Renault on 23/9/2015 at 17:00
Yeah, SOMA is really just kind of a watered down version of Amnes.... Err, OK, never mind. I'll be leaving now.
Renzatic on 23/9/2015 at 17:11
Quote Posted by Brethren
Not sure I understand the criticism of the plot I've been hearing, that the philosophy and existentialism theme is old and has been done before. Themes are always recycled and given their own twist, and I'm enjoying Frictional's take on this one. At the point I'm at in the game, there's not a ton of mystery. The initial twist from the beginning the game has been solved, and now I'm just carrying out tasks to complete an end goal.
Not quite. The twist at the beginning has only been addressed. You know the what, but still have no idea concerning the why. In fact, I'd say the game is doing an excellent job of diverting your attention from the elephant in the room by distracting you with that initial mystery, and eventually that one goal.
Think about it like this (don't read unless you've made it at least to Theta)
The fact you're an AI in a robotic shell doesn't explain why you're there. Why your brain scan, despite being considered a rudimentary "legacy" scan, incapable of producing a fully functional copy of yourself as the more modern scans do, has done just that. What the WAU is exactly. Why it's putting people's scans into random machines capable of hosting them. Why the WAU went haywire, and how it's suddenly able to convert organic and mechanical material into a growth that's spreading throughout the bases. There's obviously a lot more to it than "hey, we can make virtual people, and we want to launch a virtual world server into space to preserve the mental aspect of humanity after the destruction of the world. We need to do this NAO!"Oh, and something I found interesting.
Your friendly AI/Human guide, Catherine? Reading through the emails and documents found throughout Theta, you'll see she's described as being a rather shy, mousy woman, easily led, and not too fond of talking. Yet the Catherine you're spending time with is something of a gregarious go-getter. Don't know if this'll lead to anything, but it made me suspiciousKurhhan on 23/9/2015 at 18:27
Quote Posted by Volitions Advocate
You guys are completely missing the point. The game is not about collecting objects but it is about puzzles. Or more to the point it's about CHOICES. It's more like a Telltale game in a Frictional container that includes the Horror elements. But of course if you think the only horror elements are the monster's you're trying not to get killed by then you're not paying attention.
You are missing the point that someone want a complex gameplay. Yes GAMEPLAY. If I want only story I will watch a movie. This "game" is linear "walking simulator" with a marginal amount of gameplay features. This is fact, i don't like this kind of "games". I expected from an independent producer something more complex, like first Amnesia, not a AAA casual, simple style. There is nothing to understand here, don't make a big theory about it. Deal with my opinion. I do not think I have anything more to add on this issue.
Cheers, Kurhhan.
Renzatic on 23/9/2015 at 18:44
How much time have you spent with it again, Kurrhan? I ask because I've spent a good 7 hours with it so far, and saying it's nothing more than a walking simulator, only barely similar to Amnesia is wholly off the mark.
Phatose on 24/9/2015 at 00:05
OK, so is the big twist in this game that you're not human, just a ghost robot from the mini-trailer with the engineer/television talking to the scientist?
Cause if so, I could see that coming despite not playing the game, and that's kind of disappointing.
Renzatic on 24/9/2015 at 01:10
Phatose, to be as vague as possible, yeah. You're one of those ghost-robot things, but it tells you that within the first hour of the game. Your circumstances are a bit different from everyone else's, though.
I'll say this much, there's a lot more going on with the setting than what's been hinted at in the trailers and reviews.
Renzatic on 24/9/2015 at 04:57
I hope I got the bad ending, because that had to be the bleakest final scene in videogame history.
van HellSing on 24/9/2015 at 15:07
Were you expecting anything else? Also, wait until the credits end rolling for the sweet side of the bittersweet ending.
About Catherine: as someone who shares some of the the qualities of her human self, I have to say I understand how the current state of things might actually feel somewhat... liberating(?) and encouraging her to be more proactive. I mean, what have you got to lose?...
Renzatic on 24/9/2015 at 17:15
Yeah, I could see that concerning Catherine. Though the game still didn't answer a couple of questions I have, mainly concerning Simon. We know the WAU put him there, but not how it was able to do so, considering his brain scan was merely a rough template compared to the more complete "modern" scans, or why it took extra effort in reviving him, basically putting a robotic head on top of a human body, grafting them together with the gel, and sealing it all inside a pressure suit.
But even with that aside, I think they did an excellent job hinting at why the WAU is doing what it's doing. It's interesting because it's not the usual super intelligent, sinister AI enacting some evil plan to destroy us all. It's become self aware, but isn't sentient, so it's almost like it's acting on something like animal instinct. It knows the crew want to destroy it, and its self awareness gives it an imperative to survive it, but it's primary objective is to preserve humanity at all costs. Everything you see in the game has come about due to it trying to reconcile those two irreconcilable imperatives.
Oh, and I did get to watch the sweet part of the bittersweet ending right after posting that, since the game lets you continue from that point on. Though even that ending is kind of empty. The last of humanity, 40 odd people in total, all merely digital copies of their original selves, uploaded to a server that's simulating a kind of happy paradise, forever bound to a satellite orbiting the sun, completely unable to interact with the universe beyond. All our culture, history, dreams, and aspirations reduced to nothing but a museum piece no one will ever see. Even the happy ending is pretty bleak when you think of the implications.
van HellSing on 24/9/2015 at 17:47
Regarding Simon and his scan, I took it that Munschi and Berg were just way ahead of the curve with their scanner, and it really was that accurate.
As to why he has this unique status, I got that the WAU is constantly experimenting, constantly searching for ways to preserve humans. Simon was just another try. "Hey, here's this somewhat usable body, and oh, there's this brain scan lying around. Could work!"
As far as the bleakness of the ending goes - yeah, the entire game is really, really bleak. But, there was no other end to this, and Simon was indeed quite stupid not to realise. Still, in the end, something got preserved, some part of the human mind carries on, and whether you believe it has any meaning is pretty much the question the narrative asks you to ponder.
Depressing as it is, I love this story.
