Support NeoGAF

[Helios]

I picked this up because I really enjoyed Frictional's other works (outside of that one Penumbra game no one likes to talk about). I think the game had one of the best story I've seen in a while. While the main character got on my nerves because how dumb he is in some cases the rest of the characters felt believable and some of them really got to me.

Spoiler

That one girl stranded outside of Theta(?) asking if she's on the Ark already.

.The game is gorgeous and I love all the designs of the different robots,monsters and stations with each of them having their own story to tell.
While the game isn't really that scary, the sound design does wonders to keep you tense.
My only complaint would be the actual gameplay, in that there isn't really a lot. The puzzles are for the most part very easy and require no thought, and even if you are stuck Catherine gives you the answer (Although I think it can be turned off in the options). Most of the monsters have one gimmick that once discovered are really easy to avoid. You barely even have an inventory anymore, let alone managing your resources like in Penumbra or Amnesia.

Spoiler

I really liked the bittersweet ending, but like I've seen other people mention, I think it would've worked much better if they showed the Ark show first and Simon's "revelation" after. I understand what they were going for, humanity isn't really saved like how everyone talked about the Ark. It's a simulation floating into space, the human species has ended. But the main character goes on his own tirade even after he has been explained multiple times what copying means.

 

[ROMhack]

Definitely has a great story, or at least themes. I got halfway through making a video about it a few months ago before, um, forgetting. I'll see if I can dig the script out when I get home.

I remember that the sound design featured something called 'The Room Size System', which was Frictional recording thousands of individual footsteps in rooms of different sizes to make each area of the game feel distinct. It's really subtle and hard to notice but shows their effort.

The game is very existential in theme, metaphysical too. It asks questions like: What makes a person? Do people only exist outside of the physical body (transhumanism)? Is Simon here the same Simon as the Simon we saw back in Toronto at the start of the game or is he a new version of himself, duplicated every time he shifts body like each nanosecond of his existence already makes a new version of him.

Good point about the ending. I think it ends quite abruptly but the point is made.

Agree that the gameplay doesn't have much to it. It's pretty much a walking/running simulator (I like those).

P.S. If liked this you'll probably also like The Talos Principle. It's similarly philosophical.

 

[GenericUser]

One of the most overrated "survival horror" games out there.
Predictable story and no real sense of threat (except maybe from the last few segments of the game). Game is a walking simulator most of the time.
I bought it, because people kept praising it for whatever reason. I plowed through and left disappointed. Forgettable popcorn survival horror.

It speaks volumes that this is considered one of the better survival horror games out there.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

Yah the story telling is master class.

Helios

Spoiler

I can't remember 100%, but I just see it as the player sees it from the perspective of the Simon that stays behind. He freaks out because I don't think anyone would take it well.

 

[angelic]

One of the most overrated "survival horror" games out there.
Predictable story and no real sense of threat (except maybe from the last few segments of the game). Game is a walking simulator most of the time.
I bought it, because people kept praising it for whatever reason. I plowed through and left disappointed. Forgettable popcorn survival horror.

It speaks volumes that this is considered one of the better survival horror games out there.

It took 3 posts before this shitty opinion appeared, a new record for Soma.

I think Talos is on sale currently, grab it. Another similarly though provoking experience.

Anyone suggest any others? I just got the witness, anything else similar on console? (already have amnesia).

 

[ROMhack]

One of the most overrated "survival horror" games out there.
Predictable story and no real sense of threat (except maybe from the last few segments of the game). Game is a walking simulator most of the time.
I bought it, because people kept praising it for whatever reason. I plowed through and left disappointed. Forgettable popcorn survival horror.

It speaks volumes that this is considered one of the better survival horror games out there.

I'm trying not to sound rude but... what? The story is anything but predictable.

Don't get me wrong though, I understand why you were disappointed if you thought it was a survival horror. I

 

[angelic]

I'm trying not to sound rude but... what?

I understand why you' be disappointed if you thought it was a survival horror. It's light on gameplay but high on practically everything else.

Never ever trust anyone who says "predictable story". Predicting a story of anything is such a stupid act of self sabotage, just to say "ha, i knew it!". Also, soma is far from predictable. Don't even argue with this person, they will double down on the awful opinion.

 

[Sorne]

Yes, I was also quite LTTP with SOMA (even though I was a huge fan of Amnesia) but man, it's still an experience that haunts me to this day. Not because of the "horror" elements, but the story. Such a masterpiece, in my opinion. And the atmosphere was excellent too!

 

[nowhat]

So I recently ranted about this in another thread - for brevity, here's a link. To summarize, I think the game fell flat on many areas, especially the writing.

 

[angelic]

Thanks for the summary, saved me a click.

 

[ROMhack]

nowhat
What do you think of Philip K. Dick because I think that's the vibe they were going for. It's a pretty far-fetched game logically but seemed to want to be a vehicle for philosophical ideas (like Dick).

I do agree that The Talos Principle is a better game but they both take different directions. The story in that one is driven through text rather than speech meaning they can get into deeper, internal thoughts. I did personally quite like the relationship between Catherine and Simon in SOMA (a wimpy thing to say but so be it).

We are of course all welcome to our opinions!

P.S. Here's something amusing. I remember seeing The Talos Principle on Steam before release and thinking lol what it this pretentious nonsense. I started a thread asking about preliminary readings, expecting the developers to shy away. Turns out they were incredibly helpful.

 

[nowhat]

What do you think of Philip K. Dick because I think that's the vibe they were going for, not hard sci-fi. It's a pretty far-fetched game logically but seemed to me more a vehicle for ideas (like Dick).

I'm a fan, as far as I've read his works (as far as movie adaptations go, the only one that is really true to the source material is A Scanner Darkly). And sure enough, much of scifi is "a vehicle for ideas" as you put it; even though I prefer the "harder" stuff, that's fine. I just felt that in this instance, instead of delivering those ideas, the game delivers pre-chewn answers. Perhaps it is also a matter of format, granted.

I disagree with the relationship between Catherine and Simon though, I thought the delivery was at times really odd. You'd have Simon all pissed at Catherine/everything and the next line will have him all calm and composed - can't help but to feel the lines were recorded separately with no opposing actor present.

 

[ROMhack]

I'm a fan, as far as I've read his works (as far as movie adaptations go, the only one that is really true to the source material is A Scanner Darkly). And sure enough, much of scifi is "a vehicle for ideas" as you put it; even though I prefer the "harder" stuff, that's fine. I just felt that in this instance, instead of delivering those ideas, the game delivers pre-chewn answers. Perhaps it is also a matter of format, granted.

I disagree with the relationship between Catherine and Simon though, I thought the delivery was at times really odd. You'd have Simon all pissed at Catherine/everything and the next line will have him all calm and composed - can't help but to feel the lines were recorded separately with no opposing actor present.

I totally agree about A Scanner Darkly. Good adaptation that.

How do you regard China Mieville? I've never read him but I remember his name being checked by Frictional in the run-up to release. I think he's harder. I keep meaning to read his work...

And we can disagree but I generally concur that Simon is weaker than Catherine. His voice acting isn't great. Maybe I just liked the idea of two simulations of human consciousness putting their physical differences aside to become friends at the bottom of the ocean. It's a beautiful story, as old as time.

 

[angelic]

I really dont see any problem with the acting. It's a mid to low budget game, it's never gonna be shakespear, but it was hardly Jill sandwich either.

 

[GenericUser]

I'm trying not to sound rude but... what? The story is anything but predictable.

Don't get me wrong though, I understand why you were disappointed if you thought it was a survival horror. It's light on gameplay but high on practically everything else.

At least after the mid or maybe starting the last third of the game, I could somehow see this coming. The game plays around with he thought of separating the body and the mind a little too often. But I also think the story is vastly overrated. If I compare it to a game like silent hill 2, soma feels like kindergarten tier in terms of story depth. I don't want to sour anybodies opinion on the game, but that's how I felt after finishing the campaign.

 

[Plaguecrafter]

I'm guessing it's time for me to play this game as well. Never got to play it, but it's been in my Steam library for some time now. I'll give it a try in the upcoming days. Thanks, guys!

 

[Shmunter]

I thought this game was sensational. Really enjoyed the world building and atmosphere. And when you descend to insane depths of the ocean, the isolation and sense of dread is truly remarkable.

Again, this is an experience like game. More similar to Journey than Call of Duty, so not for everyone.

 

[nowhat]

How do you regard China Mieville? I've never read him but I remember his name being checked by Frictional in the run-up to release. I think he's harder. I keep meaning to read his work...

I've only read "Perdido Street Station", like half of it - got distracted by something and off to my reading backlog she goes. Maybe I'll finish it sometime. But I don't think at least that book is really scifi at all, there are lots of fantasy elements involved (not necessarily of the Tolkien variety, but fantasy nevertheless). And the author has a somewhat irritating habit of making up a ton of new words - Penny Arcade has a pretty good take on it:

If you're into more weird and non-scientific stuff, I'd recommend "Vurt" by Jeff Noon. A terrific book (and despite attempts, totally understandable why there hasn't been a movie adaptation, I just can't see how it could possibly work).

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Despite I hate the "hide and seek" mechanic I loved this game. Atmosphere is great and story even greater.

 

[Scopa]

I played it for the first time a couple of months ago. Here’s my brief summary from the “52 games, 1 year” thread.

Very atmospheric. Amazing world design. Some of the best audio and surround sound implementation I have heard in a video game. Can get a little bit repetitive, but the game isn’t too long, so that is mitigated. Interesting and thought-provoking story, but at the same time, I expected plot twists that never came and the story ended somewhat predictably. Still, I enjoyed my time with it and would highly recommend.

 

[choco-fish]

It took 3 posts before this shitty opinion appeared, a new record for Soma.

I think Talos is on sale currently, grab it. Another similarly though provoking experience.

Anyone suggest any others? I just got the witness, anything else similar on console? (already have amnesia).

Maybe try the Turing Test? Gameplay is a bit more puzzle centric than SOMA but it does ask questions around what it means to be sentient.

 

[angelic]

Turing Tes

I'll check it out, cheers. Needs to be on console but looks like this is on xbone. Im fine with puzzles, Talos principal drove me crazy for 2 months, I refused to look up any solutions.

 

[Plaguecrafter]

Talos principal drove me crazy for 2 months, I refused to look up any solutions.

I know this feeling all too well...

 

[angelic]

I know this feeling all too well...

There's one within the 1st hour that I didnt solve until right at the end of the game, an escalting problem, here:

 

[ROMhack]

There's one within the 1st hour that I didnt solve until right at the end of the game, an escalting problem, here:

Spoiler

Took me a few hours to realise you can put boxes onto the floating robots....

 

[angelic]

Took me a few hours to realise you can put boxes onto the floating robots....

Took me less but I didnt get it immediately. Might wana spoiler that just in case we're getting some new Talos players to buy it.

 

[RuhRo]

As this generation winds down, I'm beginning to suspect Soma will emerge as my favorite game of the era.