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Wires and claws won't break my bones...

SOMA, the sensational adventure of unsettling technohorror riding on an undercurrent of existential questions, just received a free update dubbed Safe Mode.

By activating this optional mode, you'll be free to explore every underwater spook and cranny without worrying about suffering the curious cat's fate. Make no mistake, though: here there still be monsters. Even if their interactions with you can no longer prove fatal, they'll make sure you're plenty uncomfortable and that the game's threatening atmosphere remains a big part of the experience.

But if you've been dreading your encounters with their Game Over-inducing claws, now is the time to come out from under the bed and give this horror gem a try.
We promise it won't bite. Much.

See what the update is all about.
Post edited December 01, 2017 by maladr0Id
In retrospect, I have to say that the safe mode was a worthwhile addition to SOMA. Less skilled players will have a chance to enjoy the game and it doesn't even adversely affect the atmosphere too much. I still ended up trying to stealth my way past enemies as best as I could, even though I knew full well they couldn't hurt me, which is a testament to what an excellent job the designers did on this game.

It stands in stark contrast to the newly released "story mode" in Outlast 2, where you still end up dying every step of the way due to atrociously poor design. It's not scary, it's just frustrating. Safe mode in SOMA isn't frustrating, but it's still scary as hell, so kudos for that!
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fronzelneekburm: Less skilled players will have a chance to enjoy the game
Yes, that's me, right there. Just gave the game another try after reading about the safe mode somewhere. I'm so glad that I did.
Oh, found out about this only now... "Scary, but not frustrating"? Sounds like it might be time to actually try the game. :-)
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Mr.Mumbles: Frankly, I never found the monster parts to be particularly difficult (even though I might have died a time or two), and without that kind of tension an essential part of the game's atmosphere would go missing. I really don't get this trend of people needing to be coddled, these days. Not every game is for everyone. Deal with it.

Also, those who are calling SOMA a walking simulator clearly don't know what they're talking about. It certainly isn't one of those "experiences."
Dead space 2 & 3 comes to mind with the coddling thing. It's just the way the upcoming generation is. If it requires work or any actual effort, they aren't interested in it. So game makers are forced to offer options like that or just dumb down the game overall for everyone prior to release in order to get sales. People like you and me that prefer a bit of difficulty and thinking are fast becoming the minority. :(
This an extremely welcome update.

I played SOMA a couple of years ago and enjoyed i immensely. Since then, I've become a parent. That means having just a fraction of the time i used to have to play games. So running around the same place just do die again and again for weeks (since I can usually play no more than 20 minutes each time) is not on my top priority list.

Thanks so much for this update!
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Mr.Mumbles: Frankly, I never found the monster parts to be particularly difficult (even though I might have died a time or two), and without that kind of tension an essential part of the game's atmosphere would go missing. I really don't get this trend of people needing to be coddled, these days. Not every game is for everyone. Deal with it.

Also, those who are calling SOMA a walking simulator clearly don't know what they're talking about. It certainly isn't one of those "experiences."
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rhmiller: Dead space 2 & 3 comes to mind with the coddling thing. It's just the way the upcoming generation is. If it requires work or any actual effort, they aren't interested in it. So game makers are forced to offer options like that or just dumb down the game overall for everyone prior to release in order to get sales. People like you and me that prefer a bit of difficulty and thinking are fast becoming the minority. :(
Not always.
This generation likes 'bragging rights', hence achievements on Consoles and Steam -and even on GoG.

There are a few games that just tear my hair out because the lack of story mode and more on learning a million moves to defeat a boss or enemy and then lose and right back a hundred levels.....well not quite, but you get my meaning.
Demons/Dark Souls # and Lords of the fallen.
We're not all 'It must be hard, that makes it good'. Dead Space was brilliant as a story and gameplay. I've played all the nightmare Megadrive games; StarFlight,The Immortal, Shining etc with drawing my own dungeon maps/co-ordinates on graph paper. I'm past that now. I want GOOD story without the easiest route for Dev's is just make it bloody hard. No, actually the hardest thing to do for them today is story-board it and spend money on it. Mass Effect# , Dragon Age, Alien Isolation, GTA4/5 had great laugh-out-loud story. There's plenty of games that have a great difficulty level along with story, Murdered Soul Suspect, Resident Evil 7 just to name a couple off the top of my head. :)
I just got the game for free and I think this feature is cool. Quite a few relatives have lauded this game over and over for its story and I was really interested in that aspect of the game, not so much in the "horrible monsters chase and kill you". I just don't enjoy that kind of gameplay. This mode is the best of both worlds for me.
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So, this confirms my opinion on "modern" gamers: you are all a damn army of PUSSIES :-P

And you chose the wrong kind of hobby, imo...
Post edited December 30, 2018 by KingofGnG
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I love it, people never stop complaining. :P
'Oh, look, something that doesn't affect me in the slightest, better start bitching about it.'

It never gets old! :`)
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NuffCatnip: I love it, people never stop complaining. :P
'Oh, look, something that doesn't affect me in the slightest, better start bitching about it.'

It never gets old! :`)
so true
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KingofGnG: So, this confirms my opinion on "modern" gamers: you are all a damn army of PUSSIES :-P

And you chose the wrong kind of hobby, imo...
And what made you the arbiter of what kind of media people should enjoy consuming?

Different people look for different experiences. That's like saying that someone who likes country music can't truly be a music lover cause you don't like country music. The real reason they can't be a music lover is cause country music is garbage. :P
Impresionante, tal vez uno de los mejores juegos que he jugado, ya que mezcla esa tension que nos puede dar el outlast con una envolvente y claustrofobica ambientacion con tintes de bioshock y ciencia ficcion de la mas pura, de la mano de una narrativa BRILLANTE, digna de una buena adaptacion cinematografica, ya que el tema que trata a cerca de la conciencia y la existencia es extremadamente profundo. Lo unico que lo seprara de una obra maestra son algunas carencias en la fisica, bien lograda pero con muchos objetos rigidos en el escenario, que hubiece estado bueno que interactuen con nosotros. y una carencia de animacion, y con animacion no me refiero a las escenas animadas del juego propias de la narrativa, como podria ser en el inicio de la historia, ya que eso es parte de la estetica del juego y como el mismo fue planteado, me refiero a una carencia en las animaciones de nuestro personaje en accion, como cuando agarraba un objeto, no habia una animacion tomándolo, sino que depronto apareica en nuestros brazos, y desaparecia cuando lo colocabamos en algun lado en vez de recrear este proceso de forma completa en una animacion. La estetica grafica bien lograda, de bajo constraste por momentos parecidos a un sepia, pero muy realista sobretodo en los entornos acuaticos cuando saliamos fuera de las instalaciones. Calidad de las texturas acordes al 2015. Un apartado sonoro sobresaliente que nos mete adentro del personaje y nos mantiene tensionados en los momentos justos. Mi calificacion, un 9. Mi humilde pedido(spoiler): hagan una secuela con el Simon que quedó en la tierra, por favor!
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KingofGnG: So, this confirms my opinion on "modern" gamers: you are all a damn army of PUSSIES :-P

And you chose the wrong kind of hobby, imo...
Modern gamers like having optional features and freedom.
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liltimmypoccet: Modern gamers like having optional features and freedom.
Yeah, whatever. If you want a "safe mode" in a horror game, I still think you did something wrong with your gaming life choices :-P
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liltimmypoccet: Modern gamers like having optional features and freedom.
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KingofGnG: Yeah, whatever. If you want a "safe mode" in a horror game, I still think you did something wrong with your gaming life choices :-P
I enjoyed SOMA's normal mode and I'm glad to see that the devs care enough about their game to offer this optional feature.


SOMA has plenty to offer even without chase sequences, it's still a great atmospheric walking simulator.