Hi, I am Thomas Grip, creative director at Frictional Games, an indie studio based in Sweden. We have been crafting horror games since 2006 and are probably most famous for having created Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Previously, we have only developed for PC, but this time our new title will be released for PS4 as well!
For the last three years, we have been working on a game called SOMA. All that time, this project has remained a secret — it’s a great relief to finally be able to talk about it. This game is by far the most ambitious and thrilling project we have ever undertaken.
“SOMA is meant to chill you to your core, and confront you with questions about your very existence.”
So, what exactly is SOMA? Briefly stated, it is a sci-fi horror game played from a first person perspective. You are not a space marine though; you’re a normal, very exposed person trapped in a nightmarish world. SOMA is a game about exploration, survival and immersing you inside an interactive narrative.
That short description does not really do the game justice though. In order to properly explain why I’m so excited, we need to dig a bit deeper.
In all of our previous games, the setting and themes have been by-products. We started with the core gameplay, then created high level aspects that fit with that. While a lot of good can come from this approach, it makes it very hard to approach tougher subjects.
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.
“How can the feeling of subjective experience arise from a chunk of flesh?”
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.
To track the development more closely, follow us on Twitter or check our blog. Many more strange things will emerge before our 2015 release.
EU PS+ for this and next month:
FarCry3 (PS3)
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (PS3)
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS3)
Street Fighter X Tekken (PSVita)
Touch My Katamari (PSVita)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3)
Remember Me (PS3)
Oddworld Strangers Wrath (PSVita)
Motorstorm RC (PSVita)
US PS+ :
Ico (PS3)
Shadow of The Collossus (PS3) SEPERATLY !!!!!!! EU got it together.
GTA Liberty City Stories (PSP!!!!!)
Hotline Miami (PSVita)
+ some crap games which are not worth mentioning.
So which one is better? This is rhetorical question btw….
I’ve been watching the promo videos so far. Delightfully unsettling stuff! To now find out it’s coming to PS4 is such a bonus!
I loved the consciousness themes explored in the sci-fi puzzler The Swapper, so your upcoming game is a welcome addition to that genre. Looking forward to it!
looking foward to this. liked the sci-fi vibe in the video
This is a good PS+, This is Euro PS+
https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2013/10/11/playstation-plus-in-november-metal-gear-rising-remember-me-more/
PlayStation Plus in November: Metal Gear Rising, Remember Me, more
@1
Nice try, but you forgot Sine Mora and Reckoning for this month. You also have two months worth of content for EU and only this month for NA. quit cherry picking your content to make your argument.
I am not saying NA is better, but if you can’t find value in your $50 a year, then you should cancel your membership or get an EU account. It is your own fault for judging the value of content against EU when it should be judged against the $50 you spend. What you get is either worth $50 or it is not, very simple.
Also, this is not the post to address your issue. quit disrespecting others posts that have nothing to do with your little Plus crusade.
Now there will be other comments, including mine, that have nothing to do with SOMA or Frictional Games. Mods, please delete his comment and mine as it is off topic.
This game looks interesting. I have never played Amnesia but looking forward to seeing more about this game. Anything that “questions my very existence” has my attention.
horror games are making a comeback!
This isn’t a Plus post guys, have some respect for the developer here and keep it on topic.
SOMA sounds fantastic, I really look forward to seeing more.
Is there any chance that we’ll see the Amnesia games come over to PS4? I’ve enjoyed the Penumbra games and the first Amnesia (haven’t gotten to AMFP yet), the more people that play those the better. :)
Happy you like the sound of it! :)
We are looking into Amnesia on the PS4. Cannot promise anything though.