SOMA

SOMA is amazing. It is a perfect blend of mystery, dread, and terror. The mystery comes from a fascinating philosophical narrative that unspoils itself at a patient pace, with tons of hidden details made possible by richly-drawn characters supported by great voice acting. The dread is a product of both the intensely detailed levels and lighting, combined with some of the best sound effects and music I've ever encountered in a game. They absolutely suck you into the experience and never let up until they soak your bones and chill your blood. The terror comes from the monsters. Some have criticized this aspect of the game, leading the developers to produce a safe mode. While I'm all for player freedom, the monsters are an essential part of the experience. They make the dread pay off with real threats, that will either brutally maime you or outright kill you. The monsters work brilliantly through two dimensions. The first is that each monster is quite different in how it interacts with the environment and you, so that strategies which worked on a previous monster are doomed on the next. It forces the player to constantly adapt. The second is that monster encounters are magnified with fantastic visual effects, player heartbeat and breathing, and dramatic music. They work perfectly together to make the encounters visceral to the player, so that you feel the monster proximity and the degree of the threat. Freaked me out so many times throughout this game, to the point of holding my breath and sweating profusely. The world they have created is so much fun to explore, and I especially loved the aesthetics of walking on the ocean floor. They design the maps just right to have sufficient linearity to tell the story, but the illusion of openness to help you feel lost and terrorized. I can't recommend this game enough. Great story, terrifying gameplay, gorgeous world, and a very satisfying double ending (stay for the credits!).

The previous games by Frictional are survival horror. This? This is *existentialist* horror. The driving question goes from "can I survive?" to "is surviving even worth it?" The answer is probably: "yes, but who will you be afterwards?" It's the kind of story where if you think about the implications, it hits you hard. It's more Peter Watts than Lovecraft, but that just makes the horror more personal.

Have you ever had an existential crisis? Would you like to? Then do I have the game for you! This is Frictional's best game, it hits hard, has world building and lore abound and will leave you wondering if you made the right decisions, not based on the game punishing you for them, but by using your own guilt.

SOMA to bardzo dobra produkcja, z wciągającą fabułą i ciekawym, często trochę klaustrofobicznym klimatem związanym z akcją dziejącą się w otchłaniach oceanu. Gra posiada dobry balans między skradaniem/chowaniem/ucieczką przed wrogami a swobodną eksploracją i zagadkami, które są dość łatwe, ale wymagające ruszenia głową. Grafika bardzo ładna, szczególnie lokacje położone Poziom trudności jest taki w sam raz. Nie zaliczam się do wytrawnych graczy, z reguły gram na poziomie łatwy/normalny, a nie miałem w przypadku SOMY żadnych problemów z ukończeniem na poziomie normalnym. Zajęło mi to ok. 12h, ale myślę, że spokojnie można ją zamknąć w ok. 8h. Polecam dosłownie każdemu, no chyba że ktoś naprawdę bardzo nie lubi horrorów. Po męczarniach z CP2077 była to bardzo miła odmiana i jak widać bez ogromnego budżetu, fajerwerków graficznych oraz gameplayu 100h+ można stworzyć produkcję, która ma to "coś" i czas z nią spędzony będzie przez nas zawsze mile wspominany.

There is little for me to add that hasn't already been said.. ..nonetheless, I am compelled to share what I feel about this experience. This "game" is where I feel there is a very fine line between a game and an experience. This is more than moving around, overcoming challenges and 'beating' the game. It manages to avoid clichés, genre tropes and to fall into a generic style of gameplay loop. It is part adventure game, part walking simulator, part stealth game... but it never abuses any of these genres. It's like a perfectly balanced visual experience. If you've ever enjoyed classic science-fiction, this is THE video game version of that perfect science-fiction book that questions us. SOMA is the type of experience that leaves you with feelings, emotions, questions and a theme that can have you ponder on its meaning. Unlike many games... actually, unlike almost EVERY game ...this is an experience that also means something and has a message... ...so, what is being alive?