SOMA is nothing short of an absolute masterpiece of a game.

After 5 years of waiting since Amnesia: The Dark Descent, my hopes could not have been higher for SOMA. I was not disappointed, though I was somewhat surprised to find that SOMA was very different from the previous games. The horror this time around is less sequence focused and much more story focused. The game itself is very heavily story focused, much moreso than the Penumbra and Amnesia, however it does absolutely does NOT become a walking simulator like AAMFP.

Visuals are significantly improved over the previous games as well, with much more detail, outdoor areas, and overall feeling much more present and alive. The lighting is top-notch, though it does seem like they didn't quite make the most of the deferred system, still lacking methods such as volumetric lighting and radiosity. Textures, although well done, should have shipped higher res. Despite the texture shortcoming, it sill looks phenomenal at any resolution, including 4K
The downside is that SOMA is much harder to run as well, occasionally getting slowdowns to around 20-30 FPS.

Sound design is masterful in SOMA, the sound and visuals combining to create the all important horror atmosphere in a manner I can only call flawless, and I would argue that SOMA has some of the greatest sound design of any game I had ever played. The soundtrack is a bit more subtle this time around, but at many times it has a fitting Vangelis-esque feel to it.

Gameplay is pretty much the same as Amnesia and Penumbra, but much more exploration and discovery oriented rather than fully horror oriented. The puzzles are fewer and smaller as well.

The story is where this game shines; It is dark, beautiful, thought-provoking, and can even be heavily emotional at times. This will certainly be a strong contender for the best game story of 2015. Additionally, SOMA has now claimed the title of best story in a horror game from Silent Hill 2.

Overall verdict: RECOMMEND IT - Those who absolutely loved Amnesia and other Frictional games should buy it ASAP to experience before it becomes too widespread on youtube. Those who were not so much fans of Amnesia, but seek a very well-told Science Fiction story and an atmosphere to be immersed in may wait for a sale or price drop.