Sub Culture

Sub Culture is a 3D action-adventure game developed by Criterion Games and published by Ubi Soft in 1997 for Windows 95/98. Players control Bubba Kosh, a one-centimeter-tall humanoid prospector who explores an underwater world from a miniature submarine. The game combines open-world exploration, resource gathering, and faction-based missions. Set in the shallows of a littered seabed, the player salvages metal and prospects for Thorium to earn money, which is used to upgrade the submarine with better weapons, shields, and equipment. Two rival factions, the Procha and the Bohine, are locked in a civil war, and the player can choose to aid either side or attempt to balance relations. Missions are arranged into story stages but can be undertaken in any order, with player decisions influencing how factions react. The game's graphics were praised for their realistic underwater environments, featuring day and night cycles, lifelike fish behavior, and detailed particle effects even without 3D acceleration. Sub Culture offered both first- and third-person viewpoints, switchable with a single key. Sound design and music contributed to an immersive, atmospheric experience. Sub Culture was noted for its originality and relaxing yet tense gameplay. The sole major criticism was the save system, which only allowed saving while docked at cities. It remains a beloved cult classic.