SOMA: Explore An Underwater Research Facility With the Aid of AI
SOMA is a first-person sci-fi horror game that delves into existential questions about consciousness, identity, and humanity. Set in an underwater research facility where an experiment has gone catastrophically wrong, players explore a haunting and thought-provoking narrative through environmental storytelling, puzzles, and survival mechanics.
Plot and Setting
The story begins with protagonist Simon Jarrett, who wakes up in a dilapidated underwater facility called PATHOS-II, decades after his consciousness was inexplicably transferred to this place. The station is in ruins, its inhabitants gone or transformed, and an AI called WAU has gone rogue. As Simon navigates the station, he uncovers harrowing truths about the nature of existence, artificial intelligence, and the lengths humanity has gone to survive a global catastrophe.
PATHOS-II is an isolated, crumbling station located deep beneath the ocean, creating a sense of claustrophobia and helplessness. Its eerie corridors, flooded sections, and malfunctioning systems are filled with chilling remnants of the people who once lived there, telling a story of desperation and loss.
Gameplay Mechanics
Exploration: Players explore the facility and surrounding underwater environments, piecing together the story through notes, audio logs, and environmental clues.
Survival Horror: Players encounter hostile creatures corrupted by the rogue AI. Combat is absent, forcing players to rely on stealth and evasion to survive.
Puzzle Solving: The game includes environmental puzzles that require logic and critical thinking, often involving power systems, machinery, and computer terminals.
Interactive Narrative: Dialogues and decisions shape Simon’s journey, revealing deeper philosophical questions about identity and consciousness.
Visuals and Audio
SOMA features a dark, atmospheric aesthetic, with detailed environments that blend futuristic technology with the decay of abandonment. The underwater setting adds an additional layer of unease, as players face both the claustrophobic interiors of PATHOS-II and the terrifying vastness of the ocean. The sound design is equally haunting, with ambient noises, distant creaks, and unsettling creature sounds building tension and immersion.
Themes
The game explores profound themes such as:
Consciousness and Identity: What defines a person? Can a digital copy of a consciousness still be considered human?
Ethics of AI and Survival: The actions of WAU and the decisions of the PATHOS-II crew raise questions about morality and survival in the face of extinction.
Existentialism: The story confronts players with uncomfortable truths about life, death, and the nature of being.
Have you played SOMA? What’s your favourite part of it? We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you might want to know:
Is SOMA a horror game?
Yes, it is a story-driven horror/survival game.
What is the plot of the game SOMA?
The story begins with protagonist Simon Jarrett, who wakes up in a dilapidated underwater facility called PATHOS-II, decades after his consciousness was inexplicably transferred to this place.
