Have fans of the horrors of old finally got something to be excited about? Tormented Souls, the game that markets itself as the return to classic horror is now out. Does it have that old horror feeling about it, or does it just feel old?
Many of the old classic horror games that are still being produced today have moved on. They have evolved to match today’s market, often into a much quicker-paced style of game. But that’s left a previously filled gap in the horror genre.
Tormented Souls Gameplay
Almost straight into the game, you can feel the old Silent Hill vibe of Tormented Souls. Even on the PS5, the graphics aren’t quite next-gen standards, but there’s still something about the game’s design which I found appealing.
You play Tormented Souls as Caroline Walker, who receives a mysterious letter from Winterlake Hospital with a picture of twin girls and a note asking “how could you just leave them there?”.
Bothered by the letter, Caroline decides to take a trip to the hospital. Seconds after arriving she is bashed on the head with a pipe and wakes up naked in a bathtub, with an eye missing and a pipe through her mouth.
While Tormented Souls isn’t as action-packed as modern horror games, they certainly didn’t mess around with putting the protagonist into a dire situation and kicking off the horror straight away. I applaud the no-messing, straight-to-it approach here.
Inventory Items
Interactive objects
Health conditions
Equipped weapon or tool
Switch between resources, files and other tabs
Revived Classis or Stale Attempt?
As you progress through the game, you will start to learn more about the hospital, and its history through files found throughout the game.
The game has been created on a relatively low budget, but considering the protagonist, Caroline is fully voiced throughout the game. It surprisingly seems more of a higher budget game.
The environment works well too, as the hospital is set in an old mansion that had been converted into a hospital. So it has that creepy old mansion feel to it that you had in Resident Evil 1.
Much of the game feels like a nod to the classics like Resident Evil and the developers have done a great job of honoring them.
While the story does have its twists, it’s the environment, lighting, and interactive objects that really make Tormented Souls a great game for me.
You are not able to go into the shadows. If you do, you will be dragged away and met with a “game over” screen. In this dark old mansion, you have to use any light source you can to get around.
As you’re walking through the corridors, things tend to fly off shelves, even shadows had me jumping, ready to flee to the nearest well-lit room.
An Animated Disaster That Didn't Deter Me
The only real issue I could find with Tormented Souls is the combat. The monsters that inhabit the hospital are incredible, the designs are creepy and they look amazing until you see their animations.
As I mentioned above, the game is a relatively low-budget production, and this is where it really shows. Some of the animations in Tormented Souls really could use some polishing.
At the moment they just seem stiff, and it takes away from what could be one of the best classic horror games I’ve seen in years. But with such a great environment, cool puzzles, and gameplay that takes me back to my childhood, I can ignore and forgive these issues.
Personally, I hope the team behind Tormented Souls learns from this game and continues to bring us nostalgic classics that will keep horror fans like me coming back for more.
