If you’ve ever thought, “I miss the days when survival horror games punished me for existing,” then Tormented Souls 2 is your dream holiday. Dual Effect has returned to the fixed-camera, tank-control era of the PS2 – a time when save points were sacred, shadows were lethal, and walking down a corridor felt like an extreme sport. Against all odds, it works. It’s a lovingly grim throwback that rewards patience, sharp observation, and a mild tolerance for pain.
Gaming Heaven
Visually, Tormented Souls 2 is a triumph in decaying beauty. Every corridor, crypt, and blood-stained bathtub oozes atmosphere (sometimes literally). The lighting design is masterful – your lighter flickers not for ambience, but because it’s busy trying to warn you that something unspeakable is nearby. The puzzles, while occasionally predictable, are satisfying in that old-school “I’ve unlocked a door after three hours of suffering” kind of way. There’s a genuine sense of dread and reward here that most modern horror games gloss over with jump scares and auto-saves. It’s horror with manners – slow, deliberate, and cruelly polite.
Gaming Hell
Combat, however, feels like trying to fence with a shopping trolley. The auto-lock system has a habit of targeting everything except what’s eating your face, and the dodge mechanic behaves like it’s still in testing. The story doesn’t do much to help either – it’s about as clear as the bottom of a swamp, and assumes you remember every detail from the first game (you won’t). And yes… Let’s just say the protagonist’s “design” choices feel a touch misplaced for a game otherwise dripping in gothic seriousness.
Final Judgement
Tormented Souls 2 is haunting, frustrating, beautiful, and a bit unhinged – which is exactly what survival horror should be. It’s like a lovingly preserved relic from 2002, only slightly more alive.
