20 Best Video Game Storylines Of The Decade (So Far)

14. SOMA

soma game
Frictional Games

Although it might initially appear to be yet another sci-fi first-person horror game, SOMA actually boasts a deep and complex narrative that has more in common with the works of Philip K. Dick than it does Clive Barker.

The game starts with your character going for a routine operation and waking up hundreds of years in the future, after humanity has fallen and the last survivors have taken to underwater bases in order to live on through artificial intelligence.

It's an interesting premise, yet it's the way SOMA plays around with themes that explore what it really means to be human that really strikes a chord.

If a robot isn't programmed with nerves yet screams in anguish when you damage its shell then is it truly feeling pain? That's one of the first questions the game throws at you, and without any morality system or indication as to whether you're treating these robots right or wrong, it's up to you to decide whether these creatures are just as human as you are.

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.