Frictional Games has released the first trailer for SOMA’s upcoming Switch release, which showcases brief glimpses of gameplay and sets the stage for the dive into PATHOS-II, the terrifying and desolate underwater research facility that serves as the stage for SOMA’s horrific tale. 

Frictional Games says port developer Abylight Studios has ensured that SOMA remains “a full, faithful adaptation” on the Switch. According to the developer, the port will tout “optimized performance, stunning visuals, and immersive sound design.”

A release date hasn’t been announced for SOMA’s Switch port. Frictional Games says it will be “compatible with the Switch 2” but a native version hasn’t been released. Meanwhile, Frictional Games and Abylight Studios are also working on Switch versions of Amnesia: Rebirth and Amnesia: The Bunker. 

There’s currently no word on when the three titles will be available for the platform, but Abylight has confirmed they will get both physical and digital releases. Additionally, the company will bring Amnesia Collection physically to the Nintendo Switch. The collection includes Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Amnesia: A Machine for Bigs, both of which have been individually available on the Switch since 2019. 

Amnesia: Rebirth, Amnesia: The Bunker, and SOMA are all available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The former two titles are also available on Xbox Series X/S and playable on PS5 via backward compatibility. Check out our review for the studio’s latest title, Amnesia: The Bunker.

The Bloody Baron – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Arguably the most morally bankrupt NPC Geralt encounters in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Bloody Baron’s history as an abuser to wife Anna and daughter Tamara is revealed during Geralt’s attempts to locate The Baron’s estranged family in exchange for information on his own daughter’s whereabouts. Neither of The Baron’s conclusions are favourable for him (or, indeed, his wife Anna); should both The Baron and Anna survive, Anna will have succumbed to madness whilst a band of witches abscond with the orphans of whom she was residing. Should Anna die, the Baron will tragically hang himself due to a lifetime of grief and guilt.

Alien Isolation

Developer Creative Assembly knocked it out of the park with Alien: Isolation, which is undoubtedly one of the best games to have come out of the Alien label in quite some time. It puts you in the shoes of Amanda Ripley who must do everything and anything in her might to outsmart the Xenomorph, and because of the fact that you can’t really kill him – the best bet is to hide under tables and behind closets and hope that the alien doesn’t notice that. Of course, that’s easier said than done because the Xenomorph AI learns from your past runs and adapts itself based on those inputs which ensures that players are always on their toes.

There are, of course, major spoilers ahead for each of the games featured in this rundown, so skip a section if you want to discover the game’s conclusion for yourself.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s wild west opus has four endings (three as Arthur Morgan, one as John Marston) but owing to your inevitable attachment to Morgan during the 50-hour-or-so campaign none are especially uplifting. The ‘good’ – in inverted commas – ending sees Morgan assisting Marston in a shootout against Dutch’s gang and the Pinkertons. High honour: Arthur succumbs to tuberculosis watching the sunrise; low: he takes a bullet to the head. Abandoning Marston for the bad ending sees Morgan lose a knife fight to Micah Bell. Each ending elevates an already engrossing story, but it sure does suck for Arthur to lose his life no matter what you choose.

Ghost of Tsushima  

Jin’s defence of Tsushima from Mongol invaders culminates in the ultimate moral quandary, and players are divided on which direction is most canonical. On the one hand, killing Lord Shimura – his surrogate father – is most honourable for Shimura but distressing for Jin. Sparing his uncle dishonours the family, spitting in the face of samurai code. Opt for the former to poetically symbolise Jin’s full transition to ghost, severing any remaining connection to the samurai code he once adhered, no matter how much Shimura demanded it. Either way, Jin is left a lone wolf, his heroism reduced to villainy in the eyes of the Shogun.

Shadow of the Colossus

Yeah, you’ve slain sixteen colossi to revitalise your lady love Mono, but at what cost? The scheming Dormin doesn’t reveal their identity as annexed demon until the game’s very end, but by that time it’s too late, the damage is done. Shadow of the Colossus has a way of making you feel sorry for the fierce-now-slain colossi, even though your actions as Wander were in good faith; to be fair to Dormin too, they do uphold their end of the bargain in reviving Mono. Agro the horse survives too, at least.

Limbo

Enigmatic Limbo, the odyssey of a boy in search of his sister. This silent, dark ambient masterwork is open to interpretation, but the presiding theory is that the boy is dead and that the game is an allegorical retelling of his life right up until the moment he checks out. With all the gravitational flailing during the game’s final moments it seems the boy died in a car crash, but the gut punch here is that he clearly doesn’t know he’s already dead. Maybe his sister was never in Limbo? Or maybe she died in the crash too? The two never clap eyes on each other at the end, despite the sister sensing the boy’s presence. Tragic.

Braid

An ending which re-contextualises the narrative, during Braid we play as Tim during his attempts to rescue a princess from an evil monster, although maybe Tim is the monster all along? This blatant switcheroo is not as trivial as it first appears. Tim, as revealed via in-game texts, was instrumental in The Manhattan Project, with the princess being a manifestation of his guilt surrounding his part in the atom bomb’s development. The flip-reverse finale whereby we believe we’re rescuing the princess only for time to switch backwards to reveal she’s running away cements Tim’s legacy as wrongdoer. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet full circle.

SOMA  

Say what you will about SOMA, but it’s got one of the heaviest existential crises in all video games. Uploading consciousness to digital formats is conceptually and morally nebulous; SOMA asks just what it is to be human. Is it someone’s thoughts, personality, memories? If so, is it the same person if you extract these thoughts and implant them in a carbon-copied body? Experiencing this first-hand through the eyes of Simon, we feel a sense of triumph as his fourth iteration is deposited into the ARK before its voyage to interstellar sanctuary, but our eyes stay with Simon3 as he’s left behind in dark, subaquatic abyss, abandoned and alone.

The Last of Us

The pinnacle of moral middle ground, you play the majority of The Last of Us as grief-stricken smuggler Joel, and you’ll endear yourself to him principally due to the tragic loss of his daughter some two decades prior; a heinous tragedy, with unshakeable grief hanging over him like a dark cloud. Ellie is his chance at finally conquering his sorrow, of blowing this dark cloud away, so his actions – as abominable as they are for the rest of humanity – are explainable. There’s no denying his selfishness though; The Last of Us has us believe we play the good guy, but our nobility is shattered at the very end.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

A game about working together to overcome insurmountable challenges, little brother Naiee heavily relies on older sibling Naia, until he can’t. Ingeniously exemplified via in-game controls, the loss of thumb-stick functionality for the older brother symbolising the very real loss Naiee experiences when Naia is no longer his guiding light. Together with Naiee, we’re forced to adapt, to learn strength, and live without help. It’s a bittersweet ending to an emotionally charged story.

A Way Out

Two endings are possible in dual-protagonist prison break drama A Way Out, yet the deaths of seasoned criminal Leo or undercover agent Vincent don’t bring any significant gratification to the player. Canonically, Leo killing Vincent makes more sense. After all, he’s the real criminal here despite his final actions motivated by betrayal than bloodlust. Vincent killing Leo is the easier pill to swallow but implies a failure to morally resolve his sting operation. Both share kinship, both have families outside of the drama, there’re no winners at the end of A Way Out.

L.A. Noire

Despite L.A. Noire adhering to the tragic finale trope of film noir, numerous players find the game’s ending dissatisfactory. Centring on Cole Phelps’ humdrum death at game’s end, Phelps’ quest for redemption ending on a damp squib, with little recognition for the man he is, for his uneventful funeral, it’s easy to see this resolution as a rushed job by the developers. Thing is, Phelps spent his life seeking redemption for his failures as a soldier, police officer, and husband. The fact he was on the cusp of reclamation before his untimely death is plain tragic.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Sure, there are endless clues throughout MGSV: The Phantom Pain that Venom Snake isn’t in fact the real Big Boss, but The Medic whom Zero imparts skills, wisdom, and memories of Big Boss to act as decoy. By the end of the game, it feels like we’ve been playing as a lie. We eliminate the bad guys, but do we feel fulfilled? Aren’t we left with a feeling of emptiness – a Phantom Pain?

Inside

Monochromatic side-scroller Inside plunges a boy into a dangerous world, intriguing, otherworldly, hostile, and mysterious. He’s forging towards something, but that something is totally unexpected. Is the globule mass calling him? That point is up for interpretation, but once he’s enveloped, and the hulking mass escapes from the tight-knit facility all hell breaks loose. We escape, but to where? Was this whole thing orchestrated? One thing worth mentioning: when we reach the grey shoreline come the game’s very end, there’s a sense of tranquility. Of peace. Inside’s a strange one.

It Takes Two

Struggling couple Cody and May are forced to cooperate in It Takes Two, overcoming obstacles together in miniature toy-like form initially as a means to reach their daughter back in their human form, but then growing as a way to save their marriage. However, together they must torture and kill a stuffed elephant toy; a toy that, yes, whilst stuffed and not real is begging for mercy. It’s challenging, disturbing, quease-inducing, but come games end the trio of husband, wife, and daughter have a new perspective on their life and relationship. It’s just that getting there takes monumental challenge – kind of like true life.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Yes, an obvious pick for this feature. There’re question marks over saviour Lee’s fate – does he die in both the game’s possible endings? Sure, he’s bitten, so in one ending you shoot him out of sympathy, but in the other you can spare him. The tragedy here is that in saving your bullet you condemn him to becoming a walker. You’re left broken either way, a true example of survival but at what cost.

Gears of War 3

The ending of Gears of War 3 centers on sacrifice. It’s revealed player-character Marcus Fenix’s father Adam infects himself with Lambent cells in order to test his Locust eradicating machine. The machine works, sweeping a shockwave across Sera and completing the mission for Marcus and his team. They’ve won, but of course Marcus has lost his father, and perhaps greater, he mournfully ponders the remnants of humanity – was it all worth saving?

Resident Evil 2 Remake

Resident Evil 2 Remake is an excellent re-imagining of the survival horror classic, and it stands tall as one of the best remakes of recent memory. The game presents a striking rendition of the familiar Raccoon City, complete with new puzzles and third-person shooting mechanics that make this experience a lot different than the original. While the campaign is definitely on the shorter side, plenty of side content, including but not limited to Ghost Survivors, should keep you occupied for a long time.

“While all of our games have been horror in some way, what we really try to do is to get a kind of playable immersion,” said Frictional Games creative director Thomas Grip said. “We want to give the player some sort of immersive fantasy, be that being a [World War 1] soldier trapped in a bunker or a robot stuck at the bottom of the ocean.

“Horror games naturally are where emotions are front and centre. Games really excel at this. However, we are also exploring themes outside of making things spooky.”

Frictional Games is well-known for its horror games, which includes Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA, and more recently, Amnesia: The Bunker. Grip states that the studio wants to explore other emotions as well, rather than taking core ideas and using them in a horror game, like it did with, for example, the concept of consciousness in SOMA.

“For future projects, I think we will cut back a bit on the horror aspects in order to give greater focus on other emotional qualities,” said Grip. “I am confident that these games will still feel like Frictional ones. The immersion, the personal journey, and a holistic vision are what I see as defining traits of a Frictional game — not just horror as such.”

The most recent release by Frictional Games, Amnesia: The Bunker, was released back in June. In our review of the game, we found it to be the best entry in the Amnesia series since Amnesia: The Dark Descent, thanks to its use of environmental design and mechanics, and its use of darkness.

Amnesia: The Bunker is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

#15. CONDEMNED: CRIMINAL ORIGINS

Condemned: Criminal Origins really doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves. Perhaps it’s because it came out at a time when survival horror games seemed to be headed to an early demise, but it’s an incredibly underrated game. At the time, it was leaps and bounds ahead of most of its peers in terms of everything from its visuals to its AI, and with its visceral combat and genuinely terrifying scares, it ranks as one of the most uniquely memorable games in the genre to date. Hopefully, Sega will be encouraged by the current state of the genre and decide to bring the franchise back.

#14. DINO CRISIS

The folks over at Capcom are, of course, the masters of the survival horror genre, but though the Resident Evil games are obviously the ones that gave them that crown, others in the company’s catalogue have also put their talents on display. Dino Crisis remains a fan favourite to this day, even now, more than two decades on from its launch- and how can it not? A game with the survival horror design and mechanical sensibilities of Resident Evil that replaces zombies with dinosaurs? That’s a premise that’s as good in execution as it is on paper, especially in the series’ very first outing. To this day, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Dino Crisis will eventually return.

#13. SOMA

Frictional Games has established itself as one of the best developers of horror games over the last decade or so, and as those who’ve played it will gladly tell you, SOMA definitely ranks as one of the studio’s best outings to date. A chilling setting that’s absolutely seeping with atmosphere, an incredibly told story that keeps you captivated until the very last second, gameplay mechanics that evoke genuine terror and dread from start to finish- in more ways than one, SOMA exhibits an immaculate understanding of what makes survival horror games tick.

#12. ETERNAL DARKNESS: SANITY’S REQUIEM

Boy, the GameCube really was an incredible console for fans of survival horror games, wasn’t it? And even though there were obviously quite a few games in that category on the console that are probably way more iconic (more on that in a bit), Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem still deserves its flowers. It can be an uneven experience at times, but when it comes to things such as its story and its atmosphere, it’s hard to find fault with it, while its combination of survival horror gameplay and insanity mechanics also deserves special praise.

#11. AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT

Frictional Games exploded onto the scene of the survival horror genre back in 2010, when a little game known as Amnesia: The Dark Descent took players by storm and delivered what is still one of the most uniquely terrifying games we’ve ever played. The first game in what is now an iconic horror franchise, Amnesia: The Dark Descent had an incredible knack of making players feel constantly vulnerable and helpless, and thanks to a combination of de-emphasized combat and nightmare-inducing stalker mechanics, it ended up crafting an experience that could easily keep you on the edge of the seat from the first second to the very last.

#10. ALIEN: ISOLATION

Speaking of stalker mechanics- it’s hard not to bring up Alien: Isolation when you talk about pursuer enemies, or about survival horror games in general, really. Creative Assembly’s 2014 gem didn’t get the praise that it deserved back when it first launched, but the further away we get from its release, the more it becomes apparent that it was a special game. From how perfectly it fit into the Alien franchise to how incredibly tense it was to play, from how well its levels were designed to how deftly it balanced its horror elements with exploration, there was just so much about it that one couldn’t help but love. Does it fall off a cliff towards the end? A little bit- but as they say, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

#9. THE EVIL WITHIN 2

We’ve spoken about quite a few underrated gems in this list, and yes, The Evil Within 2 is yet another one of those- an incredible survival horror experience that got neither the critical praise nor the commercial success that it so clearly deserved. Coming from the horror connoisseurs at Tango Gameworks, it built upon the foundations of its predecessor in some truly incredible ways. The way its resource economy was balanced, how well the progression mechanics worked, how rewarding and engaging exploration was in the semi-open world sections, how tense and enjoyable combat was (especially in the boss fights)- The Evil Within 2 was a massive leap over its already impressive predecessor, and we genuinely hope to see more of this franchise in the not-too-distant future.

#8. SYSTEM SHOCK

Immersive sim, first person shooter, survival horror- System Shock is many games in one, and yet in spite of that, no one aspect of it feels diluted by any means. Nearly three decades on from launch, the absolute genius of this game still stands tall, in spite of the fact that many elements of the gameplay have obviously aged quite a bit. But when it comes to things like the sense of place of Citadel Station, the eerie atmosphere that constantly looms over your head, and how uncomfortable the game constantly makes you feel, it feels like System Shock hasn’t aged a day. We can only hope that its upcoming remake will be able to do it justice.

#7. RESIDENT EVIL 7

After delivering the most mindlessly action-oriented Resident Evil game Capcom could have ever made, the company decided to go in the exact opposite direction with its successor in an attempt to take the series back to its roots- and did so with rousing success. Resident Evil 7 is exactly what Resident Evil should be, but this time, through the lens of a first person perspective. An emphasis on exploration, backtracking, and puzzles, combat that feels slower paced and deliberate, incredible atmosphere, and above all, genuine scares- these have been hallmarks of the franchise for as long as it has been around, and Resident Evil 7 has all of that in spades. While its direct sequel, Village, might be better as an all-round package, as a survival horror game, RE7 is one of the best games we’ve played in recent years.

#6. SILENT HILL 2

The Silent Hill franchise has frequently been regarded as one of the pillars of the survival horror genre, and Silent Hill 2 remains its absolute zenith to this day. The story of James Sunderland is still one of the greatest stories ever told in a video game, and the way it ties his character arc with the horrors that we as players witness in the titular town of Silent Hill simply cannot be praised enough. Add to that the game’s stellar atmosphere and, of course, its gameplay loop – which remains consistently compelling in spite of how little the game emphasizes combat – and it all comes together in truly masterful ways, to the extent that even today, going back to this classic is heavily recommended for any fan of the genre. Its upcoming remake has big shoes to fill, to say the very least.

#5. RESIDENT EVIL REMAKE

Speaking of remakes with big shoes to fill, the original Resident Evil remake may have come a long, long time before Capcom’s more recent reimaginations in the franchise, but time has done very little (if anything) to dull its brilliance. While its tank controls might make it a harder game to go back to for some in today’s day and age, where Resident Evil truly shines is in things that are of timeless quality- the level design, the puzzles, the sheer oppressive atmosphere of Spencer Mansion, how the story unfolds bit by bit as you slowly navigate the horrors of the setting. If palpable dread and constant tension are what you are looking for in a Resident Evil game, look no further than the RE1 remake.

#4. RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE

Resident Evil 4 Remake might be most recent release out of all the games in this list, but it’s also undoubtedly one of the best- which is no surprise, given how excellent its source material already was. Yes, the game moves away pretty significantly from the series’ horror roots in order to deliver a very different experience, but the experience it does deliver is nothing short of masterful. Resident Evil 4 is a masterclass in pacing, in building tension through combat, incredible encounters, and excellent enemy design and variety. The constant ramping up of stakes and tension in RE4 stands peerless even now, and all of the game’s biggest strengths are only amplified further in its 2023 remake.

#3. THE LAST OF US PART 2

To call The Last of Us Part 2 a divisive game would be something of an understatement, but those who love it absolutely love the crap out of it- and we certainly fall in that camp. Story and storytelling have always been Naughty Dog’s biggest strengths, but it’s not just in those departments that The Last of Us Part 2 succeeds. It’s also a gigantic leap forward over its predecessor in terms of gameplay- the level design, the incredibly tense combat, the expanded stealth mechanics, the horror elements, and how it blends all of those different mechanics together so deftly. It’s a constant thrillride from start to finish, and for fans of survival horror games, an absolutely unmissable experience.

#2. DEAD SPACE REMAKE

It only makes sense to place extra value on horror in a list about survival horror games, and when viewed through that lens, it’s hard to think of many games that are better than Dead Space. The USG Ishimura ranks as one of the best survival horror settings of all time, and spending even a little bit of time in the derelict ship is enough to prove that beyond any doubt. Every time you turn a corner, every time you hear a loud thud, every time you see a flickering light, your heart can’t help but skip a beat. Isaac’s decaying mental state combines with the horrors of the hellish nightmarish he finds himself trapped in perfectly to create one of the most unforgettable experiences this genre has ever delivered- and the remake has only made it better, which we didn’t think would be possible.

#1. RESIDENT EVIL 2 REMAKE

If someone somewhere decides to teach a class on how a survival horror game should be made, Resident Evil 2’s 2019 remake could easily be the one and only game they look at, because this game just nails every single aspect of what makes the genre tick with absolute perfection. Combat? Every single shot you fire at a Licker or a zombie feels immensely satisfying (thanks in no small part to the game’s incredible gore). Exploration? The RPD, the sewers, and NEST are immaculately designed locations that are made all the more compelling to traverse thanks to excellent lock-and-key design and expertly designed puzzles. Horror? Resident Evil 2 does atmosphere better than most other games in the genre, while the ever-present threat of Mr. X injects massive doses of tension into the experience, even if he is nowhere around you and all you can hear are his distant booming footsteps. For Resident Evil as a franchise, for Capcom as a developer, for video game remakes, and for survival horror games as a whole, 2019’s RE2 remake is the absolute benchmark to follow.

The Evil Within 2

The Evil Within 2 is easily the best horror game that the studio has put out to date, and it features one of the scariest openings that’s sure to remain etched into your memory long after the credits roll. You start out in front of a flaming house, and upon entering you hear the screams of your beloved daughter. As you make your way through the rubble, you encounter Lily – who is enveloped in flames. She comes close and chokes you to death, wakes Sebastian up from this horrible nightmare, and kickstarts the narrative.

Darkwood

Despite having over 12,000 user reviews on Steam and good critical acclaim, Darkwood is still somewhat of a niche survival horror title. Its open-world structure changes during the day, presenting eerie characters and various secrets as you scavenge for materials. At night, nightmarish creatures roam, prompting you to fight for survival. It’s frantic and doesn’t provide too much guidance, but Darkwood is worth sticking with for its unique aesthetic and extensive lore.