When I first plunged into the icy depths of Subnautica's 2019 spin-off, I was absolutely hyped. The game had a simple but brilliant premise: it takes place on the same terrifying planet full of Leviathan-class creatures from Subnautica, only on the other side of the planet, where the waters are frigid, full of icebergs and frozen caves.

But this slam-dunk idea is unfortunately wasted, ruined entirely by one NPC who refuses to stop talking: Al-An. Al-An is a member of the Precursors, a high-tech race of cybernetic extraterrestrials who were largely responsible for the deadly outbreak that shapes the story of the original Subnautica. On paper, Al-An is great. He's a fascinating character with a heartbreaking backstory, and I immediately took a liking to him. Then he started talking.

After........

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