I'm only 7 minutes in, and I've just realized something. Simon had to take that medicine because undue stress could kill him (in the worst case scenario). In Pathos, all of the robots shut down if they get too stressed out, likely because they're all based on a brain scan from a heavily traumatized patient. That's a whole branch of technology balanced on a twig. Yikes. It's almost as scary as finding out you were 11 when you watched Soma!!! I was 20 and I was freaked out!! XD
I see another SOMA hour long essay video, I watch and like again! It never gets boring how many different creators have their own unique takes on this games lore and horrors. I hope your channel booms cause this deserves all the attention.
This is one of those games that just sticks with you. I remember beating it and just sitting there, mouth open, wondering who the Hell I am and what makes me, me? This story plagues my mind and I regularly think about it. So good, idc its basically a walking sim but the story was good enough to carry it, in my opinion.❤
wow, don't have to belive me but, i think this was the best youtube video explaining a horror game and understanding it. PLEASE KEEP UP, you are going to be successful in the near future, really liked the video
I recently stumbled upon another small youtuber called @themidnightshow and his fantastic silent hill 1 video. I'm just starting this video, so I'm hoping it's of similar quality after having read your comment.
The thing that annoyed me was how the scientist have the solution right in front of them, the robot bodies and bio(ish) tech computer would allow them to easily create a new race of synthetic humans like those in the talos principle. But shes so fixated on her created utopia she fails to even consider the downsides, trapped in a eternal enviroment, no way to repair the physical hardware ect ect. I hope she eventually realises this and helps rather then sit there and twiddlw her digital thumbs forever..
Great job analyzing and breaking down one of my favorite immersive games. I like to watch them as "films" rather than play myself, (because I almost always want to do a third thing that's not an option). I figured the twist out when we met our first 'human' pinned on the tracks, but man I loves how the story unfolded. The discussion you have on AI alignment was excellent! I hadn't considered that on my first viewing, just as what you get with bad variable setting. You should collab with FatBrett, you have the same speaking cadence and deep interest in your topic that you'd sound fantastic together.
One aspect about thw WAU that you didn't explore is that it was evolving. It wasn't just the dilemma of "AN existence of suffering vs no existence." part of the question is "What is humanity"? and the WAU can create a new form of life, a new form of humanity on Earth that will continue to develop. I don't believe the intention of the story was that leaving the WAU will leave everything as it is right now in Soma in a static permanent state. It will continue to explore and develop and change and evolve in an indifferent, cruel desire to "Maintain human life"
13:15 due to how Computers work Carl will not be sitting there for eternity being tortured. The computer that runs Carl.exe will over time overheat and pieces of it break that Will likely destroy the computer and kill Carl that it running. Now of course maybe the Memory drive(Cortex Chip) that holds the Carl.exe program will not be damaged or maybe it will destroy it and any attempt to salvage Carl.exe will find a destroyed computer and damaged Memory drive.
Really solid script, enjoyed it. Much better than some channels that do a plot recap and call it a day lol. No matter how many years pass, SOMA sticks with me, I wonder if the devs were aware of how profound and effective their final product would end up.
A lot of the drama of this story would never have happened if Simon just understood what the difference between Copy + Paste and Cut + Paste was. Or if a lot of the other people did. And I can imagine one day when(Not if because I feel like it's just a matter of time, it's when) we figure out cloning and/or brain uploading/transfer/etc, we're gonna have to make sure we know the difference between Ctrl+C + Ctrl+V and Ctrl+X + Ctrl+V. And which one it actually is.
Well, both Cut and Copy are functionally identical for the Paste. The only difference is that one destroys the original when it's done while the other does not.
The game addresses this on the Zeppelin when Simon questions if his mind is blocking reality to keep himself sane. At Phi, Cath told him straight up what they were going to do, and Simon replied, "You mean a pilot seat? Like back at Omicron?" without pressing any further. Deep down Simon knew the implication, but his mind kept repressing it. This Simon (and the player) had experienced the pilot seat twice now; and both times --every time-- he/we woke up in the new body after all. Why think about it too deeply, he must have subconsciously asked himself, and shut those maddening thoughts out. I'll put it this way: I didn't suspect the twist. Some other players did, but to me I expected the game to keep switching bodies like all the other times before. I expected to be transferred into the ARK and be left with only imagining how the original Simon would have reacted, like all the previous times. Maybe this is how Simon felt too when he got into the final chair. In other words: He knew, but he didn't think.
@@spooderman4008 Cut and paste doesn't destroy the data in the original place it just changes it to allow the data to be overwritten the data is still there until it's overwritten by something else, even cut and paste wouldn't help Simon since he's brain scan data would still be there.
My least favorite part about soma is how it completely ignores a psychological aspect that to me, is glaringly obvious. Id create several copies of me, not just one to kill once im in a dive suit. More the merrier. If he has my memories and my personality he wont be interested in killing me for the sake of being the only one. We have no life to share. But now that we are separate we have both the freedom to diverge- and the virtual certainty that we will. Ive always hated me, but if i was trapped at the bottom of the ocean as the last man in earth, maybe a second me wouldnt be so bad. I likely would have been kinder in most of my choices than the two thay are usually presented
Haha same, my first thought about midway through was, "Sure was a shame you killed the one guy who understood." But then again, "Simon" (not the player) strikes me as the type to eventually degrade into a Highlander mindset. Me? I'd have gone to watch the fish learn how to walk on land again.
It is actually pretty easy: if you let go of the belief that there is no soul, you are just what humans would call a machine, powered by AI. Sure, there is sentimental value in the first of your line, but just like AI learns from experiences, the moment your copies have different experiences, they are different versions.
This was fucking killer, man. I love SOMA and hearing people talk about it, but you audibly have so much passion for the material. This mf gets it. Take my subscription you velvet-voiced angel
Great video. I've been listening to lore videos of my favorite video games while I'm at work lately, just to relive them and see if there were parts of the story I didn't pick up on. Soma was one of the most thought provoking games I played during covid, or ever. That ending scene, when we are truly left alone, is chilling.
This game getting nuked by Joseph Anderson is still one of the greatest gaming tragedies of all time. The devs then get the wrong idea and make Rebirth instead.
I would say do not destroy the Wow. The first robot we kill in the game says she was happy. So the wow doesn't create only suffering experiences. Maybe work with the wow to improve the lives, somehow, of the people who are suffering.
But more importantly, WAU has agency in the real world, unlike people in the Ark. It can go on to do stuff. The Ark is just a server that will eventually be hit by a micrometeor and that would be it.
I remember playing some in 20 whatever it was, when it first came out, and I remember getting to the end and I was really Upset. Now , years later I’m 32 years old and watching this video kinda brings it all back, it was a great game. And this was a great video dude. Bravo.
Great video! Commenting because this deserves more views than you have, it would be a damn shame if this video didn’t get more views with how well done it is.
Haven’t finished yet . I work from home and love long form and have seen plenty. I must say this is very solid. Keep it up and look forward to the blowup 👍🏼
Oh I've got one for you, courtesy of one Depression Turtle. When you go to sleep every night. Where do you go? In that brief, black moment between you being awake and aware, counting your sheep to sleep, and before the dreams start. Your consciousness breaks every time you go to sleep. Go offline as it were. When you boot back up with your memories there, where they've always been, ready to start a *new* day. Are you a new *you* too?
Btw man, you deserve a like and subscribe just due to the first few minutes. Aswell, your experience is the same as mine 2015, 11 years old. Before watching this game when Markiplier played it, I loved cloning, the thought of immortality, but this game made me fearful of it.
Nice!! I hope the recent videos on Soma is the game finally getting the recognition it deserves rather than the tainted perception due to initial reviewers and Joseph Ahhderson(F*ck JA!!). I really enjoy Soma and i think this will be a great video.
Horror is a Genre I'm endlessly disappointed by. Soma was one of the half-handful that was exceptional. They definitely worked out, the best horror comes from giving _you_ all the tools you'll need, to ruin your own head-space with your thoughts 😂 The worst moments were not knowing what blow would come next, just that it would. I've never seen your channel before. Subbed.
@orangegreenlizard it's used to treat all 3 (blood pressure, ptsd and nightmares) but high blood pressure in someone whose brain is bleeding would be very bad, but you are right I should have specified that it was most likely for those two as well :D
I mean. There is still a kind of life to be had. If you left as many alive as we can, if we where to make our way out. Continuing to recharge the batteries. One would image there is lots of options. Morally terrible but still. Go back up. Meet your other self. Tell him we made it... but they both lost the ticket up there. Then go back to collect the memory scans that are left. If we still had Katrin with her tech skills we may be able to make all sorts of amazing gadgets. It may suck for the pocket pets we make, but putting some of the scans to run on a gadget would at least make for a bit of company. Plenty of stuff could probably be simulated. Then comes the, no doubt extremely dangerous option of leaving to explore other bases that are hinted at in other parts of the world. Perhaps aim to find some way to influence the or teach the WAU to treat human life with more care at some point..
I would be delighted to be uploaded with conditions. 1. The new entity must be fully informed of its nature and be acknowledged as having full rights to consent and continue existing. 2. It must be given autonomy but only after a monitoring and acclimatization period. 3. It may choose its own path as long as not harmful to other entities, but my hope is it would devote itself to constant philosophical and scientific exploration both for self-benefit and to benefit all other "forms of life" doing so with the incredible benefits of being freed from our human biological constraints.
1. If you scan yourself knowing this, then you are already fully informed. 2. You want to monitor yourself? why, it would literally be impossible to surprise yourself right after copying. 3. well you are talking about your own choices
You are absolutely right, and, like a schmuck, I made the same assumption as Simon for both subsequent copies. I think it is because it is just such a hard concept to actually grasp.
it's an immersive story sticked onto weak and unchallenging gameplay. recommended to play once, then recommended to delete. no matter which routes you chose, it has no impact on the ending when you make it this far. feels overrated when you are rather into good gameplay than into psychological/philosophical side-effects.
... Am I one of the only people that answer that question with "Yes?" "If you had a perfect copy made of you, which is the real you?" Yes. "What do you mean yes?" Does it matter which one was the "real" one at that point? Heck, if you're paying attention that isn't even the question that's concerning about Soma, because none of the Simon copies are "perfect". They pointedly have different physical circumstances. No, what's really concerning is whether or not a copy can truly change. Cuz real talk, Simon is a straight up moron with how hard headed he is about the whole thing throughout the entire game. P.S. I had zero existential dread for the whole game even after finishing it.
I dont know why this would be horrifying. Copy yourself and now you've a buddy to hang out with. The real horror was how absurdly stupid simon was about the copying process.
The "1k/ 20k youtuber about to do the Most well done piece of audiovisual work You Will ever see" moment
It's a staple! :D
Channels with less than 10k are where you strike gold.. I like to watch the creator grow as well
Imagine waking up to the literal end of human existence and then finding out that you’re already dead
omae wa mu, shinderu
I mean, one of me died, but I know at least one is still standing
NANI???
Soma is a constant barrage of "ohh thats a new nightmare to consider" moments.
I'm only 7 minutes in, and I've just realized something. Simon had to take that medicine because undue stress could kill him (in the worst case scenario). In Pathos, all of the robots shut down if they get too stressed out, likely because they're all based on a brain scan from a heavily traumatized patient. That's a whole branch of technology balanced on a twig. Yikes.
It's almost as scary as finding out you were 11 when you watched Soma!!! I was 20 and I was freaked out!! XD
I see another SOMA hour long essay video, I watch and like again! It never gets boring how many different creators have their own unique takes on this games lore and horrors.
I hope your channel booms cause this deserves all the attention.
Thank you :D
This is one of those games that just sticks with you. I remember beating it and just sitting there, mouth open, wondering who the Hell I am and what makes me, me? This story plagues my mind and I regularly think about it. So good, idc its basically a walking sim but the story was good enough to carry it, in my opinion.❤
I never remember the monsters in this game. But I remember the story beats. They will stick with me for the rest of my life.
No matter what, I keep returning to this game, it’s been years, and it’s still on my mind.
wow, don't have to belive me but, i think this was the best youtube video explaining a horror game and understanding it. PLEASE KEEP UP, you are going to be successful in the near future, really liked the video
I do intend to, and thank you so much for the kind words :D
I recently stumbled upon another small youtuber called @themidnightshow and his fantastic silent hill 1 video.
I'm just starting this video, so I'm hoping it's of similar quality after having read your comment.
Yess, more SOMA content, ya fucking love to see it. Give this game what it truly deserves.
The thing that annoyed me was how the scientist have the solution right in front of them, the robot bodies and bio(ish) tech computer would allow them to easily create a new race of synthetic humans like those in the talos principle.
But shes so fixated on her created utopia she fails to even consider the downsides, trapped in a eternal enviroment, no way to repair the physical hardware ect ect.
I hope she eventually realises this and helps rather then sit there and twiddlw her digital thumbs forever..
Great job analyzing and breaking down one of my favorite immersive games. I like to watch them as "films" rather than play myself, (because I almost always want to do a third thing that's not an option). I figured the twist out when we met our first 'human' pinned on the tracks, but man I loves how the story unfolded.
The discussion you have on AI alignment was excellent! I hadn't considered that on my first viewing, just as what you get with bad variable setting. You should collab with FatBrett, you have the same speaking cadence and deep interest in your topic that you'd sound fantastic together.
One aspect about thw WAU that you didn't explore is that it was evolving.
It wasn't just the dilemma of "AN existence of suffering vs no existence." part of the question is "What is humanity"? and the WAU can create a new form of life, a new form of humanity on Earth that will continue to develop.
I don't believe the intention of the story was that leaving the WAU will leave everything as it is right now in Soma in a static permanent state. It will continue to explore and develop and change and evolve in an indifferent, cruel desire to "Maintain human life"
13:15 due to how Computers work Carl will not be sitting there for eternity being tortured. The computer that runs Carl.exe will over time overheat and pieces of it break that Will likely destroy the computer and kill Carl that it running.
Now of course maybe the Memory drive(Cortex Chip) that holds the Carl.exe program will not be damaged or maybe it will destroy it and any attempt to salvage Carl.exe will find a destroyed computer and damaged Memory drive.
This is good, can’t wait to see what other stuff you cover
Truly original job on this. Never played the game, never heard of you, subscribed with notifications on.
Really solid script, enjoyed it. Much better than some channels that do a plot recap and call it a day lol. No matter how many years pass, SOMA sticks with me, I wonder if the devs were aware of how profound and effective their final product would end up.
A lot of the drama of this story would never have happened if Simon just understood what the difference between Copy + Paste and Cut + Paste was. Or if a lot of the other people did.
And I can imagine one day when(Not if because I feel like it's just a matter of time, it's when) we figure out cloning and/or brain uploading/transfer/etc, we're gonna have to make sure we know the difference between Ctrl+C + Ctrl+V and Ctrl+X + Ctrl+V. And which one it actually is.
Well, both Cut and Copy are functionally identical for the Paste.
The only difference is that one destroys the original when it's done while the other does not.
The game addresses this on the Zeppelin when Simon questions if his mind is blocking reality to keep himself sane. At Phi, Cath told him straight up what they were going to do, and Simon replied, "You mean a pilot seat? Like back at Omicron?" without pressing any further. Deep down Simon knew the implication, but his mind kept repressing it. This Simon (and the player) had experienced the pilot seat twice now; and both times --every time-- he/we woke up in the new body after all. Why think about it too deeply, he must have subconsciously asked himself, and shut those maddening thoughts out.
I'll put it this way: I didn't suspect the twist. Some other players did, but to me I expected the game to keep switching bodies like all the other times before. I expected to be transferred into the ARK and be left with only imagining how the original Simon would have reacted, like all the previous times. Maybe this is how Simon felt too when he got into the final chair. In other words: He knew, but he didn't think.
@@spooderman4008 Cut and paste doesn't destroy the data in the original place it just changes it to allow the data to be overwritten the data is still there until it's overwritten by something else, even cut and paste wouldn't help Simon since he's brain scan data would still be there.
My least favorite part about soma is how it completely ignores a psychological aspect that to me, is glaringly obvious.
Id create several copies of me, not just one to kill once im in a dive suit. More the merrier. If he has my memories and my personality he wont be interested in killing me for the sake of being the only one. We have no life to share. But now that we are separate we have both the freedom to diverge- and the virtual certainty that we will. Ive always hated me, but if i was trapped at the bottom of the ocean as the last man in earth, maybe a second me wouldnt be so bad. I likely would have been kinder in most of my choices than the two thay are usually presented
Haha same, my first thought about midway through was, "Sure was a shame you killed the one guy who understood." But then again, "Simon" (not the player) strikes me as the type to eventually degrade into a Highlander mindset.
Me? I'd have gone to watch the fish learn how to walk on land again.
It is actually pretty easy: if you let go of the belief that there is no soul, you are just what humans would call a machine, powered by AI. Sure, there is sentimental value in the first of your line, but just like AI learns from experiences, the moment your copies have different experiences, they are different versions.
I completely agree it's why if someone made a clone of Me I would consider a similar but different person
Bugman worldview.
Great vid, lets go! Also, all in for RDR2 breakdown, its a sublime piece of art.
This was fucking killer, man. I love SOMA and hearing people talk about it, but you audibly have so much passion for the material.
This mf gets it.
Take my subscription you velvet-voiced angel
Thank you so much man :D
@NotSaberFrr no thank YOU for making my work shift bearable brother
Great video. I've been listening to lore videos of my favorite video games while I'm at work lately, just to relive them and see if there were parts of the story I didn't pick up on. Soma was one of the most thought provoking games I played during covid, or ever. That ending scene, when we are truly left alone, is chilling.
I loved this!!!!!! You did great work! Honestly, I’d watch either or, but SIGNALIS is one of my top games of alll time, I highly recommend!!!
Probably will be funger 2 next but that should mean I get to really appreciate SIGNALIS 🙏
@ hell yeah homie, hope you enjoy both and I can’t wait to see that next vid! Glad to have more video essays/long form analysis vids!!!
This game getting nuked by Joseph Anderson is still one of the greatest gaming tragedies of all time. The devs then get the wrong idea and make Rebirth instead.
I would say do not destroy the Wow.
The first robot we kill in the game says she was happy.
So the wow doesn't create only suffering experiences.
Maybe work with the wow to improve the lives, somehow, of the people who are suffering.
But more importantly, WAU has agency in the real world, unlike people in the Ark. It can go on to do stuff. The Ark is just a server that will eventually be hit by a micrometeor and that would be it.
ive watched about 3 or 4 different 1+ hour long video essays on soma and i WILL ABSOLUTELY WATCH ANOTHER, I LOVE THIS GAME TO FUCKING BITS
It's simply peak
What a coincidence! I also just started playing SOMA and I love the themes in this game
I remember playing some in 20 whatever it was, when it first came out, and I remember getting to the end and I was really
Upset. Now , years later I’m 32 years old and watching this video kinda brings it all back, it was a great game. And this was a great video dude. Bravo.
Great video! Commenting because this deserves more views than you have, it would be a damn shame if this video didn’t get more views with how well done it is.
nice review and dive keep up the good work
Haven’t finished yet . I work from home and love long form and have seen plenty. I must say this is very solid. Keep it up and look forward to the blowup 👍🏼
Oh I've got one for you, courtesy of one Depression Turtle. When you go to sleep every night. Where do you go? In that brief, black moment between you being awake and aware, counting your sheep to sleep, and before the dreams start.
Your consciousness breaks every time you go to sleep. Go offline as it were. When you boot back up with your memories there, where they've always been, ready to start a *new* day. Are you a new *you* too?
Btw man, you deserve a like and subscribe just due to the first few minutes. Aswell, your experience is the same as mine 2015, 11 years old. Before watching this game when Markiplier played it, I loved cloning, the thought of immortality, but this game made me fearful of it.
Nice!! I hope the recent videos on Soma is the game finally getting the recognition it deserves rather than the tainted perception due to initial reviewers and Joseph Ahhderson(F*ck JA!!).
I really enjoy Soma and i think this will be a great video.
Horror is a Genre I'm endlessly disappointed by.
Soma was one of the half-handful that was exceptional.
They definitely worked out, the best horror comes from giving _you_ all the tools you'll need, to ruin your own head-space with your thoughts 😂
The worst moments were not knowing what blow would come next, just that it would.
I've never seen your channel before. Subbed.
Signalis.
@jimijenkins2548 thought that.... Then realised it was just more social propaganda
Thank you for keeping in your mistakes on reading back your script
no problem :D
how in the freak does this video have so little views... how do you only have 1.4k subs... this stuff is PEAK!!
Thank you :D
@@NotSaberFrr super underrated content!! please stick through it till you make the big leagues!!!
prazosin is used to treat ptsd/ nightmares, not blood pressure. you read the email wrong.
@orangegreenlizard it's used to treat all 3 (blood pressure, ptsd and nightmares) but high blood pressure in someone whose brain is bleeding would be very bad, but you are right I should have specified that it was most likely for those two as well :D
Excellent
This shit was so good I don’t know how you do it
If no-one else got me, I know sandpaper does :D
I mean. There is still a kind of life to be had. If you left as many alive as we can, if we where to make our way out. Continuing to recharge the batteries. One would image there is lots of options. Morally terrible but still. Go back up. Meet your other self. Tell him we made it... but they both lost the ticket up there. Then go back to collect the memory scans that are left. If we still had Katrin with her tech skills we may be able to make all sorts of amazing gadgets. It may suck for the pocket pets we make, but putting some of the scans to run on a gadget would at least make for a bit of company. Plenty of stuff could probably be simulated.
Then comes the, no doubt extremely dangerous option of leaving to explore other bases that are hinted at in other parts of the world. Perhaps aim to find some way to influence the or teach the WAU to treat human life with more care at some point..
The only game to really make me stop and think. I kinda hate how easy this game did that 😅
I would be delighted to be uploaded with conditions.
1. The new entity must be fully informed of its nature and be acknowledged as having full rights to consent and continue existing.
2. It must be given autonomy but only after a monitoring and acclimatization period.
3. It may choose its own path as long as not harmful to other entities, but my hope is it would devote itself to constant philosophical and scientific exploration both for self-benefit and to benefit all other "forms of life" doing so with the incredible benefits of being freed from our human biological constraints.
1. If you scan yourself knowing this, then you are already fully informed.
2. You want to monitor yourself? why, it would literally be impossible to surprise yourself right after copying.
3. well you are talking about your own choices
I didn't find the concept that horrible. A part of you dies so that another part of you can live. Sounds like giving up boneless wings for a salad.
Soma, great game.
Drinking game idea; take a shot every time you hear the word profound.
This game is Solid.
Bro you want to do a rdr video do it! If you want to do it :D we are here for it!
If that blows your mind grapes Google quantum immortality
Peak :D
TANKS :D
Followed! Really great content thank you 🙏🏼
Welcome and thank you :D
Simon's listening comprehension is absolutely trash😂
You are absolutely right, and, like a schmuck, I made the same assumption as Simon for both subsequent copies. I think it is because it is just such a hard concept to actually grasp.
I knew what was happening but just hooooped otherwise would happen
He has brain damage give him a break
According to this guy soma is the greatest piece of art ever made the most philosophically deep experience ever crafted by man
@@Lumberjack_king fr
Passion is a great thing to have
Hi!
Hello!
underrated vid
it's an immersive story sticked onto weak and unchallenging gameplay. recommended to play once, then recommended to delete. no matter which routes you chose, it has no impact on the ending when you make it this far. feels overrated when you are rather into good gameplay than into psychological/philosophical side-effects.
Every now and then, I play it through again. Much like I used to reread my favourite books.
... Am I one of the only people that answer that question with "Yes?"
"If you had a perfect copy made of you, which is the real you?"
Yes.
"What do you mean yes?"
Does it matter which one was the "real" one at that point?
Heck, if you're paying attention that isn't even the question that's concerning about Soma, because none of the Simon copies are "perfect". They pointedly have different physical circumstances. No, what's really concerning is whether or not a copy can truly change. Cuz real talk, Simon is a straight up moron with how hard headed he is about the whole thing throughout the entire game.
P.S. I had zero existential dread for the whole game even after finishing it.
I hope you're actually making money off of all these ads man
I dont know why this would be horrifying. Copy yourself and now you've a buddy to hang out with. The real horror was how absurdly stupid simon was about the copying process.
well you would be a copy, hanging out with a dude that copied himself
my toddler just came out as trans
transistor?
I WILL ALWAYS WATCH SOMA CONTENT
Best mindfck game of all time.
Solid content, my guy. 🫡
Thank you :D