Frictional Games, the studio behind Amnesia and Penumbra, have just launched SOMA. Players will plunge deep into the abyss of a sub-aquatic science facility to "tear at the delicate threads of human consciousness." SOMA is a sci-fi horror game that aims to question our concepts of identity, consciousness, and what it means to be human.
The game's creative director Thomas Grip, reflecting on the development of the game, wrote: "Five years ago, SOMA started as a simple idea; to make a game that would explore the more disturbing aspects of what it means to be a conscious being. Since then, we have gone through years of iterations, lots of hard work and almost tripled the size of our team.
"And finally, today, the game is done. We are very proud of how it has turned out, and feel that we have achieved what we set out to do. It has easily been the most ambitious project we have undertaken, and getting to this point has been quite a struggle. We hope people find SOMA to be a creepy and provocative experience that stays with them long after playing."
In SOMA, players wake up to find that all communication with the outside world on the base has ceased, food is running out, and machines have been waking up, believing they are human.
Stay tuned for our review of the game.
The game is out now for $29.99 on the PS4 via PlayStation Store and on the PC through GOG, Steam, and Humble Store.