Info about SOMA:

Official game description:
SOMA is a sci-fi horror game from Frictional Games, the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It is an unsettling story about identity, consciousness, and what it means to be human.  
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? What makes sense? What is left to fight for?  
Enter the world of SOMA and face horrors buried deep beneath the ocean waves. Delve through locked terminals and secret documents to uncover the truth behind the chaos. Seek out the last remaining inhabitants and take part in the events that will ultimately shape the fate of the station. But be careful, danger lurks in every corner: corrupted humans, twisted creatures, insane robots, and even an inscrutable omnipresent A.I.  
You will need to figure out how to deal with each one of them. Just remember there’s no fighting back, either you outsmart your enemies or you get ready to run.

Release date: Sep 21, 2015

Categories: Psychological Horror, Narrative Adventure, Atmospheric Horror, First-Person Perspective, Exploration, Puzzle Solving, Choice-based Narrative, Environmental Storytelling


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Exceptional atmosphere and immersion (weight 0.97): The game excels in creating a tense, immersive atmosphere through its sound design, visuals, and environmental storytelling. Players frequently mention its claustrophobic, haunting, and emotionally charged ambiance as a key strength.
- Masterful storytelling and depth (weight 0.9): The game is praised for its rich, layered narrative that explores philosophical and existential themes. Players highlight its thought-provoking story, immersive world-building, and emotional impact, making it a standout experience in sci-fi storytelling.
- Unique psychological horror experience (weight 0.54): Unlike traditional horror games, this title focuses on existential dread, psychological tension, and atmospheric horror rather than jump scares or gore. Players appreciate its cerebral approach to fear and its ability to provoke deep reflection.
- Outstanding audio and sound design (weight 0.37): The game’s sound design, voice acting, and soundtrack are frequently highlighted as best-in-class. They enhance immersion, tension, and emotional impact, creating a cohesive and unsettling auditory experience.
- Unforgettable and impactful ending (weight 0.21): The game’s conclusion is widely praised for its emotional weight, ambiguity, and ability to linger in players' minds. Many consider it one of the best endings in gaming, evoking complex emotions and existential reflection.
- High replayability and memorability (weight 0.11): Players often revisit the game to appreciate its details, alternate endings, or emotional impact. Its unique blend of horror, sci-fi, and philosophy ensures it remains memorable long after completion.

Common complaints:
- Poor gameplay depth and engagement (weight 0.32): The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive, slow, and lacking depth, with excessive padding and minimal replayability. Players highlight a lack of meaningful mechanics beyond exploration, leading to boredom.
- Frustrating puzzles and navigation (weight 0.3): Puzzles are described as unintuitive, illogical, or reliant on trial-and-error, causing frustration. Poor in-game guidance and unclear objectives exacerbate the issue, making progression tedious.
- Annoying enemy and stealth mechanics (weight 0.2): Enemies and stealth sections are poorly received, with players describing them as frustrating, repetitive, or unfair. AI issues and scripted encounters further detract from the experience.
- Unsatisfying story and protagonist (weight 0.16): The narrative is criticized for being predictable, emotionally flat, or confusing, with a protagonist whose behavior breaks immersion. Players note the story lacks depth and fails to engage meaningfully.
- Technical and performance issues (weight 0.08): Frequent bugs, such as save file corruption, long loading times, and texture glitches, disrupt gameplay. Some players report unplayable performance even on low settings.
- Discomfort and accessibility concerns (weight 0.07): The game causes physical discomfort for some players, including sim sickness, migraines, and emotional drain. Limited difficulty options and lack of accessibility settings are also noted.
- Dated graphics and visual issues (weight 0.05): Graphics are described as outdated or washed out, with excessive post-processing effects (e.g., chromatic aberration) and poor texture quality detracting from immersion.
- Voice acting and immersion breaks (weight 0.04): Voice acting is criticized for feeling unconvincing, particularly for key characters, and immersion is broken by unclear subtitles or awkward dialogues.

Gameplay feedback:
- Narrative-driven psychological horror (weight 0.38): The game emphasizes a strong narrative focus with psychological horror themes, often drawing comparisons to titles like Amnesia. Players experience atmospheric storytelling with minimal reliance on traditional horror mechanics like jump scares.
- Underwater sci-fi setting (weight 0.22): The game is set in a detailed underwater research facility, often described as post-apocalyptic. This setting enhances the immersive and claustrophobic atmosphere of the horror experience.
- Puzzle-solving and exploration (weight 0.19): Puzzles are a core gameplay element, often involving logic, item interaction, and exploration. Some puzzles require trial and error or minimal guidance, encouraging players to think critically and explore their surroundings.
- No combat, focus on tension (weight 0.16): The game lacks traditional combat mechanics, instead emphasizing tension, stealth, and evasion. Players must hide from or avoid monsters, creating a sense of dread and vulnerability.
- Linear progression with choices (weight 0.16): While the gameplay follows a linear structure, it incorporates player choices, moral dilemmas, and checkpoints that influence progression and narrative outcomes. This balances storytelling with player agency.
- Philosophical and existential themes (weight 0.12): The narrative explores deep philosophical themes such as identity, consciousness, and humanity. These themes are woven into the story, adding layers of meaning to the player's experience.
- Interactive exploration mechanics (weight 0.12): Players interact with the environment through first-person exploration, object manipulation, and NPC interactions. This mechanic supports narrative discovery and puzzle-solving.
- Lore through notes and recordings (weight 0.05): The story is revealed through environmental storytelling, such as notes, recordings, and dialogues. Players uncover lore by exploring and piecing together fragments of the narrative.
- Safe mode for accessibility (weight 0.04): The game includes a Safe Mode feature, where monsters are passive or non-lethal. This option makes the game more accessible to players who prefer a less intense experience.

Performance notes:
- Game freezing and crashes (weight 0.04): Players report frequent game freezes and crashes, particularly during specific in-game actions or when saving files. This disrupts gameplay and may lead to data loss.
- Texture and rendering issues (weight 0.04): Slow texture loading and rendering problems, especially when resuming gameplay, affect visual quality and immersion. Performance drops are noted on mid-to-high-end GPUs like the RTX 3070.
- Refresh rate and FPS limitations (weight 0.03): Players experience stuttering and FPS issues on monitors with refresh rates above 60Hz, often requiring manual adjustments to stabilize performance.
- Positive technical features (weight 0.03): The game supports advanced features like native 32:9 aspect ratio, dynamic soundtracks, and detailed visuals/lighting, enhancing immersion for players with compatible setups.
- Hardware performance variability (weight 0.03): Performance varies widely across hardware, with high FPS (75+) on powerful systems (e.g., 7840HS+Radeon 780M) but unplayable FPS (10-15) on weaker setups in HD resolution.
- Long loading times (weight 0.02): Extended load times during gameplay and saving are reported, with recommendations for SSDs to mitigate the issue. This impacts player experience, especially on weaker hardware.
- Collision and physics issues (weight 0.02): Problems with collision detection and clunky physics/movement mechanics disrupt gameplay fluidity and realism, leading to frustration during critical moments.
- Platform compatibility (weight 0.02): The game runs on diverse platforms, including MacBooks and Windows 11, with some players reporting no crashes on the latter. This broadens accessibility.
- Checkpoint system failures (weight 0.01): Missing or poorly placed checkpoints force players to replay significant portions of the game, increasing frustration and disrupting progression.
- Text display corruption (weight 0.01): Players encounter black boxes instead of readable text, which can be temporarily resolved by restarting the game. This affects usability and accessibility.
- Sound stuttering issues (weight 0.01): Audio stuttering disrupts immersion and can make gameplay cues harder to follow, affecting overall experience.
- God Mode accessibility (weight 0.01): The ability to enable God Mode allows players to bypass frustrating mechanics, which can be useful for accessibility or reducing difficulty-related stress.

Recommendations:
- Must-play for horror fans (weight 0.32): The game is overwhelmingly recommended for fans of psychological horror, survival horror, and atmospheric narratives. Comparisons to classics like *Amnesia* and *Outlast* highlight its strong appeal within the genre.
- Appeals to fans of narrative games (weight 0.24): The game is frequently recommended alongside titles like *Edith Finch* and *The Stanley Parable*, highlighting its appeal to fans of narrative-driven and experimental storytelling.
- Thalassophobia and underwater horror (weight 0.22): The game’s underwater setting and themes of deep-sea terror are noted as particularly effective for players with thalassophobia, adding to its immersive horror experience.
- Worth full price, especially on sale (weight 0.11): The game is widely regarded as a great value, with many players stating it is worth its full price. Others suggest waiting for a sale due to limited replayability but still consider it a worthwhile purchase.
- Mixed opinions on mechanics (weight 0.1): While many praise the game’s mechanics, some players find them unappealing or unoriginal, suggesting alternatives like *Alien: Isolation* or *Prey* for specific gameplay preferences.
- Play blind for full immersion (weight 0.09): Many reviewers emphasize the importance of experiencing the game without spoilers or prior knowledge to maximize its impact. Headphones and a dark environment are also recommended for immersion.
- Unforgettable and emotionally resonant (weight 0.05): Reviewers describe the game as an unforgettable experience that challenges the mind and evokes strong emotions. It is often cited as a standout title in sci-fi and horror.
- Adjust difficulty for story focus (weight 0.04): Players recommend lowering the difficulty to prioritize the narrative and philosophical themes, particularly for those less interested in survival mechanics.

Other player notes:
- Moderate playtime with exploration variance (weight 0.02): Players report an average playtime of around 10 hours, with completion times ranging from 8 hours 45 minutes to 19 hours depending on exploration depth. This suggests a balanced length for narrative-driven experiences.
- Inspired by sci-fi literary influences (weight 0.02): The game draws inspiration from authors like Greg Egan, Philip K. Dick, and Peter Watts, appealing to fans of hard sci-fi and speculative fiction.
- Mods enhance localization accessibility (weight 0.02): Players recommend a Chinese translation mod from the workshop and note the availability of Japanese localization, indicating efforts to improve accessibility for non-English speakers.
- External guides recommended for completion (weight 0.01): Some players mention relying on external guides to ease progression, indicating potential complexity or unclear mechanics in certain sections of the game.
- Mirrors as a recurring thematic element (weight 0.01): Mirrors are frequently mentioned as a notable and potentially symbolic feature, suggesting their significance in gameplay or narrative design.
- Transmedia storytelling with short films (weight 0.01): The game includes short films as prequels, available on YouTube, expanding its narrative universe and adding depth for interested players.
- External media and actor appreciation (weight 0.01): Some feedback references external media (e.g., series, actor appreciation) or political themes, but these are niche and lack direct gameplay relevance.

Emotions:
- Admiration (weight 0.09): Players admire SOMA for its mature storytelling, philosophical depth, and high-quality craftsmanship, including its atmosphere, sound design, and immersive narrative. The game's ability to blend existential themes with a compelling storyline sets it apart from other titles in the genre.
- Awe (weight 0.09): The game evokes awe through its visually stunning environments, deep philosophical questions, and masterful execution of narrative twists. Players are particularly impressed by its exploration of identity, consciousness, and the haunting beauty of its underwater and station settings.
- Fear (weight 0.09): Fear is primarily caused by the game's existential horror elements, unsettling atmosphere, and sound design, which create a pervasive sense of dread. Monster encounters, psychological horror, and the oppressive deep-sea setting amplify the terror, often triggering thalassophobia and anxiety.
- Frustration (weight 0.09): Frustration stems from unclear objectives, poor in-game guidance, and repetitive or non-intuitive mechanics, such as puzzles and stealth sections. Technical issues like stuttering, save file problems, and unfair enemy AI further exacerbate player dissatisfaction.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the game's unique horror mechanics, immersive storytelling, and thought-provoking themes. The high interactivity, atmospheric design, and emotional depth, particularly in its narrative and voice acting, are frequently praised for creating a memorable experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.04): Disappointment arises from unmet expectations, such as shallow gameplay, lack of horror elements, or technical issues like performance problems and save file corruption. Some players also feel the story or puzzles fail to deliver the depth or impact promised by the game's reputation.
- Curiosity (weight 0.04): The game sparks curiosity through its mysterious narrative, philosophical questions about consciousness and identity, and the gradual uncovering of its story. Players are driven to explore its world and seek answers to its existential themes.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction comes from completing the game's challenging puzzles, engaging with its immersive story, and reflecting on its profound themes. Players often highlight the game's high-quality localization, voice acting, and the emotional payoff of its narrative.
- Contemplation (weight 0.03): The game provokes deep contemplation through its exploration of philosophical questions about existence, identity, and morality. Players reflect on themes like consciousness transfer, human ethics, and the nature of life, often long after completing the game.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): Immersion is achieved through the game's detailed underwater environments, atmospheric sound design, and engaging voice acting. The lack of hand-holding and the sense of danger further draw players into the protagonist's perspective and the game's world.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Players enjoy the game's engaging narrative, immersive atmosphere, and psychological horror elements. The combination of storytelling, lore, and tactile gameplay mechanics creates a fun and memorable experience, particularly for fans of the genre.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement is generated by the game's unique setting, suspenseful gameplay, and impactful moments, such as its ending and interactive environments. The blend of survival horror and existential themes creates a fresh and thrilling experience for players.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Nostalgia is evoked through personal connections to the game, such as memories of playing it during specific life periods or its lingering impact on players. The game's themes and atmosphere often remind players of other beloved titles or childhood experiences.
- Reflection (weight 0.03): The game prompts reflection on deep philosophical and ethical questions, such as the nature of identity, consciousness, and humanity. Its narrative and themes challenge players to reconsider their moral and worldview long after playing.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise stems from the game exceeding initial expectations, whether through its unexpected twists, emotional depth, or the intensity of its horror elements. Players often note how the game subverts predictability and engages them in unexpected ways.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from unclear storytelling, incoherent writing, or poor in-game guidance, leaving players lost or unsure of objectives. Some players also feel disconnected from the game's purpose or struggle with its complex plot.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is triggered by the game's emotionally impactful narrative, particularly its exploration of isolation, identity crises, and tragic endings. Players often empathize with the protagonist's struggles and the story's heartbreaking moments.
- Tension (weight 0.01): Tension is created through the game's atmosphere, suspenseful gameplay, and the constant threat of enemy encounters. The lack of defensive options and the oppressive setting keep players on edge throughout the experience.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is driven by the game's immersive story, strong narrative hooks, and the player's desire to uncover every plot point. The blend of tension, curiosity, and emotional investment keeps players hooked from start to finish.
- Discomfort (weight 0.01): Discomfort is caused by the game's intense visual effects, such as distorting light or motion sickness-inducing mechanics. The protagonist's character arc and existential themes can also create an unsettling or emotionally taxing experience.}