SOMA Reviews
SOMA tells an interesting albeit convoluted story but is a chore to play through.
When Soma is able to stretch its legs and be the horror game fans have been waiting for these past five years, it delivers in giant terror-inducing waves. Sadly, some inconsistent pacing and clunky mechanics weigh it down, leaving us with a good game rather than a great one.
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.
If diverse gameplay, interesting mechanics or traditional horror is what you seek, you won't find what you are looking for with SOMA.
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
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.
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.
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.
All the stumbling around trades away any sense of suspense. It's hard to feel scared of monsters after you've walked circles around them several times. Not even tricks like suddenly switching off the lights saves the mood. Soma does a great job of making me feel lost and frustrated. Perhaps too good.
A disturbingly different take on interesting sci-fi concepts let down by a slow start and disappointing monsters, but worth it overall.
A daringly complex ode to the works of Philip K. Dick, and although the mix of survival horror and existential storytelling doesn't always work it's never less than gripping.
SOMA had the tools to come together to be something special, but like some of the AIs and machines in the game, it's not quite a complete product, but still quite enjoyable nonetheless.
SOMA is a survival horror game that shows us a bleak future on several levels.
If you're a fan of Frictional Games, you'll find Soma equally spooky and thought-provoking. At times it was difficult for us to maintain our immersion in this nightmare under the sea.
A good mix of intriguing story and the obligatory scares here and there, SOMA produces an experience you've probably never pondered over that leaves you thinking about it all well after the credits stopped rolling.
After finishing SOMA, my mind was consumed with thoughts of what it means to be human. Did I torture and kill people in my attempt to escape? Or were they not really people at all and I can sleep soundly? That SOMA made me ask myself these questions is the reason why you should play this game, despite the inclusion of unnecessary and frustrating “video game moments.”
'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.
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.
The game, like the best works of science fiction, understands that horror can come from discomfort inherent to the erasure of boundaries we assume exist. The unintelligible whispers of static and the shattered visuals of glitch provide only the most cursory glances at a machine world inaccessible to us.
A competent and creepy survival horror, elevated by a well-crafted story that really gets under your skin.