Subnautica: Getting Started Guide and Survival Tips

Unknown Worlds Entertainment has finally released the PC version of its long awaited underwater, open-world adventure video game Subnautica.

The sci-fi game begins with the crash of a spaceship from which you can barely get away with a rescue pod. You land in the middle of the ocean of an alien planet. The starting point is your escape pod floating on the surface of the water. Your only task: survive!

But that's not so easy. Because there is no tutorial and there are no weapons at the beginning and your equipment inside the capsule was damaged in the crash. Only your so-called PDA is still functional.

Let’s clarify the keyboard control or shortcuts

1-5: Shortcut keys
C: Move down
Esc: Call up the main menu
F: Put the object away
Spacebar: Move up / jump
Left mouse button: picking up, using and opening objects
Right mouse button: Use an object in your hand
Q, E: Turning when building
R: Recharge the item (battery)
Tab: Open inventory
W, A, S, D: Move in all directions

First, look around in the life pod and take some food and water from the storage box. In the Medical Kit Fabricator you can get a First Aid Kit.

Next, look at your HUD (Heads Up Display). You start with good values, but soon you will feel hungry and thirsty. So get into the water and start looking for the resources you need at the beginning. To that end, we want to give you some tips:

- If you see a bubble / air sack fish grab it without hesitation. With the fabricator you can turn it into potable water. If you eat it immediately and unprocessed, it will provide you with only a few nutritional points, but it will increase your thirst. The following picture shows you what a bubble fish looks like.

Subnautica, bubble fish, air sack Fish

- Fish provide you with more nutrients and with salt you can keep them longer. You can find salt as deposits on the sea floor. It may be that you have to go a little further and deeper from your capsule. However, keep in mind that the more distant areas are dangerous and only accessible with appropriate equipment.

- This leads to another important tip for beginners: Always check if your food is not already spoiled, because if you take it in this state, it will make you easier to feed and water.

- If you don’t have a First Aid Kit it will be hard to restore your health. But you should also master that. First of all, you should always look into the Medical Kit Fabricator in the capsule. At certain intervals, new ones are produced there. If you have collected fiber tissue, you can make First Aid Kit yourself at the Fabricator (Personal - Equipment). These fiber tissues are obtained from snare plant samples, which you can only collect with a knife.

To make things a lot easier and to reduce the right and necessary resources, you need this knife. But there are other gear items you should get after the launch.

Tips for starting equipment

As you probably noticed, at the beginning you cannot swim very fast and you cannot defend yourself against possible opponents. Your oxygen is enough for you to be able to dive straight two meters under water. Also to collect important resources, you need equipment. So what can you do to finally become "stronger"?

- To explore deeper waters, you need a standard scuba tank. You can make it in the Fabricator (Personal - Equipment) if you have collected 3x Titanium.

- Get one more Titanium and make out of tufts silicone rubber. With these two resources, you can then make a surveyor. With that you can have your time and additionally reduce further resources.

- In order to unlock more blueprints, you need a scanner. For this you need a battery and what else?  1x titanium. Batteries are already in your blueprints. Look for 2x acid mushroom and 1x copper ore. From this you make the scanner in the factory. You get copper ore when you break up limestone deposits.

- Whatever will help you are Swim Charge Fins. They are not as important as eating and drinking at the beginning, but over time you want to move forward faster. You will succeed with the Swim Charge Fins. For this you need 2x silicone rubber.

These essential pieces of equipment need resources that you can easily find around your escape pod.

Of course, with Subnautica there are many dangers that you will come across gradually. One of our tips for the beginning is that you should not venture too far into unknown areas, but why?

You expect (not so far away from the rescue capsule) radiation. If you want to swim to your wonderful ship "Aurora", you will notice it quickly. Only if you have a radiation protection suit, you will be able to enter the ship. Until then you should stay away from the radiation because it kills you fast.

What would a foreign planet be full of water if there were no dangerous plants and fish ? Not everything is cute and can get without problems. The deeper you go, the more dangerous the plants that can poison you. Just a moment of body contact and it could be over for you.

Not all animals and fish can be seen immediately that they are aggressive or dangerous. But over time, you get a feeling for it. Keep away from the bigger creatures first. Some can poison you, others bite you. Always have your knife at hand.

With these tips, getting started with Subnautica should be a bit easier.

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