Here is a spoiler-free review of SOMA for anybody who is thinking of purchasing this game while it is on sale. Many will tell you that you should go into the game blind. For the story half, this is probably true. For the gameplay half, you should know what you are in for. So here is a break down of my experience with SOMA's gameplay.

SOMA does not have gameplay.

I played SOMA for about 3 hours on standard difficulty and encountered no puzzles, no combat, extremely limited exploration, and only the scarcest semblance of stealth. Functionally the game is a walking simulator with the occasional spooky patrolling obstacle to avoid.

The game is also not very scary. Though since I am a jaded horror game veteran, your mileage may vary. The game is extremely atmospheric, but it's more a sense of "huh, that's weird/interesting" than fear for your life.

Now, even if you're looking for a top tier walking simulator like SOMA, there is one more thing you should know. The thing that made me quit SOMA wasn't underwhelming gameplay, it was a headache. SOMA absolutely loves throwing visual distortions at you. Your screen will always be jerking, stuttering, wobbling and glitching as part of intentional game design. Eventually, these things gave me a motion-sickness related headache. I should also mention that as a frequent VR user and veteran of back seat gameboy road trips, I am not usually one who has trouble with these things. But SOMA's glitchy screen got me.

So... be warned. I provide this review not to complain but to help inform anybody who might be on the fence for this one and finding hard to locate spoiler-free criticism.

To me, humanity is intrinsically tied to consciousness. If we ever manage to transfer consciousness into AI, I would consider it a continuation of humanity. That's why I felt such empathy towards the suffering throughout the game. It really hit hard. At first the game fills you with hope, but that hope is slowly and painfully stripped away from you. Such a beautiful lore for such existential horror game. Definitely worth it.

I really can't even imagine how scary it must have been waking up at PATHOS-II. T. Akers was absolutely terrifying. Nearly pissed myself there.

At first, I thought it was a horror game — and it sure is, because some sea monster was chasing my ass around. But in the end, the ending just made my depression even worse.