When comparing Little Nightmares vs SOMA, the Slant community recommends SOMA for most people. In the question“What are the best horror games for PC?” SOMA is ranked 2nd while Little Nightmares is ranked 10th. 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 Intriguing story with a lot of room for speculation
At first, the story seems almost disappointing- a child is trying to escape monsters. But as you progress further into the game, you find more clues that create more questions about what's really going on. The game boasts a capability to capture the player's imagination, and the seemingly vague yet thought provoking story is a great example of how that is achieved. It's very likely that after finishing Little Nightmares you won't be able to stop thinking about the story and all the questions it raises.
Pro Keeps you on edge
Little Nightmares does a great job at immersing the player in the game. This game uses a third-person perspective, where you see everything from a side camera. The protagonist is a little girl called Six, and everything about her surroundings portrays hostility. The oversized objects, gruesome monsters, and the near constant presence of death imagery all combines to keep you on the edge at all times.
Pro Hauntingly beautiful environment design
The objects and environment look very realistic, which does a great deal to boost immersion. Each level has it's own distinct art style, so you get a sense of progression through the game.
Pro Expansion packs available but not necessary to get the full experience
Little Nightmares can be finished in a few hours, and you will get the full game experience if you buy just the basic game. But if you want more of this game, you have the option of getting extra levels by buying DLCs. The latest expansion was released in November 2017, so this game is still growing.
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.
Cons
Con Low replayability
There are a few moments in this game where the element of surprise plays a major role in creating an emotional rollercoaster, so playing it a second time will not be as fun. The levels are linear, so you won't get any open-world experiences from Little Nightmares.
Con Hard to play with a keyboard because of the dynamic camera angle
Though this game can technically be played with a keyboard, the movement of the character and the dynamic camera can make moving around difficult. It will be much easier to play this with a controller, because of the analog sticks, which allow for more precise movements.
Con Lots of unavoidable deaths
The dynamic camera angle can interfere with controls. Because the character can move not only forward/back, but also closer to and further away from the camera, it can be difficult to tell where exactly the character is in terms of space, which makes some jumps more difficult.
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.