SOMA |OT| I Have No Mouth but I Will Scream, on The Dark Descent into A Machine

More_Badass said:
Right? The whole build-up to Omicron is great.
1) You're right next to this pitch-black abyss. 2) You need to go through that alternate route across groaning unsteady debris. 3) The first thing you see when you enter is decapitated bodies.

It's so intense
Click to expand...

And it didn't get any easier after that :P.

Zocano said:
Been watching Patrick Klepek's playthrough of SOMA and really enjoying it. I can't handle horror games at all (barely got through 2 hours or so of Amnesia before quitting) and wish this game was even more like Gone Home than it currently is. I really love the aesthetic and story up to where Klepek is now (Tau) but seeing the monster sections up to that point I know I wouldn't be able to stomach a lot of them even if they are relatively short (and some fairly exploitable)
fuck the blind ones
. Seems like people are kinda divisive on it, though, even having hands-on experience with it. It's weird seeing the horror tone be enjoyable and yet in-the-way and annoying at the same time. I think it is both fitting in terms of the setting and environment and necessity for the narrative, but also gameplay wise it can end up being obstructive and almost annoying (one specific enemy late in the game:
The one in Tau that always knows where you are and just bee lines for you
).

Might be "controversial" but maybe it would have been fine to just put combat or some sort of weapon at your disposal. Horror games can be done with them and I don't see why every game that is aping to be "Amnesia" or the next popular horror game has to make to powerless.

Basically I want System Shock 3.
Click to expand...


I've been watching Patrick play it as well. Actually used it to calm my own nerves when stuff got a little too much for me. In a weird way it made feel a bit less alone :P. Though I haven't been able to use it for the last two hours of the game since he hasn't uploaded those vids yet.

Anyway, I'm with you on not being sure how to feel about the enemy encounters. This stuff really gets to me and it's been rough playing this by myself at night. I get really scared. But the story is so good that I managed to persevere. I simply needed to see new sections, hear new dialogue... all of it is damn good. Beautiful design to the base as well. They even went to the trouble of designing different functioning doors for other sections of the base. Which is just amazing. But yeah, the enemy encounters. I didn't like them, but I would not want the game to have been without them. Talking to Catherine and reading some cool stuff after having survived another encounter was a huge relief. And I think the game benefits from that tension / relief loop.

Incredible ending too. Great, great fucking game. Goddamn.
 
Just finished it. I liked it much over all but the impact it had on me is lower than Amnesia and I think I liked A Machine for Pigs more. Maybe I shouldn't had played Alien:I just before this one. Still, greatly recommended.

There are a few lose ends that maybe I missed, can you guys help me out?

  1. Why you got into the suit & dead body in the first place?
  2. Why there was a copy of Catherine conveniently just sticking around?
  3. Who was the entity that tasked you with killing the WAU?
 
Lonely1 said:
Just finished it. I liked it much over all but the impact it had on me is lower than Amnesia and I think I liked A Machine for Pigs more. Maybe I shouldn't had played Alien:I just before this one. Still, greatly recommended.

There are a few lose ends that maybe I missed, can you guys help me out?

  1. Why you got into the suit & dead body in the first place?
  2. Why there was a copy of Catherine conveniently just sticking around?
  3. Who was the entity that tasked you with killing the WAU?
Click to expand...
1.
I believe it's left open, but I think at one point Catherine suggests that it might have been the WAU.
 
Lonely1 said:
Just finished it. I liked it much over all but the impact it had on me is lower than Amnesia and I think I liked A Machine for Pigs more. Maybe I shouldn't had played Alien:I just before this one. Still, greatly recommended.

There are a few lose ends that maybe I missed, can you guys help me out?

  1. Why you got into the suit & dead body in the first place?
  2. Why there was a copy of Catherine conveniently just sticking around?
  3. Who was the entity that tasked you with killing the WAU?
Click to expand...

Just finished myself and enjoyed it, though the 'enemies' you are forced to deal with were a low point. No real explanation behind the game following the same rules as Amnesia for dealing with them either(can't look at them...why?). Most of the hallways were irritating to maneuver through when dealing with them as well, greatly enjoyed the experience between those sections at least.

As for spoilers:

1.
Not well explained, but you are a sort of progenitor to the Ark technology starting back in 2015 during the prologue, and therefore part of your own scan served as the basis for everyone, making your persona readily available. I may have misconstrued a key bit of info dump, but you were uploaded possibly by the 'mystery shadow' to help stop the Wau.

2.
I sort of believe Catherine did explain at some point how she ended up as a copy when you first found her in the robot...but I can't even recall what exactly was said. Again...probably Wau acting on its intended purpose to sustain all life(even if that means stuffing everyone into machines)

3.
Senator Armstrong is my guess.
 
Brandon F said:
Just finished myself and enjoyed it, though the 'enemies' you are forced to deal with were a low point. No real explanation behind the game following the same rules as Amnesia for dealing with them either(can't look at them...why?). Most of the hallways were irritating to maneuver through when dealing with them as well, greatly enjoyed the experience between those sections at least.
Click to expand...

I believe it was hinted that because they have a strong electromagnetic field that messed with
your own hardware
.
 
Lonely1 said:
I believe it was hinted that because they have a strong electromagnetic field that messed with
your own hardware
.
Click to expand...

Yea, I recall that being stated...
which explains the part about not getting 'close', hence the static disruption that Simon even comments on in that conversation...but looking directly at them? That isn't really touched on, or even necessary for the game unlike Amnesia(no insanity gauge). It's warned a few times by Catherine with no real justification
 
I have no idea what their budget was, but I am worried about their success :(
http://steamspy.com/app/282140

71k owners @ 27 € = ~ 1 917 000 €
-30% /steam cut/ = ~1,342 Milj

And thats for everything -salaries, marketing, rent, profit, etc.

Release: Sep 21, 2015 Price: 26.4€
Roughly one month in, so its not like sales are gonna speed up now. Quite the opposite.

:(
 
Velurian said:
I have no idea what their budget was, but I am worried about their success :(
http://steamspy.com/app/282140

71k owners @ 27 € = ~ 1 917 000 €
-30% /steam cut/ = ~1,342 Milj

And thats for everything -salaries, marketing, rent, profit, etc.

Release: Sep 21, 2015 Price: 26.4€
Roughly one month in, so its not like sales are gonna speed up now. Quite the opposite.

:(
Click to expand...

It exceeded their expectations

From October 1st http://frictionalgames.blogspot.com/

I'm going to start with what I think most people are interested in: how much has the game sold? The current number now is at about 92,000 copies across all platforms (due to legal reasons we can't give a per-platform breakdown). This is quite good for 10 days (+ preorder time) of sales! The money that we've got from this will pretty much pay our company expenses for another 2 years. Sales are still going pretty strongly too, with a total of around 2,000 copies sold per day. This number is bound to drop over time, and it'll be interesting to see just how fast and where it stabilizes. While a lot of sales obviously come close to launch, a big part of our normal earnings comes from a slow daily trickle over the years of our existing titles. So our average daily sales a month or so from now on is actually more important than all of the units sold up to this point.

How does this compare to our other releases? Well, Amnesia: The Dark Descent sold 30,000 copies in the first month (and around 20,000 the first week). So SOMA's launch is obviously a lot better than that. Compared to Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, though, the launch is a little bit worse. That game sold about 120,000 copies the first week.

Our goal for SOMA's sales is 100,000 after a month, and at the current pace it should be able to reach pretty much exactly that with a few units to spare. However, this doesn't mean that we've come close to recouping all our costs. We need to sell almost 3 times that amount to do that. But given that it took us 5 years to make the project, there's no immediate stress to do so. One of the great things about funding SOMA 100% ourselves is that all money earned goes into our own pockets and is directly used to fund our upcoming projects. So we are under no pressure to recoup immediately so long as we get enough to keep going - which we certainly have now.
Click to expand...

I think it's sold another 15,000 copies on Steam since then. So maybe another 40,000 altogether across all platforms. (Remember it's for the PS4 and is on GOG).
 
Velurian said:
I have no idea what their budget was, but I am worried about their success :(
http://steamspy.com/app/282140

71k owners @ 27 € = ~ 1 917 000 €
-30% /steam cut/ = ~1,342 Milj

And thats for everything -salaries, marketing, rent, profit, etc.

Release: Sep 21, 2015 Price: 26.4€
Roughly one month in, so its not like sales are gonna speed up now. Quite the opposite.

:(
Click to expand...
http://frictionalgames.blogspot.se/2015/10/soma-10-days-after-launch.html

Summary from Polygon
The post reveals that after 10 days on sale, SOMA has sold 92,000 copies across PC and PlayStation 4. The developer isn't allowed to give a per-platform breakdown, but says that this number is very successful for them and well on the way to its goal of selling 100,000 in the first month. The game continues to sell at a steady rate of around 2,000 copies per day.

In comparison, Frictional says its first major hit, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, sold a mere 30,000 copies in the first month. Its sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, sold 120,000 in the first week.
Click to expand...
The money from the first 92,000 sales of SOMA "will pretty much pay our company expenses for another two years."
Click to expand...
 
I went and did some fanart! I'll spoiler tag it though as it's of one of my favourite (and pants-shittingly terrifying) late-game encounters:

soma_abyss_by_sovanjedi-d9dl1sl.gif
 
This is quite good for 10 days (+ preorder time) of sales! The money that we've got from this will pretty much pay our company expenses for another 2 years.
Click to expand...
This is great news.
They must have a really small team.
Really happy for them and hope people keep buying their stuff.
 
SovanJedi said:
I went and did some fanart! I'll spoiler tag it though as it's of one of my favourite (and pants-shittingly terrifying) late-game encounters:

soma_abyss_by_sovanjedi-d9dl1sl.gif
Click to expand...

Neat, but that section annoyed the piss out of me.
Staying in the light as instructed hours earlier did nothing. That fish monster still attacked me regardless.
 
Lonely1 said:
Just finished it. I liked it much over all but the impact it had on me is lower than Amnesia and I think I liked A Machine for Pigs more. Maybe I shouldn't had played Alien:I just before this one. Still, greatly recommended.

There are a few lose ends that maybe I missed, can you guys help me out?

  1. Why you got into the suit & dead body in the first place?
  2. Why there was a copy of Catherine conveniently just sticking around?
  3. Who was the entity that tasked you with killing the WAU?
Click to expand...

1.
WAU experimented with developing new form of life. Simon-1 was probably the first adequately working prototype.
2.
You mean Catherine-1? Nothing convenient, it just so happened.
3.
Johan Ross,
 
Good game, but that ending feels like you got robbed.

Poor Simon just didn't get it. The last remnants of human life are out in space, you didn't remember how this all works and now you're just strapped to a chair set to live the eternity of your robot years...and then Catherine is gone.
 
SO I just finished it on the PS4. Got it for myself as a birthday gift. So, this might be a controversial opinion, but I don't believe games in general should be considered art. I've never been fond of the blanket statement of "all things are art"

That said, I think Soma is one of those rare instances of art within videogames. The story is easily what does it, because its so literary, its filled with the big questions that make great Science Fiction. I have tons of complaints(mostly the enemies. They're scary, but often times confusing to figure out.) but the writing in this was just so superb. I liked Amnesia, but this blows it out of the water.

Some thoughts on the ending
I mean the real ending. The bad ending, the one where Simon is alone on the thing. What a perfect ending, it encapsulates what is hands down the scariest idea of the entire game. It's not of copies, its not killer robots acting too human, it's just the most basic and sad fear of being alone in the dark. No one left to talk to, only option either death or wandering through abyss. What a good ending, and perfect stinger.
 
I really need to get back into this game. Had only one session a couple weeks ago and made it to Upsilon shuttle station. Can someone catch me up on the main plot points up to this point to get me going again? That would be really cool.
 
Zocano said:
Been watching Patrick Klepek's playthrough of SOMA and really enjoying it. I can't handle horror games at all (barely got through 2 hours or so of Amnesia before quitting) and wish this game was even more like Gone Home than it currently is. I really love the aesthetic and story up to where Klepek is now (Tau) but seeing the monster sections up to that point I know I wouldn't be able to stomach a lot of them even if they are relatively short (and some fairly exploitable)
fuck the blind ones
. Seems like people are kinda divisive on it, though, even having hands-on experience with it. It's weird seeing the horror tone be enjoyable and yet in-the-way and annoying at the same time. I think it is both fitting in terms of the setting and environment and necessity for the narrative, but also gameplay wise it can end up being obstructive and almost annoying (one specific enemy late in the game:
The one in Tau that always knows where you are and just bee lines for you
).

Might be "controversial" but maybe it would have been fine to just put combat or some sort of weapon at your disposal. Horror games can be done with them and I don't see why every game that is aping to be "Amnesia" or the next popular horror game has to make to powerless.

Basically I want System Shock 3.
Click to expand...
Just as a tiny note,
you can actually dodge the guy in Tau
. He doesn't always know where you are.

Not super relevant, but worth pointing out.
 
Still thinking about this game a month after playing it, what a genuinely brilliant story that really deserves more respect. The bleak hope of the ending is something I love seeing in stories. Congratulations to Frictional for crafting maybe the tightest and most poignant game narrative of the year.
 
After completing the game, I've been watching some playthroughs and I can't help but notice that Simon
SHOULD have known
especially after Omnicron, Catherine
literally showed him that transfering wasn't possible
.
His reaction at the end is so out of place.
 
galvenize said:
After completing the game, I've been watching some playthroughs and I can't help but notice that Simon
SHOULD have known
especially after Omnicron, Catherine
literally showed him that transfering wasn't possible
.
His reaction at the end is so out of place.
Click to expand...

It's not out of place at all. We know (as the player) and Simon knows that transferring isn't possible. But the first time we do it, the player gets transferred to the new version of Simon's POV, and therefore get the new Simon's reaction of "ok, moving on." The old one is just sitting there, inactive but still alive. If he was conscious and up and about, the old version of Simon would've probably been upset too that he didn't get transferred into the suit, because there are now 2 conscious Simon's.

When Simon gets copied to the Ark, it's literally the exact same thing that has happened before, this is true. But because the game now KEEPS the players POV on the OLD Simon, we get the angry reaction that he gives. No doubt the Simon that is now on the Ark would be the one that has the "ok, we made it" attitude. The game just plays with the player and POV, I think it's brilliant. Since the game made us follow the "new Simon" the first time we get transferred, we as the player kind of assume that we'd be transferred to the new Simon on the Ark. Instead, it takes us by surprise and keeps us on PATHOS-2. And in turn, we kind of feel what Simon is feeling because we too, as the player, are "left behind."
 
Cudder said:
It's not out of place at all. We know (as the player) and Simon knows that transferring isn't possible. But the first time we do it, the player gets transferred to the new version of Simon's POV, and therefore get the new Simon's reaction of "ok, moving on." The old one is just sitting there, inactive but still alive. If he was conscious and up and about, the old version of Simon would've probably been upset too that he didn't get transferred into the suit, because there are now 2 conscious Simon's.

When Simon gets copied to the Ark, it's literally the exact same thing that has happened before, this is true. But because the game now KEEPS the players POV on the OLD Simon, we get the angry reaction that he gives. No doubt the Simon that is now on the Ark would be the one that has the "ok, we made it" attitude. The game just plays with the player and POV, I think it's brilliant. Since the game made us follow the "new Simon" the first time we get transferred, we as the player kind of assume that we'd be transferred to the new Simon on the Ark. Instead, it takes us by surprise and keeps us on PATHOS-2. And in turn, we kind of feel what Simon is feeling because we too, as the player, are "left behind."
Click to expand...

Not disagreeing entirely, but after the first transfer, Simon was already upset with Catherine that they were leaving the old copy behind. So this copy of Simon (the Simon that presses the button to launch the payload) was already more familiar with the transfer's limitations than the previous version of him. So I do think it was a bit out of place, though his despair does fit the tone of the story. However, a more resigned attitude could have worked just as well and would have been a bit more consistent.
 
Fallout-NL said:
Not disagreeing entirely, but after the first transfer, Simon was already upset with Catherine that they were leaving the old copy behind. So this copy of Simon (the Simon that presses the button to launch the payload) was already more familiar with the transfer's limitations than the previous version of him. So I do think it was a bit out of place, though his despair does fit the tone of the story. However, a more resigned attitude could have worked just as well and would have been a bit more consistent.
Click to expand...

I so disagree! His outburst is perfect, it's what makes the scene. Yeah, a more resigned reaction would be mature, but Simon just got left behind. He and Catherine are the only two left. He has to sit by in a horrifying hell hole at the bottom of the ocean and watch as a version of him lives happy in a place he can not even see. Yeah, he knows that's how the transfer works, I think everyone is misunderstanding why he's so angry. He's angry because he's left behind on earth. Because there's nothing left. He is now, absolutely alone, in the dark, waiting for either nothing or death to come. How could anyone not be angry and scared and frustrated in this situation? It is the most human reaction possible.
 
Something I've been wondering about that could possibly impact Simon's reactions at the ending:
Simon isn't even close to a perfect copy. He was scanned 100 years ago by Munshi with 100-year-old technology. Logs indicate that even Catherine's first scans a couple of years or so before the game starts did not produce "exact" copies of human consciousness. It took her discovering the WAU's scanning technique before she was able to do that. I'm not even sure the Catherine copy in the game is a perfect copy. The game mentions this so far as Simon at least (says he has "flattened" reactions or something to that effect) but this never seems to actually come in to play during the events of the game. Why?
 
Finished this up this evening. I hadn't even heard of it until a friend recommended it. I loved it! Great setting, concept and story. The atmosphere throughout was great.
 
Just beat the game. It was fantastic.

And man dude, it really messed me up. Some strange emotions going through me right now and thoughts about
what it means to exist and be conscious.
 
For me, personally, SOMA has been stuck in my head not because of
the questions of humanity, consciousness and being alive, but the idea of a celestial object wiping out life on Earth.

The ending scene that shows the burning remains of the continents, along with the last messages of the ship's captain and some of the notes really had an effect on me. Scary stuff.

It doesn't help that I stumbled upon a song I kinda like, that touches the subject. (Sorry for posting a link that contains metalcore content lol)

This song by The Devil Wears Prada
 
I think my game is bugged.

After the
first underwater walk, I have to get a train to Lambda Station. I unplug Amy, restore the power and get into the train. I seat, put the omni tool in place, flip the switches and press the red button. The train starts moving but the big door doesn't open so I get stuck...

Anyone knows if the game is bugged or maybe I missed something?

joe2187 said:
Its nice that the game has a restoring loadpoint feature.


seeing as how it bugged the fuck out in the shuttle area and left me stuck flying into a wall forever.

Or Not:

I've reloaded the game as far back as Im willing to go, but the game still bugs out during the Shuttle launch.

This is what I get

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFyBhy5GQTA
Click to expand...

Damn this exactly my same problem...

Melchiah said:
Heads-up from Frictional's FB page:
Click to expand...

Thanks Melchiah, guess I'll just wait until tomorrow then...
 
Finished this a few days ago. What an experience.

Outside of a game breaking bug I encountered near the end, and some annoyances with the enemies, this is a damn fine work of art, posing questions that actually mean something! What makes us human? What makes me...me?

I especially enjoyed the Prestige-like 'who comes out the other side' with regards to the ending. The flip of a coin could keep him miserable and in darkness, but the other Simon lives happily ever after.

Such a fantastically well written journey. Loved it so much!
 
^ Can't quote that due to the spoiler tag, as I haven't finished the game, but I'm curious what the game breaking bug towards the end is? Without spoilers please. =)
 
I've been playing this game over the last week, currently nearing the end. There is a lot more content than I expected and the story and narrative so far have been great!

Also, the atmosphere is so incredibly well done...I can't even play this before going to bed. I just get too tense. I think it's mainly because of the audio design and the vision glitches; they suck me right in. I'll be highlighting all these spoilers once I'm done. Hopefully this weekend!
 
Melchiah said:
^ Can't quote that due to the spoiler tag, as I haven't finished the game, but I'm curious what the game breaking bug towards the end is? Without spoilers please. =)
Click to expand...

Sure man. Basically, towards the very end, like 30 mins from the end, if that, I come across a section where I need to pull the doors up to get through them. One particular hallway/area has two doors, one in front and one to my right. For some reason I decided to go into the right door (which is a dead end) and close it behind me (just in case something is nearby). When I try lifting the door back up to get out...I can't. The door lifts a little bit and then stops. Spent a little while trying to lift over and over but nothing so I had to reload.

Honestly thought it was game over for me, but then found out/rediscovered the ability to load an earlier save than the last via the main menu.

This is one of the best games I've probably ever played. But restarting all the way from the start would have most definitely killed my motivation for a while.
 
There is a 790 mb rar file in the installation folder called "_supersecret.rar". It's filled with awesome design documents, concept art, old footage and other stuff. The password is "19PzQ8arc11rkdv".
 
Had to flip a coin between this and Until Dawn. Until Dawn won, I will pick this up on sale some time.

So many games. Not enough time.
 
Fallout-NL said:
Not disagreeing entirely, but after the first transfer, Simon was already upset with Catherine that they were leaving the old copy behind. So this copy of Simon (the Simon that presses the button to launch the payload) was already more familiar with the transfer's limitations than the previous version of him. So I do think it was a bit out of place, though his despair does fit the tone of the story. However, a more resigned attitude could have worked just as well and would have been a bit more consistent.
Click to expand...

I'm with you.
I, too, think Simon should have (would have) known what was coming. I certainly did. His outburst didn't negate the effectiveness of that pre-credits ending -- it's still utterly terrifying, not to mention the contrast it creates with the "true" ending -- but it makes him seem daft.
 
I just started playing on PS4 but the interaction with R2 feels off. I have a horipad controller, not sure if that is the reason. I can grab things just fine but they drop really quick at the slightest loss of pressure on the r2 pad. Does not feel normal.
 
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