SOMA

SOMA has a lot of potential. But 3 things make it so I can't enjoy the game: 1: The protagonist reacts to life-changing events as if they are minor inconveniences. He's also a bit dense, and always asks really obvious questions. 2: Enemies patrol in circles. Stealth gameplay is just a ring around the rosie. Hope you like hiding in corners for minutes at a time. 3: Enemies just become boring or tedious after a while, even if they are supposed to be scary. I love the environments, audio, and overall feel of the game. The philosophical narrative was interesting. But the issues above simply stop me from wanting to play.

Just amazing storytelling and immersion with an ending that really sticks with you well after your playthrough. Only downside's i could come up with are the underwhelming PS4 GFX and Frictionals decision to avoid cheap jump scares this time around. 8/10

Pros The game started off really well, setting the scene, the exploration, dialogue etc. Overall it's a good game, but as you progress, the pacing takes a nosedive. Cons The underwater segments are beyond boring and most of the "monsteres" are just a stupid time wasters, These things really put the brakes on any momentum you start to build up. Without those two cons it would be a 4.5* game for me.

I liked how the story is told and I liked the visuals (they are really beautiful) for most of the game. However, with so much effort put into the game, the final 30 minutes can easily be made better, more thrilling and less pathetic.

Short review after playing for few hours. Good: - Graphic style, I like level of detail in the world. Although I have to admit I've seen some ugly textures. - Almost every object in game can be taken and rotated. This satisfies my OCD. Bad: - Level design has lots of amateur decisions. Some places that seem traversable are not. It's ridiculous that some bumps in the terrain remind me of VVVVVV. In room with generator a lot of "pillars" are placed randomly - I don't know what they were trying to achieve. When running away from monster to escape pod you don't know where to run. Locking monster in a room does not work. That leads to my next point. - Game mechanics are lacking. Main decisions are made by your companion. You're just there for a ride. I know that it was a concious decision. But I thought that they wanted to make a game for hardcore fans too. - Female companion is overused trope. Amnesia was fresh in sense that all story was delivered via texts and you have to think and ponder yourself. Now everything is casual and laid back and the game is talking to you. BUT with defined voice which is far from what I would expect. I hate main protagonist because he is so cheerful. I would like more self aware protagonist who comments rarely but to the point. That's why you don't give voice to main character. - The story is only interesting if you are completely new to AI. If you have not read about chinese room go and read it. Also read any book about AI to understand that science cannot grasp the concept. - The game takes place underwater with bad visibility and low fidelity levels. I don't know why it could not be avoided. Main character would probably be crushed by pressure under the weight of the ocean. They could show underwater locations behind the glass if they wanted. Just don't let us navigate these levels. - Pacing problems. It was not interesting to get to lambda and then immediately marching for theta. This game tries to be existential but fails.