Titan Souls Reviews
In all, Titan Souls is for people who don't mind struggling to overcome a challenge, but there's little else to grab your attention. It doesn't carry the same weight or intrigue as the games that inspired it, but there's a fun set of battles to test your reflexes.
This is a game built with love and thorough attention to detail. It is a startling debut for a young team who demonstrate an enviable clarity of design. But it falls short of greatness, perhaps because its main ingredients of hulking foes and one-hit kills cannot harmonise over the course of an entire adventure.
Titan Souls is one of the most interesting titles I've played this year. Some issues aside, this is a unique and memorable experience.
Titan Souls finds its best moments when its willing to spare the rod
Titan Souls stretches its simple structure to its breaking point, but before that time comes, it's an intriguing game and a fair but fun challenge.
It requires patience, a keen eye, reflexes and skill - and the ability to accept that you will die a lot. And sometimes it will seem unfair. And sometimes you will want to throw your controller at the nearest hard surface. But Titan Souls is a fantastic game; a fine example of what is possible with a simple idea, stripped-down controls and a dense atmosphere backing it all up.
Titan Souls is an example of a game that successfully uses nostalgia as a jumping off point and not as a central reason to exist. The name and art style might make it seem too familiar, but if you can play through that you'll see it quickly establishes its own identity. It's still a bit of a novelty, but at least it fully commits to that novelty, much like you'll probably commit yourself to defeating every titan once this game sinks its hooks into you.
Whatever time was wasted traipsing across the same screens repeatedly, I sure as hell don't regret the twenty-odd perfect shots that happened along the way. The beauty of Titan Souls is that if you enjoy the demo, you'll find more of the same in the full game, with consistently inventive enemy designs.
A fantastic concept that stays true to its vision, but just falls short where it matters - though will be popular with speed-runners.
One singular great idea is the foundation for a smart and occasionally thrilling action puzzler.
A challenging game with a colossal chip on its shoulder
My normal difficulty run through, save for some exasperation at the final two titans, did make for good pacing. Death or victory come quickly because, for the most part, the titans are designed to leave you few opportunities to win. Running around and staying alive isn't an impressive feat because you're no closer to winning. The moments of opportunity are designed to put you in harms way -- surely killing you should you miss the shot -- doubling down on an intense thrill. The quickness with which these things kill you leaves you always feeling unsafe. That you often have to stare down these charging killers, like drawing an arrow against an oncoming train with a baseball-sized weak point, is exhilarating.
Acid Nerve's tough boss run is precise, ingenious and rewarding.
You need an abundance of patience and a tinge of masochistic tendencies to enjoy it, but Titan Souls is a refreshing return to the brutal boss battles of yesteryear
Titan Souls' creative fights and fluid controls make for intensely satisfying and rewarding one-hit-kill combat.
95 percent of what makes up Titan Souls is boss battles, and fortunately, that's the 95 percent of the game that Acid Nerve nails. Its story is nearly non-existent, and its on the short side, but the quality of the battles against the many Titans mostly make up for Titan Souls shortcomings.
One hit point, one arrow and one target; Titan Souls is an exercise in simplicity. It evokes memories of classic games, as you seek the satisfaction of striking that killing blow to a Titan. Except they are waiting for you, and though I feel there are a few bosses that are particularly difficult, this is a game that deliberately provides the kind of unforgiving challenge, and trial and error gameplay, that people will either love or hate.
Titan Souls strips out all of the bloat of contemporary action games, and boils things down to what should be the best bits. Though it might be a little too condensed for its own good.
Titan Souls is one great idea: all the boss battles with nothing getting in the way. All you have is a bow, an arrow, and your trusty dodge roll. It takes one hit to kill your foes and one hit for them to kill you. Titan Souls is a solid game that doesn't overstay its welcome, even if it feels like your skill might not be involved in every kill.
All of this makes Titan Souls a tough game to recommend. Personally, I found it a chore, becoming so caught up in my frustration that it became difficult to enjoy the detailed pixel artwork, take in the soundtrack, or even find satisfaction in finally killing a boss. However, I think there are players who will love this game. It is an unforgiving, unrelenting challenge that almost no other game offers.