TheZeroEquals Gaming - SOMA - [Playstation 5 Pro] - Full Playthrough

Sometimes going back and attempting to understand what made something a classic experience in gaming can be tricky. Mechanics and design sensibilities change that can dent the overall view. That is not the case with SOMA. This one still lands. Released in 2015, SOMA begins as an unassuming game. you're a character named Simon Jarrett, dealing with the aftermath of what seems to have been a car accident. So with little left to lose, Simon has decided to undergo a radical procedure which should help. Only, wait for it...it doesn't. It instead lands us in an unknown dystopia filled with threatening humanoid creatures with disfigured traits and in a dark and menacing Lovecraftian tinged facility with more questions than answers. The game is built around stealth survival mechanics and does some of the best work in setting the tension on the highest of highs by offering no more than environmental clues as to your means and at times employing darkness and a deft use of soundscapes to their full potential. The world is littered with lore, that despite rounding out the experience is not necessary to find in order to survive the nightmare. What's really impactful, even all these years down the line is how the aesthetic, despite not being clean and polished by today's standards, still works. This game is haunting, yet has an undeniably beating heart that makes sure yours skips a beat at all the right moments. The grime and grey, along with the drone and glitchy-ness of the score work in tandem to set the mood so thick it almost feels like it can't be cut with the sharpest of blades. SOMA takes some of its themes and cues from the likes of Dead Space, Bioshock and Alien Isolation. Not a bad pool to pick from so turn out the lights, curl up in a fetal position and dare to watch a full playthrough of SOMA. NOTE(s): (1)This is a first playthrough run, not meant to be a walkthrough, but can be used as you like. (2) Parts of this game (especially at the beginning) are really dark, visually. There is no adjustment to be made as this is part of the way the game sets mood and tone.