'Soma (2015)' is a masterpiece. Its narrative, delivered with a mixture of environmental storytelling and more straightforward dialogue, is simply phenomenal. The themes it explores are unique and resonant, as intellectually stimulating as they are thoroughly profound. By making you an active participant in its story, the piece maintains a consistent level of engagement that only grows with each new revelation. You're constantly trying to work out where you're going to end up next; even if you figure it out, which is certainly possible (and a sign of a well-crafted plot that makes excellent use of foreshadowing, to boot), you'll still be floored by each twist, gripping your game-pad in shock and anticipation. To say it's satisfying is an understatement. It's the kind of story that puts a smile on your face simply because it's so good. It's also terrifying. Where some games only seek to achieve this effect through jump-scares and low (or no) ammo, this piece bakes it into every facet of its design. Its horror is both visceral and existential. This mixture is incredibly difficult to achieve, especially if you don't want your game to be overly dour. The thing balances its bleak tone with moments of levity, making for a much more affecting end result. Its character development is absolutely phenomenal, too. Throughout the plot, you feel connected with your character; make no mistake, he's no silent protagonist. The writing is fantastic overall, with the spoken dialogue being matched by the computer logs and audio diaries you find on your journey. To compound this, the piece employs some wonderful voice-work, each performance as believable as the last. This is what really brings the experience to life, along with its fantastic sound design. The actual game is, essentially, a 'walking simulator'. However, it never feels like anything less than exactly what it needs to be. There are many different set-pieces that make use of the thing's limited mechanics in distinct ways. They keep things feeling fresh and are paced to perfection, their varying high and low intensities keeping you constantly on your toes. The enemies are often genuinely creepy and can present a real threat. Even when they don't, they feel decidedly dangerous. Sometimes, the gameplay feels slightly clunky. I know it's supposed to feel cumbersome, but it occasionally gets in its own way (such as when you get stuck on the geometry of tight corridors). Really, this is my only complaint with the game. It's well-crafted, compelling and extremely enjoyable. It's also properly scary, too; its atmosphere is ominous and freaky, its set-pieces are heart-pounding and tense, and its story will get under your skin and stay there for days. It's the kind of thing that makes you seriously think about what it means to be human. How many video-games do that? 9/10
