Empty Soul

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The story is engaging with plenty of twists and turns, keeping players invested in Solan's journey.
The pixel art and graphics style are visually appealing, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.
The game includes a variety of endings and has a chapter select feature, allowing for replayability and exploration of different outcomes.

The game suffers from poor design choices, such as unskippable dialogue and cluttered environments that hinder gameplay.
There are significant technical issues, including framerate slowdowns and glitches that can disrupt the experience.
The implementation of jumpscares and health mechanics feels forced and can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The story of "Empty Soul" follows a young woman named Solan through four chapters, featuring intriguing twists and well-developed characters, particularly her sister. While the narrative is engaging and atmospheric, some players noted issues with pacing and grammatical errors that detracted from the experience. Overall, the game is praised for its imaginative storytelling and ability to maintain player interest, despite some dialogue being slow and tedious.
- “The story is very good with plenty of great twists and turns.”
- “A very well done (and long) game with a story that keeps you wanting to play.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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, the dialogue takes its time, which can be tedious, especially in the alternate ending where the text can't be skipped.”
- “At times the plot got a little too complex, and instead of feeling intrigued, I just felt fatigued.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The gameplay is primarily focused on the story, with mechanics that are well-explained, but many players find it frustrating and annoying. Achievements are tied to the main story, mini-games, side quests, and item interactions, indicating a structured approach to gameplay, though it may not be enjoyable for everyone.
- “Good story and mechanics are clearly explained.”
- “The gameplay is engaging and keeps you invested in the story.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The game's atmosphere is generally described as spooky and intense, effectively enhanced by great music and sound effects that contribute to a sense of fear. However, repetitive dialogues and monologues detract from the immersion, as they can feel dull and undermine the overall experience. Despite this, the imaginative use of RPG Maker and a compelling story help maintain a captivating atmosphere.
- “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 dialogs and monologues repeat whenever you re-initiate them, which takes quite a bit of atmosphere and is sometimes even downright dumb (the heroine is shocked every time again when you interact with an object, which is disturbing).”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is highly praised, contributing to a great atmosphere and enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the inclusion of a free soundtrack and easy access to artbooks, which were not initially mentioned on the store page. The sound effects also effectively create a sense of tension and fear.
- “The music in the game is good.”
- “Free soundtrack included that is not listed on the store page, which is awesome.”
- “The music is great, and the sound effects really make you feel scared, enhancing the atmosphere.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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. Many feel that the puzzles should be more engaging rather than feeling like laborious tasks, leading to a clunky experience that may deter those less tolerant of repetitive elements.
- “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 the text can't be skipped.”
- “Clunky and tedious.”
- “And they should feel like puzzles, not like tedious seeking quests.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics of "Empty Soul - S&S Edition" are praised for their appealing pixel art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic of the game. Despite some flaws, the visuals contribute positively to the horror atmosphere, making it a visually enjoyable experience.
- “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 is kind of spooky.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, players report that their concerns with the game are not related to performance or functionality, but rather stem from design choices. This suggests that the optimization of the game is generally solid, allowing for a smooth experience.
- “My issues did not come from performance, or the game not running, but from design choices.”