One of the most talked-about games to hit the Steam Store this week is Frictional Games' underwater sci-fi horror title, Soma. The game looks to be a bit like Amnesia meets BioShock, which is interesting enough in itself. On top of that, it seems like the story might be worth the price of admission, alone. I don't know about you, but I will definitely be checking this one out at some point.
Also new this week, Blood Bowl 2, a (so far) pretty tepidly-received enhanced port of Final Fantasy V, and an epically crazy sci-fi twin stick shooter called Assault Android Cactus. Talk about a dark descent, then proceed further to see more of this week's new releases.
- Soma (Frictional Games, Single-player, $29.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- Blood Bowl 2 (Focus Home Interactive, Single & Multi-player, $44.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- Final Fantasy V (Square Enix, Single-player, $15.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- Assault Android Cactus (Witch Beam, Single-player & Co-op, $14.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- A Fistful of Gun (Devolver Digital, Single & Multi-player, $12.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- Laserlife (Choice Provisions, Single-player, $14.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- TowerClimb (Davioware & Quazi, Single-player & Co-op, $14.99) (Controller Support)
- Concrete Jungle (ColePowered Games, Single-player & Co-op, $15.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- BloodLust Shadowhunter (WRF Studios, Single-player, $12.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
- One Ship Two Ship Redshift Blueshift (HYPYRYL, Single-player & Co-op, $8.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
[Image: Frictional Games]
I’ll prolly pick up Blood Bowl sometime in the near future. SOMA has been pretty good at creating atmosphere, but all the enemy encounters are basically the same and just end up being more anoying than scary. The game is at its best when your just creeper out by what’s presented to you. And yeah if you like books such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep or City and the Stars, you’ll dig the story. Its definitely the games selling point.
I’m really starting to realize that survival horror that give you no way to combat your enemies just isn’t something that appeals to me. I like the idea, but in practice I have found such games more of a chore. I never finished the original Amnesia, and Alien Isolation sits on my hard drive unfinished as well. I did manage to complete Outlast, but have yet to return for the Whistleblower DLC that I purchased some time back. Soma looks awesome but I’m afraid it’d be another unfinished horror game in my queue.
Yeah it did bother me a lot in Alien Isolation that no matter what you had at your disposal you couldn’t damage the alien at all, ever. The best case was after you picked up the flamethrower, which doesn’t happen until somewhere around the halfway point, and then you can scare the alien away. Everything else is just an attractant to bring the alien to you.
On the plus side it does create a lot of tension only being able to run and hide. The problem is that’s pretty much all you do whether it be from the Alien, or the androids, or hostile survivors. Still I really enjoyed the game.
I felt empowered when I finally acquired the pistol. After nervously brandishing it about in front of me as I creeped through the darkened passageways, I encountered some androids. I managed to sneak past them, for the most part. But then alarms triggered and I had to run for my life, eventually cowering under a desk as they repeatedly kicked me and I wasted all of my bullets shooting one of them in the legs.
haha yeah, the worst is when the alien baits you in to coming out of a spot. Hiding under a medical table and seeing it walk by. Wait a bit and sneak out to go in the door across the way and you hear that screech because it only walked 4 steps out of view an sat there.
I did like that not all the androids were hostile so it really kept me on my toes around them.
Really the atmosphere in that game is excellent. Aside from Silent Hill 2, the only title that’s ever kept me creeped out like that was probably the first Dead Space.
The first Dead Space was great. It’s one of the few games that I felt like playing again after I finished it.
Yeah I played through it a few times as well. Controls were a little weird but it was such a great game. It was very good at giving a fairly constant sense of urgency, even in the few areas where nothing happens. Like keeping you paranoid about something jumping out from somewhere.
I liked the second one as well, but I never played three. From what I hear I didn’t miss much.
Dead Space 3 is a very different game. Your main enemies are soldiers carrying guns and you must crouch and cover like in so many other games.
It wasn’t that bad though, you just had to adjust to it. I played through it once
and my main complaints are the random invisible save points and the unlikable characters… oh and the fact that they supposedly added the “true ending” as DLC.
stil have to play dead space 2, but the first one was pretty great.
I do like horror, I just can’t handle it very well. DS1 kept it down to a level i’m “comfy” with, but i still felt drained after each session. Might just skip it and go straight to 3
exactly. Outlast was OK but not great to me for that reason. Plus…absurdedly short battery life.
I haven’t yet picked up the DLC for Outlast.
There is another besides Soma that’s like an isometric-view Dead Space that’s out or nearly out. I’ll have to look it up.
I immediately hated Amnesia, here’s hoping that this effort appeals more.
I would just watch it if you did not enjoy Amnesia. This does enviormental puzzles better, but the enemies you need to sneak around are far more annoying and take you out of the experience pretty fast, especially since there is no consequence for them catching you other than moving slower. You even wake up in the exact same spot where they find you.
unless they catch you twice, in which case you die. But yes, the horror-gameplay is pretty weak. Would have made a much better first person point and click
Would have been great if that was the case. There was definitely more than one instance however where it would catch me, I would wake up it would be standing right in from of me and get me again, over and over.
thanks Cody.