Earlier this week, Frictional Games reported to Gamespot that they’re looking to continue their development phase for the brand-new Sci-fi horror, SOMA. While it won’t be an exact continuation from their previous success in the world of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the game developers are looking to enhance the horror experience with foreboding ambiance and unsettling psychological contortion that was influenced by its predecessor. For good reason, too. Since its release in 2010 (or 2011 in retail via North America) it was difficult to meet someone who hadn’t played at least a little of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The craze caught on like wildfire and the developers at Frictional Games were praised consistently for their horror elements that included dire atmosphere and appropriate execution of embracing the idea of sheer vulnerability.
At the 2011 Independent Games Festival Amnesia won awards for both “Excellence in Audio” and “Technical Excellence” along with the “Direct2Drive Vision Award” which included a $10,000 prize. So needless to say the implication that Frictional Games is constructing another horror-specific installment for the PC and PS4 is outright enthralling. While we’re not going to be due for SOMA until early 2015, the developers were able to answer some basic questions in their private interview with Gamespot. Mostly contributing information on the setting and plot, one of the sole similarities that SOMA has in being the spiritual successor to Amnesia is the gradual development (and accumulating anxiety) that’ll be forged around it.
The teaser trailer for SOMA was released six months ago on the company’s official channel, but since then Frictional Games have proven to been rather evasive when asked to comment on the sci-fi horror game’s details.
According to the new information that has arisen, we’re aware that the main character’s name is Simon and the underground scientific facility that was seen in the prior trailer is where most of the game (if not all of it) will take place. Thomas Grip of Frictional Games was able to explain further, “[Simon’s] not an amnesiac character, but something weird has happened to him that has made him end up in this place, and that’s a big mystery,” he commented to give some insider’s perspective on SOMA‘s differentiation from Amnesia. “But I can’t talk to you about that right now. What’s sort of cool with the mystery is that you could actually figure it out directly, but I don’t think that many people will think in those directions and want to consider that possibility.”
While also assuring that SOMA will build that same amount of psychological fear that was instilled in Amnesia, the progression will be paced as to give the player a deeper sense of their own instinctive terror. Frictional Games have also chosen to retain a more “environmental narrative” aspect; which means that the game will unravel the ominous tale of the setting as well as Simon’s placement in the facility as long as the player is willing to search. “We put a ton of effort into making every area a sort of narrative playground. There’s tons and tons of small clues for the player to figure out,” said Grip. But whether or not the player chooses to take that route is up to them. Frictional Games said that their intention was to construct a game that could communicate the gist of the plot as you’re running through it. But the more rewarding aspect of the game comes in immersing oneself into SOMA; which’ll require the effort to explore in-game environments.
The setting might take some getting used to, but the pieces that’d made Amnesia worth its praise seems to still be intact within SOMA. You can read more of Gamespot’s initial run-through of the beginning section in their article, but for the most part there’s still only rumors and here-say as to what to expect behind Frictional Game’s looming curtain.
Will it be as profitable as Amnesia, or will SOMA fade into the background due to being overshadowed by Alien: Isolation or yet another survival-horror release? Feel free to comment below!