00:00The player's really latched onto isolation and that became so essential with Subnautica.
00:15Now with Subnautica 2, with a fresh start, new engine, we thought to ourselves like okay,
00:19this is the moment where we can still make a game that can deliver on isolation for people
00:23that want that but we can also have multiplayer. One of the most requested features of Subnautica
00:27is multiplayer.
00:28When you want to build a truly immersive,
00:31good multiplayer experience for the players,
00:35it's to build it from the ground on.
00:39Our very first internal demos that we did
00:42after a few weeks of development were multiplayer,
00:44and every single feature that we made since then
00:47has been multiplayer-capable.
00:49The important distinction there is that any part of the game
00:52isn't going to require cooperative play.
00:55But if I want to come along and bring a friend,
00:57they can totally participate with me in every moment along the way.
01:00We never wanted to encroach on someone's game
01:02that's just like, I want to play solo.
01:04We never wanted to have the moment
01:05where you had to pull the switches in tandem.
01:07That's never the way we wanted to be.
01:08Optional co-op, start to finish.
01:11Subnetica 2 is completely playable on portable gaming machines
01:15and handheld devices.
01:16We have a large team that's dedicated to optimizing performance,
01:21and they were taking it extremely seriously.
01:23Our development philosophy has always been
01:25that the game should be playable anywhere, with anybody.
01:29I'm playing it every night on my Steam Deck before I go to bed,
01:33and it's a great experience.
01:34It's just a fantastic device to be able to play these games.
01:41Multiplayer game does bring a new set of challenges
01:44in terms of technical animation.
01:45There is more emphasis on both the first-person look of the game and the third-person.
01:51We have omni-directional movement with pretty free camera.
01:54If you're looking up and going backwards, the feet are in your view.
01:59But if all of a sudden you want to go forward and downwards, that body has to get out the way.
02:03For our tools, we use a control rig that encompasses both third-person and first-person perspectives.
02:09Say we're swimming, so the hands can be this shallow of a motion,
02:13whereas in third-person, you know, you want to get that full range of motion.
02:16It's more work, but it also informs more.
02:19The most fun thing I worked on for co-op was the dive elevator.
02:27The dive elevator just adds a lot to co-op in general.
02:29I realized that it would be really cool to be able to both go with friends on it,
02:35but also to be able to attach stuff to it.
02:37So as we started developing the prototype,
02:39we realized that that would make it even more meaningful.
02:42Be able to load it up and then shoot it down to depths
02:45and then come back up with all the stuff you collected down there.
02:49We decided to go for a system where it would be as easy as possible
02:59for people to join each other in their games.
03:01You can either convert a single-player game to multiplayer
03:05and continue from your single-player game,
03:07or you can start a new multiplayer game.
03:09You can invite your friends via your normal platform friends list,
03:13or we have our own friends list where you can invite your cross-platform friends.
03:17It's really simple to jump into games with their friends.
03:19It's really simple to continue games with your friends,
03:21or let them continue the game and for you to pick it up later.
03:24I think we managed to create a very seamless and easy experience
03:27that I hope the players are going to enjoy.
03:34Co-op is a really fun, new thing that we can explore.
03:38I just enjoy seeing how different types of gameplay it opens up for.
03:41You can team up and split off and gather resources like,
03:44oh, I found this.
03:45Help me gather.
03:46I don't have enough inventory.
03:47Help me over here.
03:48I love messing with my friends.
03:49Giving out responsibilities.
03:50I don't like to scan things,
03:52so I'm very happy that someone else will scan all the stuff for me
03:55in Sinonica 2.
03:56I think it's just really fun to find ways to break out work
04:00and just explore and also to be scared together.
04:03Play one run completely solo and isolated and say,
04:07that was great.
04:08Now I can't wait to do it again with my friends.
04:10And that just seemed like a really logical fit for Sinonica 2.
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