SOMA

 Xbox One
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 81 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 81
  3. Negative: 5 out of 81

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  1. GBG_Jason
    Dec 3, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you had a terminal illness, would you try to extend your life just a little bit longer? If so, would you partake in an experimental procedure being performed by an unlicensed scientist? Soma’s protagonist Simon Jarrett, who suffers from an inoperable brain condition, figures he’s got nothing to lose and rolls the dice.

    You’ll begin the game in Simon’s apartment, which features a number of items you can interact with, giving some insight into whom Simon is and serves as a brief tutorial of the game. After exiting the building, you’ll take the subway to a surprisingly vacant office building and meet the “doctor” that aims to help you with your condition. After jumping into a strange chair, everything goes dark and the true nightmare begins as Simon awakes on the PATHOS-II station.

    Much like Rapture in the Bioshock franchise, the PATHOS-II feels like a character itself, as the station is reminiscent of a space ship and feels like a living being with danger around every corner. The initial moments invoke a serious sense of dread that rarely let up for a good portion of the game as you explore the station, trying to escape and uncover what exactly happened to the crew.

    The game is primarily story driven, with a number of puzzles as well as enemies to evade. While not quite a walking simulator, you will not have a means to defend yourself, so you will need to outmaneuver the enemies as you work your way through the game’s world. These enemies are sparsely placed which layers on the terror. The story is great and one of the strongest aspects of the game, up until the plot twist.

    I am clearly in the minority, but I feel the game would have been better if the credits rolled after this particular twist, as the remainder of the game feels like a slog; basically, the game changes the narrative from a horror game to a hard sci-fi offering. While this does not ruin the entire experience, I feel Frictional Games excels in horror and building tension, and this left turn makes the second half feel as if this is an entirely different game.

    As I have played this game on both PS4 and the recent port to Xbox One, I will say the newest version is by far the weakest in terms of presentation. While you won’t notice much difference in terms of the visuals as they look amazing, the game froze during a number of transitions from one area to another, all of which were seamless in the PS4 version. After the 30-45 seconds it took for the game to catch up, the textures became muddy and terribly ugly compared to the normal details that the game features. This persisted for another 2-5 minutes before everything went back to normal. While these timeframes may not be major in most cases, it’s enough to break the immersion, which is the selling point of the game.

    The audio is still top notch and will likely keep most players on their toes, as you will regularly go from periods of silence, with the only sounds coming from your footsteps, to the loud thud of something moving just outside of your field of view. I found this to be more terrifying than the actual enemies that you come across. Much like the creatures found in the Amnesia series, the monsters here are not much to look at when you get up close, which should really be avoided, since death will come quickly.

    The Xbox One version of the game features a “Safe Mode” for those who like their horror with boundaries. This does not remove the enemies you will encounter, but simply rules out death. This option is unnecessary in my humble opinion, as in my Normal playthrough on the PS4 I only died a handful of times.

    While SOMA works well as a horror game through its first act and is worth any horror fans time, I would recommend the Xbox One version only to those that don’t have a PS4 or PC (which I would rate at a solid 9 out of 10) that can run it in its full glory.    … Expand
  2. dan-man
    Nov 4, 2022
    7
    Wow, (WAU), well, that was depressing! A novel story, and an interesting world, but it falls apart a lot after a couple of hours. The premise was great, but it, as all video games do, turns into a formulaic, predictable experience full of filler and padding. I was hoping for a deep and philosophical experience, as reviews suggest, but it was not, it was pretty standard stuff, albeit a fewWow, (WAU), well, that was depressing! A novel story, and an interesting world, but it falls apart a lot after a couple of hours. The premise was great, but it, as all video games do, turns into a formulaic, predictable experience full of filler and padding. I was hoping for a deep and philosophical experience, as reviews suggest, but it was not, it was pretty standard stuff, albeit a few interesting questions were raised, just not really delved into or explored fully. Still worth a play on Game pass, for the first few hours, but beyond that, it got tiresome, with no guidance for puzzles, and lacked solid characters and believability for me.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best Xbox One Game of 2017
55
#55 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. GameCritics
    Feb 28, 2018
    90
    For players intrigued by SOMA but hesitant to jump in due to the sneaking and hiding, there’s never been a better time to try it. While much of the challenge from the original mode is gone, the story, sound design and slow-burn exploration are more far more meaningful than its handful of monsters. SOMA hosts one of the best stories I’ve experienced in a videogame, and now the lowered barrier for entry will allow more people to experience it — if that’s not the mark of a successful addition, then I don’t know what is.
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  2. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Feb 22, 2018
    80
    One of the best and most disturbing horror stories you'll play on Xbox One. [Issue#160, p.86]
  3. XBLA Fans
    Feb 8, 2018
    80
    Frictional Games delivers on yet another horror game that leaves us at the edge of our seat and quivering in fear. Even in a new science fiction setting, SOMA still brings to the table the exacting polish that its predecessors have in the past. If Survival horror is the game for you, or if you’re just looking for a game to test your bravery, this is exactly what you’re looking for. If you're still confused about the game, just think Dead Space in a Bioshock setting without all the fancy weaponry, but with all the fantastic atmosphere. You're welcome.
    Read full review
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