 |
|
|---|---|
| Title | Tormented Souls |
| Developer | Duel Effect, Abstract Digital |
| Publisher | PQube Limited |
| Release Date | August 27th, 2021 |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Horror |
| Platform | PC (Steam), Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 |
| Age Rating | PEGI 18 |
| Official Website | |
Tormented Souls is a survival horror game inspired by the classic Resident Evil games and the Alone in the Dark series. Step into the shoes of Caroline Walker as she investigates Winterlake, a horrible mansion that went on to become a hospital. Uncover the truth in the disappearance of two twin girls along with the dark secrets of this wretched place! Terrible, unspeakable things have taken place within these walls.
As you explore Winterlake, you’ll encounter nasty monsters. For example, the Wheel Monsters are in wheelchairs. According to the website, they were once elderly dementia patients abandoned by their families. Their new caretakers then turned them into the hostile abominations they are now. These are certainly not the only deformed monstrosities you’ll see, though. Some spit from a distance to deal damage. Meanwhile, the monster in the picture below is stationary and attacks if you try to walk by.
Tormented Souls aims to be a classic-style horror game. That means it also contains puzzles utilizing items you’ve found. Some items can be combined into new things like weapons, while others are just used once. You’ll also find diary entries scattered about the mansion, which reveal various bits of dark and unsettling lore.
As you might expect, Tormented Souls features movement and combat that has the clunky sort of feel of classic survival horror games. This can of course make combat a bit trickier at times, but it aims to stay true to the classics of the genre. The gameplay is simple but enjoyable. Also, the game has a limited save system like those classics. You have to collect reels of tape to record your progress. This is similar to collecting ink in Resident Evil so you could save your progress via a typewriter. However, save reels are pretty sparse in the early game when you’re learning the ropes, which can result in repeating stuff you already did a lot when you die.
The visuals in Tormented Souls are quite detailed, dark, and gritty. That’s pretty much what you’d expect in a horror game, and the environments are quite moody at times. I have noticed a number of instances where the GUI shows a right mouse button icon when it should be a left mouse button icon, though.
The music and sound really add to that moody atmosphere. The Winterlake mansion is a very eerie, tense place. You’ll often hear things before you see them, like an enemy clanking around nearby. These kinds of sounds always put you on edge if you hear them upon entering a room, especially if it is a very dark area!
Tormented Souls is a classic survival horror romp through the bowels of the Winterlake Mansion. Beware, as the place is infested with hostile terrors that will gladly end you. The game stays pretty true to the play style of the classics in the genre. It is a pretty decent survival horror adventure, though you might find it on the difficult side, especially if you’re new to such games. You can complete the adventure in 10-20 hours depending on how much you die. The game also includes three different endings to get. While Tormented Souls is currently available for $19.99 on Steam, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5, it will also be coming to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 soon. Can you uncover the fate of the missing twins, or will you perish along the way?
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Overall |    |
Review copy provided by the publisher.
