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Subnautica and 1 for Subnautica: Below Zero. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero in scope?
Subnautica has drawn 379,053 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 20 GB. Subnautica: Below Zero has drawn 108,227 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 15 GB.
Is Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Subnautica rates higher (8.4 to 8.1). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero?
Subnautica is cheaper right now at $29.99, against $29.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero?
Subnautica rates higher, 8.4 to 8.1 on the GamingPickz Score. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.