Tormented Souls Reviews
Tormented Souls is the successor to classic survival horror. I’ve wanted a new Silent Hill (or classic Resident Evil) game for years, but I’d trade all the drama and disappointment for a fantastic spiritual successor like this any day. Exploring Winterlake Hospital channeled all those feelings of dread and loneliness that made those games special and proves that the format still works.
Tormented Souls creates an environment that's a blast to explore, and the puzzles it provides help to enhance the engagement the locations provide. However, too many shortcomings get in the way of what could be a solid nod to classics horror games. A handful of bad things can be ignored, but having voice work, enemy integrity, and an underdeveloped main character are too much to overlook. There's an appeal here, but it lacks refinement.
The puzzles cannot be brute forced, and hitting a wall is a large part of the intended gameplay experience. Dual Affect did their homework, and they know their classic survival horror very well. Their confidence in puzzle design and aesthetics make them a worthy successor to the classics that defined the genre.
Tormented Souls has a lot of subtle scares which create a haunting atmosphere, and its retro-inspired gameplay helps keep the tension high. It loses some of its horror with annoying navigation and spotlight-hogging monsters that don’t always pose a threat. Still, there’s no reason to torment yourself over the lack of subtlety survival horror games anymore.
This is as much a compelling, mysterious videogame adventure as it is a janky, flawed game not always able to nail its ambitions. If Tormented Souls was a PS2 game we’d be seeing $100+ online listings, just like many of its inspirations. It fits that space like a torn, bloody glove.
Tormented Souls is a great tribute to the old school survival horror genre. The Chilean studio, Dual Effect Games, demonstrates great mastery and knowledge of the elements that made horror games great back in the day. Although graphically it is not very impressive and the presentation is kind of cheesy, the setting, the atmosphere and the monsters are so well designed that the resulting experience is particularly immersive. Tormented Souls strengths definitely outweigh its weaknesses. If you are looking for a typical horror experience from the late 90s and early 2000s, Tormented Souls is a must.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tormented Souls is a little rough around the edges and hits a few noticeable bumps, but by and large, this is a solid survival horror game that fans of the genre's classics are sure to enjoy.
Tormented Souls is a great survival horror that will remind us of the classics of the genre. A title that thanks to its puzzles and enemies, will have us hooked for hours. But if something does not quite fit, it is its character design, which can take you out of the experience. Even so, we are facing a great title within the genre that will not leave anyone indifferent due to its good execution.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
However, if you’re a fan of old-fashioned survival horrors and find yourself yearning for one that offers a modern lick of paint and a new setting, there’s a very high chance you’ll absolutely love it. It’s not as good as the classics of the genre, but developers Dual Effect and Abstract Digital have delivered something that is hot on their heels.
Both well-designed in some spots and iffier in others, Tormented Souls can be highly frustrating, but is an overall enjoyable classic-style, survival horror experience that fans will be happy to have.
If you like your survival horror games to include unsettling enemies, clever puzzles, and backtracking to unlock new doors as you explore a sinister location, Tormented Souls is the game you’ve been waiting for.
Tormented Souls is a very clumsy and corny survival horror game that plays like a love letter to genre giants.
We take a deeper look at the most modern attempt to bring back classic survival horror gaming with DualEffect's Tormented Souls
Tormented Souls attempts to capture the classic survival-horror experience, often using titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill as a reference. The result is a well-executed horror title that provides chilling moments and complex puzzles to solve while exploring a beautiful yet dangerous mansion. But due to the developer's over-reliance on these classic games, Tormented Souls has a difficult time establishing itself, instead of remaining in the shadows of the titles it draws inspiration from. Despite this Tormented Souls has everything a survival-horror fan could want.
So if you’re up for a few scares and a bunch of brainteasers to keep you busy, Tormented Souls comes highly recommended. Here’s hoping it’s a big success and affords Dual Effect and Abstract Digital Works further opportunities to explore the survival horror genre — ’cause they’re damned good at it.
If you love classic survival horror titles, Tormented Souls needs to be on your radar. It’s a terrifically terrifying love letter to Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Alone in the Dark. With brilliant puzzles, a genuinely scary setting to explore, and unsettling monsters to face, it’s the kind of game that will shock you to your core and stick with you long after the credits roll. While it undoubtedly wears its old-school inspiration on its bloodied sleeve, make no mistake: Tormented Souls is a modern survival horror masterpiece.
I wish Tormented Souls had a story to match the amazing visual work. I get imparting the tale via personal journals but pairing that with characters that pretty much ignore Caroline's direct questions and statements regarding it is just sloppy and uninspired. This could have been a game that left me with my hairs standing on end and delicious goosebumps. Instead, when Caroline's screams persisted through the continue screen and bled into my game it ate away my desire to pick the controller back up. Not enough morphine in the world to make me want to suffer through this again.
All in all, Tormented Souls achieves what it set out to do: recapture the magic of old-school fixed-perspective survival horror games with modern technology. However, this extends to having a lackluster story and underwhelming voice-acting, both of which plagued early survival horror titles. While the game’s tension, atmosphere, and environmental storytelling are top-notch, the controls can be difficult without a controller and some decisions are downright tasteless. In the end, this game will probably appeal most to people who already love classic survival horror rather than bringing in new fans.
Yes, you could argue that in trying so hard to make a game for the mid-2000s in 2021 leaves the developer with a game that’s fundamentally dated before it began, but that’s the point. All the modern indie horror games that work get that. Compromises will certainly bring you a bigger audience, but games like Tormented Souls, as scraggly and mean-spirited as the games that inspired them, are far more likely to scratch that itch for survival horror’s golden era, rough edges and all.
Tormented Souls isn't for everyone. The static cameras and the difficulty of the puzzles may repel some players and attract others. Being a fan of the genre, I can only appreciate the quality offered by this one. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic survival horror. You will not be disappointed.
Review in French | Read full review