page_title: Soma (video game)
section_title: Development
hierarchical_section_title: Soma (video game) / Development
caption_attribution_description: SOMA - Crafting Existential Dread
context_page_description: Soma is a survival horror video game developed and published by Frictional Games. The game was released on 22 September 2015 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4 and on 1 December 2017 on Xbox One.
  Soma takes place on an underwater remote research facility that contains machinery which are exhibiting human characteristics, such as consciousness. Simon Jarrett, a fish-out-of-water protagonist, finds himself there under mysterious circumstances and embarks upon discovering its history, while trying to make sense of his predicament and potential future.
  Soma's gameplay builds on the conventions established in the previous horror titles of Frictional Games, including an emphasis on stealthy evasion of threats, puzzle-solving and immersion. However, in a break with this tradition, it also de-emphasizes aspects such as inventory management in favour of a tighter focus on narrative. Soma received positive reviews from critics, who applauded its story and voice acting, although its enemy design and encounters received some criticism.
context_section_description: Soma was in the making since 2010, beginning with the advancement of new technology for the game engine. Setting the game at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean was an idea decided on a "whim" by Frictional Games co-founders Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson, which Grip said they had wanted to try for a long time. The storytelling was designed to rely on the player's actions rather than serve as a guide for the player to adhere to, so as to allow those who ignore exposition material, such as audio logs and notes, to follow the plot. Soma's underlying theme is consciousness, and was developed in order to explore the nature of free will and the self. The game's atmosphere was inspired by the work of Philip K. Dick, China Miéville and Greg Egan.
  Achieving a realistic sound to fit the mood required audio director Samuel Justice to utilise what he called "the room size system". Instead of processing sounds to make an effect possible, recordings were made of environments that complemented such needs, like the reverb of a large hall. With this system, over 2,000 footstep sounds were captured.
caption: Thomas Grip of Frictional Games presents Soma at the 2016 Game Developers Conference.
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