Winner: SOMA
SOMA is a game that is able to take a great science-fiction horror premise and keep the integrity of the storytelling together through the entire piece. Anyone who has seen low budget sci-fi or horror movies knows that just because you have a good premise doesn’t mean the end product will be that great. SOMA has a great premise and everything comes together brilliantly as you make your way through the underwater world. Nothing ever feels out of place. The absence of weapons to attack the nightmarish enemies you encounter further works to immerse you in the game, taking away a safety net that is present in most survival-horror or action-adventure games out there. This aspect forces you to deal with situations in the game directly instead of the standard “I’ll shoot it with this shotgun I just found in this conveniently placed container” response.
Everyone has different thresholds of fear, but if you are avoiding this game because you have issues with horror games, I strongly urge you to try and get through it. Even if it is not a game that will scare you, it’s more than worth it to experience the narrative of the game firsthand. Few games that I have played in my lifetime have left me with lingering feelings of introspection and SOMA is one of them. In my opinion, it is one of the best science-fiction stories of our time.
