SOMA Reviews
If loads of jump scares or action are your thing, SOMA might disappoint. It takes its time, is even a little self indulgent, but more than anything it wants you to actually think about what's going on. If you are going to come for this one come for the excellent writing, voice acting and atmosphere.
It may not strike the same level of outright terror that Amnesia: The Dark Descent but even in this genre, SOMA is a standout title with an interesting storyline centered around the age old debate of being human.
Soma tells an affective tale and carries the horror genre a few steps forward. Had Frictional shown the courage to shake off tradition entirely, it could have carried it further still.
SOMA will scare you, no doubt, but it won't be the memory of a gnarled, disfigured mass clumsily ambling towards you in a corridor that leaves you awake and unable to sleep at night. It will be the question of what makes us human.
SOMA creates a tangible underwater facility with overpowering tension and a haunting atmosphere. It paces the horror carefully and will captivate minds with its narrative.
SOMA is at its best when it's challenging you on a philosophical level rather than on a mechanical one. As a horror game, SOMA feels old and archaic.
A thought-provoking journey that creates tension with its brilliant audio work, SOMA lacks some of the jump scares found in other survival horror games, but offers new ideas that keep you totally immersed.
SOMA is a survival horror game that is undoubtedly one of the best of the genre, and its setting and plot are shining examples of how to engage an audience.
SOMA is one of the better survival-horror games of the last decade.
A chilling and thought-provoking experience that puts Frictional games as one of the best horror game developers.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
'SOMA' is scary, but that aspect pales in comparison with the great script and characterization. It is a bit brief at 10-12 hours, but does not over stay its welcome and should not be missed for anyone who appreciates a deep sci-fi tale with a healthy dose of accompanying fear.
Frictional Games has attempted to merge sci-fi horror with a philosophical investigation into the mind-body problem.
Soma is an exceptionally-compelling story, told in ways that are both innovative and very traditional in turn. It takes you from the highs of puzzling where you're interrogating the back-up of a long-dead technician repeatedly until you manage verisimilitude to the lows (in terms of innovation, not in horror) of yet again skulking behind a table waiting for another insta-kill monster to wander by.
They're good at telling stories, these Frictional guys. They're good at building tension, and at using audio cues to stimulate fear. But in the end, I was put off by the inconvenient monsters. When fear is replaced by impatience, something is lost. This is something that Alien Isolation had very occasionally, and that completely ruined the 1999 PC game Aliens vs. Predator. When the monsters become a nuisance, and you're more worried about them for holding up your progress into the main plot than really terrifying you, it's hard to stay really scared.
Without sounding too hyperbolic, SOMA is a better BioShock than BioShock managed to be. It nails the atmosphere and hits all of the notes that makes the story one of the best in the horror genre.
I've never been deep-sea diving but I think that even James Cameron would be hard pressed to find fault with the level of detail on display here
A gorgeous, thoughtful descent into the depths of the ocean and yourself that doesn't pull any punches. The disturbing questions posed by SOMA will linger with you long after the credits roll.
One of the best games I've played this year and my favorite from Frictional to date.
In the end, SOMA does not quite share the scare factor of Amnesia, but it does exceed it from a storytelling standpoint, as well as nailing that same attention to detail that creates a tense atmosphere filled with both beauty and horror. A definite purchase for the Halloween season.
SOMA's campaign will cost the player roughly eight hours to complete. Because it is so narrative-centric, subsequent playthroughs are unlikely to occur. The game's major draw-in is the thirst for answers to Simon's plight beneath the depths. While the story provoked some great philosophical discourse, the game ultimately leaves the player wanting for what could have been.