The Ultimate SOMA Discussion Thread

[Kein]

So, all these mind/consciousness transfer [into robots?] experiments have possible goal to make the life more acceptable on devastated surface?

[Macgyverthehero]

I looked up the word "Soma" again.

Found out a little section detailing Soma being an immortality drink.

Maybe the game is about achieving immortality via inserting your consciousness into a machine/computer/robot?

[Sampyli]

Maybe the game is about achieving immortality via inserting your consciousness into a machine/computer/robot?

Transcendence?

[Alardem]

I have the impression that the undersea laboratory was already built by Omicron (or whatever organization the researchers work for) prior to the asteroid/alien attack. Afterwards, contact was lost between the people underwater and the dead people on the surface. The robots are likely to be made by aliens, either invaders from the asteroid or natives of some ancient undersea ruins.

I'm still bothered by how sunny the outside segments appear to be. If an asteroid really did destroy the surface, there sure as hell wouldn't be any sunlight poking through the mountains of dust choking the air.

[Newsman Waterpaper]

I have the impression that the undersea laboratory was already built by Omicron (or whatever organization the researchers work for) prior to the asteroid/alien attack. Afterwards, contact was lost between the people underwater and the dead people on the surface. The robots are likely to be made by aliens, either invaders from the asteroid or natives of some ancient undersea ruins.

I'm still bothered by how sunny the outside segments appear to be. If an asteroid really did destroy the surface, there sure as hell wouldn't be any sunlight poking through the mountains of dust choking the air.

It really depends how big was the asteroid and where PATHOS-2 is located at.
Aliens using asteroids to invade Earth sounds alot like The War Of The Worlds to me.

[Macgyverthehero]

I looked up who Philip K. Dick is after looking at the quote on the SOMA page.
("Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”)

He's a writer who wrote some popular short stories and novels, and some of his stuff became movies like Blade Runner and Total Recall.

He also seems to mention a lot about reality bending in his works, as he also used to experience hallucinations and other phenomenon which altered his perception of things, like struggling what is real and what is not.

Here he is on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick

Hi DavidS.

[Paddy™]

I looked up who Philip K. Dick is after looking at the quote on the SOMA page.
("Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”)

He's a writer who wrote some popular short stories and novels, and some of his stuff became movies like Blade Runner and Total Recall.

He also seems to mention a lot about reality bending in his works, as he also used to experience hallucinations and other phenomenon which altered his perception of things, like struggling what is real and what is not.

Here he is on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick

Hi DavidS.

PKD is the boss when it comes to this stuff

A few similar authors of sci-fi, horror and weird fiction have been mentioned at various times as having had an influence on SOMA's story, or at least on how the story is told. China Miéville, Greg Egan, H.P. Lovecraft (of course), Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein have all been cited in interviews with Thomas (like here and here).

I think it's safe to say SOMA will be mindfuck if nothing else.

---

EDIT: here's a new interview with Samuel Justice, the lead sound designer for SOMA:

http://theaudiospotlight.com/samuel-justice-interview/

He mentions that SOMA's indoor and underwater environments each have their own unique soundscape, rather than just one soundscape with global processes or DSPs applied to make it sound more underwatery.

[Kein]

I looked up who Philip K. Dick is [...]

...we can't be friends anymore :p

[DavidS]

Not so closely related to SOMA itself, but I strongly suggest works by Stanislaw Lem and the Strugatzky brothers. The latter especially if you have a love for weird stuff, though be warned, a lot are (more or less) subtle references to soviet politics during the time of writing and might be hard to understand. (Something they have in common with some of Lems works, though if he goes into politics it was usually more direct and often also rather humorous.).

[PutraenusAlivius]

Since they're sticking with Philip now, just change the name from HPL Editor to PKD Editor or Dick Editor. heuheuheu