“An unsettling story about identity, consciousness, and what it means to be human.”
When we first saw a trailer for SOMA, in the run-up to this year’s E3, it caught our imagination somewhat.
The SOMA website has also done a cracking job of building up the excitement for Frictional’s latest project, doing the part mystery/part investigation thing – that we first saw with the online companion puzzles to TV’s Lost – really rather well; far better than Halo’s recent ‘hunt the truth‘ campaign for Halo 5: Guardians at any rate. (We all know the Master Chief is a good guy, stop trying to cast artificial doubt to try and generate intrigue and mystery.)
When you piece the website and the trailer together, SOMA is all shaping up rather well, into more than just your average horror title. Yes, it looks scary – you’ve got the hapless hunted elements of Alien: Isolation and the atmosphere of System Shock – but it also looks very smart indeed.
Expect to explore not only the stereotypically spooky other-worldly facility and how much tension your nerves can handle, but also delving into the depths of consciousness, the fragility of identity, and exactly what it means to be human.
Never let it be said that Frictional Games are without ambition.
SOMA unlocks on the PlayStation Store, Steam and a number of other online retailers tomorrow.
