Subnautica is fraught with danger, but its ocean can be relaxing too

The ruined vessel spits fire and embers into the sky. I am stranded on an alien planet, underequipped and on the verge of death. The outlook is grim, but, in spite of everything, I feel relaxed.

You see, Subnautica has become my go-to game to get lost in. In it, you control the survivor of a spaceship that has crash landed on an ocean planet. You craft items, locate resources, and explore the murky depths, staving off hunger, thirst, and hostile wildlife. I admit that it may not sound like one of the most relaxing games, but stay with me.

One reason for Subnautica's soothing nature is the wide range of difficulty settings on offer. There are four categories: freedom, survival, hardcore, and creative. These adjust the number of threats you have to worry about, with freedom removing the hunger and thirst bars, while the creative mode makes you outright invincible. Three of the four modes allow you to take matters at a sedate pace, then - jump scares and real peril are reserved for hardcore mode.

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