Tormented Souls

Tormented Souls takes classic survival horror tropes and makes them its own with a unique spin that longtime fans of the genre will adore.

The franchises that brought survival horror into the mainstream have either evolved into something more action-packed (Resident Evil) or disappeared entirely (Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark). So if you want to scratch that survival horror itch, you’ve got to turn to indie developers like Dual Effect Games. The studio’s recently released Tormented Souls emulates the puzzle-filled, atmospheric gameplay of the classic Resident Evils and Silent Hill series while introducing its own spin on the formula in a modern framework.

The story is dark and disturbing, primarily told through journals and notes you find scattered around, as well as the occasional cutscene. The voice acting is questionable at times, and the dialogue doesn’t always match the subtitles, but the story itself is pretty interesting. It leaves some points ambiguous, but the resolution was satisfactory and brought most of the story’s elements together. From its story to its gameplay to its structure, Tormented Souls truly feels like a long-lost classic survival horror game, to the point where I looked for my first save point as soon as I heard the ca...

There's no doubt that any fan of classic survival horror titles needs to pick up Tormented Souls. The game is full of Easter eggs to classic horror series and provides a look at what could have been for the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The visuals are detailed and beautiful with excellent light rendering and reflections, while the soundtrack is on par with these older titles. The gameplay is heavy almost to a fault, but offers different options to maneuver around the hospital. The characters and story are forgettable, but the focus of the game is on its design and how it plays. Whil...

I love it when newer horror games really delve into the genre’s past, bringing modern improvements and taking the more hardcore design philosophy that really defined the genre. Games like Signalis, Crow Country or even the original Tormented Souls really brought their own twist to what was once a perceiving stale genre. The past couple of months as a whole have been an excellent year for horror games, with Chronos: The New Dawn and Silent Hill f joining together for two back-to-back bangers...

Tormented Souls feels like a labor of love, paying homage to its predecessors and delivering a survival horror experience akin to the games of the genre’s glory days in the PlayStation 2 era of gaming. This game will not pull in newcomers to the genre, but lovers of survival horror will enjoy this game for its puzzles, tension, and environmental design, even if the game is lacking in some major areas.

The average gamer might want to think twice before picking Tormented Souls up, as mechanically it feels outdated and often rather unwelcoming. The lousy voice acting and unconvincing character models will provide further reason for them to throw in the towel early, too. 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...

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.

Despite some nostalgic quirks that perhaps should have remained in the past, Tormented Souls 2 is an atmospheric callback to the iconic adventures that made contemporary horror gaming what it is.

Tormented Souls is a very clumsy and corny survival horror game that plays like a love letter to genre giants.

Ultimately, although Tormented Souls is a commendable homage to classic survival horror games, its focus on the past is unfortunately its biggest downfall. Advertisements for the game bill it as a "modernisation" of the genre, but the mechanics within feel as archaic as the games it's emulating. At around seven hours or so in length, you'll have a decent time here if you're a die-hard fan of horror games that wishes some of the big names would revisit their origins, but for everyone else, the fixed camera angles and limited combat may prove more frustrating than nostalgic. Add to that some tec...