SOMA

This game is mostly an exploration of what "consciousness" is, and what it means to be "you". It is a bit of a gut punch to your perception of "self". The main arc of the story is good, and the game is worth it for this experience alone. Interactions with the environment are also fun. There are lots of computers and gizmos and I really liked messing around with them. I also liked admiring the aesthetics of the base. It feels "real", and not cartoony or over the top sci-fi. But the game is kinda disappointing. It feels rushed from start to end. For example, the fate of the main antagonist was just wedged in there in the end in a very sloppy manner. It comes out of nowhere, you make a decision (that you have no way of knowing the implications), and then you leave. And then the game ends. The "origin story" of your companion is also wedged in there near the end. There are many examples of this kind of "rushing things". This is just sloppy. The underwater environments are boring and weirdly huge. When you are underwater, you spend TONS of time just walking. Not "walking and admiring the view" - just getting from A to B. Exploration is rarely rewarded here, you are on a rail most of the time. The game also failed to be "scary" because there is no credible threat. Oh, yes, there are things out there trying to kill you, but they suck at their job and they elicit no fear and provide no challenge - if anything, they detract from the experience because they slow your progression down enormously. You also soon realize that your character is immune to things that would normally kill a human, so there goes the sense of dread. It is all kinda disappointing. I expected a tense atmospheric thriller, but I got a glorified walking simulator with a rushed feeling and monsters that kinda ruin it. The sad part is that with a few tweaks, this game could have been brilliant.

Loved Amnesia, but this game just lacks any kind of tension. Story is great, and I love how they involve they player in the themes of the story through choices you make (though they are inconsequential to the story itself). The problem is that, other than a few moments, the game isn’t really much of a ‘game’ so much as it is just a great sci-fi story. Zero tension, no much in the way of actual gameplay, lots of walking and listening. Or just walking. Get thing, hit switch, listen to exposition. Again, the story and themes are great, but I could have just as well read this instead of ‘played’ it, and I use that term loosely.

Exploring the Maridia region of Super Metroid left me with an insatiable desire to experience Horror in an underwater setting. For years, I had to be satisfied with mere memories of dreams I'd had of horrifying monstrosities chasing me along the bottom of the ocean... and running from Emerald Weapon in Final Fantasy 7. Finally, some genius decides to make SOMA, and really, what could be a more perfect setting for the genre? Have you SEEN what a real-life anglerfish looks like!? All sorts of horrifying creatures exist in the deep ocean in our own world, right here! There are long stretches where you're not in some futuristic structure, but just roaming the open depths of the watery darkness, and it is so beautiful. As well as the horror aspect is handled, the actual story is nothing short of magnificent. The "WTF even happened!?"; the strange surroundings; the sudden realization of what happened to you; the sudden realization of what happened to the rest of the world; the horrifying shriek of a plan going horribly wrong; keeping someone company in their final moments of life; that moment when you thing you've achieved your goal. SOMA mixes horror with deep emotion and abject wonder, and in a setting that's far more unique than it really should be. This game is a dream come true for me (somewhat literally, as seen above), and I can't recommend it enough.

One of the best games I ever played. The story is fantastic. I have never played a game where choices, decisions made in the game could really affect possible choices in real life. If someone likes horrors, some riddles and greats story, for sure should check this masterpiece. Thanks, GOG and Frictional Games for this game.

This is such a great game to get immersed in. The atmosphere is so dark and moody and makes you nervous about everything around you. Something happened in the game and the environment really makes you want to know what it was. The story's mystery is excellent, and once the answer to it is revealed, it continues to hold you attention and never lets up. I eagerly anticipate the next game Frictional comes out with as this and Amnesia really turned into some of my favorite games. My one and only beef with this game is how poorly it seems to perform. Though, not poorly enough to keep me from playing it.