Tormented Souls 2 is a Frighteningly Good Sequel

Horror cinema is currently suffering from an identity crisis, with fans of the genre split between favoring slow-burn psychological terror over traditional “slasher” flicks. The rise of the former, often referred to as “elevated horror,” has led to some fans lamenting the bygone days of masked killers in the woods exploiting stupid teens to rack up ridiculous body counts.

Video game horror is experiencing its own inner turmoil, with myriad story-focused, slow-burn indie horror titles flooding the digital marketplace in recent years. And then there are the “jump scare” games that are all the rage with young audiences – games like Five Nights at Freddy's, Hello Neighbor, etc. Publishers such as Puppet Combo and Chilla's Art offer plenty of bite-sized “lo-fi” horror offerings, but sometimes you want something a little more substantial.

Classic “survival horror” in the vein of Alone in the Dark and the original Resident Evil feels largely forgotten, but Chilean developer Dual Effect turned heads in 2021 with the excellent Tormented Souls, which felt like a proper throwback to a bygone era of horror video games. Four years later, the highly anticipated sequel has finally arrived, but is it a worthy sequel with new ideas, or the video game equivalent of a Platinum Dunes horror reboot?

What is Tormented Souls 2?

To make amends for that last question, I will state with confidence that Tormented Souls 2 shares nothing in common with Platinum Dunes' terrible horror films. Quite the contrary, Tormented Souls 2 is just as loving an homage to Alone in the Dark-inspired horror as its predecessor.

The story, set in the mid-1990s, picks up shortly after the events of the first game. Protagonist Caroline Walker has rescued her younger sister Anna from the clutches of their evil grandfather and travels to a remote convent in Chile to help Anna recover from her ordeal. It doesn't take long before things go topsy-turvy and Anna is kidnapped by yet another group of occult ritualists hell-bent on resurrecting an evil god. As Caroline, you explore creepy environments in search of Anna while solving devious puzzles and blasting demonic foes with firearms.

Or running from said foes. Running is good. Running is always good.

“Nailing” Those Classic Horror Vibes

The moment you gain control of Caroline serves as something of a litmus test. If your initial instinct is to reach your thumb for the analog stick, you'll likely be pleased to be able to move Caroline directly, similar to analog movement in the Resident Evil HD Remaster. Using the d-pad is akin to “tank controls,” where movement is relative to Caroline's positioning, with Up always moving her forward. I found both control schemes to have their drawbacks, but skirting around enemies is generally easier when using the analog stick.

Keep in mind that while fully 3D, the game uses fixed camera angles that sometimes change at unexpected times. An auto-aim feature makes combat slightly less disorienting when the camera angle shifts, but the constant need for visual reorientation is one of my biggest complaints about Tormented Souls 2. Boss battles can be especially frustrating in this regard, as the slightest misstep can result in Caroline being smashed to pulp by, say, a 10-foot nun wielding a crucifix as if it were a warhammer.

Combat is otherwise as “retro” as you would expect. Keep your distance as you use your nailgun or shotgun, exploit a handy dodge mechanic, and finish off downed enemies with a melee attack. And for those like myself who played through the entirety of Tormented Souls 1 without realizing there was a melee attack, the sequel has a dedicated melee weapon. I'm still embarrassed by that!

A Slight Case of Misplaced Nostalgia

Another feeling you'll likely have immediately after beginning the game is one of profound familiarity – and not just because both Tormented Souls games harken to the golden age of survival horror. The first five hours or so feel almost like a rehash of the original game. You explore similar environments using the same types of weapons to fight the same sorts of shambling horrors. Even the narrative structure is shockingly similar, with Caroline trying to piece together what happened as she was unconscious in an infirmary.

Any concern that Tormented Souls 2 is a hollow retread quickly dissipates when new and surprisingly varied environments are introduced. Whether it be a commercial district, a processing plant, or an eerie school, the new locations are not only visually refreshing but also allow for more puzzle variety. The Silent Hill-inspired “Other World” and time-distorting VHS tapes make a return and lend themselves quite well to environmental puzzles.

Fear-Inducing Puzzles

When you think of '90s horror games such as Resident Evil or Alone in the Dark, you think of creepy environments, ghoulish creatures… and puzzles. Lots of puzzles. Logic puzzles, spatial puzzles, environmental puzzles… whatever your preference, Tormented Souls 2 has plenty, and they're as difficult as they are satisfying. Just imagine the Professor Layton music playing as you scratch your head, and you'll feel right at home.

Having a sharp mind isn't all that is required to solve the game's particularly esoteric puzzles, however. Items are strewn throughout the environments and are often easy to miss. You have to be very thorough in investigating every nightmarish nook and cranny lest you overlook an item needed for a puzzle. There is a LOT of backtracking even when not hunting down a missed item, so double- and even triple-check every single room for a less frustrating experience.

Horrific Sights and Sounds

For an indie title, Tormented Souls 2 looks and sounds phenomenal. Flickering flames cause shadows to dance across walls, revealing macabre, detailed backgrounds. Creature designs invoke the most repulsive aspects of body horror to make your skin crawl. Character models do suffer a bit in well-lit cut scenes, but the graphics engine benefits from what is otherwise dark and dreary art direction, with not-so-silent menaces just out of sight at any given moment. Darkness even comes into play literally, with Caroline unable to be in complete darkness for more than a handful of seconds, so keep that lighter handy!

Music and sound effects do their job well, even if the former can be a little too derivative of classic Resident Evil. The comforting piano keys that play in save rooms are the good kind of nostalgic, but there were times when the music just made me feel like I should be in a police department looking for Leon Kennedy. Sound design is on point with enemies, who growl, hiss, and moan throughout each hellish location.

Final Thoughts

Tormented Souls 2 pays wonderful homage to classic survival horror while improving upon its predecessor in several key ways, being roughly 50% longer and boasting more varied locations while never feeling bloated. The story and characters aren't particularly memorable, but the atmospheric presentation and tense combat situations make it a perfect “stormy evening” title. Dual Effect clearly has a lot of passion for the genre and has crafted a budget-priced horror title that should appeal to any horror fan.

Overall Rating:

Disclaimer: Geek to Geek Media was provided with a review copy of this title for Steam, from which all screenshots in this article are taken.