Tormented Souls 2 Review – Beware the Shadows

by

Man, horror games are really having a moment right now! It’s awesome seeing both indie devs and the big companies stepping up their game. I’ve been keeping an eye on Dual Effect, and they’re doing some cool stuff. A lot of developers try to reinvent the wheel with horror, but Dual Effect is different – they’re clearly inspired by the classic horror games I grew up with, and I’m totally here for it.

The studio made a solid start with Tormented Souls a few years ago, and now Tormented Souls 2 is back with better graphics, sound, and overall production quality. They’ve also built upon the strengths of the first game, improving the level design and continuing the story shortly after where the original left off.

Following the traumatic events at Wildberger Hospital, Caroline Walker and her sister, Anna, receive an invitation to stay at a secluded manor in the Chilean town of Villa Hess. Both sisters are still struggling with the aftermath – Anna is plagued by disturbing visions, and Caroline is focused on helping Anna heal and move on. But their peace is quickly shattered when Caroline is awakened by Anna’s distant screams and finds her sister being pulled down the hallway.

The story of Tormented Souls 2 is pretty straightforward: you’re trying to escape from a dangerous cult.

Once you find Anna, the main story becomes clear: the manor is full of dangerous cultists and a powerful, shadowy creature that can swiftly kill anyone caught in the dark. Caroline wakes up after a bizarre ritual to find herself covered in knives. She removes them and begins searching for Anna, hoping to escape the manor and Villa Hess for good.

The story in Tormented Souls 2 is fairly straightforward – you need to escape from a dangerous cult. However, it’s a definite improvement over the first game, mainly because the characters are much better developed and the voice acting is significantly stronger. Caroline and Anna, in particular, feel more realistic and convey a wide range of emotions, with voice actors who sound genuinely scared and desperate. You’ll also encounter a more diverse cast of characters, including creepy cultists, the residents of Villa Hess, and even people who might help you along the way.

When it comes to gameplay, Tormented Souls 2 clearly draws inspiration from classic horror games like the original Silent Hill trilogy, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, and Resident Evil 3. It smartly uses fixed camera angles to build tension and atmosphere. This limited camera control makes even simple actions, like turning a corner, genuinely frightening, even if you’re well-equipped to handle what might be there. The game also echoes Silent Hill with its camera following you through long corridors and the inclusion of a disturbing alternate dimension you occasionally have to explore.

Okay, so Tormented Souls 2 isn’t exactly easy on the eyes with its weird camera, and the fighting feels intentionally clunky. But honestly? Despite all that, it’s still really fun to play. It just feels good, you know?

The game’s interface keeps with the horror theme, featuring a deliberately limited display. For example, you check your character’s health through the inventory screen, and even then, only by observing a weakening heartbeat line as you get hurt. The character Caroline also visually shows damage – she’ll start to limp if her health gets too low.

The deliberately awkward combat, combined with other elements, makes Tormented Souls 2 feel like a traditional survival horror game. You won’t be able to precisely aim your weapons, even when you have them. Instead, the game encourages you to either sneak past enemies to conserve limited resources like health and ammo, or use environmental traps to defeat tougher opponents.

Okay, so Tormented Souls 2 isn’t exactly smooth sailing – the camera can be kinda wonky and the combat isn’t super polished. But honestly? It still feels good to play. Controlling Caroline is really responsive, and if you’re using a controller, you can even switch to that classic, tank-style movement from older horror games, which is cool. What I really liked is how they let you quickly swap between items – you can map things to the right stick, so going from using my lighter to see in the dark to whipping out the chainsaw to deal with a monster felt super fast and natural.

“The level design and presence of puzzles essentially go hand-in-hand”

Keeping track of what you collect is a major part of the game. You’ll constantly be managing important items – like keys, puzzle pieces, and story documents – as well as weapons and materials you find to build and improve them.

The game’s environments and puzzles are closely linked, offering a familiar experience for fans of classic and modern horror games like Resident Evil. You begin in a large mansion, and thankfully, you quickly find a map that’s crucial for getting around. Progress often requires solving puzzles, which vary in complexity – sometimes it’s just finding a key, and other times it involves figuring out a sequence, like the correct order to ring bells, to unlock new areas.

While the game initially appears open, especially within the large manor, the level design is actually fairly straightforward. Many hallways lead to dead ends or locked doors that require finding solutions elsewhere, acting as shortcuts. This linearity extends beyond the manor to areas like Villa Hess. However, this isn’t necessarily a flaw; the map design effectively ensures you’re always moving the story forward, and the maps themselves are very helpful in guiding you.

“Sound is another area where Tormented Souls 2 punches well above its weight class”

We tested Tormented Souls 2 on PC and found it ran smoothly. With the graphics settings turned up to the highest level and a resolution of 2560×1440, we consistently achieved a stable 60 frames per second. Our test PC was equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT graphics card, and 32GB of 6000MHz RAM. The game’s beautiful environments and detailed manor hallways really shone with the maximum visual settings enabled.

The sound design in Tormented Souls 2 is surprisingly excellent. Beyond the strong voice acting, the game features a fantastic and immersive soundtrack that really adds to the unsettling atmosphere and amplifies the horror of facing the shadowy creatures and dangerous cultists.

Overall, Tormented Souls 2 is a fantastic sequel. It successfully improves upon the original with refined level design, smoother gameplay, and a straightforward story that provides a compelling reason to explore a creepy mansion and nearby village. Both horror fans and those who enjoy classic games of the genre will find a lot to like, even if it doesn’t break new ground in originality.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Read More

2025-10-26 16:12