Soma mod makes enemies harmless (but still super creepy)
Welcome to Wuss Mode.
A couple of months back someone made a mod for Alien: Isolation that effectively removed the titular xenomorph from the game. Now someone has followed suit with Frictional's freaky subterranean sci-fi saga Soma, by modding it so the monsters don't harm the player.
Entitled Wuss Mode, this more relaxing mod makes it so enemies can't damage the player, though they will still look terrifying and chase you.
"Surprisingly, it completely changes the atmosphere of the game, often for the better, since the servants of the WAU quietly patrolling the abandoned halls of Pathos-2 have a chilling poignance to them," modder The Dreamer wrote on the mod's Steam Workshop page.
"Constructs beg you for structure gel, and angrily chastise you for not sharing, but they cannot take it from you, and as you walk by them, a cold chill overtakes you as you realise they will slowly starve in the inky black depths." Chilling.
The Dreamer noted that certain chase scenes will still occur to advance the plot and it's possible to get a game over in these scripted scenarios, so it's not entirely a No Fail mode. But by and large the enemies are rendered innocuous.
"Playing it is an incredibly surreal experience, and while I personally prefer the vanilla gameplay, I think for those with weaker countenances, this is certainly a worthwhile way to play," the modder stated. "Perfect for wusses who can't take the scares but still want to experience the amazing story and atmosphere of Soma!"
At a distance this may sound like a counter-intuitive way to experience a horror game, but unlike Frictional's previous effort, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Soma isn't just trying to scare you (though it probably will). Its primary purpose is to tell you a story and it employs some pretty clever narrative techniques in the process.
Check out the video below to see how Soma looks in Wuss Mode. I reckon it's still pretty frightening.
