There are many puzzles, often based on manipulating items in your inventory or analysing complex 3D elements. Seriously, I often needed pen and paper to keep track of all the puzzles around, and with each new item discovered, I was checking which puzzle it could solve. The player has complete freedom in exploring the hospital, and this will cause several puzzles to appear at the same time. Seriously, it was since a long time that a horror game didn’t show such well-conceived and satisfying puzzles. Probably the best quality of Tormented Souls is how the puzzles are created and implemented. Another nostalgic memory of the old days of survival horror games. Trial-and-error is very important to understand the game and balance resources, especially since saving will need special tapes, which are quite rare. The difficulty is very balanced, maybe just a bit steep in the beginning. When a deadly mutant is chasing you, sometimes the traps can become an ally. I always struggled more to defeat the first enemies of the game, due to their almost homing ranged attack, than the last enemies. There is also an unusual unbalance in the difficulty of each enemy, or at least this was my experience. The appearance of an immortal stalker at some point will improve the variety, but it will not last much. However, there are not many diverse enemies in the game, precisely six, and a couple of boss battles. They are tough to kill, and each of them will need a different strategy. The enemies are mainly grotesque mutants, and they do their job to create an oppressive atmosphere. The weapons are few but very satisfying and original, for example, avoiding providing a generic gun in exchange for a more brutal nailgun. Learning the positions of the enemies and their attack is crucial to avoid or kill them in melee fights, conserving precious ammo. But don’t get me wrong, Tormented Souls is a proper horror experience, so fighting should be your last option. So, I really had a smile on my face when Tormented Souls allowed me to see the main character smashing a grotesque mutant with a crowbar, or shooting a disturbing creature on a wheelchair with a powerful improvised shotgun. For how much I like to hide and run from enemies, I am quite tired of how that became the only way to play 85% of modern horror titles. First, Tormented Souls implements a proper and satisfying fighting system.
Is this a dream, the nightmarish reality, or a puzzle?īut let’s focus now on all the correct things that connect Tormented Souls to the golden era of survival horror games. The graphic is really well done, enriched in details and beautiful models, especially in the background of every room. The plot will have several interesting twists, especially toward the second half, often changing the registry and shifting more toward supernatural events. As expected, Caroline’s search will quickly degenerate into a fight for her life. The story follows Caroline Walker, a woman with a hidden past looking for a missing child after receiving a mysterious letter.
Set on a mysterious abandoned hospital secluded on an island, the game, developed by Dual Effect and Abstract Digital, and published by PQube Limited, moves in every correct direction to build a classic survival horror experience. And Tormented Souls is one of the best approaches for this task. Luckily, indie games exist, and especially in the second half of 2021, different games tried to rebuild and reconnect with the roots of classic survival horror games. Sadly, we all know how that field negatively evolved, shifting more toward action or first-person perspective, till slowly dying, with the tombstone marked by the new pachinko or skateboard branded Silent Hill. But these are only a few examples, and many more horror games marked that wonderful generation. On the PS2, 3rd person survival horror games probably reached their climax, with masterpieces such as Silent Hill 2, Fatal Frame 2, and Forbidden Siren 2.
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