Scratching Beneath The Surface: SOMA

Oh bother. I was inevitably going to find Frictional's SOMA a troubling proposition, having winced through Penumbra and Amnesia while trembling like a jelly in a jalopy. SOMA's sci-fi horrors creep me out on a level that spooky castles and mad alchemists don't - Amnesia was scary because it was dark and the sound design was excellent rather than because the setting or story peeled back the skin and twanged at the nerves. SOMA's experimentations fill me with dread though and the latest trailer reveals something that had previously been hidden from us. I'll let you find out for yourself while whimpering underneath my desk.

Part of me wishes I hadn't known about this going into the game but it's not out until sometime next year so I doubt I'd have been able to keep from having it spoiler for that long. And maybe we're supposed to know going in - hard to say at this point. It's a beautifully staged reveal though.

I have a deep-set fear of the deep places. Certain episodes of Blue Planet made me break out in a cold sweat and this episode of Adventure Time fills me with horror. I don't mind being beside the seaside but I never want to be beneath the sea.