Discover an eerie universe where technology has taken over.
Artificial intelligence
Explore an eerie world of advanced technology where nothing is entirely as it seems. Make your way through a derelict laboratory filled with confused and strangely human machines. Unravel the secrets behind these mysterious goings-on and look for a way to escape while avoiding the crazed mechanical sentries.
Stealth and cunning are your survival tools - tread carefully and discover what it really means to be human.
1080p
1 Players
Vibration Function
Creative director Thomas Grip reveals all
You may question your existence
Existential horror is the order of the day in SOMA. So while it starts off with scare tactics, the game gets increasingly disturbing as you progress. You won’t just feel the creeping dread of life or death situations, but also the nature of your consciousness.
“Most of us just assume other people have subjective experience too because they are built the same way as us and act as if they do,” explains Grip. “But what if someone or something acts as if they are conscious, but are not built the same way as us – like a robot?
“The more you think about this, the stranger and creepier it gets and this is what we want to explore. We want the player to confront these themes head-on via elements like creature encounters, puzzles and various choices they have to make.”
The game is so creepy it has freaked out its creator
It’s not easy to get scared by your own creation given you know everything about it. But SOMA managed to catch Grip by surprise a few times, which bodes well for anyone looking forward to a chilling experience.
“Sometimes the AI has acted in ways I did not anticipate and snuck up behind me when testing, and I have gotten quite a shock from that,” says Grip. “Other times, I have considered some of the game's events in a new light, which led to some disturbing realizations. I remember one time when chatting with a non-player character, it occurred to me just how horrible their situation was, in a way I had never thought of before, and it made this chill crawl down my spine.”
The developer’s horror favourites are your favourites too
The PlayStation 2 era of horror games has been a great influence on SOMA’s creation, according to Grip: “PS2 had a ton of brilliant horror games like Silent Hill 2, Fatal Frame and Forbidden Siren. All of these games have had a strong influence on how we craft horror in our games.”
The game’s writing is a fundamental part
Some horror games are created where the story is formed around specific scares or game design set pieces. Not so with SOMA. “Writing and design have gone hand in hand from the start,” says Grip. “You can't just throw a couple of unrelated sequences at the player. You need to have proper build up, motivation, story and so forth. And on top of that, it all needs to be based around the player playing through it. Now when it’s all done it does not look that complicated, but getting there has been a huge endeavour.
“We’ve had to change the writing to complement the gameplay and vice versa. It can be a pretty messy process at times, but I feel it’s worth it in the end.”
SOMA proves PS4 is for the devs, as well as the players
“We wanted to do a console game and PS4 felt like the best choice as Sony seemed easy to work with,” explains Grip. “We got in contact and the ball got rolling almost immediately. PS4 is quite similar to how a PC works, so it was quite easy for us to get it all up and running.
“As PC developers it’s awesome to be able to design one specific system set-up. Once it runs well on your test rig you know all players will have smooth experience, something that is not always the case in PC development. It’s been a pleasure working with Sony.”
