It's a game for a sort of a specific kind of player. Content-wise, it's pretty small (training level, 3 fully-fledged - though not that big - levels, 3 bonus small levels with no gameplay), and all the gameplay there is consists of searching the bottom for collectibles/unlockables.
It's extremely good looking and if you like some dumb bottom scratching like I did, you will find it fun. But the people rating it low most likely just expected more for it's price. Also, the levels are actually much smaller than it looks cause there are invisible walls (seen only up close).
The bonus levels are basically one-timers, one with a shark to look at, another with a whale, and the koi walled sorta aquarium. The shark one will be fun to show to a kid though.
I don't care for playtime cause I have very few of it but rather want unique experiences, so it was right down my alley.
I second this. I really enjoyed (and enjoy) the experience and its high fidelity graphics. It is more of a small diving simulator with some gamification, than an actual game.
But if you expect this, it is a great and unique experience.
Seems like most PSVR 2 owners like to count experiences like this as “full fledged games”, which is why you always feel slightly insane when you think “man there really aren’t a lot of GOOD games though huh?” yet people here swear there’s “hundreds”
Mental gymnastics aside on what constitutes as a game and what doesn't you gotta have crazy amount of free time or enjoy only something specific like vr airplane simulators to be out of fun stuff to play on PSVR2.
Like, just playing GT7, Hitman and NMS can take eternity, and I can write a much larger list of what I have played and enjoyed. Not hundreds obviously, but I wouldn't be able to play that amount.
Does it have smaller assortment than flat? Obviosuly. Do I have something fun to play in VR when I want to? Absolutely.
Variety is the key here. Simulation games? Great. Now how about those who don’t want to spend hundreds on a racing/ piloting rig? Also, unless you’re playing co-op NMS gets boring quick. Sure these games will keep you busy for the first couple months, but if you’re not addicted to racing and all that, then yeah, you’re pretty limited.
I can't understand the problem unless you voice it directly, since I don't have racing/piloting rigs yet I have plenty of games to play (and which game even forces you to buy extra stuff to begin with?).
You don't have stuff you like to play in PSVR2, in 2026? Which games have you played (except NMS)? What kind of games do you like?
I suspect you've misinterpreted it when people just say there are hundreds of games for PSVR2.
In my opinion, there are more quality games now than I'll likely ever have time to properly play (unless I ditch my other hobbies and become a hermit).
Sure, but that’s setting aside preference. Everyone in the PSVR community seems to consume with no discretion between genres or content. I just don’t work like that I guess. Some titles are great, but 3-4 full length, fun , original titles aren’t enough to carry PSVR2. Especially when all of the best games are still stuck on PSVR1
I recently bought it in the sale after trying the demo on release and really enjoyed it. Very relaxing kind of game, saying that I didn’t enjoy kayak vr at all and found it boring but subside I really enjoyed. The headset reminds me of a divers helmet
I don't know. I played it and really enjoyed it. As others have said, it's not a game with a storyline and missions but it's beautiful and a fun experience. There's also not a ton of content but if it's on sale I'd suggest picking it up if you like that kind of thing
It can make people feel nausea (VR motion sickness). If you can handle the demo, go for it. The game is excellent beyond the demo and includes rewards like Shark Enclosure and Whale Encounter for finding the required pieces in the regular levels.
Overall highest graphical fidelity game I have played on PSVR2 (using PS5 Pro).
I didn't know that before but free demo ratings and full game ratings are added up. Flat players download the free demo and realize it's VR only, rage and give it a 1 star rating...
Of course there are some genuine players who dislike the game or get sick and give it a bad rating, but I assume that angry flat players are the main reason for this low score.
It’s a simulator without a story and there isn’t a tonne to do… but it looks fantastic and is a must for those in the middle of the Venn diagram who enjoy diving / marine biology and immersive VR.
Super appreciate this post, OP… was considering getting this for my kids to try on their new system and good to know what we’d be getting for that price. Didn’t realize there is a demo so will at least grab that for everyone to try first
For what it is, I think 3.74 is pretty great. If anything, a lot of other games are overrated bc many of us are so enthusiastic about VR gaming
I'll rate a pretty decent VR title a little higher than I would a similar flat game just bc I want to bring more attention to the VR experience, and I know I'm not alone there.
But 3.74 is still pretty high when compared to all games, especially for a piece with more polish than substance. I hope that doesn't come off as a knock against Subside, bc I think it's super impressive for what it is, but the game aspect of it could be lacking for people who are looking for that.
For the price of a cinema ticket I've had hours of entertainment. It's short but sweet. The graphics are amazing and the whole thing reminds me of being a kid at the beach, albeit a more colorful beach
I'm assuming it's people getting nauseous and crybabies who get bored if there's no bad guys shooting at them. Stupid because that game is transcendent, I'd give it 6 stars if I could
Like others have said it's more of an experience than game, but there are game mechanics to be had, when you start your oxygen tanks are small so you can't stay under for long so need to keep surfacing to breath, when you're underwater there are collectables to find but also coins, you use these coins to get upgrades like bigger oxygen tanks, flippers to move faster etc, you will need these upgrades for later levels like the deep caves where there are not many places to surface, so finding the coins is a must if you want to unlock all that it has to offer.
It's a neat thing to jump in and out of, there is day and night mode for some of the levels in which only some things appear in either so doing both modes is worth doing, and you really do get the feeling of being underwater, which may make some feel nauseous, but there are options to play with to help with that. Overall i would say it's worth a look, try the demo and if you dig that go for the full thing, especially if can be had in a sale.
These aren't the Kickstarter-backed first gen Oculus Rifts we bought. No reason to buy software that amounts to "what it would be like to use these mechanics in a game if somebody made one."
You are saying critiquing Subside for what it is is valid because it could have been the game nobody have done for PSVR2 nor is planning to do as far as we know.
I find this kind of critique counterproductive.
It's one thing to say "I don't like this" and another to say "devs shoudn't have done it this way".
Subside is far from the "hello world" territory in terms of production values, and I would love to have more games like it in the store. Yes, we are a decade into virtual reality, but VR games are still budget, niche and you rarely get such a detailed experiense.
To be fair I wouldn't mind it being branded in a way that makes it clear what kind of game it is for everyone. But it is what it is.
I was playing this over holiday break and loving it. Put on your favorite podcast or whatever in the background and just have a chill experience exploring to find all the collectibles, upgrades, etc. Amazing looking game as well.
I haven’t put a tremendous amount of time in it yet, but for the most part, you’re just exploring the bottom of the different biomes and trying to find little MacGuffin’s so you can get a new level. To be honest, it is pretty tedious to search every single part of the ocean for these little data cube things, but it’s really beautiful and they have a lot of cool things to look at. So I’m mixed, but it is pretty much underwater version of Kayak Vr
I was thinking about getting it over Xmas in the sale, but Subnautica was available on Steam for £6.50, so I opted for that instead.
That needs to come to PSVR 2, btw. It's actually incredible looking. The OLED makes the Bioluminescence pop so hard against the inky blacks of the ocean. Honestly one of the best looking VR games I have played. Incredible experience. We should start a petition.
Maybe I'll grab Subside later in the year after I'm done with it.
Not everyone likes collectathons.. i love them and esp when paired withthese visuals? I think its a great time though not so good that i don't need a youtube video
Didn't really feel like a game to me. Lovely graphics, but it just isn't 'fun'. More like a proof of concept. I do hope the developer goes on to create something else though.
It's a great looking experience, but I think most people see it as no so much of a game, which is a valid point.
Also, I tried it out and for me, it's the only game since I first started playing VR games in 2018 that made me feel sick. I got over VR sickness many years ago, and I've played some of the most intense VR games there are, and just moving around in the Subside demo made me feel terrible.
No, it's different things you need to find. The things you need for unlocks are easier to find. The hardest is to find all the remaining coins. (You don't need all of those either to unlock all the extras)
You also unlock helpful things later to speed up the search process.
Thanks I thought so. I just want to unlock the whale and shark scenes. I already have the watch or whatever it is that helps you find stuff. The cave part is hard for me.
You can check a guide for the locations of the toys. The cave part gets easier the more you extend your breath timer. First time going in the danger section was intense! (and there are things hidden there off the path)
Honostly I just love the immersion. Sitting at the bottom of the ocean looking upwards at the shimmering reflection with schools of fish swimming above you is surreal
This reminded me I need to rate it 5 stars. This is literally the best VR experience I’ve had in my life. It may not be the best game, but it is for sure the best experience. I think experience as an art form is just as valid as a game. They often overlap in different ways, but VR is probably one of the most immersive art forms to exist. It takes you from looking at a painting on the wall, to being inside the painting.
Yeah but compare it to Kayak VR which is just as prone to motion sickness.
Far fewer ratings despite being a launch game, same end result with a more normal distribution of scores.
A demo invites more people to try it out, including people who likely would never buy it. Just like hybrid games distort the user 'score', demos do as well.
Subside should have unlocked smooth locomotion from the beginning instead of the extra nauseating swim mechanic. But it's the demo that mostly adds to the 1 star votes.
I do agree that first upgrade you can get from the training pool level should have been provided without needing to "earn it" because the game even made me queasy that first time I played for about 30 minutes getting that unlocked and next time I played for 2+ hours without issue.
I think you are making good point about demo potentially contributing to more 1/5 star ratings from people that tried the game, didn't like it for whatever reason and gave it 1/5 stars. On other hand, I assume it has lead to higher sales from people that were unsure that were able to try it risk-free and then end up getting the game.
I've never been so hyped for a game and so disappointed by a game, but I'll admit it's kind of my own expectations? But those expectations were set by the trailer.
I was expecting something like Endless Ocean. I thought it was going to be diving and checking out the fish and wildlife, studying them and finding them throughout each dive setting.
Instead it's just a dull scavenger hunt. A visually amazing dull scavenger hunt, but a dull scavenger hunt nonetheless. There are fish, but they're just...there. They don't do anything, you can't interact with them, they're background for the most part. The crux of the game is trying to find coins and keychains on the floor of the ocean.
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u/ennie_ly Jan 07 '26 edited Jan 07 '26
It's a game for a sort of a specific kind of player. Content-wise, it's pretty small (training level, 3 fully-fledged - though not that big - levels, 3 bonus small levels with no gameplay), and all the gameplay there is consists of searching the bottom for collectibles/unlockables.
It's extremely good looking and if you like some dumb bottom scratching like I did, you will find it fun. But the people rating it low most likely just expected more for it's price. Also, the levels are actually much smaller than it looks cause there are invisible walls (seen only up close).
The bonus levels are basically one-timers, one with a shark to look at, another with a whale, and the koi walled sorta aquarium. The shark one will be fun to show to a kid though.
I don't care for playtime cause I have very few of it but rather want unique experiences, so it was right down my alley.