how scary is the game?

[Kia]

i heard the game has some scary moments, but are there any jumpscares or any scenes that are really give you a shock? i really like under water world but at the same time don't enjoy a game that is fully focused on horror.

[Dirak2012]

It's not that kind of game, it plays with your fear of the darkness and the void (if you have it). But the game is not about horror.
There are some aggressive creatures but not "monsters" just animals trying to survive and see you as a potential meal.

[(TTV)OnBrandRP]

Originally posted by Kia:

i heard the game has some scary moments, but are there any jumpscares or any scenes that are really give you a shock? i really like under water world but at the same time don't enjoy a game that is fully focused on horror.

It's not a horror game in the traditional sense. This game tries to incite feelings of terror using various known tropes to do with the ocean. For starters there's a lot of people with Thelassophobia, fear of the ocean. This game uses that and dials it up to 100. There's "scary" and "gigantic" human eating monsters in the waters in some places. The deeper you go the more anxiety you get. It tries really hard to push on the fear of the unknown and it does it really well.

Think of this game less like a survival horror game and more like a atmospheric story rich game where you can learn a lot about the game solely by observing the wildlife, their behaviors, scanning the fauna and flora,etc. Everything has a bit of lore to it's ecosystem.

For me the game is terrifying. I have Thelassophobia and some of the animals in this game disturb me so much, that said I've never beaten the game myself but I've seen plenty of people do so.. it's a really good game. Just don't expect Soma or The Forrest levels of horror. It's more subtle than that.

Edit: heres a good video on it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBBQLy3hOCA

[dreamrider]

To try and give the OP a sense of the "scale of fear" involved...

...that video above is way scarier, to me, than anything in the game, even the first time a big fish charges in to bite you.

Among other things, although your character can / may / probably will die in the game, the standard mode mechanic for that is...the screen goes to black, ... and 3 seconds later your character re-spawns back in a completely safe "try it again" location, your starting lifepod or your nearest base. After the first time this happens, the anxiety level drops significantly.

And there are other feelings that are prompted, and game experiences, etc, that continue to lower anxiety through the course of the game. New areas, new creatures may raise anxiety a bit for awhile after they are first introduced, but I think that, in general, the trend is throughout is toward increasing comfort with the game, and the environment you are simulated in.

[Kia]

Originally posted by LyricalViking.TTV:

Originally posted by Kia:

i heard the game has some scary moments, but are there any jumpscares or any scenes that are really give you a shock? i really like under water world but at the same time don't enjoy a game that is fully focused on horror.

It's not a horror game in the traditional sense. This game tries to incite feelings of terror using various known tropes to do with the ocean. For starters there's a lot of people with Thelassophobia, fear of the ocean. This game uses that and dials it up to 100. There's "scary" and "gigantic" human eating monsters in the waters in some places. The deeper you go the more anxiety you get. It tries really hard to push on the fear of the unknown and it does it really well.

Think of this game less like a survival horror game and more like a atmospheric story rich game where you can learn a lot about the game solely by observing the wildlife, their behaviors, scanning the fauna and flora,etc. Everything has a bit of lore to it's ecosystem.

For me the game is terrifying. I have Thelassophobia and some of the animals in this game disturb me so much, that said I've never beaten the game myself but I've seen plenty of people do so.. it's a really good game. Just don't expect Soma or The Forrest levels of horror. It's more subtle than that.

Edit: heres a good video on it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBBQLy3hOCA

thank you so much, i guess environmental horror its pretty good but i decide to buy it or not after watching a lil bit of gameplay, cause when a game disturbs me i completely drop it.

[Kia]

Originally posted by dreamrider:

To try and give the OP a sense of the "scale of fear" involved...

...that video above is way scarier, to me, than anything in the game, even the first time a big fish charges in to bite you.

Among other things, although your character can / may / probably will die in the game, the standard mode mechanic for that is...the screen goes to black, ... and 3 seconds later your character re-spawns back in a completely safe "try it again" location, your starting lifepod or your nearest base. After the first time this happens, the anxiety level drops significantly.

And there are other feelings that are prompted, and game experiences, etc, that continue to lower anxiety through the course of the game. New areas, new creatures may raise anxiety a bit for awhile after they are first introduced, but I think that, in general, the trend is throughout is toward increasing comfort with the game, and the environment you are simulated in.

thanks for the detailed explanation.

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by Kia:

i heard the game has some scary moments, but are there any jumpscares or any scenes that are really give you a shock? i really like under water world but at the same time don't enjoy a game that is fully focused on horror.

No jumpscares. The game, except for a few places does not cause fear. In vr there are places that evoke a feeling of fear and a sense of danger. These are places beyond the plot of the game.

[Emanouche]

My mother wanted to be a marine biologist and loved the ocean so much she took us kids to swim and dive all the time, I have an absolute love for the ocean and swimming, to the point I'll dream sometimes about deep diving and feel comfort and happiness from those dreams. So to me thalassaphobia is a curious thing, but I sympathize for those who have it.

[Bravo]

This game is relaxing for some

[Juan Punch Man]

This game makes you realize if you have thalassaphoia or not and if you do, you might overcome it.

[Maviba]

Not scary at all. It's a chill game.
Exploring, base building and trying not to die due to lack of oxygen.
That's basically all about Subnautica

[Dirak2012]

Originally posted by Maviba:

Not scary at all. It's a chill game.

To me, the only non-scary place in the game is the grassy plateau biome.

[RX-0]

Originally posted by Kia:

i heard the game has some scary moments, but are there any jumpscares or any scenes that are really give you a shock? i really like under water world but at the same time don't enjoy a game that is fully focused on horror.

15% depend the brain you have

[QueenPixxa]

Originally posted by Kia:

thank you so much, i guess environmental horror its pretty good but i decide to buy it or not after watching a lil bit of gameplay, cause when a game disturbs me i completely drop it.

If you decide to watch some videos about Subnautica, try to avoid the ones that contain spoilers. Not easy, but you can still find some.
I watched way too many videos before starting to play (I already owned the game, but I was terrified even before playing the first time, due to many things that scare me about the sea). It was a big mistake that ruined the many surprises you will discover on your own.

And if you need help at any stage, Cougarific's video tutorials are numbered, so you never find many spoilers if you play them in order. I recommend those videos to you, but only if-when you start playing, not before.

EDIT-ADD: Thank you for the link to the video, it is very good and gave a name to the fear I had since I was very little: submechanophobia. It took me ages to gather the courage to go near any wreck, and the Aurora itself was off limits for a long time. Now that I know the game well, I go in and out of them without problems, but oh boy how much they scared me at the beginning!!!

[dreamrider]

Originally posted by Maviba:
Not scary at all. It's a chill game.

To me, the only non-scary place in the game is the grassy plateau biome.

Really, Dirack? After all your experience?
Not even the Safe Shallows? Not even...that place where the crew rendevous is scheduled?

I know it may be pushing the point, but ... Sparse Reef? Mushroom Forest (except for one little corner)?

[Dirak2012]

I know that there is nothing to fear but...
The creepvines freak me out.
The floating island terrifies me, specially under the island where you see rocks falling into the abyss...
I don't want to even think about it.