One thing I like so much about this game is the sound design, and how it makes every situation 10x as intense and terrifying (Including the audio drones). I really like how powerless some of the songs can make you feel, especially the songs / audio drones that play during moments where it is unlikely that you are going to make it through. Because, even though it feels unlikely, you are always trying your hardest to survive in those moments, even if you know that there is absolutely no hope, just because you want to continue the run, or because you feel too stacked with resources and too powerful to die. Normally when this happens to me, just when I think I might be stable enough to sleep for a while or to continue on, I hear this one tune. Its always this one tune. Its so simple, yet so memorable, and the fact that I always bleed out or suffocate or faint forever very soon after hearing it makes it make me feel all the more hopeless about my situation, and that is amazing. The power the music has over the player is so extreme that I would argue that because of the audio and other factors that show just how well this game manages to make you feel exactly how the character does, a lot of the time.
To talk about the new update, I think the minigames are really fun and unique, although they do make some actions much slower to perform than in previous updates (which is cool, I love how this game gets harder with each update lol). It also means that if you are not completely conscious it is harder to do certain tasks. I have seen people hating on the new crafting system (rework kinda?) and while I do agree that it has some drawbacks compared to the old one, it is more self explanatory and relevant than the old one was. Lastly, I cant remember if the survival pod heating system was part of this update or the last one, but it’s really helpful and balances some parts of the game well. The improved trader ui and trading system in general is also a big plus, although maybe they sell a bit too many items, and since the addition of the large randomised fluid canisters everywhere that usually contain large amounts of very valuable liquids, its very easy to just get a bottle with a value of 50 or more and buy lots of items from one trader, making it maybe quite an over exploited feature.
Overall, this game somehow gets even better for like the tenth time, but I still cant put it any higher on my games list because it is already number 1.