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 gamep...

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. F...

The Gamecube remake of Resident Evil is one of the greatest survival horror games of all time, though the horror genre is somewhat on a standstill with very few games really standing out. Granted, there are still some exceptional proper horror games coming out every now and then such as Visage, Amnesia Rebirth and the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Tormented Souls might actually be included to this list,...

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 gamepl...

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 ar...

The average gamer might want to think twice before picking Tormented Souls up, as mechanically it feels outdated and often rather unwelcoming.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 ...

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.

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 horro...