I've been looking for quite a while for a game that scratches the same itch as subnautica, and I finally found it with Pacific Drive. To me, some bullet points for things it nails:
- interesting environment, capturing a "vibe"
- a reason for doing things -- so many "survival craft" style games are just like "♥♥♥♥ it, you are naked and it's cold, bang some sticks together, good luck finding your own fun" --- there is a place for that kind of experience, but for me it's never enough. Like Subnautica, Pacific Drive has some narrative hooks to push you forward.
- fun progression systems -- the upgrades, the increased options, are all fun
- and of course, a REASON for those upgrades -- the further you explore, the more dangerous it gets, and those upgrades become more and more important.
- a safe upgradeable home base
- safe upgradeable mobile HQ - being able to "hide" in the car and be safe throughout the game, is great.
- This one is NOT the same as subnautica, but I really appreciated that they made the ENVIRONMENT scary, spooky, whatever, but at no time in this game is anything ever coming after you. The threats and dangers in the world are generally ignorant of your existence. The few cases where things might actively seek you, they are NOT scary or terrifying monsters. I appreciated that the game could "creep me out" but I could always tell myself it's just sounds, nothing is going to get me. I'm not a fan of scary games or whatever, so this allowed me to enjoy this experience a great deal.

All told, they knocked it out of the park with this one, and I'm absolutely smitten with this experience. An absolute favorite for me.

I've been looking for quite a while for a game that scratches the same itch as subnautica, and I finally found it with Pacific Drive. To me, some bullet points for things it nails: - interesting environment, capturing a "vibe" - a reason for doing things -- so many "survival craft" style games are just like "fuck it, you are naked and it's cold, bang some sticks together, good luck finding your own fun" --- there is a place for that kind of experience, but for me it's never enough. Like Subnautica, Pacific Drive has some narrative hooks to push you forward. - fun progression systems -- the upgrades, the increased options, are all fun - and of course, a REASON for those upgrades -- the further you explore, the more dangerous it gets, and those upgrades become more and more important. - a safe upgradeable home base - safe upgradeable mobile HQ - being able to "hide" in the car and be safe throughout the game, is great. - This one is NOT the same as subnautica, but I really appreciated that they made the ENVIRONMENT scary, spooky, whatever, but at no time in this game is anything ever coming after you. The threats and dangers in the world are generally ignorant of your existence. The few cases where things might actively seek you, they are NOT scary or terrifying monsters. I appreciated that the game could "creep me out" but I could always tell myself it's just sounds, nothing is going to get me. I'm not a fan of scary games or whatever, so this allowed me to enjoy this experience a great deal. All told, they knocked it out of the park with this one, and I'm absolutely smitten with this experience. An absolute favorite for me.