It's like Halloween and Christmas have arrived on the very same day! Epic Games has made SOMA free to download on PC until November 7th, 2019. It's been four years since this gem of survival horror was released but it seems to get revived periodically. The first came in 2017 with the release of a Safe Mode in which enemies cannot hurt the protagonist, and now there's this giveaway.

SOMA was developed by Frictional Games -the same studio responsible for the legendary Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the terrifying Penumbra series- and has received a similar standard of praise. Although it seems generally agreed upon that SOMA isn't as scary as Amnesia, some make the bold claim that it is actually a stronger game overall.

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SOMA is set in a post-apocalyptic underwater world wherein the game's unlucky protagonist, Simon Jarrett, is forced to explore Pathos-2. Locked in an abandoned research base on the seafloor, Simon is searching in the hopes of finding any remaining (human) survivors. He is guided only by the disembodied voice of Catherine Chun (one of the researchers stationed at Pathos-2 and seemingly the only human left alive besides Jarrett) and his desperate hope to reunite with another living being.

SOMA Proxy
(Via: Cane and Rinse)

The thing is, if you prefer the kind of horror that will launch you out of your seat and have you spilling your coffee all over your keyboard, you might be disappointed with this one. Similar to its predecessors, SOMA's genius comes in the form of tension-building pacing sporadically interrupted by moments of adrenaline-fueled run-ins with awful creatures that you can never quite get a good look at. Then there's the horrifying dread one would expect to feel when standing alone at the edge of a sheer cliff at the bottom of the ocean, surrounded by utter darkness and crushing silence. And then there's that ending.

Arguably SOMA's greatest strength lies in its story. It's the kind of story that stays with you long after the credits roll, playing on all kinds of emotions and leaving you with a whole bunch of infuriating questions. There is a huge emphasis placed on the gray areas of human morality and that's always a cool topic to dive into (because oceans).

As with any game, there is of course disagreement over SOMA's overall appeal especially when compared to its massively successful cousin Amnesia. However, many consider it to be one of the best horror games they've ever played. Either way, it's free to play for the time being, so why not decide for yourself?

Oh, don't forget about Costume Quest, either. That's just a bit less scary, though.

Source: Destructoid

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