

The story is dark and disturbing, primarily told through journals and notes you find scattered around, as well as the occasional cutscene. I’m solving them because I understand how the game’s mechanic works, but when the protagonist outright states her ignorance of what’s happening, why would she do those things from a story perspective? These are minor criticisms, though, since story justification for these types of puzzles always requires some suspension of disbelief. While it’s understandable that she wouldn’t believe it right away, it raises the question of why she’s solving those puzzles. Those sections are excellent, and my only criticism is that Caroline appears oblivious to how they work. Without getting into spoilers, there are a couple of ways you’ll visit alternate versions of the hospital to assist in your puzzle-solving. Tormented Souls also plays with time and space for some of its puzzles. A fair amount of backtracking is required as you find new key items, and I even took notes on areas to return to later. Since key items aren’t marked in any way, you’ll also need to search each room thoroughly to make sure you’ve picked up anything you’ll need. At another point, I thought the clue meant something different than what it actually did, and spent quite some time scouring the hospital for a nonexistent item. There were a few times when my progress stalled at a puzzle not because I couldn’t figure it out, but because I could see multiple possibilities and wasn’t sure which was the correct one. A handful of them, however, can be frustrating because you’ll need to guess how the developers intend you to interpret the clues. Many of these are the sorts of puzzles that made me grin with delight when the pieces finally fell into place and I figured out the solution. Puzzles range from simply finding the right key (or key items) to unlock a particular door to trickier riddles you’ll need to solve. You save by using tape recorders, and that means you need tapes–a limited resource that will be one of the most valuable items you find. Speaking of save points, you’ll need to think carefully about when to save your game. The map doesn’t show your location, but does mark save points and certain other key locations. Most areas contain a map you can pick up and check from your inventory at any time. This adds a good deal of tension, although it can be tedious to open up your inventory every time to switch which item you have equipped.Įxploration and puzzle-solving are at the heart of Tormented Souls, and as you explore the hospital, you’ll come across numerous locked doors and other key locations that you’ll need to return to later. Since your first light source is a lighter that must be equipped, early encounters often task you with reaching a well-lit area so you can switch to a weapon. Darkness is also a threat, however Caroline will die if she spends too long in the dark. Many times, the ominous clanking of a monster hauling itself toward me alerted me that I was in danger while I tried frantically to see where the threat was coming from. The enemies are nightmarish in appearance, often consisting of the twisted remains of a person hooked up to medical equipment, and the sound design is excellent.


A single melee weapon, a crowbar, lets you conserve ammo a bit more, although a few swipes from an enemy can easily take Caroline down if you aren’t careful. Ammo is plentiful enough to take down most of the enemies that stand in your way, while still scarce enough to make me nervous about running out. You’ll obtain a handful of weapons to help you fend off the monsters that stalk the hospital’s halls. This is the start of Tormented Souls, a survival horror game that follows in the footsteps of genre classics, complete with fixed camera angles to show off its ominous environments. She sets out in search of the twins as well as the truth of what happened to her, but the hospital is abandoned and filled with horrific monsters.
TORMENTED SOULS DOOR PUZZLE CODE
MonsterVine was provided with a PC code for review.Ī strange photograph sends Caroline Walker to an old mansion-turned-hospital in search of two twin girls, only to be attacked from behind and wake up missing an eye.
TORMENTED SOULS DOOR PUZZLE SERIES
Platforms: PC (reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Return to the world of survival horror in a new take on the classic survival horror formula that stays true to its predecessors while providing a compelling and disturbing adventure through an abandoned hospital.ĭeveloper: Dual Effect and Abstract Digital Works
