[the_af]

Thanks. I don't think we disagree all that much, just in how immersive we found SOMA to be (relatively).

Re: the lasting consequences in games, the best example I can think of is Undertale. Have you played it? If not, I recommend you do so (and ignore the childish graphics, it's surprisingly deeper than it seems). At the risk of spoiling something about it: the game remembers. Even on playthrough restarts, as long as you haven't reinstalled the game, there are consequences.

Re: for truly named & iconic characters such as James Bond, I cannot immerse myself. Of course I know Bond cannot die, and that's a deal breaker. For Gordon Freeman, I can sort-of immerse myself because he's a less established character and I can picture him dying in the series, even forever. For relative strangers such as Simon, a completely fresh character, I can almost believe I am him.

[Jach]

Undertale is certainly a unique experience and should be played as blind as possible, I understand why people love it. The things it does knowing it's a game are great. Personally I ended up not liking it in the end, but it's a begrudging dislike and I think any gamer should at least try it. It (and its fanbase) offer yet another perspective on choice and control. I only did one playthrough, though, and don't plan on another. Reflecting on a bit of dialogue at the end, I agreed with the character, and called it quits and moved on to other games.