Empty Soul
- March 13, 2015
- ClorithStudio
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Empty Soul" is a narrative-driven game featuring a young scientist girl. After an experiment goes wrong, she finds herself in a haunted and surreal world. Players must navigate through this disturbing reality, solving puzzles and making choices that impact the story's outcome. The game is available on Steam and Itch.io.
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story with intriguing twists and turns, keeping players engaged.
- The pixel art and graphics style are visually appealing, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- There is a good variety of puzzles and multiple endings, adding replay value and depth to the gameplay.
- The game suffers from poor design choices, such as cluttered environments that can obstruct player movement and navigation.
- Dialogue pacing is slow and unskippable at times, which can disrupt the flow of the game and lead to player frustration.
- There are significant technical issues, including framerate slowdowns and glitches that can hinder the overall experience.
- story20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story of "Empty Soul" follows a young woman named Solan through a complex narrative divided into four chapters, featuring intriguing characters and unexpected twists. While some players appreciate the depth and atmosphere, others find the plot overly complicated and the pacing slow, with dialogue that can feel tedious. Overall, the game is recognized for its solid storytelling, despite some grammatical issues and a few players feeling the narrative could be more engaging.
“The story of Empty Soul has us follow a young woman by the name of Solan.”
“Okay, it's time to talk about the likes; the story is very good with plenty of great twists and turns.”
“Great story, surprisingly imaginative use of RPG Maker, and just the right amount of creepiness to make the puzzles enjoyable whilst keeping the atmosphere intense, but not over the top.”
“At times the plot got a little too complex and instead of feeling intrigued, I just felt fatigued.”
“I also would like the option to speed up the dialogue in the game as the waiting often created a sense that the game's story was starting to drag on longer than it should have been.”
“The game can also be kind of slow; I don't mean the game has a lagging problem, but after a puzzle or some part of the story, there will be dialogue that takes its time to say, which can be tedious, especially in the alternate ending where there is text you can't skip.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily centered around the story, with achievements tied to the main narrative, mini-games, and item interactions. While the mechanics are well-explained, some players find the gameplay experience frustrating and annoying.
“The gameplay is engaging and keeps you invested in the story.”
“All the achievements are linked to gameplay from the main story, as well as mini-games, side quests, and item usage/combining.”
“The mechanics are clearly explained, making it easy to understand and enjoy the gameplay.”
“But gameplay-wise, it's just too annoying.”
“Other than this, all the achievements are linked to gameplay from the main story, and a few others from the mini-games, side quests, and item usage/combining.”
“Beyond this, there isn't much in the game for art as it's more focused on the story and gameplay, both of which I mentioned a bit above.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally well-received, featuring a spooky and intense ambiance enhanced by great music and sound effects. However, repetitive dialogues can detract from the immersion, as they undermine the emotional impact of interactions. Overall, the imaginative use of RPG Maker contributes to a compelling atmosphere that balances creepiness with enjoyable puzzles.
“Great story, surprisingly imaginative use of RPG Maker, and just the right amount of creepiness to make the puzzles enjoyable whilst keeping the atmosphere intense, but not over the top.”
“The music is great, and the sound effects really make you feel scared, so the atmosphere is also good.”
“The atmosphere in the game is okay and kind of spooky.”
“The dialogues and monologues repeat whenever you re-initiate them, which takes away from the atmosphere and is sometimes even downright dumb (the heroine is shocked every time again when you interact with an object, which is disturbing).”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, contributing to a great atmosphere and enhancing the overall experience, with many users noting its quality and the inclusion of a free soundtrack. Additionally, the game provides easy access to the soundtrack and artbook, adding value for players.
“The music in the game is good.”
“Includes a free soundtrack, too!”
“The music is great, and the sound effects really create a scary atmosphere.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack feels generic and doesn't enhance the gaming experience.”
“I expected more from the music; it doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, particularly due to lengthy dialogues that cannot be skipped, especially in alternate endings. The puzzles are criticized for feeling more like laborious tasks rather than engaging challenges, which may deter those who dislike repetitive gameplay.
“The game can also be kind of slow; I don't mean the game has a lagging problem, but after a puzzle or some part of the story, there will be dialogue that takes its time to unfold, which can be tedious, especially in the alternate ending where the text can't be skipped.”
“Clunky and tedious.”
“And they should feel like puzzles, not like tedious seeking quests.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Empty Soul - S&S Edition" are praised for their appealing pixel art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic of the game. While the game has its flaws, the visuals contribute positively to the RPG Maker horror experience, creating a nice and somewhat spooky atmosphere.
“The pixel art and graphics style are very nice to look at, and the music in the game is good.”
“If you can get past its flaws, Empty Soul - S&S Edition is a flawed but pretty good RPG Maker horror game, reminiscent of Silent Hill, with a very nice pixel art and graphics style that adds to the spooky atmosphere.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is generally not criticized for performance issues or functionality; rather, concerns arise from specific design choices that may affect the overall experience.
“My issues did not come from performance, or the game not running, but from design choices.”
