As I considered what to talk about in this final post of Spooktober 2025, I found myself thinking about whey games had left a lasting impact. Some were nostalgic, others left certain moments behind, but only one (I think) has really chilled me on an intellectual level. That is, the ideas it made me consider still come back and haunt me from time to time. That game was Frictional Games’ SOMA, and its exploration of the nature of the self is still one of the most unsettling things I’ve ever encountered in video games.
Now, the specific situation in SOMA is one that will almost certainly never apply to most of us, that being the existence of perfectly copied and simulated human minds. However, the implications of such a thing are still as fascinating to consider as they are chilling. If you could be perfectly copied in every way, would that copy still be “you”? If not, what’s the difference? Can you describe it? If you can, can you also justify that distinction?
This all feeds into the even bigger question behind it all: “What makes you ‘you’?”
While it doesn’t offer anything as a definitive answer, SOMA seems to settle on the idea that our experiences are what makes the difference. Once a copy comes into being, it will, after all, have different experience and perspective from the original, However, there are problems with this idea that SOMA itself points out. Even if the copy differs from the original in experience, it will still think itself as valid an existence as the original since, from it’s perspective, there is nothing different about it.
SOMA illustrates this by showing that every character, whether robot or entirely digital simulation, thinks itself to be entirely human, the thought then they might be a digital copy never even dawning on them unless forcibly shown (as in the case of main character Simon). Even after the nature of his existence is revealed, Simon still insist he is himself, even after he’s copied a second time and stands face-to-face with the “Simon” he was copied from. It’s tempting to write Simon off as just stupid (and he kind of is), but still, how would you react to another “you”? How about another “you” that still thinks it’s you?
Again, its not like any of us are ever going to face clones of ourselves, digital or otherwise, but it’s still a heavy question, don’t you think? How do you describe that intangible part of yourself? Can you even do it? Are “you” nothing more than your brain chemistry and memories? If so, then would a copy be just as much “You” as you are? If you’re more then your physical frame, then can a copy, even a perfect one, ever have personhood?
I’ve long since settled on my own answers, but I find these questions heavy and thought-provoking all the same. As for SOMA, its exploration of them makes it simultaneosly fascinating and utterly horrifying depending on where your answers land. It makes for a one-of-a-kind horror experience, which I think makes it the perfect capper for my portion of Spooktober 2025!
Stay tuned for a couple more Spooktober posts from Duck and Cary this week, but this is where my part ends unfortunately. I swear, it always comes and goes so fast every year! Anyway, what’s your take on SOMA? Have any other games ever really gotten you thinking like this one did to me?
Image from the Steam page
VIRTUAL BASTION 