Hi there,

I don't want to discuss this topic here, it's just my opinion: I find no fun in horror games with invincible enemies that you have to hide or run from. I think, dying in such a game breaks all the immersion and creepyness immediately because having to replay a scene, maybe even again and again, destroys the atmosphere and replaces it with frustration... For example: The dogs in Penumbra were great because you had to deal with them, find stones, block doors etc. - cool. But then again games like Outlast are just utterly frustrating and aren't scary, but annoying...

...so: In SOMA, is it a real horror game with creepy atmosphere and no / defeatable enemies or is it just another "run away and hide or die repeatedly"-type of game?

Thank you :)

Well, this game falls into the RYCBAR category:
Run! Run you clever boy...and remember!(TM)

The enemies are invincible but can be distracted. It still builds up a great atmosFEAR as you run and hide.
Sometimes it reminds me of Alien Isolation(the alien was pretty much invincible too and could only be distracted or scared of) and Routine(still not released yet). It is very creepy and the fact that you can't fight and only hide or not look at ...things makes it pretty horrifiyng at times. The sounds and the music fits perfectly fine.

But on the other hand....it is too easy to just not look at those things and once you learned the monster patterns it becomes even easier and the creepiness is almost gone - like in Alien Isolation when you get the flamethrower after that it is a walk in the park. But either way. If you could fight and kill them it wouldn't be scary- And if you just need to look at the next wall - away from those things - it isn't scary either...so...i think they did a great job to keep up the tension.

I still think it is great because i keep on playing due to the story. i want to know how it all ends and if my own theories about the game-world are correct. It is no walking simulator! But you cannot pump your enemies full of lead or build traps.