SOMA Critique - Anatomy of the Soul
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ค. 2024
- SOMA splits the atom of the soul, dissects it, and scatters its questions into the ocean for us to gobble up like guppies. But that scattering isn’t aimless. It’s targeted, specific, and conditions the player to internalise its horror and carry it with them after the credits roll.
LORE DUMP
• What the hell happened...
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:46 - Part 1: Conditioning Fear
00:20:10 - Interlude: Carl Semken
00:28:42 - Part 2: Feast Your Eyes
00:45:15 - Interlude: Robin Bass
00:53:47 - Part 3: Taking the World Seriously
01:06:28 - Interlude: Brandon Wan
01:15:39 - Part 4: What If
01:28:30 - Interlude: Simon-2
01:37:00 - Part 5: The Abyss
01:48:42 - Interlude: The WAU
01:56:45 - Part 6: Eternity Among the Stars
ALAN WAKE CRITIQUE - BEYOND INSPIRATION
• Alan Wake Critique - B...
BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT CRITIQUE - LEGACY OF THE BAT
• Arkham Knight Critique...
FOOTAGE/READING LIST
1 - Leonardo Da Vinci - Drawings & Anatomical Studies
2 - Joseph Anderson - A Critique of SOMA
3 - 80lvl - Frictional Games on Its History & Developing Horror Games
4 - Engadget - SOMA nearly wasn't a horror game and other secrets from Ian Thomas
5 - CG Magazine - Why SOMA could have been better without its enemies
6 - Smithsonian Magazine - Dogs may be more self-aware than experts thought
7 - Thomas Grip - The Five Foundational Pillar's of SOMA's Design Philosophy
8 - MrBtongue - The Shandification of Fallout
9 - Warner Wirth et al - A Process Model of the Formation of Spatial Presence Experiences
10 - John Green - What does it mean to be Human?
11 - Bill Gates - What does it mean to be Human?
12 - SOMA - Recording Water Sounds
13 - Anil Seth - Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
14 - John Locke - An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
15 - GameReactor - SOMA: Aaron Clifford Interview
16 - Jason's Video Game Source - SOMA - Upsilon Shuttle Station: Amy "It Won't Let Me Die" Dialogue Power On Shuttle Station Gameplay
17 - NI Science Festival - Anil Seth presents Being You
18 - Brainspotting (2000) - Derek Parfit on Personal Identity
19 - Samuel Justice - SOMA: Behind the Sound
20 - The Escapist - SOMA (Zero Punctuation)
21 - Visa Kurki - A Theory of Legal Personhood
22 - Dr Sam Parnia - Does consciousness continue after our brain dies?
23 - Adrien Owen - Search for Consciousness
24 - New Zealand's Human River - Whanganui has been granted Legal Status
25 - The Boxer and the Goalkeeper - Andy Martin
26 - Straw Animals - John Gray
27 - A Brief History of the Soul - Stewart Goetz & Charles Taliaferro
28 - I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream - Harlan Ellison
29 - Treatise on Human Nature - David Hume
30 - Soul Machine - George Makari
31 - Carl Jung - Aion
MUSIC (in order of use)
Licenced by Artlist
1 - Yehezkel Raz - Shallow Water
2 - SOMA Soundtrack - End Credits
3 - Yehezkel Raz - After You Came
4 - Yehezkel Raz - Tiding
5 - Adi Goldstein - Shifting Memories
6 - Yehezkel Raz - Finding My Memories (Instrumental)
7 - Stanley Gurvich - Neural Purge
8 - Raz Burg - Star Surfing
9 - Muted - Staring
10 - Eleven Tales - Slow Tides
11 - DJ Taz Rashid - Twilight
12 - Ty Simon - Deep Dive
13 - Jameson Nathan Jones - Time Will Wait for Me
14 - Adi Goldstein - Ocean Voyage
15 - MARLOE. - Recognise - เกม
Thanks for being here! Nothing to ask but a cheeky like (and maybe a subscribe if you’re new?) I’m in touching distance of reaching 100K subscribers before the end of the year and I want that shiny silver plaque thing
Thanks for another great video, bring on the 100k!
Thanks man, I don’t subscribe to many but you are one of the few creators I consistently look forward to viewing new content from. You guys’ Loredump’s are also hilarious and that helps. Keep it up dude!
I’m already subscribed on my main but I have a spare account so just subscribed on that as well. It’s a tiny thing but I love your videos and hope you get all the support to make more.
ill sub cuz you're honest about the plaque and don't blame you.
I always watch your stuff within a day of release. Hope you get there!
I never played Soma but having accidentally spoiled it for myself I am addicted to listening to essays about Soma.
If you want a good let's play of it, I definitely consider AllieBeeMac. She's great throughout it, definitely understands the themes and concepts and (at the time, anyway), she was studying neuroscience, so it was definitely right up her alley. It was a livestream, though, so sometimes she gets a little bit distracted, not nearly as much as I've seen others. There's just one part in Delta where a troll comes in and it disrupts the flow for a bit, but nothing else apart from that.
Mever even heard about it until i think jacob geller did an essay about it and a few other games like it a yr or 2 ago.
Same
You could still play it.
I mean, no matter how much analysis you've done on it, it's never the same...
I watched a playthru.. Two years later after a bad break-up, I sat down and finished it within a day on stream with friends. I cried harder than I ever have. AND I knew the ending. I recommend playing it. Even if youve seen countless playthroughs.
I remember when I finished SOMA. It was almost two years ago but I remember that it put me in such a state that I didn't sleep that night. I just stared at my ceiling and thought. This game shook me to the core and made me seriously think about what it means to be human. This game is amazing.
It's not every day that you run across a game that gives people a legit existential crisis IRL as the final boss.
you are now ready for Peter Watts' books Blindsight and Echopraxia and his presentations: "we are entropic eddies complex enough to have woken up", "conscious ants and human hives", and "delusional optimism at the end of the world"
The end where Simon 3 is saying "dont leave me alone" and the music starts really got me. Beautifully done. I love this
First time I've cried in a while is watching this video. Monty did a fantastic job
He's at the bottom of the ocean which would normally make it easy to end your misery. Unfortunately for him, his vessel is designed to withstand the pressure
The unfortunate irony being that Simon 3 was never going onto the Ark. The whole "coin toss" is just an illusion
That ending, as Simon 3. That shit is the scariest thing. Being alone, forever. Without hope. Fantastic game good job Frictional
💯
I mean, he'll die (i.e run out of power) eventually.
Now...when exactly that will be, it'll probably be a lot longer than Simon would wish
Heartbreaking
I mean he doesn't have to be alone if he doesn't kill everyone along the way
I think it's horrifying in the moment, but the human mind is such a powerful and adaptable thing. I imagine he would eventually settle into a stoic lifestyle of bittersweet routine, salvaging little pleasures like rewiring the PA to play music, learning all the little quirks of the remaining machines, maybe even becoming "friends" with the WAU. In a way, Simon gets to experience the life of an immortal - like a living statue.
SOMA actually has a genius take away that I missed my first time around. If Simon hadn’t had his traumatic brain injury and hadn’t taken that day off work to get that brain scan, it is very likely the human race wouldn’t have survived in digital form. Before Simon’s digital ghost shows up on Pathos II, there is no chance of the Ark, humanity’s last legacy, launching into space. If he hadn’t been there, then the ark would have stayed on the bottom of the ocean forever.
If it wasn't Simon, someone else would have taken his place as a test subject. Simon is both important, and not important - just like each of us individually. No one is a destined chosen one, just one who chose to do something in the heat of the moment. Simon did those things because "we" are Simon, pushing the keyboard telling him where to go, in a game of Simon Says.
this feels like the same logical slope of "god gave this parents kid cancer to teach them a lesson in life"
not everything is mystically interconnected, and david wouldnt have just stopped his studies because he couldnt specifically get simon for the test
@xanderkruger4904 Well, studies do get stopped if appropriate data isn't gathered, and Simons condition could have been special enough that a substitute might not have been readily available.
This is just me hypothizing, I've forgotten a lot of what happens in the game.
There is a Buddhist philosophy that roughly states Who is to say what is good and what is bad. Many examples of positive consequences coming from negative events and Vice versa. This is exactly that. Terrible to lose your friend and have a terminal injury but as it turns out, your brain scan ends up allowing humanity to live on. The nature of life resists the simplicity of events being good or bad.
@@AShoutIntoTheVoid thanks very wise
Like the Flesher, Ross isn't actually teleporting, just messing with Simon's perception of time thanks to its electromagnetic pulses 🤓☝️
Another crazy thing to think about. How unlike other games, you don't know what happens to you when you don't know it
@@AHHHHHHHH21 it's so fucking good I don't know what to do 😩
Love that you made a video on this game. The concept about the “Copy & Paste” is one of the most horrifying things I've thought about before going to sleep.
How can you be sure that you're the same you when you wake up that you were when you went to sleep? How do you know your cells just didn't replace you enough in your sleep that the you from yesterday doesn't exist anymore? I know it doesn't really make sense, but sometimes, I try to not think about it too much...
@@VolthOh, maybe I can help you soothe that worrying thought. All of your cells do get replaced within a week... Well, not all of them. Your neurons, the ones that make it possible for you to be you, never get replaced after a certain age. So, yeah! You're no ship of Theseus, I'm afraid haha
@@eightleggedanarchist Yeah, I know, my comment was half-joke haha. It's more of a "Oh shit what if it worked like that and we never knew, though". I'm too rational to believe something like that, but sometimes, the middle of night does things to you :p
@@Volth For sure, existential crisis can a heavy hitter. Thoughts like "we live in the Matrix" or that maybe today is just the last few firing neurons of our desperate brain trying to make sense of a slowly dying body... oh, damn, that got bleak. Anyway! At least the food tastes pretty good here ^v^
@@Volth It's the form of a thing that matters. The structure. Function. That doesn't change. It's the continuous stream of consciousness and memory that give us continuity. Ask yourself this; 10 years ago the structure of your brain was completely different. Even if you're 40 now; you are a completely different person 10 years later. It's the slowness of the change that gives us the continuity of self.
Johan Ross met the ARK team at Tau, which means things were already looking pretty dire across the whole station before he decided that he needed to stop the WAU - also, the point where the WAU is said to have "shrieked" was after Ross, using his weird new powers, convinced Raleigh Herber to make the special structure gel and take it to site Alpha. The corpses in Omicron are missing their heads because their blackboxes exploded all at once, caused by the radiation the WAU was producing. We find Herber's body in the power suit that becomes Simon-3. That doesn't invalidate the idea that the WAU felt attached to Ross though, and is another strong case for it being self-aware.
Personally however... my choice relating to the WAU was less about whether or not it was "alive", and more thinking about the future of the planet. Humanity may be extinct, but the Earth is still there, just like it's still been there through many other mass extinction events. It's likely that life will continue to exist and evolve again. And if the WAU survives, it could evolve to become part of that new life, or it could overreach and force everything under its control, preventing nature from taking its course. Its original directive was to keep humanity alive, but maybe it's time to let go of that?
Soma has one of the best story’s in games in my opinion. Very few games have made me feel the way this game did. It does a perfect job of exploring its theme within the games itself, which is a rare feat
I played Soma during the worst part of 2020, on the heels of both Amnesia games. While I remember being initially disappointed that it didn't have the same visceral terror as Amnesia, I quickly forgot all about Frictional's flagship game as Soma presented me with ethical quandaries, each more horrible than the last, set amidst this heartbreaking and endlessly fascinating world. The ending was a triumph of storytelling. I believe this game is an underappreciated masterpiece. I don't remember a thing about the story of Amnesia, but I have never been able to get Soma out of my head for very long.
Fantastic essay on a fantastic game. One thing I appreciate is while the game reacts to your choices, you are never condemned for them. In keeping with its deep themes, it never "talks down" to the player on what they ultimately chose.
Yes! It's an extraordinary situation and we are faced with impossible decisions. Do we kill our copy to prevent them from an eternity of loneliness or do we refuse and abandon him under the ocean, forever stuck in the facility?
I still couldn't do it, and felt miserable for it.That was Simon, that IS Simon, and after playing as him after so long, I saw myself as him. How could I choose?
Rare are the games capable of making players feel so deeply.
I never thought about that, but you're so right. A lot of games do talk down to you because of your "bad" moral choices. This game lets you sit with your own thoughts and I appreciate that
YESSS I can't believe i randomly asked this on twitter as a hypothetical and now it's happening
I love twitter
Twitter is a cesspool but I’m glad to hear something good actually came out of it for once lol ❤
@@mcchickenbaptistchurch.org2 You love Twitter huh? You really just posted that. That's a thing that happened
I asked for this too. I love this game. 😍
I know, as a creator, it can be impossible to know if all your work and effort was enough. I just want to say, for this stranger in the audience who gets to experience that year of dedication condensed into two hours, it was everything I needed.
I never played soma, but a really good friend of mine was playing it while I lived with him for a month in between leases and it was our thing for many nights where he would play and I would just be with him watching. We would always talk about what we were thinking and feeling about where the game was going, and many deep philosophical discussions. I’ll never forget when we finished the game. We just sat there in silence for a good 10,15 mins and after a bit he looked at me and said “fuck the ocean” which made me laugh for a good while. Sadly he passed away some months back and NGL when I saw the video pop up I told myself I was going to ignore it. Obviously that didn’t happen. Thank you so much for this video. I have been a fan of this channel for a few years now and I’m so happy your channel is finally getting the recognition you deserve.
I love how Catherine's bear is a half robot monstrosity just like the entities we see throughout the game
I've always wondered if you can take it with you into the basement to mess with the hearing-dependent monster there.
@@Wonzling0815 that's actually a really cool idea I never thought of that. I can't see why it wouldn't work
I've been a Frictional fan since the Penumbra days and I still think Soma is EASILY their best work so far. And the other games ain't bad either.
Also Soma still damn near makes me cry at a couple points even after several playthroughs later. The interactions between Simon and Cath are so damn human that when Simon stars shouting and cursing at Catherine, I *really* feel it.
This game is so good and I'm so bummed it didn't have more of an impact or more staying power. Happy you're covering it, Monty!
I'm crossing my fingers Frictional makes a VR port. That'll bring it back into the spotlight.
This game really got shafted by reviewers. If that Joseph Anderson hadn't made his genuinely terrible video than I think SOMA would've made a much bigger impact
@@ennayannea) Joseph was very positive on the game as a whole, b) there is no way you sincerely believe a single internet dork holds that much sway over the market
@@NaimHrustanovic no he wasn't? and he straight up just lied about it, and even declared it as "not a horror game" because he wasn't scared by it. He STILL does no research or fact checking and he's one of the biggest game reviewers there is. Of course he swayed people with that video, people who may otherwise have bought the game
@@ennayanne He ends his video by stating it is "something special". He did critise it for presence of the monsters which back then was something many people did not like. It was his opinion and even with that he still considered it great game because of it´s themes. If you really think his video did cause Soma to not be financially more succesful, you are wrong. It is simply because majority people are.. well dummydums. And other majority of people don´t find these hard philosophical depressing games entertaining. It is a sad reality that cost us many games and movies.
SOMA has some of the best pacing in terms of communicating different aspects of the theme. I feel like you could set your watch to the beat of character encounters.
damn. *damn* is this such a well researched and multilayered video essay. Monty, you just keep getting better with every single one of them.
as someone who has watched each of the BioShock critiques no less than six times each and the forgotten city one a few times as well, I am so beyond excited. see y'all in two hours
Honey wake up it's time for my bi-monthly SOMA long form content binge.
The whole concept SOMA, about what is the self, I really love it.
I can send a playlist with all sorts of videos on the subject if you like
So glad I went into soma blind. It was an experience I think best utilizes the interactive medium and I loved the experience. If you haven’t already, play the game before you watch.
Monty - I swear you're in my head. You're either covering something I know but still want to engage with (Like SOMA), or covering something I don't know and didn't realize I needed (like the recent Red Dead 2 Lore Dump).
Easily becoming one of my favorite channels/creators!
I cant believe I watched all 2 hours, this was a fantastic video. I loved the philosophical conundrums soma posed. Thank you for the wonderful video. I would really love to see your take/critique on Signalis as well, keep up the good work chap!
Just played through this game for the first time a few days ago. I absolutely loved the story, definitely one of those games that keeps you thinking. I kept everyone alive on my first playthrough and my head canon is that Simon 3 meets back up with Simon 2, explains what happens, and they travel and visit everyone they've met through their journey, keeping everyone company as they slowly waste away with a dying world.
Didn't even think of that. I am worried though that with the WAU disabled/killed/destroyed, all entities will have died 😕
@@GeorgeTsiros I think if the robots had power, they'd still be alive. Plus the human wasn't attached to the WAU
Unfortunately the elevator is only one way, it must be called back up from site Omicron.
So unless Simon 2 somehow escaped site Omicron, and managed to call the elevator back up just when Simon 3 was on it, there doesn't seem to be much hope for Simon 3 to leave the depths.
@@nuclear2970 how is it only one way? What would be the point of that elevator?
@@gam3rfr3ak13 I dunno why, but it is mentioned in several points in the game.
Also you may have misunderstood, it *can* go back up, but only when called from site Omicron, there's no way to operate it from the depths.
Honey wake up monty dropped a new video critique
This is absolutely my favourite game to touch the subject of the soul. I can simply not get enough of essays about this game.
52:36
For me the decision to end all the left consciousness came more down to the feeling that it was time to let earth sleep, to let this all finally end. in a "leave no lose ends" kinda way I suppose.
That and let other organisms move on without the WAUs influence
Soma along with being a good game is a good conversation
That is what makes this game special
I was having a rough day at work when I got around to watching this. I'm really glad that, as always, it was an excellent video essay to lose myself into. Something about SOMA just leaves me in a delightfully dreadful mood that makes every other problem seem so little in comparison. It really gets one thinking and you did it justice by looking into the psychology behind the game's themes. Great work as always!
Definitely puts Joseph Anderson's analysis to shame. Great work man; the script, the research, the editing & footage and the thoughtful analysis all around.
The shot of the ark floating in space is one of the most melancholic images in media, IMO. It's hopeful, but the realization that all of human existence and history is reduced to a hard drive drifting through the void until ot eventually shuts off is utterly sobering.
And of course Simon 3's ending, that whole sequence is incredible. It's a brilliant twist because it isn't even a twist and it works so well. It is bleak and somber.
SOMA is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish, it realizes horror has so much more to it than "scares". The atmosphere, the philosophical and existential questions and concepts it challenges you with, that is horror.
Also my favorite ending to any piece of media, period.
Thank you for keeping memory of this game alive. Very few pieces of art ever broke me in a way Soma did. In the best way possible.
I can not describe how excited I am to see you review SOMA, probably my favorite game story of all time. It truly has one of the best stories in gaming, somehow managing to tell a story deeper than the ocean it's set in without losing its way or feeling pretentious.
I'll never forget the ending, the fear in Simon's voice when Catherine shuts off and he realizes just how alone he is..
Genuinely when I saw that this video was about SOMA I audibly squeeled with delight. I love the way you dissect games, tieing in outside research and getting deep into the themes and questions of a story, and you did not disappoint with this video. You raised quite a few ideas I didn't consider before and I can also say that I now know a bit more about niche neuroscientific quarrels than I did before. I've always loved SOMA and Frictional's work in general, it's all had a major impact on my own creative work, so if you ever covered any of their other stuff I'm sure it would be awesome. Then again, any game would also be great - keep up the good work 👍
Thank you Monty for making another amazing video. I hope you know that we all are super happy that you make this content and I hope you reach 100K soon because truly you deserve it
What a great piece of work this video is! Similarly to the concepts in Soma, there's a minor villain in the Invincible show that clones himself but specifically knocks himself out before the procedure is done to avoid the coin toss of the switch and to prevent one entity from knowing it is the clone and having to live with that knowledge.
I immediately thought of Soma while watching that episode with Robot
choked me up several times but that well crafted ending was got those tears to go, for this being my first vid to see i will certainly see more of what you've made. undoubtedly an incredible video and worth the time you put some much time you put into it
Soma is one of my all-time favorite games and its themes and the ending of it stuck with me for many weeks. This is a game that deeply challenged my thinking and I'm so glad you wrote a critique for it, which I wholeheartedly enjoyed. Thank you so much for giving this game the attention it deserved 🙏❤️
SOMA was such as well-made game. There aren't too many like it out there, and it really sticks out from the rest of Frictional's library IMO. Definitely a game that will stick with me for a long time.
wtf
this is the first time i realized the “complete” and “done” differences 😱 soma always had such an effect on me because of the isolation and being under the sea, but here’s another trauma bomb added 😅
well done!
This video is done so wonderfully and I enjoyed every minute of it. Really nice to hear you break down the concepts of Soma which make it such a hauntingly beautiful experience while playing it.
Damn! Your videos always goes so hard! You deserve so much more! You always put in the best work I’ve seen in the analysis space. I know these videos are due to go viral. Amazing channel!
Awesome awesome work man. Seriously cannot believe how thorough and beautiful this video is, I watched it without skipping straight through. I really appreciate your content, keep producing quality stuff man!
Beautiful Video. Very heartbreaking but also really well done with some great philosophical pondering. Thank you for all the hard work over that year.
Absolute gem of a game, really loved the story! Stayed with me for a long time. That scene when he first meets Carl and the two of them are in a muddled conversation about who looks like what was just genius!
I'm so glad i found this channel, it's just soooo good. I love discussing games and it's themes, so all of these critiques are right up my alley. Keep up the great work :)
Soma is one of those games that really should have been bigger. I wish there were more games set in the world of Soma, because there's a lot of good environmental horror that was pretty underused compared to the psychological stuff.
Modding is a thing.
Fantastic video on one of my favorite games of all time! Was so excited to see this since people don't seem to talk about Soma enough, and listening to you talk about a bunch of moments that have haunted me for years (the Brendan Wan simulations, the Simon 2 to 3 switch, the ending) brought me right back to those horrifying feelings I had when I first played. It's wild how much impact this game can have on the player, thanks for the wonderful analysis!
Another thing is that before the brain scan a little remark on Simon's end playfully mentions that Indians once thought pictures would steal their souls and I think that's a little intriguing since essentially the brain scan was in fact a picture of his soul so to speak
Yet another banger of a video and it made me think differently about Soma in ways I've never thought of before. I can't wait for the next video so please keep them coming Monty. 👍👌👏👏👏
you have seriously become my favorite video essayist on youtube in the span of like a week, been binging the hell out of your catalogue and i love the way you write these and the comparisons you draw, much love monty good luck on 100k ❤
I deeply love how much philosophy you cram into these. For me, it's what makes your content special. I've watched this video two or three times now. And still, I think about what it's saying and what you have to say about these things. Thanks for being a fantastic and thoughtful communicator Monty.
This was fantastic. I love soma, it scared the shit out of me in more than one sense of the word. You definitely did an amazing job on this video essay, and I think you are an amazing person for being able to do such justice to a game like this one. Both the game itself and this video are one of a kind. Bravo, honestly. Definitely going to be checking your channel out, as I am a brand new viewer to your content!
I remember when I played this game back on the release date. I was in middle school. I remember how soma left me speechless after the post credits. It's so different from other frictional games. It's so different from any other game I've played in the past. Such a beautiful game. It's a bit sad that this game got recognized after almost 10 years. But frictional games are still around. So, better now than never. Please support them
Though I've seen another video on this, as ever, I'm humbly grateful that you lent your incredibly insightful and thoughtful mind to yet another incredible piece of art.
Thank you for your creativity, analysis and thoughts on some INCREDIBLY difficult questions and art.
This is one of the best videos analyzing the philosophical aspects and implications of Soma. Thank you so much for your great video
This is my favorite review and analysis of SOMA i have yet to watch; really glad I stumbled on this channel and happy to be a new subscriber!
So excited for this video! One of my all time favorite games and I was hoping to hear you discuss it someday. This will keep me entertained at work today, thank you!
I finally got around to watching this video, and I have to say that your work is an absolute wonder to watch. The in depth analysis and how you tie in ideas from the world around is phenomenal and keeps me coming back each time. From a little commenter, thank you for doing what you do
Beautiful work Monty.
This is one of the best dives into philosophy and neuroscience I’ve seen on this platform. All through the lense of a video game. And there are people who still say it isn’t art.
smh.
Just a fantastic video. I'm always looking forward to what you produce.
I'm so excited for this ive been marathoning your previous essays you're currently my favorite video essay creator. My favorites are you bioshock and evil dead ones, though I can guarantee this ones gonna be up there!!
Another amazing creator, Mert KayKay, also did a Soma video and mentioned how it wouldn't work outside of a video game.
Dam. Your fantastic. I love your passion for these things and how much effort you put into each and everyone of these videos
Definitely a new subscriber! This video has so much dedication and love into it
This is my favorite game of all time. Straight up. I’m so happy you made this because you are one of my favorite TH-camrs. Cheers Monty!
One of the best philosophical analysis of Soma's themes I've seen on TH-cam. Plenty of contemporary and old ideas were used to attempt to answer the questions Soma exhibits regarding existence. I myself just finished the game a day before coming across this video and your research thoroughly satisfied my own questions towards the game.
Thank you Monty!
genuinely the best breakdown ive seen of this masterpiece, good on ya man!
Ive watched this a couple times now, and im still taking in all the information and feelings that come from soma. I think you did this game justice. It provokes a lot of introspective and out the box thinking in the consepts of what it means to live, experience and grow. What counts as a living thing, and how we all define like. Thank you for the amazing review of one of the best horror games ever.
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
YES MONTY THANK YOU
So glad I found this channel not long ago. Never played but I think it’s better in some small way to experience it like this. Genuinely choked up at the last “Catherine?”. I think you did it justice man. Thank you.
Congrats on reaching 100k. Þanks!
your best work yet and the definitive video on SOMA now, imo. great video!
Hey Monty, it's me again. Another fantastic dive into a great game. SOMA is also one of my favorites and its ending will stick with me. Loved hearing all of the philosophical research and input in this video and you offered some interesting opinions on the WAU that I'm happy to digest for a bit. Thanks for your hard work. We love you.
Holy hell. I just got into these video essays and they are amazingly well made. These are professionally edited and the thumbnails are great. You deserve way more attention, dude. Bravo.
Sick bro that was lit my dude
Thank you for making these videos, truly, thank you
Amazing video, I like how you look at more than just the gameplay in your reviews and how eloquent you are at sharing your thoughts
One of my favorite essayists releases a 2 hour video on one of my favorite games!? Too good to be true! Keep it up, Monty!
Amazing work. This is such a difficult topic to tackle, but you did it admirably. Soma is a game unlike any other, filled with stories and questions everyone thinks about on some level, but is rarely forced to confront. I personally love that the game offers the player this exact opportunity by presenting choices and ideas, but avoids forcing your hand in any direction or offering judgment for your choices. It’s the only way the game could work and the fact they pulled it off is remarkable and what makes it an experience that transcends its medium.
Dude. The way you frame all this is amazing, full stop. I haven’t felt this much existential dread since watching a kursgezagt video
Damn. Another amazing video essay. Makes me wish I could afford to be a name in the credits again. Since your video on Inside I really came to appreciate your take on these kind of topics. Hope there are more videos like these to come!
Omg yesss!! I love this channel! I wasn’t a fan of the Batman series but always happy to come back to your content!!
Thank you! I love these philosophical videos the best, you have very interesting insights
This is the second time I've watched this video. Really thought about it, and honestly the first time I kinda fell asleep before the end and wow. Watching it in full... Your video made me cry dude. This video is incredible. I haven't had a video make me cry in a while. Great job dude. I love your work.
I can't say much but I wanted to leave a little comment so you knew I loved this :)
keep going, you're good at this.
This video essay was absolutely beautiful. I hope you play Outer Wilds- it’s another game like SOMA that has a deeply philosophical and beautiful story that could not be told in any medium as well as it is told in a video game
first time here, i'm subbingright now. Great work bud ^^
I LOVE watching hours long analysis of video games I've never played/never completed.
Ready for yet another Monty Zander banger 😤
Another great video, Monty. So glad you decided to cover this game. It’s one of the most thought provoking pieces of media produced in the last few decades imo and I’m so glad we’re still talking about it
Great video! You're the best content creator on youtube, can't wait for every new video. Keep up the great work!
Honestly it is such a treat listening to your videos. I loved JA critique but yours hit different and ultimately my favourite (out of the two videos of soma critiques). Hope you are doing well Monty!
JA is good. I would love to see Shammy review SOMA
In a way the WAU invented the ARK, it was based off a machine Cathrine found that the WAU made before the mockingbirds. The vivarium.
I'm so excited to watch this video. I've watched EVERY video on this game. It's probably one of my favorite games of all time if not my favorite. I loved your Bioshock videos so time to strap in.
Amazing work on this video, loved it.
One of most brilliant and well done video essays on the philosophical and moral themes of a horror game I've ever seen on TH-cam. I haven't seen anything do a game like SOMA such justice!!
ohh this is the best soma video on youtube! great job!!
New Monty video 👀 lets goooo
Amazing video. I find that you did it justice.