Walkthrough (Subnautica)
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Suggested Information This page serves as a suggested playthrough of the game, however the player does not have to play the game in this exact series of events. |
This page serves as a full-game Survival Mode walkthrough of Subnautica. It also contains gameplay tips and helpful pointers for successfully mastering the oceans. Keep in mind that this page will have spoilers, as it also summarizes the events as you follow along with the story. Note that if at any point in the playthrough you become unable to progress due to a bug, check Console Commands to see if any commands can help. If you are simply looking for exploration tips, check out Exploration Tips or Getting Started.
Background
You play as Ryley Robinson, the Non-Essential Systems Maintenance Chief aboard the Aurora, a spacecraft sent to the Ariadne Arm by the Alterra Corporation in order to build a phasegate. Following the ships catastrophic hull failure and subsequent crash landing, he must find a way to escape from the water planet known Planet 4546B, and discover the cause for the Aurora's crash.
Beginning
Opening Sequence
After the Aurora's hull failure, Ryley enters Lifepod 5 and ejects the lifepod. It lands in the Safe Shallows, the first biome the player will enter. Following the cinematic sequence, the player will wake up, and after a short stuggle to get out of the chair, will stand up. This is when the player will gain control of Ryley. A fire has started in the lifepod, move towards the Fire Extinguisher on the ground, (see Key Bindings for game controls), and pick it up. Aim the fire extinguisher at the base of the fires and use it to put the fires out until you can no longer see their bright red and orange glow. After the fire has been put out you will boot up your PDA, a tablet that will act as a databank, inventory, beacon and screenshot manager, as well as act as your virtual assitant for the duration of the playthrough, giving game hints and anecdotes.
The Lifepod
Inside the lifepod there is a storage chest with a red top, inside the chest you will find two Nutrient Blocks and 2 Filtered Waters. These will serve as your food and water source until you are able to create your own. Along with these there will be 2 Flares, which can be used to light up dark areas until a more reliable light source is found. Also inside the lifepod is a Medical Kit Fabricator, which will automatically provide First Aid Kits for the player to use when they get injured. It is recomended to take a first aid kit so you have a way to heal in the event that you are attacked by fauna. Also inside the lifepod is the Fabricator, which is used to craft natural resources into other materials, kncluding food and water sources. It is also used to craft several tools, the most vital ones being the Scanner, Repair Tool, Standard O₂ Tank Fins and the Survival Knife. Finally, you will see the Damaged Radio and damaged secondary systems. These can both eventually be repaired using the Repair Tool.
Into the Ocean
There are two hatches on the lifepod, one on the top and one on the bottom, choose one of the hatches and use it to exit the lifepod. At this point it is important to begin collecting resources to build your basic equipment. The easiest one to craft is the scanner, which requires one titanium and one battery. Begin your search by looking for Limestone Outcrops, they can be found on the floor and walls of several biomes, including the Safe Shallows. These can contain Copper Ore or Titanium, both of which are vital resources early onto the game. Collect at least one of each resource, along with several Acid Mushrooms, which are used to craft batteries. While exploring keep an eye on your Oxygen meter, if it runs out you will have mere seconds to reach the surface before the screen goes black and you die. Once you have collected the appropriate resources, use the fabricator to craft a battery, and then a scanner. The scanner can be used scan fragments, which will allow the player to unlock new blueprints, and to scan Flora, Fauna and Coral. Once you have crafted your scanner, begin collecting more titanium for a standard O2 tank and survival knife.
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Gathering Food & Water=
In survival and hardcore, keeping your water and food levels high is important if you want to stay alive. The nutrient bars and filtered waters in the lifepod will help you start, but can only get you so far. The earliest sources of food and water both come from small fish, such as the Boomerang, Bladderfish and Peeper. All of these fish can be caight by hand, and cooked with the fabricator to provide a steady food source. However, one fish, the bladderfish, can also be crafted into filtered water, so it is recomended to reserve bladderfish for water. Another source of water, though slightly harder to obtain is Bleach, which is crafted with a Salt Deposit and a Coral Tube Sample. Bleach can be crafted into two Disinfected Waters, which provide slightlu more water per bottle than filtered waters.
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Gathering Resources=
There are dozens of different resources in Subnautica, many of which can only be found in certain Harvesting Nodes. Titanium is one of the most important resources in the game, and as such is also oneof the easiest to collect. Metal Salvage is a common resource found throughout map, and, using the fabricator, it can be crafted into four titanium. There are three main harvesting nodes, Limestone Outcrops, Sandstone Outcrops and Shale Outcrop. Each type outcrop can give different resources, and most biomes only contain one or two types of nodes.
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Crafting Important Tools
The survival knife is an important tool, used throughout the game for various reasons. It requires Silicone Rubber to be crafted, which in turn is made from Creepvine Seed Cluster. These are groups of small, yellow balls found on certain Creepvines, a tall, green kelp. Creepvines can only be found in a biome known as the Kelp Forest, which is distingushed by the abundance of creepvines and Stalkers. It is recommended to collect the seed clusters as fast as possible, avoiding stalkers, in order to minimize the damage taken by an under-equipped player. After collecting the required resources, head back to your lifepod and begin crafting the reqired materials to make the oxygen tank and survival knife.
The next tool you should focus on is the repair tool, which will be used to repair the lifepod's secondary systems and the radio. Crafting it requires one titanium, one Cave Sulfur and one silicone rubber. The most difficult of these to gather will be the cave sulfur, as a titanium is fairly easy to get, and you can use the extra silicone rubber left over after crafting the survival knife. Cave sulfur can be found in Sulfur Plants, whoch are found in the Safe Shallows Caves. Each plant contains one cave sulfur, however the plant is guarded by a defensive fauna known as the Crashfish, which hide inside the plant until the player approaches it, at which point the will be released from the flower and will charge at the player. These fish will swim towards the player at a rapid speed, and after a time explode dealing massive damage to anything in its blast radius. Crashfish can be dangerous to players who lack the proper equipment, however there are certain stratagies that can be used to avoid them. After they launch from the flower, instead of swimming away from the crashfish, swim towards it. Due to its high speed they are unable to maneuver back towards the player, and will swim away, exploding harmlessly. At this point, collect the yellow cave sulfur from the flower and return to your lifepod to craft the repair tool.
Exploring Further
Distress Call
Soon after repairing the radio, you will receive a radio massage, interact with the radio to listen to it. After lostening to the message you will recieve a beacon leading to location of Lifepod 3, and its crew. Swim towards the beacon, watching out for any aggresive fauna, and also keeping an eye on your Oxygen meter. Upon reaching the the beacon you will find a destroyed Lifepod 3, with no crew in sight. Explore the wreck and you will find several new items, including a Data Box. Interacting with the databox will allow the player to unlock new technologies, and this specific databox will grant the player the ability to craft the Compass, which can be used for navigational purposes. There will also be an abandoned PDA, these PDAs can be found scattered throughout the world, often conatining important information. The final item that can be seen is a Seaglide Fragment, using the scanner, scan the fragment.
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Fragments=
Throughout the world dozens of different types of fragments can be found, these can all be scanned using the scanner and doing so will unlock the item being scanned. Many Blueprints require several of their fragments to be scanned in order to unlock that technology. Scanning the first fragment will often unlock a Databank entry, giving information about the the item. The recipe for the item can only be unlocked once the necessary amount of fragments have been scanned. Wrecks are abundant with fragments, and as such are a good place to unlock new blueprints.
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Data Boxes=
Several blueprints are not unlocked through scanning blueprints, but rather by opening Data Boxes. Unlike most fragments, only one data box needs to be opened in order to unlock the recipe, despite the fact that several of the same data box can spawn.
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Abandoned PDAs=
Abandoned PDAs can be found scattered across the map, most often in places like wrecks and destroyed lifepods. These PDA's often contain information pertaining to the story of Subnautica, and can hold codes and clues to help the player. Some PDAs will also provide beacons to important story checkpoints. It is reccomended that the player picks up as many of them as possible, in order to more easily follow along with the story and learn more about the world that surrounds them.
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Exploration Equipment
There are several pieces of equipment, that will allow you to go farther, faster and deeper, as well as help you to navigate through the depths. Perhaps one of the most important piecesof equipment is the seaglide, which will allow you to swim at much higher speeds. Unlocking the seaglide requires you to scan two seaglide fragments. If you have already scanned one at Lifepod 3, then you only need to scan one more. Seaglide fragments can be found around the Safe Shallows, in small wrecks known as Scatters. Find one of these scatters and search for seaglide fragments, while your at these small wrecks, it is recommended that you also search for Beacon and Grav Trap fragments. The grav trap can be a useful tool in the collection of fish for food and water. The beacon is a Deployable that can be placed to mark the location of important or interesting location.
After crafting the seaglide, two more important pieces of equipment are the Compass and the High Capacity O₂ Tank, which will further increase the players Oxygen limit. Both of these recipes require Silver Ore, which can be found in Sandstone Outcrops. These outcrops are most easily found in the Kelp Forest and Grassy Plateaus, which is a flat biome defined by its large rock pillars and red grass. Consider using the seaglide to decrease travel time, as well as using it to avoid predators.
Lifepod 17
Soon after building the seaglide, you will receive a radio message that gives you a beacon to lifepod 17. Lifepod 17 provides a beacon that can help lead the player to the Grassy Plateaus, if they are having trouble finding it. Lifepod 17 also leads you to the fragments of an important vehicle, the Seamoth.
Habitat Builder
The Habitat Builder is an essential tool used for building bases. The lifepod cannot fulfill the needs of the player forever, and a more suitible habitat must be built. The habitat builder allows the player to craft several new base pieces that can assist them in their journey, these include Battery Chargers, Beds and Lockers.
Vehicles
Vehicles are extremely useful in traversing the world of Subnautica, they can increase your diving depth, travel distance and can be useful tools.
Mobile Vehicle Bay
Crafting any vehicle requires the use of the Mobile Vehicle Bay, a portable crafting station that is used throughout the game. The Mobile Vehicle Bay is unlocked through scanning three fragments, which can be found in the Kelp Forest. Search the Kelp Forest for any Cargo Crates, as several of them contain Mobile Vehicle Bay fragments inside.
Seamoth
The Seamoth is a submersible that can be used to extend the players safe diving distance, as well as increase their travel speed. Its fragments can be scanned in the Grassy Plateaus, mainly around wrecks, therefore it is reccomended that the player often searches wrecks for fragments. The Seamoth can be used for a mojoraty of the game, and can be customized with different Upgrade Modules.
Radiation
Early into your playthrough, the degredation of the Aurora's drive core will cause it to explode. The explosion itself poses little risk to the player, the larger threat is the introduction of Radiation. A rather large of the map, specifically the area around the Aurora, is now covered in radiation, when the player enters this area, they will take damage. The only way to safely swim near the Aurora is using the Radiation Suit, which, when the mask, suit and gloves are equipped, will negate the effects of radiation. The player must wear all three parts of the suit or they will take continous damage while in the radiation zone.
Deeper Exploration
Rebreather
The Rebreather is another essential piece of equipment, allowing for deeper dives. When passing 100 or 200 meter the rate at which the players oxygen depletes increases dramatically, deacreasing the playeres dive time in deeper areas. The rebreather negates this effect, and is therefore recommended for all exploration.
Vehicle Upgrades
Although the Seamoth is a veryuseful exploration tool, it has its limits and can only dive so deep before it reaches its crush depth. Inorder to increase its safe diving depth, a Seamoth Depth Module MK1 must be crafted and placed in the Seamoth. Crafting this upgrade, and other upgrades, requires the Vehicle Upgrade Console, which can onlybe built in a Moonpool. Both of these items can be found in the Sparse Reef wreck, the upgrade console as a databox and the moonpool as fragments.
Lifepod 19
Lifepod 19, manned by Second Officer Keen is located in the Deep Sparse Reef, and as such is a great way to mark the location of the Sparse Reef. The wreck located in this biome is found directly above the lifepod, about 100 meters up.
Equipment Upgrades
Also found in the Sparse Reef wreck are Modification Station fragments. The Modification Station is built woth the habitat builder, and can be used to upgrade several items, such as fins, oxygen tanks and vehicle depth modules. Upgrading items such as the High Capacity O₂ Tank and fins can be very important in the exploration of new biomes, allowing faster and deeper dives.
Following The Degasi
The Floating Island
After picking up an abandoned PDA in lifepod 19, the player recives the location of the Floating Island, which is the rendezvous point for the Aurora survivors. After investigating the beacon signal given to the player, they discover another abandoned PDA, which reveals the deaths of CTO Yu and Second Officer Keen, the only survivors to make it to the rendezvous. You will then explore the island further, discovering three abandoned seabases, one on each mountain peak, and one in the pass between them. Investigating the bases further, the player will discover several abandoned PDAs, as well as various fragments allowing them to unlock new technologies, such as the Multipurpose Room. The player will also discover a Purple Tablet, a mysterious piece of metal, of unknown origin, scanning it may reveal more information about the item. The PDAs the player picks up will give clues to the player regarding the crew of the Degasi, a small ship that crashed on 4546b 10 years ago. Picking up a PDA will create a new beacon, displaying the location of a second base located 250m below the surface.
The Jellyshroom Cave
Following the beacon given to the player at the Floating Island will lead the player to the Jellyshroom Cave, a cavern located primarily under the Grassy Plateaus, dominated by large, pink, glowing mushrooms, and the Crabsnakes that reside within them. It is recommended that the player stay underneath the jellyshrooms, as approaching the hole in the top will aggrivate the crabsnake inside, causing them to jump out and attack the player. Around the base are several fragments, including the Thermal Plant and Nuclear Reactor, which are both viable sources of power for a seabase. Inside the base the player will find several PDAs, further expanding the story of the Degasi and her crew. Take note that several Drooping Stingers habg from the ceiling, and can quickly kill a player who runs into them. There are several sections to the base, including a ladder to an upper portion, scanning items such as the bed and Water Filtration Machine is recommended. Picking up a PDA found in a locker will give the player the beacon to the final Degasi seabase, located 500m deep.
The Deep Grand Reef
The final beacon will lead the player to the Deep Grand Reef, a deep and dangerous biome, filled with agressive fauna. Creatures such as Crabsquids and Warpers pose a constant threat to the player, so staying vigilant is key. Entering the base, the player will find several PDAs, bringing a conclusion to the story of the Degasi, as well as lab equipment and several fragments. The player will also find a creature egg, this is the egg of a Cuddlefish, a fauna that acts as a pet to the player when hatched inside an Alien Containment, which one of the fragments found in this base. Upstairs, the player will find the data box for the Cyclops Shield Generator, a powerful upgrade for the cyclops. The player will also find an Orange Tablet, another mysterious tablet, simlar to the purple one. After exploring this base, the player will finally have seen what happened to the Degasi, and what happened to the survivors.
Rescue Vessel
At some point into the playthrough, you will recieve a message from a vessel known as the Sunbeam, a trading vessel run by a man named Avery Quinn. His first message will simply dismiss the Aurora's distress signal as insignificant and not important. However the ships long range scans will reveal to them the true situation and soon after the player will receive a second message telling them the Sunbeam is coming to rescue any survivors. Receiving the third message will further confirm the iminent arrival of the vessel, until the player recieves the fourth and final message, telling them the Sunbeam will land on the planet shortly. It is at this point that the player will recieve a beacon to the landing zone and a 40 minute timer will appears, telling the player when the Sunbam will arrive.
Rescue Inbound
When the player arrives at the beacon, they will find a landmass known as the Mountain Island. They may notice a massive building, that appears to be made of an alien alloy, this gargantuan tower is known as the Quarantine Enforcement Platform. As the Sunbeam's arrival counter runs an alarm will sound from the tower, and it will begin to turn, until the large pillar is now diagonal to the ground and is pointing skyward. It is at this point when the Sunbeam will become visible in the sky and begin to make its descent. The tower will begin to glow green, as if charging up, and a panicked Avery Quinn will tell the pilot to stop the landing and fly back up. Suddenly, a large beam of green light will shoot out of the pillar, obliterating the vessel.
If the player fails to be at the landing site when the Sunbeam lands, this dialogue will play.
Alien Technology
Following the loss of the Sunbeam, the player is encouraged to explore the Quarantine Enforcement Platform, the large tower responsible for destroying the vessel. Upon approaching it, they will discover the Forcefield Control, a machine that requires a purple tablet to activate. Using a purple tablet they have crafted, or found on the Mountain Island, placing it inside will unlock the forcefield blocking their way, allowing you to enter the building. Exploring the base will reveal two Alien Relics, the Alien Rifle and the Doomsday Device, along with another Purple Tablet and three Ion Cubes. Once the player reaches the top of the ramps, there will be an elevator shaft down, jumping into it will bring the player to the lower section of the building.
In the lower section, there will be a moonpool, where the player can park their vehicles, or use as amother entrance. There will also be another forcefield, which the player can deactivate with a purple tablet. Behind this door is the deactivation termianl, and interacting with it will reveal that the player is infected with a disease and will give a databank entry revealing the location of the Disease Research Facility.
Exploring The Aurora
Radio Message
Approximately 5 days after the rescue attempt by the Sunbeam, the player will recieve a message from Alterra HQ, telling them that there is a bluepring for an escape rocket in the Aurora. They will be given the code 2679, which will unlock the Captain Quarters.
Equipment
The following equipment is recommended and/or required for exploring the Aurora:
Radiation Suit (required to approach the Aurora)
- Stasis Rifle, for self-defense from Cave Crawlers, Bleeders, and possibly Reaper Leviathans.
- Repair Tool, for repairing the Drive Room and mending broken doors.
- Propulsion Cannon, for removing crate barriers at both the main hallway and Laboratory entrance, and to remove the Bleeders from the player's arms. A Repulsion Cannon is also a viable tool for removing crates and barriers. They could also be used for self-defense against Cave Crawlers and bleeders.
- Fire Extinguisher, for various fires (some can be found on site)
- Laser Cutter, for entering various rooms including the Prawn Suit Bay and Aurora Black Box Terminal.
- A Seaglide for quick navigation through the submerged sections.
- A Survival Knife / Thermoblade to kill the Bleeders.
- A Grav Trap can be used quickly contain the Bleeders in the Drive Room.
Entering The Aurora
The Aurora is located on the Crash Zone a murky biome inhabited by several Reaper Leviathans, which pose a serious threat to the player. However approaching the vessel using a specific path will allow you to avoid these hostile fauna. A Seamoth can safely sneak past by approaching from the Safe Shallows nearest to the Aurora and hugging the Aurora's side, until reaching a gap large enough for the Seamoth to squeeze through. It is recommended to disembark in shallow water so that the ramp beneath you will protect you from a Reaper attack, though the Reaper doesn't normally swim that close to the entrance. Go up the ramp, watching out for Cave Crawlers, and picking up the items in Supply Crates. when you reach the top walk across the metal beam on the right side, that will bring you to a hallway, which will allow you to enter the Aurora.
Exploration
Cargo Bay 3
This section will serve as a general walkthrough, focusing on major story locations in the Aurora, for a more detailed explanation see, Aurora. Down the left corridor, there is rubble blocking the entrance to Cargo Bay 3. Before this, an Abandoned PDA named "Aurora Engineering Drone - Log" next to a single Propulsion Cannon Fragment, right at the start of the ramp leading to the entrance. These can be gotten around dropping down from above or by using the Propulsion Cannon or Repulsion Cannon to move these out of the way. There is then a locked door with a keypad that can be interacted with. Entering the code from the previously mentioned Data Download into the keypad will open the door. The code is 1454.
Prawn Suit Bay
On the left there will be a room labled Locker Room, inside are several items that can be useful to the player, such as batteries and first aid kits. Continuing through the room will lead the player to a sign labeled "Prawn Bay", inside this room there are several fragments for the Prawn Suit. To the right is a pile of rubble with broken Prawn Suit Fragments and other miscellaneous things piled on top of each other. The fragments may require nearby fires to be put out in order to be scanned. Among the rubble is a Storage Module, located on an upgrade console. Next to that is a ramp blocked off by fire and rubble. Once those are cleared, there is a door that leads to the "Living Quarters".
Living Quarters
The Living Quarters are various rooms that provided living conditions for the various crew and passengers on the ship. To the left, you can find Cabins 1 through 3 and the Captain's Quarters. Cabin 1 is locked by a code, which is "1869", found in the Abandoned PDA named "Sweet Offer". In this room, a Blue Cap, Arcade Gorge Toy, and an Abandoned PDA, "Responsible Autonomous Relattionships", can be found. Another locked door at the end of the hallway, Captain's Quarters, can be unlocked with the code "2679", which was code recived on the radio. Inside the room, there is an Aurora Miniature, an Aurora Poster, an Abandoned PDA titled "Captain's Log" on the bed, and a Data Terminal that contains a Data Download titled "Alterra HQ - Last Recorded Transmissions", that unlocks the Neptune Escape Rocket.