Synopsis:
-SOMA is a first-person atmospheric horror game. You play as Simon Jarrett, a Bookshop employee from Toronto, Canada, who after suffering a debilitating brain injury, undergoes experimental treatment.
-Your doctor, David, recommends an experimental brain scan. After the scan, you wake up in a strange, underwater facility, navigate your way around unfamiliar creatures, and piece together what has happened to the world.
Pros:
-This game is carried by its story in my opinion. The narrative is fantastic. Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. And the mystery aspect of it had me wanting more.
-The developers added safe mode, allowing average gamers like me to just sit back, and enjoy the story, without having to worry about getting killed by the WAU.
-The atmosphere in this game is incredible. The sound effects, the field of vision, and the animations did a very good job of putting the user in Simon’s shoes. I would recommend headphones to get the full immersive experience in this game.
-Also, something I enjoyed, but I am sure others hate, is how close to the edge this game feels. Every time you’re running from a monster, it feels like you’ve BARELY escaped. I have no idea if I would have died in these scenarios or not (since I played the whole game on safe mode) but those moments kept me on the edge of my seat.
Cons:
-The mechanics are bad. Movement was a problem almost the entire game. Also, it felt like an absolute chore just interacting with simple things sometimes. It seemed like the developers wanted to add depth to simple interactions (for example, grabbing a door handle with one stick and moving it with the other) but it ended up just being clunky and rarely working on the first try. Not a huge deal in most cases, but stressful when running down hallways trying not to get killed.
-There was one part that frustrated me to no end. To find the OMICRON station, you must follow a robot through a cloudy current at the bottom of the ocean. I lost the robot and thought I’d be able to recall it from the nearby panel to try again. Except it didn’t work. I ended up wandering through the current 20 or so times before finding the station. It was maddening.
Analysis:
-Storyline is top-notch
-Gameplay is minimal
-Mechanics are terrible
-Graphics are ok
-It isn’t difficult on safe mode.
Is it worth it?
-Is the game worth the price? No. It might have been in 2015, though.
-Is the game on game pass? Yes.
-Is the grind worth the gamerscore? Yes.
-Easy completion? With a guide, yes.
-Would I play this game if it had no achievements? No.
TBD Score: 6.53
3.5