Click image to watch SOMA “PlayStation 4 Reveal” trailer.
In 2010, Frictional Games released a survival horror gem on PC we dumped heavy hours into by the name of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. A follow-up title and indirect sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs was released last month, but now the developers will be making their console debut next year on PlayStation 4 (console exclusive btw) with the announcement today of “SOMA.” Much like Amnesia, the Sweden indie studio will incorporate the horror elements seen previous releases to incorporate a true next generation experience in the first person perspective. After the jump, you can watch the official trailer reveal with a full description on the title; then look for the official release in 2015 on both PlayStation and PC
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SOMA is meant to be a proper sci-fi game, and to get that right we couldn’t let the themes be an afterthought. My favorite works of sci-fi are the ones that use fantastic worlds to probe important issues in a way that down-to-earth settings just cannot. Great sci-fi authors like Asimov, Dick and Heinlein all do this. We want to give SOMA this quality as well.
The subject that SOMA will discuss is consciousness. Personally, I find it the most profound questions that it is possible to ask. “How can the feeling of subjective experience arise from a chunk of flesh?” Exploring this further takes us to questions such as “Can machines be conscious?” and “Do we have free will?” It quickly gets very disturbing, and is ideal for a futuristic horror setting. It is the kind of sci-fi that we want to make.
From the start, we knew that this could not just come through background story or dialog. We want you to play through this. It must be an integral part of the gameplay, not just fluff.
Part of this comes through the game’s monsters. You will encounter a number of strange creatures, each an embodiment of an aspect of our themes. In order to survive the journey, you need to understand how they work and in the process take on extremely unsettling subjects.
Our goal is for SOMA to not just be another carnival ride of cheap scares. It is meant to chill you to your core, and confront you with questions about your very existence.