Tormented Souls

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 71 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 71
  3. Negative: 13 out of 71

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  1. mbestvina
    Nov 8, 2021
    9
    Do you love old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill and wish someone would make more? Then buy Tormented Souls.

    Do you think fixed camera angles, convoluted puzzles, and limited saves are the devil and that RE sucked before RE4? Then don’t buy this game. And that’s pretty much it! Like many indie games, this is a clear attempt to revive a dead genre. The gameplay is mostly Resident    Do you love old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill and wish someone would make more? Then buy Tormented Souls.

    Do you think fixed camera angles, convoluted puzzles, and limited saves are the devil and that RE sucked before RE4? Then don’t buy this game.

    And that’s pretty much it! Like many indie games, this is a clear attempt to revive a dead genre. The gameplay is mostly Resident Evil, while the setting, atmosphere, and story are very Silent Hill. More specifically, I think if you're a fan of RE1 and its remake, then you'll adore this game. Like RE1, TS is one giant mansion/hospital so there's a ton of puzzles and backtracking for keys and puzzles. There are 3 guns and a melee weapon, with the combat heavily echoing those games of days past. There's a lack of enemy variety, particularly in the first half of the game but the combat serves its purpose. The bosses are the bigger letdown, with only 2 bosses, and the final boss being pretty bad. The story and setting will surely grab any Silent Hill fan. Its main twists are a bit predictable, while the specifics of the story are a bit convoluted (I needed someone to draw me a family tree) but the story carries you through the game effortlessly.

    The atmosphere is excellent from start to finish. The soundtrack is phenomenal, often mirroring Silent Hill's creepier music in tense sections, while mirroring Resident Evil's delicious save room music in calmer parts. The levels in the game look amazing as well, easily outshining its low pricetag, though you can see it in the human character models that look cel-shaded and out of place. This game genuinely scared me countless times, which is really impressive. Its main unique feature is a focus on lighting. You're not able to fight enemies in darkness and you have to put away your weapon to use your lighter so this creates some really tense moments. I had the shadow effects on "low" and they were still probably the best I've ever seen.

    Anyway, onto the negatives... I love RE1 but I've long felt its weakness is its over-reliance on puzzles and backtracking. A lot of people love it the most for that reason but I've always preferred the RE2-3/SH style that keep you moving from area to area. Those games have better pacing to me, they're harder to get stuck, and generally have a better sense of forward momentum. TS is even more devoted to puzzles than RE1 so I wouldn't say this is a favorite for me in the genre, purely on personal preference. The RE1 remake compensated for its excessive amount of keys with a more helpful map but TS gives you a map that's almost worthless. In many ways, this a more extreme version of RE1 and is definitely a bad starting place if you haven't played these games before. You can easily miss an important item and a couple logic puzzles are a little ridiculous (damn that monkey puzzle!). I only used a guide twice but I'm sure some players will have even more frustration than that. I was completely stuck for 30+ minutes at several points, which some might love but was a bit excessive for me and wore me down by the end. I think a difficulty select, preferably with SH's puzzle options would have served this game well. It feels somewhere between normal and hard on those classic games. I had a couple usability problems as well. When you go into the inventory, it goes to puzzle items instead of equipment, even though you'll want the latter 95% of the time so that's an extra button press every time. I would have appreciated a hot key to switch weapon and lighter as well, this gets kind of tedious. The documents are also sorted chronologically, which makes the story more digestible but means you'll easily lose track of documents you need for puzzle solving.

    Negatives aside, this game can really stand toe to toe with some of the games it's imitating. It easily outshines lesser games like SH4 and RE0, for reference, and is better in some ways than the best of either series. You might call this game a copy-cat but it's so well made and offers just enough to stand out that I have a ton of respect for. This style of game has also been dead for so long, that the fact that we have a beautiful, modern game in this style is more than enough for me.    … Expand
  2. Phantox10
    Mar 6, 2022
    9
    Como un gran fan de los Survival Horror clásicos y una vez conseguidos todos los logros en mi cuenta de Steam tengo que decir que es una de las grandes sorpresas que me he llevado...
    El juego se siente muy fiel a la experiencia que nos ofrecían aquellos Silent Hill y Resident Evil de antaño, pero el ser tan fan de este genero no me hace dejar de lado los puntos negativos con respecto al    Como un gran fan de los Survival Horror clásicos y una vez conseguidos todos los logros en mi cuenta de Steam tengo que decir que es una de las grandes sorpresas que me he llevado...
    El juego se siente muy fiel a la experiencia que nos ofrecían aquellos Silent Hill y Resident Evil de antaño, pero el ser tan fan de este genero no me hace dejar de lado los puntos negativos con respecto al mismo.
    Para empezar el trabajo de doblaje no me parece el mejor, tampoco así las animaciones, las cuales pueden llegar a sentirse muy fuera de lugar (incluso para un juego de los 90), de hecho si lo comparamos con los grandes clásicos ya mencionados, podemos ver una clara diferencia de calidad; esto podría justificarse un poco por el bajo presupuesto, pero en realidad dejaron una oportunidad espectacular para dejar el nombre de Chile en alto.
    La iluminación me ha encantado, pero tengo que admitir que me ha resultado una experiencia un tanto complicada, primero que nada porque muchas veces la ambientación va a destiempo con los sucesos, hay partes en que la musica estará a tope pero no tendremos ninguna clase de peligro, haciendo que nos saque abruptamente de la experiencia, de hecho tengo que mencionar que lo empecé a jugar mucho antes de que incluyeran un botón para asignar el mapa... Esto me hubiera gustado desde el comienzo, pero por ser algo que ya se encuentra incluido no lo tomaré en cuenta.
    En lo personal siento que los detalles de optimización y los frames por segundo varían mucho, aun así yo si lo recomiendo sin duda, me ha encantado.    … Expand
  3. Tangurl
    Feb 5, 2022
    8
    Fixed-camera is not dead, this game proved that. Puzzles are fine, they're not very complex but not utterly easy, nothing too specials compared to most games. Combats are normal, nothing worth noting. Camera angles on the other hand is the sell point of this game. They got the inspiration from the old Resident Evil and Silent Hills games, almost everyone probably knows that. And they did aFixed-camera is not dead, this game proved that. Puzzles are fine, they're not very complex but not utterly easy, nothing too specials compared to most games. Combats are normal, nothing worth noting. Camera angles on the other hand is the sell point of this game. They got the inspiration from the old Resident Evil and Silent Hills games, almost everyone probably knows that. And they did a good job too. There are many points in the game that the limited view angles make the game much more scarier, something third-person view could never achieve. Story is quite interesting too, although no crazy plot twists or something completely new. Also it's worth noting that there are many points in the game, that they forcefully put that horrendous annoying soundtrack on to make the game scarier and they failed (you'll know what I mean). Overall, definitely worth checking out.… Expand
  4. KleytonHunter
    Oct 31, 2021
    9
    excellent game with the RE and silent hill felling,its not perfect but is very smart in some aspects,if you are a fan of RE,silent hill and the isometric style then go play
  5. NightLord-_
    Feb 25, 2022
    9
    Those who rated this game with a 0 dont event know how to properly play a CLASSIC survival horror game, If resident evil AND silent hill had a baby that would be tormented souls but with a few twists, the weapons and the darkness mechanic, pretty fun stuff, the puzzles are not for beginners, perhaps thats why they rated it like that, clueless players.
  6. Kunray
    Sep 2, 2021
    10
    The game is a beautiful,I recommend giving it a try.
    Old school survival horror.
  7. mamfred
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    Un juego practicamente perfecto, con gran jugabilidad y volviendo a las raices de los juegos de terror.
    en mi opinion uno de los mejores juegos de terror.
    en cuanto a los puzzles tienen una buena dificultad, son entretenidos, y diversos.
    totalmente recomendado este juego
  8. iafanasyev
    Sep 15, 2021
    10
    This is beautiful horror game. Puzzles are great and really makes your brain work. Fixed camera and tape is good old solution to make game more scary. There are not many resources (ammo and med-kits), so you should use it very careful. It takes 12-15 hours to complete story.
    10/10 the best old school horror since first RE.
  9. Andres_ftw
    Sep 11, 2021
    10
    Oh man, where should I start? I absolutely love this gem of a game, the puzzles presented here are so great and awesome! The characters and story are very interesting, there are sections that reminded me of Silent Hill, absolutely scary and **** sections. I also loved that you can't just go guns blazing just like in the RE Classic games, item management is super important here. For me thisOh man, where should I start? I absolutely love this gem of a game, the puzzles presented here are so great and awesome! The characters and story are very interesting, there are sections that reminded me of Silent Hill, absolutely scary and **** sections. I also loved that you can't just go guns blazing just like in the RE Classic games, item management is super important here. For me this is a 10/10 game, especially considering we are talking about a small team of devs. We need more like this game in the industry, PLEASE!… Expand
  10. hazardman89
    Sep 1, 2021
    10
    The game is easily one of the best survival horror titles made in a long time. It's well paced, has great puzzles that really test your mind, and a great story reminiscent of classic titles from years long past.

    The fixed camera angles work as they're supposed to, disorienting the player, and making it difficult to keep your bearings. The dynamic angles change in certain locations as    The game is easily one of the best survival horror titles made in a long time. It's well paced, has great puzzles that really test your mind, and a great story reminiscent of classic titles from years long past.

    The fixed camera angles work as they're supposed to, disorienting the player, and making it difficult to keep your bearings. The dynamic angles change in certain locations as you enter and exit, making you have to think twice about where you're standing, and where you're going. You'll definitely need to rely on the map to succeed, with all of the twists and turns in the maze known as the Winterlake Mansion.

    Managing your resources is paramount. No blindly killing every enemy in sight. You'll need to save as much as you can so you can survive during the later levels. If you think the first few enemies are tough, the late game definitely tests your mettle.

    The puzzles are real head scratchers. You'll really have to pay attention to the files and stories spread throughout the mansion. Thinking outside the box is imperative. It's not as simple as taking one item from one end to the map to another. Use everything at your disposal, test every combination, and make sure you've exhausted all of your options. some results might surprise you.

    The narrative enveloping it all is great. the way the plot progresses keeps you invested, and the role you and others play in certain events will definitely catch you off guard. This is a story worth exploring, and the mechanics its presented with do it great justice.

    This game is definitely not for the feint of heart. And it's definitely not for people who are accustomed to the watered down fetch quests the survival horror genre has devolved into. The lack of linearity that people are used to now is gone, and it definitely wont hold your hand with glowing arrows or objective markers. It's all up to you to solve the mystery, and you alone.

    Will you survive, or will you fail?

    It's all in your hands.

    pros:
    -Return to classic survival horror tropes
    -Well balanced
    -Resources are scarce and valuable
    -Great story
    -Difficult puzzles
    -Multiple endings
    -Great enemy and character design

    Cons:
    -A lack of boss fights
    -Mild graphical glitches
    -Some puzzles might be *too* hard (positive for me, but, mileage varies)    … Expand
  11. thierry1988
    Sep 30, 2021
    10
    Melhor game do estilo, merece muito ganhar o prêmio de melhor indie do ano.
  12. Issourisi
    Sep 10, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Incredible survival horror hold school hommage , this ambiance and ost is awesome looks like resident evil 2 and silent hill a game just for fan and élite gamer… Expand
  13. Shuffled
    Oct 18, 2021
    10
    Takes me back to the types of games I enjoyed as a child and just makes me wonder why these type of games don't exist anymore, please support tormented souls, I might be on an island but these 5-8 hour key searching, puzzle solving environmental horror titles are much worthy of my money than another bland open world journey.
  14. Unbeknownst_Man
    Sep 9, 2021
    9
    Borrowing some elements and inspiration from classic survival horror games like Resident Evil 1 Remake and Silent Hill, it delivers a new story to delve into, with interesting puzzles, mechanics and very good level design. A must try for fans of the genre, at worst, and a must-play and finish for people that want that return to early 2000s survival horror, at best.
    With a decent price tag    Borrowing some elements and inspiration from classic survival horror games like Resident Evil 1 Remake and Silent Hill, it delivers a new story to delve into, with interesting puzzles, mechanics and very good level design. A must try for fans of the genre, at worst, and a must-play and finish for people that want that return to early 2000s survival horror, at best.
    With a decent price tag and a wide array of platforms to try it on, Tormented Souls is a title that hopefully paves the way for a return to classic survival horror games of this same style.    … Expand
  15. xikipeke
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    De 10.
    Obra maestra absoluta. Tiene lo mejor de Resident Evil, Silent Hill y Project Zero.
    Survival old school total, camara fija, jugabilidad asombrosas, movimientos perfectos, combates brutales. Es increible que sea un indie, joya descomunal.
  16. WailingPuma
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    Brief review of this gem: Anyone that enjoyed survival horror games in the 90's will love Tormented Souls. Puzzles (many and challenging), ammo and healing items are scarce, spooky atmosphere and jump scares. It has it all, for a low price. Many of the bad reviews herr come from people who clearly are opposite to this kind of game
  17. ChrisUK
    Oct 4, 2021
    8
    First of all: Wow. So much negativity from some other reviews. Take a deep breath, put down your controllers / keyboards, and go back to Assassin's Creed ;)

    Tormented Souls was a surprise for me. I had glanced at the name and overlooked it, but when my friend said try it, I couldn't stop. 14 hours or so later (I found everything and got the good ending - no walkthrough), and I can    First of all: Wow. So much negativity from some other reviews. Take a deep breath, put down your controllers / keyboards, and go back to Assassin's Creed ;)

    Tormented Souls was a surprise for me. I had glanced at the name and overlooked it, but when my friend said try it, I couldn't stop. 14 hours or so later (I found everything and got the good ending - no walkthrough), and I can confidently say the developers achieved what they set out to create: A love letter to classic survival horror games.

    "This game contains scenes of explicit violence and gore" title page, the colour of the ammo boxes, layout of the mansion / hospital, items spinning into view as you pick them up, save ribbons / spools, the inventory with health meter, puzzles, and camera angles (although sometimes it does move and track you in TS) etc all hark back to Resi. But some things are missing, and for the better: No more laborious door animations (loading is instant), no more mixing herbs for health, no limit to number of items you can carry - and the game is much more fluid because of it.

    TS isn't that easy, and some people might resent this. The puzzles can be tricky, but I only got stuck twice, with only one time when what I was meant to do was really tough to figure out. When you do crack the puzzles the feeling is rewarding. There are enough ammo and health items if you're not wasteful or trigger-happy (it is possible to kill all the enemies and not have to run from them), but pace yourself with saves, and try to always have one or two audio spools handy. I only died once right at the start of the game where I walked down a dark corridor without the lighter -_-

    I love the main character design (cute but badass with the biker jacket and eye patch) and her backstory (although it could have been explored a bit more - maybe in the next game). Enemies are diverse enough but they are also all variations on mutilated humans. Some animals / bugs for the full Resi experience would have been nice, but that's asking a lot - again, maybe in the sequel. The environments can be quite tense and scary, and although I am not a fan of gore or violent games, they did a suitably horrific job with all the blood and guts etc. Going back to compare this to games like Resi Zero and Resi 1 remake on the GameCube (and the HD versions on other consoles), the environments in TS are fully 3D and look amazing. The Resi pre-rendered ones are also very detailed but a completely different look, and I like what they did with TS. The weapons are simple but inventive, with just about enough choices to give the player options and keep things interesting. Items you pick up look great too, although there is currently no "zoom in / out" option which would have been nice to fully appreciate their modelling and details. Cut scenes and voices are suitably cheesy (and maybe a bit predictable), but at the same time surprisingly well-done and even emotional at times - they fit the overall game design perfectly. The voice acting is far better than the original Resident Evil. The story can be a little confusing but there are some fun ideas there and it again fits the game well. There are also three endings and plenty of trophies and collectables for repeat runs.

    So, TS does a lot right, but what could be improved? I think first of all we must remember this is an "indie" game, but at the same time is FAR superior to many big developer's efforts! I only encountered a few bugs and none were game-breaking, and we all know how many huge and expensive games get released riddled with issues and totally unplayable... Credit needs to be given to the developers here for a job well-done. But on to the things that could be changed: The maps have red and green sections, but I don't understand why, and they also don't show which areas you have visited or have unlocked. They are fine but they could be a bit clearer and with a tiny bit more information on them. Enemies: Again, not a big deal, but a little bit more variation would have been nice. The final boss is also far too easy, and there are no difficulty settings. The mansion / hospital location is fine, and the developers did a great job making it look so good and filled with beautiful details, but it's also a well-worn stereotype and the only part of the game which I felt copied Resident Evil too closely without any real benefit. It works well for this game but in the sequel I really would love to see some more inventive locations! Bonus unlockable items: These could be added in an update (outfits, unlimited ammo / health, concept art etc). And honestly, that's about it.

    I'll tell you another thing too: I'd rather play Tormented Souls than Resident Evil 6, 7, or 8, or the Resi 2 or 3 remakes, any day. Just let that sink in for a moment and you will realise what has been accomplished here by giving fans of the genre what they really want. It's a great game and I very much look forward to seeing where this IP goes next.    … Expand
  18. ket
    Aug 8, 2023
    8
    A good game on PC with decent graphics, sans character models, and with all the classic horror tropes from bygone days of the PSX, just don't buy this game for last generation hardware (PS4, Pro, Switch, etc), performance and visuals are horrible there.
  19. strangermoon
    May 23, 2023
    8
    modern slient hill 2 style indie game. graphics looks great. more adventure game than medium.
  20. Stampede60kk
    Jun 29, 2022
    9
    Great game to fans of Resident evil and Silent Hill it feels like this two games combined. Good survival. Great music. And most important splendid atmosphere.
  21. denibel2507
    Jul 3, 2022
    8
    A solid game for the fasn of the genre. The story is captivating and the gameplay is so nostalgic. Some puzzles may be just a bit too frustrating for their own good. Overall it´s a much appretiated commemoration of old school survival horror.
  22. mmarko433
    Mar 30, 2022
    10
    Tormented Souls the best game ever made and i am a fan of games like silent hill and resident evil, just keep going and give a rating of 10/10.
  23. Zallen
    Sep 9, 2022
    9
    Достойный плод вдохновленный родоначальниками жанра "Resident Evi" и "Silent Hill". Все по канону - камера, геймплей, бойовка, неповоротливый персонаж, ебаки каннибалы, атмосфера зла + фансервис в лице героини для аниме хантеров. И в чем точно уж игра не уступает своим прародителям, так это в головоломках, которые на том же уровне - если не сильнее, которые было невероятно интересноДостойный плод вдохновленный родоначальниками жанра "Resident Evi" и "Silent Hill". Все по канону - камера, геймплей, бойовка, неповоротливый персонаж, ебаки каннибалы, атмосфера зла + фансервис в лице героини для аниме хантеров. И в чем точно уж игра не уступает своим прародителям, так это в головоломках, которые на том же уровне - если не сильнее, которые было невероятно интересно разгадывать напрягая серную жидкость в мозгу.
    9ть гвоздометов из 10ти.    … Expand
  24. OMGitsTHEMEMI
    May 18, 2023
    8
    Another game inspired by the resident evil saga, it is a perfect horror game with an interesting history that will hook you up pretty fast the gameplay is fine but at times it felt a bit rought.

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Nov 30, 2021
    56
    Resident Evil 2 Remake shows how to properly blend old-school horror ideas with modern action to create a great game. Tormented Souls ignored all that and tried to copy the original one-to-one, with predictable result: it’s a bland clone of a game two decades old. [Issue#256, p.38]
  2. GameSpace
    Oct 7, 2021
    80
    Tormented Souls is an extremely atmospheric game that will please the connoisseurs of the survival horror genre.
    Read full review
  3. Ragequit.gr
    Sep 26, 2021
    79
    Boasting good puzzles and solid level design, Tormented Souls doesn't break new ground, but it does well what it set out to do. It's not a game I would recommend to everyone since you have to get used to the clunky combat and the lack of guidance and be equipped with enough patience to overcome the initial difficulty barrier.
    Read full review
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