SOMA Reviews
A superb story with mismatched horror elements
It falls short of greatness, but the story is enough to keep anyone riveted.
If this isn't survival horror, nothing is. The story is deep as the ocean in which it is set, and it is well acted throughout. Terrifying but never unfair, controls more than fit for purpose.
SOMA is a spectacular adventure game stuck in the jaws of a mediocre horror game.
SOMA is a game that will sit in the memory for a while despite its shortcomings. The sound design, world building and story deserve to rightfully become a footnote in videogame design. Frictional Games do so much right creating a science fiction story. It falls short at times when trying to be a more traditional horror, but the highs certainly outweigh the lows. It's an impressive console debut, and I can't wait to see what the developers create next.
SOMA isn't perfect, but it sets a certain standard for what horror games can achieve with a bit of inspiration. Though it isn't heavy on the scares, the bits of horror spread throughout work well, and the story will leave a lasting, hard-hitting impression.
Unsettling, confronting, and thought-provoking.
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.
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.
One of the best games I've played this year and my favorite from Frictional to date.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
Frictional Games has attempted to merge sci-fi horror with a philosophical investigation into the mind-body problem.
'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.
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 one of the better survival-horror games of the last decade.
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.