The less you know about SOMA going in, the better.

The basics; SOMA is a horror game that is light on pressure-scares and deeper on psychological and existential horror. It explores some seriously interesting concepts, in slow but thought-provoking ways that have stuck with me for days after completing the game.

The game environments are detailed and engaging, there is a lot of backstory that can be found by searching around. The locations are varied and there's a gritty but down-to-earth feel to the locations and details that aids the suspension of disbelief.

One thing that really impressed me is the game treats you with a good deal of respect. Often you have to figure out the next step on your journey, often simple enough, but the game world follows some simple rules and it trusts you to figure out what to do. A vital door doesn't open? Check power panels... something burnt out? Find a replacement part. There are a dozen little puzzles like this in the game where you have the agency to look and figure out what to do yourself, without a quest pop-up or an NPC explaining it to you step-by-step. It sounds simple, but it really adds to the feeling of reality in the game, and is so much more satisfying.

Overall, a scary game (not TOO scary, I couldn't handle Amnesia but I made it through this) that plays around with interesting concepts and explores them in a way that really gets you thinking. Highly recommended.