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Subnautica: Below Zero

Subnautica: Below Zero

Unknown Worlds Entertainment · released May 13, 2021

AdventureIndiePCPlayStation 5, PlayStation 4Xbox Series X, Xbox OneNintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2iOS (iPhone/iPad)

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.

81
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Below Zero 2025 Patch” (1y ago)

82%
At launch
90%
Steam all-time
82%
Press
72%
Player sentiment
87%
Recent sentiment

PC 81 · PlayStation 74 · Xbox 74 · Switch 73

Screenshots & trailers

What players say

Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 302 sampled Steam reviews (243 positive / 59 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.

What positive reviews talk about

  • Story & writing30% mention it
  • World & exploration7% mention it
  • Visuals & art7% mention it
  • Bugs & crashes4% mention it
  • Progression & loot4% mention it

What negative reviews complain about

  • Story & writing32% mention it
  • World & exploration12% mention it

Satisfaction by hours played

Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.

Under 5h

67%

33 reviews

5-15h

78%

60 reviews

15-40h

79%

132 reviews

40-100h

90%

61 reviews

100h+

94%

16 reviews

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)8215
All-time Steam reviews90%841034
Metacritic user ratings73101
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)87%803000
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 12, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 11229 total reviews in window · weighted 222.1 up / 35.6 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Patch history

  1. Below Zero 2025 Patch
    Aug 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  2. We Are Disabling Steam Cloud Saves
    Apr 8, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  3. Seaworthy Update
    Feb 25, 2021
  4. Teeny-Tiny Update
    Dec 4, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  5. Salad Days Update
    Jun 25, 2020
  6. Frostbite Update
    Apr 30, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  7. Lost Ship Update
    Feb 19, 2020
  8. Deep Dive Update
    Nov 27, 2019
  9. Ice Worm Update
    Sep 17, 2019
  10. Experimental Beta Updates & Risks
    Jul 25, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  11. Snowfox Update
    Apr 24, 2019
  12. Seatruck Update
    Mar 8, 2019
  13. Micro Update Released
    Feb 12, 2019significant · resets scoring window