Subnautica: Below Zero now lets you explore a shipwreck and make new fishy friends

A new early access update for Subnautica: Below Zero has appeared, dropping the wreckage of a crashed ship into the massive ocean. It's a big rusty vessel that you can swim inside and explore, though you'll want to keep an eye out for dangerous aquatic aliens lingering around it. While the wreck is the update's highlight, there are a couple of even better additions.

For starters, if you poke your head above the surface of the icy waters on Planet 4546B, you now have the chance to see the Aurora Borealis. The real deal is one of the most magnificent natural phenomena you can witness, but if you can't make the trip up north to see it for yourself, at least you can now catch a glimpse of it in Below Zero.

I'm not sure if that's my favourite addition the Lost Ship update brings, though. It's between the Aurora Borealis and the new creatures called trivalves. They're Below Zero's version of the main game's cuddlefish. You can feed these friendly little tykes and they might start following you around. Most importantly, if you wave at them, they wave back with their little tentacles! 

(Image credit: Unknown Worlds Entertainment)

Less adorable are the new brinicles, which are stalactites (the ones that hang from the ceiling) made of ice that damage you if you get too close. They also seem to be the size of a mountain. So if you don't see a brinicle and swim right into it, killing yourself, you only have yourself to blame.

It's worth going down to the depths as well, where you'll now see deep lilypads, illuminated by the flowers that grow down there. They're pretty, "ripe with resources and lead to further Architect discoveries to be made." Just be careful you don't get too carried away with gathering goods and forget to check your oxygen levels. It's happened to all of us.

Unknown Worlds also notes that the Lost Ship update will be your last chance to play through the current version of Below Zero's story. With the next update, a new story will appear, so make sure to finish up the old one soon.