Amnesia: The Dark Descent Studio Reveals SOMA

[Andy Chalk]

Amnesia: The Dark Descent Studio Reveals SOMA

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The new project underway at Amnesia: The Dark Descent developer Frictional Games appears to be a creepy sci-fi mystery entitled SOMA.

Frictional Games Creative Director Thomas Grip started the ball rolling with a tweet late last week [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128257-Amnesia-Dev-Teases-Possible-Sci-Fi-Title] letting the world know that something new was coming from the studio behind the horror hit Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Today, that "something" has been revealed - but don't expect too many answers just yet.

A website at nextfrictionalgame.com [http://somasystems.org/]) has appeared, bearing a series of "error" warnings, a flickering, de-rezzed face and, most significantly, a list of "case files." Only one such file is currently available: Item #2656 - "Vivarium," an intriguing video diary of a technician's attempts to activate and then interact with what appears to be a bizarre machine of unknown origin and purpose. It's a lengthy video and rather slow, but it finishes very strongly.

The website was introduced by way of a "quarantine failure" email warning of "crucial systems at risk." "Adding to the already explosive Mockingbird-situation, it is clear we need to take greater precaution. Isolate all systems to avoid data corruption and prevent hostile actions," it states. "Keep an eye out for personality deviation. When able, always meet in person."

I have no idea what's going on here, but I like it. I like it a lot, and I can't wait to find out more. I will wait, obviously, but hopefully not too terribly long; a "file recovery" process slowly grinding away on the site was at two percent at the time of writing, and once it reaches 100 percent I would assume another case file - and more information about the mystery that is SOMA - will be revealed.


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[Whoracle]

I'm getting a strong System Shock 2-esque vibe from this... Dare I get my hopes up?

 

[james.sponge]

I'm getting a strong System Shock 2-esque vibe from this... Dare I get my hopes up?

I had the same impression, hopefully they will resist the temptation to include any kind of combat and instead focus on exploration and storytelling.

 

[Whoracle]

I had the same impression, hopefully they will resist the temptation to include any kind of combat and instead focus on exploration and storytelling.

Well, it's frictional. If there's one company that seems to be positively afraid of combat systems, it's them

 

[Mike Richards]

I've been a fan of Frictional since before Amnesia so just the thought of these guys doing scifi is enough to get me excited. We could definitely use more scifi horror. I mean, I love Dead Space as much as the next guy, but it's certainly more limited-resources shooter then proper survival horror.

So far it's looking great, can't wait to see more.

 

[Metalrocks]

nice video.
maybe it will be a game i might like and might find scary for a change.

 

[MrRaggaedeman]

All this talk of strange items labeled with numbers, quarantine and containment gives of a heavy SCP-vibe.

 

[Me55enger]

Some people will do anything to avoid paying thier TV license.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I missed it, but there's also a quote from Philip K. Dick embedded in the background image on the SOMA site: "It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane." From the novel VALIS - VALIS, according to Wiki [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VALIS] (I haven't read it) being an acronym for Vast Active Living Intelligence System.

 

[shiajun]

I'll say it again, it the game ends up with any vibe close to "I have no mouth and I must scream", this is deadly creepy and dark.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I saw 5 seconds of that video. God I hate live action trailers for video games.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Ooooh. Me likey. I've always liked inscrutable mmechanisms with an innate sense of creepiness. I seriously hope this television-slash-computer thingy is a reference to what we'll have to do in SOMA; I would kill for a creepy take on Myst's opaque devices. Far too many games are designed with the conceit that only living things can act as heebie-jeebies-inducing vectors, while I remember being especially attracted to old flea markets as a kid. I loved slipping around the back during countryside auctions in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, where I'd look to the most busted-up piece of machinery I could find and just try and figure out under which light and at which angle the whole thing would take on Hellraiser-worthy levels of Mechanical Squick.

Make it inscrutable on top of that, like a computer with an awkwardly designed interface or odd bits and bobs like this one? You've just piqued my curiosity...

Pretty please, Frictional: throw in some new stuff, on top of walking around and hiding from baddies!

 

[shiajun]

Seeing the note over at RPS, one of the comments pointed something out. There's another indie space horror game in the works called Routine (which I had forgotten about for a while now). The thing is even the logo is similar between the one for SOMA and the ROUTINE one. Is there some font type that they are both using?

http://www.routinegame.com/

 

[Doclector]

All this talk of strange items labeled with numbers, quarantine and containment gives of a heavy SCP-vibe.

Yup, me too. As soon as I saw the title of the video I thought of SCP.

Which is no bad thing. I don't believe the same idea can't be done twice, and the concept of anomalous objects and people studying them is so open it'd take a hollywood level dead horse-flogging to exhaust all its potential.

just...please can we have a console release? C'mon...throw us horror fans with crap PCs a bone.

 

[Robot Number V]

Well, my fingers are officially crossed for this being about a creepy, homicidal computer that likes using physiological warfare.

It looked to me like the screen was showing her dying where she sat, portrayed as surveillance footage. I think that would be a pretty satisfyingingly creepy way for a homicidal computer to send a death threat.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Seeing the note over at RPS, one of the comments pointed something out. There's another indie space horror game in the works called Routine (which I had forgotten about for a while now). The thing is even the logo is similar between the one for SOMA and the ROUTINE one. Is there some font type that they are both using?

http://www.routinegame.com/

There are some surface visual similarities but I'd guess that's more likely to do with broad thematic crossover (horror in space) than anything else. In any case, it's way too early in the SOMA process to form any kind of judgment.

(And for those who haven't seen it, Routine looks brilliant, btw. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125368-Routine-Gameplay-Trailer-is-Shockingly-Good)

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

Hopefully this is something that only Frictional is working on without outside influence from certain other developers.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

It looked to me like the screen was showing her dying where she sat, portrayed as surveillance footage.

I don't think that's what happened. It looked like the device actually created a replica of the room (without itself), including the woman, who ragdolled onto the floor at first; the moment the replica of her moved, she panicked.

I can't make out what the replica is saying, though....

 

[runic knight]

Read the title, immediately though SOPA and went "WTF is going on now?"
Fortunately I was mistaken, that looks delightfully horrifying.

 

[Darren Carrigan]

I want so much for this to be awesome. I love marketing campaigns like this. Wish I could sub to this thread for updates as more people weigh in on it...