SOMA

Well that's a game that'll remain in my mind for quite some time.

Incredible story accompanied by servings of existential dread and a thought provoking message. Only relative downside is the unneccesary monster hide-and-seek that doesnt add much at all to the experience, so I'd suggest you lower the "difficulty" once you're allowed to.

THEY'RE NOT US!

awesome game, great story and atmosphere

excellent story, this game is a must play for anyone with a hunch for a good story and play through.

This has no right being as amazing as it is. It made me feel all the things. I did have to pull up a walkthrough a bit more frequently near the second half, but it didn't detract from my experience at all. Most of the sections felt possible to get through. Safe mode was definitely the way to go for me, and it was still such a good experience. Probably the heaviest game I've ever played. This is also one of the few games that has made me feel genuinely uncomfortable, so it gets a lot of props for that. Overall, even though I got it on a crazy sale, it's absolutely worth the base price. If you like robots, horror, and thinking about what it means to be alive, definitely play this.
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SPOILERS
[I will say, a day after finishing, that ending still upset me so incredibly much and kind of ruined my mood for a while. I'm still thinking about it and it sucks. Still an incredible experience, though.]

Possibly the finest horror game ever made. Not the scariest, at least not in the traditional pop culture sense, but it delivers horror in a very personal way that is unique to video games. This is game is about how you perceive it and the world around you to be, and what constitutes lived experience in a world where sensations can be stored and even commodified. These big questions are bookended by memorable monster encounters that amplify the tragedy and moral perversity of the setting.

This is one of the only games I've ever played so rich that I would read it, were it a book.

After playing this every other story in other games feels written by kids

Great story , and really gets you thinking.
Also pretty scary, but doesn't have too many jump scares.

This is a game You should play twice.
Playing through the game for the first time is already an amazing experience. It's unclear what's going on at first and it makes little sense. But as the truth is revealed it simply makes sense. It's fantastic

Knowing how the game goes and how it ends adds a some level of magic to the experience when playing it for a second time.

I wouldn't recommend to play the game a second time right after completing it. Take some time to let it sink in a little. And when on that random afternoon you remember you've played this game and how great it was, then it's the ideal time to start your second playthrough.

Man, that ending tore my heart to shreds. Both the first and second time seeing it.

incredible!! i was honestly malding at the end but when i beat it it was sooo satisfying. such a unique approach on self identity and what it means to be a human being

This game brings a horror experience that goes beyond jump scares and delves into the unsettling depths of philosophy and identity.

What a terrific, terrifying, tense, thoughtful and touching game this is. Please take all my money.

Great story game. Not much of a gameplay loop other than exploration, but that's to be expected. Great voice acting, story, and different twists to keep you guessing.

The game will present you with some of the most extreme dilemmas ever contrived in fiction. It's a journey worth taking, even for people who aren't fans of survival horror. (When starting a new game you can pick the "safe" difficulty which prevents your character from being physically injured.)

GOD I WANTED TO LIKE THIS GAME SOOOOOOOOO BAD AND IT MAKES ME SAD THAT I WASNT ABLE TO.

story wise this game is a 10/10. Discussions of mortality are hard to do and this story was able to pull it off pretty well. The concept behind knowing who the true you is the whole time really messed with you head.

Game play, this game sucked. it was fine at first but eventually the enemies would just get stuck; soft locking me until they left or randomly decided to kill me 10 minutes later. The puzzles are okay? if you have common sense you can solve them but they do leave you scratching your head when they magically get solved.

If you are a big story person, go for it. the gameplay isnt that bad but wouldnt warrant a second play through for me.

7/10

many games now lack story and originality. here is a game with a unique story. not difficult to play. would def recommend to those that seek to pass some time and just to play something offline.

I started playing this game 10 years ago, but only managed to beat it now. So I can relate to the main character waking up in the future. Anyway really good and engaging story. The graphics are amazing and still hold up. The horror bits are some of the best in any Frictional game. Some of the dialouge is a bit annoying and wants to be profound too hard, but whatever I still came to like the characters near the end. 8.5/10, really enjoyable

Soma is a highly recommend horror game but not the sort of horror you'll find too commonly elsewhere. There's a bit of gore and a few scares but the main horror theme that drives this game is existential horror through the story... and yeah its story is awesome.
Soma is a horror game with existential themes that takes place mainly in the bottom of the ocean and thats just the inital premise for the story, the pacing and the way certain reveals are made are nothing short of perfection at times. Definitely its biggest positive. The atmosphere is tense, the aesthetic is cool and some of the enemies are some really creepy looking monstrosities.
One downside I have with the gameplay it can be a little bit generic at times, an easy puzzle here a bit of backtracking there makes for some sections to be a little more slow than is needed but nothing is a deal breaker. In fact there are some puzzles (not wishing to spoil) play into its themes surprsingly well and are very creative.

Soma is phenomenal horror game but not your traditional horror experince bear in mind and covers some heavy themes about existence. Certainly a game worth experincing.

I've never been more unsettled about screen static. Thanks SOMA!

A great story with twists and turns. Definitely got the ticker going at times.

I've played a lot of non-combat survival horror and this is without exception the most well written one. Immerse yourself because the real terror of SOMA is in its plot.

There are some things to note. The downtime (parts of the game where you're safe from threat) can feel rather lengthy and linear; however, SOMA's fundamental idea gives you a lot to think about so I don't see this as a flaw. It's also a much shorter experience than other games in its genre.

8.5/10

Need to finish the story but i watched it on youtube, 10/10 story line and game. I am obviously late to the party

well, the gameplay is okay i guess. you just walk around do puzzles read notes etc, sometimes run away from monsters. i hated how your vision got 200 effects when your health gets very low though, the limping is fine but thats just annoying.
story was incredible got me hooked. 9/10

This game did a really good job at prompting me to question my morals, feel bad about doing the thing, and then cry. 10/10

I love this game. It has an interesting premise, and although the beginning can feel a bit slow, its narrative is well-crafted. At times, I found myself lost, unsure of where to go, which led to some frustration. However, aside from that challenge, it is a truly solid and enjoyable game.

Acabo de terminar el juego y... la sensación es rara, sin spoilers, si bien el juego no es el más vistoso, o las mecánicas no son las más pulidas, te hace pensar como pocos. Una atmósfera 10/10 y unas difíciles decisiones moralmente ambiguas que, a pesar de no afectar la narrativa, te dejan regulando. Una experiencia que no termina en los créditos o en un game over, sino que invita a la reflexión sobre la naturaleza del ser humano. Si te gustan el terror psicológico y las cuestiones existensiales, no puedo recomendarte suficiente este juego. Me sorprendió!!

I played this game like 4 years ago now, but a 2.5hr play through with commentary came up in my YT algo and I gladly watched the whole thing end to end, because the story and plot points of the game are just that good. I reminded me that I really need to come back and make sure I'd left a positive review.

I'd choose this absolute masterpiece over any triple A title from the last decade now.
I love when my game is strictly storytelling and nothing more, nothing less. The SOMA team really, uh wehat do the kids say nowdays... cooked with this one.

A game designed to make you sad- and executes it exceptionally well

Explores the idea of what makes you, YOU, why we persist to continue the human race,

Great atmosphere, great story.

The gameplay is pretty normal stealth gameplay... nothing too innovative or crazy, some puzzles are nice, and they do help connect you to the story and make you feel like you're the one actually figuring out the machinery.

This game is astonishing. In terms of story, characters and themes and improvement from Amnesia TDD. Though horror from Amnesia is still unbeatable. Setting itself is beautiful and haunting at the same time.
It's one of those game that stick with you for the rest of your life. Ending lives rent free in my head.
Sound design is astonishing. Definitely recommend playing this one with headphones.
Looking forward to what Frictional games will cook up next and hope whoever is reading this will enjoy this game as much as I did !

It's immersive, and made me question reality. Overall, a solid experience.

10/10 Game I really enjoyed playing SOMA, The atmosphere throughout the game was so good, and the story/lore is a masterpiece tbh. I really recommend the game.

You will shit your pants and contemplate the meaning of life like you never have before. At the same time!
I call that a good deal

Please play this game. You will never regret it. Its a game that will stick around with you long after completing it. It's one of those experiences in media that seems to touch on some emotion that you'll never really understand, but you keep thinking about time and time again. Don't let the horror aspects of this game deter you from experiencing one of the most hauntingly beautiful and profound pieces of media of that last decade. Especially now considering that the themes and ideas presented are eerily relevant today. Anyway, I'm going to go outside now and feel the sunlight on my skin and spend some time with my friends and family.

SOMA is... okay. The themes that are covered throughout the game are interesting, the overall story keeps you hooked in 'till the end, it looks good and runs decent enough and most importantly it does a phenomenal job of actually being able to scare the sh*t out of you unlike many other examples of its genre brethren and when combined, all of these aspects make it the best horror themed walking simulator I've ever played. However, that's about it. Nothing more nothing less.

Not like I don't have any issues about it either as I have problems with how it handles and presents those interesting themes throughout the narrative for example or it's not like that I think those themes are as unique or mind-shattering as other people have put it over the years necessarily anyways and I think it lacks a significant amount of player agency regarding the enemy encounters for a Frictional game too but since it's essentially a walking simulator at the end--and a pretty good one at that, I'm mostly okay with not getting as impressed with it as other people have been. It's definitely not a masterpiece, but rather just a really good game within a genre that's arguably limited when it comes to how much it can offer to the player.

On an unrelated note--if you'd like to experience the absolute best Frictional Games can offer, go ahead and check out Amnesia: The Bunker. I don't own the game on this platform so I couldn't praise it enough after playing it but it's just simply fantastic and heavily underrated. They really managed to fit everything they've learned and cultivated throughout the years into one survival-horror masterpiece of a game with that one and I can't recommend it enough. It's truly an authentic survival-horror game and it pains me to see how just because it has the Amnesia name in its title--and to a degree because the route Frictional took the series and their other games like this one--it's gone under a lot of people's radar.

10,000/10!!! ahhhh .. this Soma lore was made with passion.
Exploring themes of identity and consciousness, you wake up in an underwater facility with no memory, surrounded by AI creatures. This game is an absolute masterpiece.
“What does it mean to be human?” It’s a disturbing look at the intersection of technology and humanity.
I fear no game will ever hit the same after this.
{ “I’m js..js.. a copy?” michinion knows the good games fr ty }

An outstanding piece of art. A story like this could only work so well in a video game format. The themes that are raised here have only become more relevant over the years. The dialogues, recordings and events of the game as a whole reveal these themes from different angles, which, combined with the masterfully designed environment, creates an incredible immersion. The gameplay of the game is not complicated, but it rather benefits the game, leaving more time for the player to think about everything read, seen and heard. The horror genre perfectly complements the atmosphere, and the ending, after all the events of the game, feels fantastic.

overrated. Walking sim with boring enemies. Story is fun though. Recommend playing on storymode. Normal mode just takes up time.

If you enjoy being panicked, tight spaces and have a crippling fear of the dark depths of the ocean even if you dont, this game is worth a try, while short, the game is really good, doesnt hold your hand and respects your time <3

This game is a true "maybe" recommendation. It truly excels at being quite scary, but at times the enemies become more annoying than anything else. The story is nothing new, but if you're unfamiliar with other works of science fiction it might grip you. The puzzles are laughably easy, even if you have very little experiance with puzzle games. Every plot twist is easy to guess ehead of time, and our protagonist is at times deeply annoying. I think I'm in the minority when I say I ended up dialing Soma, it's really a game you need to play for yourself.

Beautiful atmosphere, monsters themselfs are not as scary as atmosphere of being in some barotrauma type shit situation

Having leveraged all their raw experience and hard work with Amnesia, and Penumbra before it, Frictional Games embark on an exploration into the meaning of life itself in what is far and away one of the best horror games of the last thirty years.

A thoroughly mysterious adventure at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, one which is horrific, hopeful and poignant all in equal measure, SOMA remains, at least in this author's opinion, Frictional's magnum opus. This is the stuff of legend in more ways than one; not only does it stand on the shoulders of a very special giant but it plays, reads and sounds like any of the best TV horror shows of the last couple decades. It could easily be counted amongst the likes of Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House, David Lynch's (requiescat in pace) Twin Peaks and Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story. Seeing the hapless, puppy dog-like Time Traveller being pursued by the hideous, sightless form of Terry Akers would not look remotely out of place in a Love, Death & Robots episode. This being said - because it is a video game after all - SOMA can count on its own unique characteristics to help drive it to that legendary status.

Attempting to resolve the mystifying terror that stands at the heart of the game is our hapless Canadian protagonist, Simon Jarrett, who is plucked from a relatively comfortable exam room chair in the 21st century and transposed into the 22nd century underwater hellscape that is Carthage Industries' PATHOS-II installation. Naturally, as one is when one is unknowingly sent forward through time, Simon is full to the brim with confusion, pestering the only other life form he can even remotely perceive as friendly, Catherine Chun, with questions and complaints at every swipe of our ubiquitously useful Omnitool, whilst simultaneously accepting her instructions because he really has little choice.

As the story progresses, every pitch-black corner and dimly-lit corridor of the facilities that make up this installation is a new journey, birthing new horrors that defy our imagination. Those that walk cannot be fought off or destroyed because the player character is not trained in martial arts or the use of weapons and in any case, being a civilian research project, there are no weapons to be found in PATHOS-II. Those that simply lie around, waiting to die alone in their mechanical misery, can only be looked upon with a mixture of pity, disgust and sorrow, with the possibly vain hope that disconnecting them from their power sources will finally end their suffering. Functionally this game is certainly a walking simulator, however it's a walking simulator that keeps making you want to continue walking and, in the case of beings like Terry Akers and Jin Yoshida, run.

In the event, it's not actually our imagination that gave rise to these horrors but that of one of our creations: the Warden Artificial (Intelligence) Unit. Responsible for maintaining certain mechanical functions throughout PATHOS-II, critically, the WAU is not truly an antagonist in this story. Unlike HAL 9000, it is not sentient and cannot think for itself, at least not in the way that we would perceive "thought", and therefore is not truly responsible for the misery created in PATHOS-II. In fact, because it's a machine that is merely following a protocol it was programmed to follow, the WAU is almost as hapless as Simon is. The moulding of the WAU in this anti-villain archetype is a deliberate, game-defining developer decision in order to drive to the surface the following core question: what does it mean to be Human?

The answer is, as one would hopefully expect, left completely up to the player. There is no real hand-holding or agenda-driving here, beyond the bare minimum necessary to accelerate the plot to its inevitable conclusion, a conclusion that's left with only one version rather than multiple as some other games of this type offer. There are no dialogue options either, primarily because our role as Simon means we have a fixed, fully pre-determined character, secondarily because the game is actually directing every facet of itself towards that inner voice behind the monitor - the one that grimaces at the sounds in voice logs and the horrific descriptions of events in e-mails littered throughout the environment. Thankfully, the lack of choice in the game does absolutely no harm to its conduct.

There are no genuine complaints I can level at this work of art. It remains excellent to look at and wander through, achieving frame-rates well over 120 at the highest level of quality, at basically any resolution and refresh rate. Nor is it a particularly difficult endeavour to complete, with my play-time at 20 hours representative of my choice to explore thoroughly and at a fairly slow pace. Certain players might take umbrage with the substantial chromatic aberration that occurs when Simon's health states are damaged, particularly if they suffer from visual issues, however, quickly finding what I can only call a "healing tunnel" (in preference to a somewhat ruder analogy) which are proliferated throughout the game, is a very simple method of resolving this.

Ultimately, SOMA is a deeply satisfying adventure with more profound meaning attached to it than most games one might play throughout one's lifetime. It's constructed from the same narrative mould that powered Amnesia: Dark Descent to fame and yet it does so with a life force and method all of its own account, convincing the player with powerfully persuasive arguments to see through the grim journey of Simon to its end. Whether that end is one of light or one of darkness, well, that's up to you to decide.

Absolutely no spoilers, this is a fascinating mind screw of a game.

SOMA is one of those very few games that after you finish it, you still think about it from time to time.

It is a very well done narrative experience that makes you question humanity, meaning, mind and soul.

Every friend I've recommended this game and has played it says something similar to what I just wrote.

So far I haven't been dissapointed with any of Frictional's games. I like to support this developer and enjoy the great experiences they make. From Amnesia to SOMA, to The Bunker and Rebirth, they all have that little something that makes the games a great experience with well written stories and memorable characters, level design and soundtrack.

10/10

First things first, I bought this game to support the devs because I had watched tons of YouTubers play it beforehand, I didn’t even have a PC back then. And honestly? It’s really good.

The gameplay itself wasn’t anything groundbreaking, at least in my opinion, but the story? I absolutely loved it. And that ending... Ugh, it hit me right in the feels. I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, not gonna lie.

If you’re looking for a game with a solid story and a bit of a creepy twist, you should definitely give SOMA a try. Trust me, it’s worth it.

(No Spoilers)

This game was amazing.

It's not the longest, only took me 9ish hours to complete on a blind playthrough but I highly recommend this game. The story was absolutely immaculate, one of the best I've ever played even. The voice acting was super expressive and well done. Serious respects to everyone behind this game.

What I don't understand is why does nobody ever talk about this game. Like it didn't sell well but I can count plenty of games like that which have huge fan bases and loads of videos and media complimenting it. Yet, I barley see this game even talked about.

The puzzles weren't anything special or too challenging but they were unique and obviously weren't the main selling point.

What's so good about this game is the excellently crafted story and immersion. Every encounter had me on my toes and scared the crap out of me. Every piece of lore had me more and more interested the further I progressed. The fact pretty much everything is intractable and detailed is so cool and makes the game 10x more immersive and interesting.

You absolutely NEED to give this game a try, it is actually awesome and I couldn't reccomend going in blind more. Trust me.

SOMA.
wow, I knew the game was gonna be good, but the story was actually so interesting.
and I know half of y'all would run off scared anyways
to the horror fans, story lovers,
in this world of technology and AI. this throws a couple of what if's..

again, LOVED the story! gg guys

What is there to say that has not already been said? Played it blind and still today it is absolutely gorgeus! If you are like me and still have not seen or experienced this, give it a go! Atmospheric masterpiece with minimal Hide and Seek

This might have pulled me into the horror genre!

I'm so glad I finally committed to finishing this game. What a story! The atmosphere of existential dread it creates is potent, leaving me thinking on after playing about the deeper meaning and implications of the narrative's twists and turns, and what it says about identity, continuity, humanity, and legacy. What a wonderfully terrible fate; what a terribly wonderful story.

Soma utilises all aspects to generate a truly terrifying experience, from monster and location design to use of music and sound, I truly loved and hated my time on this game. The story is nicely written and drives you through the story, I was itching to find out every possible detail to help build up as lore as I possibly could.

As you would expect from Frictional Games, there are puzzles that usually involve finding things in the level and manipulating them to solve the puzzles, these proved fun and rather scary when trying to avoid the wondering monsters.

With world itself is very dark, with it being so deep underwater, the use of lighting really enhances the ambiance of indoor levels, helping create ominous shadows that have you second guessing on some occasion.

Sound design is also brilliant, monsters sound loud and scary, even if they do not see you. The soundtrack is eerie and impacts the fear factor.

Gameplay is easy to grasp, like all Frictional Games, it is fluid and you feel like you are in control of a person compared to some elite super agile soldier.

Overall, a fantastic game by the masters of horror games. Well worth picking up if you are even vaguely curious. You’ll love it and hate it at the same time!


If you enjoyed this review, I am setting up a Steam Curator page and group and would love for you to join!

https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45328416/

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/ajmfreviews

Really great story. The voice acting is amazing and when combined with the atmosphere of the game, makes for a truly compelling narrative. Highly recommend.

A near-decade later replay and it's still one of the most important pieces of media ever made. Hauntingly beautiful exploration on what Armageddon might look like, the Jungian concept of Self, the (current) acceleration of Transhumanism, its moral consequences, and dripping with Existential Dread. This game will change you if you have more than 2 brain cells.