When comparing SOMA vs Outlast 2, the Slant community recommends SOMA for most people. In the question“What are the best horror games for PC?” SOMA is ranked 2nd while Outlast 2 is ranked 22nd. The most important reason people chose SOMA is:
SOMA’s atmosphere is a combination of various things. It can be the feeling of loneliness when you’re exploring a rundown and desolate lab. The feeling of anxiety as you trek along the seafloor and you’re only surrounded by muffled sounds and the bubbling of the water. The feeling of fear as you dive deeper into the ocean and the sun becomes more distant. It’s an extremely immersive atmosphere, which is something that many modern horror games don’t have.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Great atmosphere
SOMA’s atmosphere is a combination of various things. It can be the feeling of loneliness when you’re exploring a rundown and desolate lab. The feeling of anxiety as you trek along the seafloor and you’re only surrounded by muffled sounds and the bubbling of the water. The feeling of fear as you dive deeper into the ocean and the sun becomes more distant. It’s an extremely immersive atmosphere, which is something that many modern horror games don’t have.
Pro A horror game for Sci-Fi enthusiasts
SOMA is set in the future, so it has all that futuristic goodness. Things like robots, AIs, underwater laboratories, diving suits designed to endure immense water pressure, and much more. SOMA is a thoroughly enjoyable Sci-fi experience.
Pro Thought-provoking story
Like many horror stories, it delves deep into uncovering the central mystery of what’s going on. There are many unsettling events and revelations along the way, bringing up philosophical questions about consciousness and identity. It’s the type of story that sticks with you long after you’ve finished it and is worth experiencing at least once.
Pro Scary gameplay
Using every horror genre trick up its sleeve, Outlast is a very scary game that will make the player jump plenty of times. The monsters in Outlast 2 look very creepy with a lot of disgusting details added. Even just the environment and sounds will keep your adrenaline levels up. For those that are looking for a creepy game full of jump scares, this should be right up their alley.
Pro Environment feels open
Outlast 2 is more open and has much more functionality in-game than its ancestor and many other horror games. Tall grass, rivers, labyrinths etc make it easier and more exciting to hide from enemies. Though these structures make monsters harder to notice aswell.
Pro Great graphics
The game looks great. It's easy to forget that you're playing a video game, since some environments and characters look very lifelike.
Pro The game is very popular amongst video game streamers
Outlast 2 is played a lot on Twitch.tv and countless gameplay videos are uploaded on YouTube aswell. This gives you an oppurtunity to go through the game with some of your favourite game-streamers.
Cons
Con Not for mainstream horror enthusiasts
SOMA focuses heavily on psychological horror by maintaining suspense and creating a very creepy atmosphere. If you’re looking for jump scares, gore, and other thrill-inducing horror aspects you might be sorely disappointed.
Con Very linear level design
While other horror titles have branching paths and open areas you get to explore, SOMA is very linear even in its ocean exploration sections. This feels like a failed opportunity to create an even better game.
Con No HUD (head-up display) or map
You have to memorize the layouts of the underwater facilities, since there is no HUD or overlay map system. Even though there are several computer terminals scattered through the game that provide access to rudimentary maps, there's no way to save them.
Con Character movement is not authentic
Though the game feels very real, the main character's movement sometimes ruins it. Though he can jump over ledges and climb over small walls, he sometimes can not move over tiny objects - this can frustrate the player and make the game feel less real.
Con Scripted chases - a lot of trial and error escaping
Quite often you find yourself escaping from an enemy in a scripted chase. You will have to get to a specific predetermined location to escape the enemy. This means a lot of trial and error - choosing different paths and dying, until you find the right one.
Con Story leaves a lot of open ends
The game asks way more questions than it answers. After the game you might feel like you wanted more questions to be answered.
Con The gore can be a bit too much
Though the game is M-Rated, instead of "Adults only", it contains a lot of gore and some nudity. Some players might feel like standing up and leaving the game at points just because the gore becomes unbearable.