Ben Lindbergh

They had not been neglectful, seemingly, as Krafton had alleged.

And if this was all a scheme to snooker the studio out of that bonus, I don't think it's going to work because...

This game is a hit and it sold a couple million copies in about 12 hours and spiked to almost half a million people playing concurrently on Steam immediately after launch.

Matt, you are one of the people who have been playing Subnautica 2.

What are your early impressions?

Yeah, and for those who don't know, Subnautica is mostly a nonviolent game.

It's not a game with guns.

That is kind of central to its DNA.

However, the fish sometimes attack you.

So are you pleased?

Are you satisfied with your options for fending off the fish?

Because I've seen some discussion about both your AI companion, who is kind of constantly nattering on, which is maybe commentary on what we are all subjected to these days, and then also the range of tools available to you

and the way that the game is gated early on.

Yeah, I'd almost rather die violently in a game than be short on resources, you know?

I'd rather be disemboweled than asphyxiated.

And so Subnautica is tough for me, but I like the mystery and the intrigue.

And there is a real plot, and you do want to keep diving deeper, both into the story and literally into the ocean.

And I'm constitutionally disinclined

to really get invested in early access experiences in general, which is difficult when you host a video game podcast and Subnautica 2 comes out or Slay the Spire 2 or Hades 2 or some other sort of early access sensation that everyone is playing and perhaps people expect you to talk about.

But the way that I'm wired, I will wait, you know?