The process of escaping from being a lonely survivor struggling to stay alive by any means, and modifying one's DNA to be reborn as the apex predator and pioneer of this planet. Whether you are a player who has just stepped into the deep sea or one who has hit a growth wall, please pay close attention to this content. Good gear alone is not enough; now is the time for good DNA. If you have upgraded to decent gear, it is time to take the next step. If the characteristics of the Jellyfish mentioned in the previous survival guide were practically an essential growth element, the Bio-Mods found in the ruins of the Advance Base and Research Facility change the play style itself It is closer to a more granular growth system that allows for changes. In other words, depending on the player's choices, completely different survival strategies become possible. Bio-mods are broadly divided into trigger-type and continuous-type. To explain it in more familiar terms, trigger-types can be understood as active skills, and continuous-types as passive skills. The first abilities you acquire early on are Charge and Sea Sprint. Although they are simple abilities that enhance dash and swimming speed, their perceived performance is greater than expected. Compared to when they are absent, the convenience of exploration is noticeably different. True to the name Bio-mod, abilities acquired later are obtained by analyzing the characteristics of creatures. The structure allows you to scan various organisms using a scanner to study their biological characteristics, and based on this, unlock new Bio-Modes. If characteristics are growth elements essential for survival, Bio-Modes can be considered growth elements that assist gameplay. However, you cannot freely use a variety of abilities from the start. There is only one triggerable Bio-Mode available by default, and as of Early Access, only one persistent Bio-Mode slot is unlocked. Furthermore, in the early stages, no matter how many creatures you scan, new Biomods are not unlocked. To fully utilize Biomods, you must upgrade your existing scanner to a 'Biological Scanner'. The problem is that this process is by no means simple. Since Biomods are closer to mid-to-late game progression content even in Early Access, crafting a Biological Scanner requires a significant amount of time and exploration. Heat resistance is essential to reach the eastern hydrothermal vent area ©INVEN The first thing needed is heat resistance. Heat resistance can be obtained through Jellyfish. If you move about 200 meters west of the life pod, a spore-infected area appears; purifying the contaminants there will grant you the relevant traits.

Once you have secured heat resistance, you can now explore the hydrothermal vent area to the east. However, there is equipment you must prepare beforehand. It is the repair tool. The Repair Tool blueprint requires scanning a total of three items to complete and can be found at the advance party's base, research facility, or the wreckage of a destroyed spaceship.

If you have completed the blueprint and crafted the Repair Tool, you are almost there. The next destination is about 1,800 meters east of the life pod. I know. It is not an easy distance, as it sounds. However, as mentioned earlier, Bio-Mode is a progression element that is unlocked in the mid-to-late game of Early Access if played naturally. In a way, it is only natural that it requires a somewhat long exploration. As you continue moving, you will discover the wreckage of a destroyed spaceship. Since you will have to dive for quite a long time, it is advisable to prepare plenty of lung capacity upgrades or buoyancy items. Afterwards, use repair tools to open the locked door and explore the interior, and you will finally find a bio-scanner. Once the scan is complete, the blueprint will be yours. A spaceship with a bio-scanner. It is relatively easy to locate because there is a vertically rising rock on the left. Congratulations. You have now reached the starting point of the full-scale Biomod growth system. Of course, it is not over yet. If you have secured the Biomod blueprint, you must now move on to the next step: crafting the workbench. If you travel about 1,200 meters east of the lifepod, you will find an alien ruins area where you can obtain the workbench blueprint from the research facility. You might want to go straight back from here to craft the workbench, but there are two materials you must secure before that. These are the celestial stone needed to build the workbench and the conductor crystal, which is the material for the bio-scanner.

Celestial stone can be found about 100 to 200 meters south of the alien ruins, at a depth of around 250 meters. Although the location itself is somewhat easy to pinpoint due to the nearby purple terrain, the celestial mineral itself is quite rare, so you must search thoroughly. If you have a Tadpol, it is at least easier to approach the vicinity, but even that is not perfect. This is because the Tadpol's base maximum diving depth is 250 meters. Equipping an upgrade module increases the maximum diving depth, but unfortunately, celestial is required to craft it. Eventually, you must descend to around 250 meters at first, and then go deeper on your bare hands. As you head south into the deep sea, you can discover a purple area. Conductor Crystals can be obtained from an alien structure located southeast of the alien ruins, at a depth of about 300 meters. After scouring every corner of the deep sea and repeating explorations, you finally secure all the materials necessary to build the bio-scanner. And at that very moment, the meaning of the scanning and exploration that have continued until now begins to reveal itself. Conductor crystals found in alien structures. The preparations to build the bio-scanner are finally complete. ©INVEN The bio-scanner finally completed after the long journey. It is time to scan once again! ©INVEN

If you have obtained a bio scanner, it is now time to start collecting the biomods you need. As it is still in the early stages of Early Access, you can only equip one persistent biomod, and the types of biomods available for acquisition are not numerous. However, most of the abilities currently implemented are of great help for survival and exploration. Representative triggerable Bio-mods include the abilities obtainable from Electric Jordi and the squid-shaped Collector Leviathan. First, Electric Discharge, acquired by scanning Electric Jordi, is an ability that significantly increases survivability by pushing away aggressive creatures in the vicinity. Additionally, it has the effect of paralyzing enemies for a short time, making it useful when dealing with dangerous creatures. In particular, this ability shines not only for simple survival but also during exploration. In fact, in multiplayer, it can be utilized to the extent that one player temporarily paralyzes the Collector Leviathan with an electric discharge, allowing another player to quickly approach and complete the scan. Electric Jordi! 800 Volts! "Pikaaa!" ©INVEN The Bio-mod obtained by scanning the Collector Leviathan is also incredibly useful. It is an ability that displays the location of nearby resources using sonic echoes. Since it is not as immediate and flashy as the electric discharge, it might feel a bit underwhelming. However, considering that 'Subnautica 2' is ultimately an OWSC genre game centered on resource gathering and crafting, the ability to easily locate the minerals that form the basis of crafting is a significant strength in itself. This Biomod system particularly shines in the aforementioned multiplayer environment. Since only one activated Biomod can be equipped by default, roles are naturally divided when up to four players are playing together. For example, if two players equip Biomods specialized in exploration and gathering, such as Pathfinder or Sonic Echo, the remaining two can protect their teammates by utilizing abilities focused on survival and defense, such as Decoy Cloud or Electro Discharge. The ability to complement each other's weaknesses by taking on different roles in this way is precisely the strength of the Biomod system. Thanks to this, the efficiency of survival and exploration is also significantly enhanced. While it is quite useful when playing alone, it can be said to create much greater synergy in team play. There is nothing better than this when searching for rare minerals such as celestial or conductor crystals ©INVEN. Looking at it this way, the Bio-Mod might seem like a superior system that completely replaces existing equipment and tools. However, in reality, that is not necessarily the case. This is because, based on Early Access, you can only equip one trigger-type and one persistent-type, and the structure does not necessarily make it more powerful even if additional persistent slots are unlocked later. For example, let's assume you have equipped both Moisture Secretion, obtained by scanning a water snail, and Slow Metabolism, obtained through a Wreckle Mango. Since hunger slows down and you can automatically obtain filtered water just by moving, at first glance it feels like you barely need to worry about managing food and water. Most persistent bio-mods are abilities that have nothing to lose, but... ©INVEN However, in reality, that is not the case. These persistent bio-mods are merely designed to slow down the rate at which hunger and thirst accumulate, or to help secure food and water more stably. They do not allow for completely free survival. Ultimately, players still need to gather resources and manage their food supply; it simply makes the cycle a little more relaxed. In addition, there are abilities that possess both advantages and risks, such as bioluminescence. The nights in 'Subnautica 2' are dark enough to evoke the real deep sea. While visibility is somewhat maintained in shallow waters thanks to bioluminescent creatures, descending below 100 meters makes it impossible to see even an inch ahead. In such a situation, the bioluminescence ability to emit light from the body without a flashlight feels quite appealing. The abyss where you cannot see an inch ahead. In 'Subnautica 2', light is of the utmost importance. The problem is that the player is not the only one who sees that light. Deep-sea predators can also detect it. Furthermore, continuous abilities cannot be turned on and off only when needed, like a flashlight. If you are not careful, you could end up revealing your location in the middle of the dark deep sea. Ultimately, the Bio-Mods in 'Subnautica 2' are not a system that completely replaces existing tools, but rather one that complements and expands upon them. Players must combine their equipment with Bio-Mods according to the situation, and in multiplayer, they must even consider the division of roles among teammates. It is not simply about gaining stronger abilities, but rather about creating various variations in the playstyle itself. If tools have no downsides, then Bio-mod has its pros and cons. ©INVEN