The 'copying of consciousness' idea is a very interesting one (cough cough SCP 963 cough) and the exploration of where the line is for a conscious person and something that perfectly mimics that consciousness and whether the mockingbirds are people and such is something I spent a lot of time thinking about. Obviously, by virtue of being a game that you perceive through Simon Jarrett's perspective, this proposal is a little bit flawed (though it is explained WHY you are not a mockingbird in the late game).
Speaking of this reveal, where you find out simon jarrett isn't going insane because HE IS A CORPSE. Loved this twist. Love how catherine glazes over it because it means she has probably come to terms with the apocalyptic situation and has learned to disconnect from everything, or potentially that she has some sort of ASPD.
Time for a Terry Akers intermission. Remember kids, don't get too good at chess or you'll start craving structure gel! I loved his really sickening lore and how terrifying he is. I love how stuff is revealed about Akers before you actually have to navigate the area he can be found in because that suspense was really awesome.
Also, the ending, a real gut punch. I knew what was coming, but I still cried. I got very emotionally invested into Simon Jarrett's story so it really hurt to see him so scared to be alone. I liked that Simon's original copy was taken when he had already experienced brain trauma and it becomes most interesting when you can tell he doesn't really understand or comprehend how the copying system works. It allows players to be led into a false sense of security, comforted by the ramblings of someone who doesn't understand that he might not actually see the ark at all, even after being copied into the deep-sea suit, revealing how the system really works to the player.
Of course, if you were already aware that this twist at the end was coming or predicted it, it is heartbreaking to listen to Simon's false hope, ESPECIALLY on the lift going down immediately after the first copying incident.
The dialogue on the ride down depends on the choice that you make, and both streams of Simon's consciousness are upsetting and interesting. He repeatedly asks if he's the 'right' Simon in one version, clearly still not fully understanding that all the copies are still just a version of Simon with unique experiences, calling Simon 2 a 'redundant copy' who will never experience the 'full journey' before using a coin-flip analogy to really drive home that he doesn't understand how it works. Both copies are Simon, and both have to exist; two options is not the same as a 50/50 chance, but he seems to think of it as a race to the new body rather than a chance of experiencing a continuous or interrupted stream of consciousness. The other version talks about the afterlife and whether he'll be able to go since he's already died two separate times (after killing Simon 2), thinking about whether the older versions will think of him as an 'imposter' (I would bet on it, since he proves over and over that he doesn't understand this copying process).
TLDR: SOMA was an extremely thought provoking experience for me and I won't ever be able to forget it. I have a lot of love for it despite the flaws.
