Rating
Soma
Soma is a sci-fi horror game from Frictional Games, creators of the groundbreaking Amnesia and Penumbra series. The radio is dead, food is running out, and the machines have started to think they are people. Underwater facility Pathos-II has suffered an intolerable isolation and we’re going to have to make some tough decisions. What can be done? W...
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Soma Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
Frictional Games, known as a leader in this genre, delivers a compelling story in SOMA that makes you question the essence of humanity. Layered with moral undertones, SOMA takes you on an intense journey that doesn’t let up, even at the very end. It stands out as one of the best-crafted survival horror games I’ve played in a long time—if not ever—despite the underwater setting being well-worn territory (as seen in BioShock).
"Soma - The body as distinct from soul, mind or body." Given the very definition of the word "soma", Frictional Games’ latest title does its name justice. It explores themes rarely discussed through the medium of videogames. SOMA takes its time to make the player think about consciousness, its attachment to our own body and how our reality is only perceived the way it is because each of those things are constantly working in unity. In SOMA, we’ll find out what could happen when one of those things are removed from the equation.
With intelligent story telling and beautiful imagery, SOMA pushes the boundaries of traditional survival horror in new, psychologically thrilling ways.
If you’re looking to get your pants scared off, SOMA may not be the game for you, but for those who appreciate its brand of subtle horror, it is truly a masterpiece. Leaning towards the cerebral, the narrative has been set up to make you ponder all of the dialogue and question every decision, even one that moves you forward. It’s a thought-provoking story wrapped in a stunning package.
Frictional Games has stood up to the challenge – SOMA is by far the biggest, most scary and elaborate project of the Swedish studio. However, it got lost in its fundamental premise.
Soma is an excellent combination of an emotionally driven story and high-octane tension, that is superbly brought to life with an immersing sound design.
SOMA is a spectacular adventure game stuck in the jaws of a mediocre horror game.
SOMA is a survival horror game that is undoubtedly one of the best of the genre, and its setting and plot are shining examples of how to engage an audience. Frictional Games has done a great job in sustaining their horror game reputation through narrative alone, by way of a game that's filled with probing questions of the soul and helped along by an engrossing plot. While the monster encounters feel forced and are certainly a weak point of the game, it does little to lessen the experience.
SOMA contains an interesting world with wonderful atmosphere and aesthetic. The puzzle solving gameplay lends some variety while progressing the story, but never in a way that stands out on its own or provides a strong challenge. Finding all of the audio logs, reading all of the story bits is what’s most enjoyable about the game.If you are looking for a creepy, interesting narrative you’ll be pleased with the engaging world that Frictional Games created with SOMA. If diverse gameplay, interesting mechanics or traditional horror is what you seek, you won’t find what you are looking for with SOM...
SOMA tells an interesting albeit convoluted story but is a chore to play through.
All my minor qualms with SOMA seem to fade away the further I get from actually playing it. That’s not to say that they’re not there, but so much more of what I love about SOMA has stuck with me over what I didn’t. Its hauntingly captivating world, its excellent sci-fi story with big, terrifying concepts, and its bitter ending have given it staying power in the horror game conversation over the last decade. The feeling of all-consuming hopelessness SOMA provides is something that no oth...