Rate SOMA's scare factor & MRI Loading Icon Explained

[mooney1004]

I just wanted to point out the genius of Frictional Games in using an MRI for loading. As a neuroscientist, this tickles my sweet spot.

I'd love to share the knowledge of how an MRI works (for those who are interested), and I discuss it in my first video about SOMA.

I am taking the game rather slowly, but I can't wait to unravel the story. Please, no spoilers, but how would you rate the scare factor of the game (jumpscare and atmosphere are two contributing factors)?

[norwegianboyee]

Depends on you really. I was scared almost constantly and was prone to just sitting in a corner and cry whenever there was a enemy patrolling.
While some lets-players for example just derped through the entire game with the approximate interest and scare factor of a goldfish. *cough* markiplier *cough cough* Pewdiepie *cough*

[Mudbill]

In my experience, the beginning was somewhat underwhelming in terms of scares but I suppose that's to be expected and perhaps a good thing. There was a time I was wondering if the entire game was like that, but then suddenly "the game just stepped up its scare factor" as I put it in my video.

There were at least 3 sections of the game that were really scary in my opinion. There were also a lot of short moments and otherwise story related disturbances. How it will be for you is uncertain though.

The atmosphere is generally pretty good I think. These monsters work far from the ones in Amnesia, so you won't feel familiar with any of them. Especially because the game doesn't want you to become used to any of the game's monsters by making an effort into preventing that. One thing that made things especially scary was the lack of music/sounds during certain encounters so that only vague hints will help you locate them around the corners. Might make you paranoid.

As for overall scare factor, I'd say it's less scary than Amnesia (going blindly into it that is). It focuses more on the story this time around, by doing mental scares rather than visual scares.

[GhylTarvoke]

The scares build up gradually. For me, the scariest part was 90% of the way into the game.

Spoiler below!

Yoshida

[Googolplex]

Dark Descent and Black Plague are by far scarier. I like SOMA because of the atmosphere and the story and some parts are scary, but Amnesia was pure hell.

[GhylTarvoke]

Dark Descent and Black Plague are by far scarier. I like SOMA because of the atmosphere and the story and some parts are scary, but Amnesia was pure hell.

I get where you're coming from, but the thing with Amnesia is that once I realized

Spoiler below!

I could just stare at a wall until the monsters went away,

most of the scare factor disappeared.

[Chrysler]

Dark Descent and Black Plague are by far scarier. I like SOMA because of the atmosphere and the story and some parts are scary, but Amnesia was pure hell.

Obviously, the scare factor is something very subjective but I am pretty sure if Black Plague, Amnesia and SOMA were released concurrently 5 years ago, SOMA would be by far the scariest of the three for most people. The reason why people say today that Penumbra or Amnesia were scarier for them is probably because they have had never played any comparable horror game before, so it was a very special experience for them then. 5 years later, horror games having you running away from monsters without any defenses is simply nothing special anymore and the effect on the player is smaller.

[Googolplex]

Obviously, the scare factor is something very subjective but I am pretty sure if Black Plague, Amnesia and SOMA were released concurrently 5 years ago, SOMA would be by far the scariest of the three for most people. The reason why people say today that Penumbra or Amnesia were scarier for them is probably because they have had never played any comparable horror game before, so it was a very special experience for them then. 5 years later, horror games having you running away from monsters without any defenses is simply nothing special anymore and the effect on the player is smaller.

That might be true, but Thomas said he won't make an other horror game what goal is about running away from monsters - instead something more substantial. But I wondered how SOMA exactly copied the same monster mechanics like Amnesia. No question, I really like it, but I always thought FG wanted to create something fresh to revolutionize the genre like Amnesia did in 2010. Also about the death consequences, for what Thomas always was talking about. He said that they invested a lot more time to care about death consequences such as "when a monster is catching you, things in the game will change". Sorry, but I never noticed any change. And when the "color disortion effect" is everything of the death consequence, it is very weak. Of course, I don't mean they should make permadeath, but I expected something more thoughtful instead a "You died" screen with "press any key to continue" message. It's like a "Game Over" message Thomas always hated in Silent Hill.

So this is what surprises me. They always said they don't want these things, but then SOMA featured exactly these things. I like the story and the way how the story got told, but in case of horror, SOMA is nothing fresh.

And those "healing stations" the player has to put in his finger feels like a very bad idea.

[SlackerinDeNile]

Tell me about it, what SOMA brings to the table of science-fiction, action-adventure and survival-horror games, it does incredibly well, but what it attempts to repeat is what I personally didn't like about it. I love the cosmic and psychological horror aspects of the story, I wish those had played more into the gameplay beyond the choices you made and I still adamantly believe that those choices should have affected the games ending.

As for the scare factor, the game certainly creeped me out plenty of times, but it wasn't nearly as scary as Penumbra or Amnesia, and for good reason! Its not supposed to be, the game as a whole is supposed to be geared towards psychological horror and the dread of Simon and the rest of PATHOS-II's situation, which it honestly does pretty well.

[Kein]

I'd love to share the knowledge of how an MRI works (for those who are interested), and I discuss it in my first video about SOMA.

Sum it up with words and screenshots on forum post.