ubnautica: Below Zero is a survival adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a first-person perspective. The player controls xenologist Robin Ayou, who lands on ocean planet 4546B in pursuit of answers about her sister's mysterious death. Like its predecessor, gameplay involves exploring and surviving in alien environments while also completing objectives to advance the game's plot. Players collect resources, construct tools, build bases and submersibles, and interact with the planet's wildlife.[1]
To survive and progress, the player must collect raw materials from the environment, including various minerals, flora samples, and fish, while avoiding or countering threats like hostile fauna and blinding snowstorms. They must also acquire blueprints to craft new items, either through finding and opening databoxes in the world or by scanning fragments of the item. Generally, the player must face harsher environments the further they progress, requiring better equipment or upgrades for old ones, like suits that resist the cold, oxygen tanks with higher capacities, or vehicles that can withstand deeper waters.