Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul
- August 15, 2017
- VRWERX
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamParanormal Activity: The Lost Soul is a first-person horror game that delivers a terrifying experience through the use of VR technology. Players explore a haunted house, using a variety of tools and weapons to survive as they uncover the horrifying secrets within. With a focus on realistic interactions and atmospheric immersion, the game aims to deliver a truly chilling paranormal experience.
PC
Playstation 4
Virtual Reality
Windows
Oculus Quest
Oculus Rift
PlayStation
PlayStation VR
Reviews
- The game offers an incredibly immersive horror experience, with great graphics and sound design that enhance the atmosphere.
- Many players found the jump scares effective and genuinely terrifying, making it one of the scariest VR games available.
- The developers are responsive to player feedback and have made improvements to the game since its early access release.
- The controls and locomotion mechanics are clunky and can cause motion sickness, detracting from the overall experience.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with item interactions and game-breaking errors that can hinder progress.
- The game is relatively short, with many players feeling that it does not justify its price point, leading to disappointment.
- graphics173 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising their high quality, immersive detail, and impressive animations, particularly in VR settings. However, some users noted inconsistencies, such as glitches and a lack of polish in certain areas, leading to a perception of the graphics as "meh" or reminiscent of older titles. Overall, while the graphics contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere and experience, opinions vary widely on their execution and impact.
“The graphics are great, the animations of the NPCs were honestly impressive.”
“Amazing graphics that legitimately help the experience.”
“Fantastic immersion and presence created by stunning graphics, creepy sounds, haunting atmosphere, and an environment that really feels extremely realistic.”
“Horrible arcade BS, graphics from 2005.”
“Clunky movement, cheap jump scares, poor graphics.”
“This is a game that has the graphics of 'Emily Wants to Play' that thinks you should pay nearly a full AAA cost for.”
- story155 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story, while rooted in familiar paranormal themes, has received mixed reviews; some players found it engaging and well-integrated with environmental clues, while others criticized it for being confusing, predictable, or lacking depth. Many noted that the gameplay often devolves into tedious item-fetching, detracting from the narrative experience. Overall, while there are moments of intrigue and effective scares, the story's execution leaves room for improvement, especially in terms of clarity and character development.
“It has an interesting story overall.”
“The story is amazing.”
“Best horror game story I've played to date.”
“All of this is combined with a story that makes absolutely no sense, no matter which ending you get.”
“It's sad to say that it diminishes down to your standard, run-of-the-mill horror game, and you end up realizing how little of a story or plotline there actually is.”
“There is 0 story as to why I'm going through some random person's house.”
- atmosphere120 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its intense sense of dread and paranoia, effectively immersing players in a spooky environment enhanced by strong graphics and sound design. While many reviews highlight the effectiveness of the atmosphere and its ability to build tension, some players express frustration with control issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's horror elements.
“The atmosphere is absolutely amazing and VR helps the experience very well.”
“Fantastic immersion and presence created by stunning graphics, creepy sounds, haunting atmosphere and environment that really feels extremely realistic.”
“While it does still have a good amount of jump scares, it does an incredible job at creating an effective atmosphere which is what makes this game great.”
“By that point you're just frustrated by the movement, the poor atmosphere, and bad controls. It's not scary; it feels like trying to eat peanut butter with a meat fork while wearing oven mitts and blindfolded.”
“The atmosphere here is totally right and a couple of scenes were just perfect, but it's just so... short, limited, and broken that I just... can't give it a thumbs up.”
“It's a shame, because the game clearly has potential in terms of atmosphere.”
- gameplay76 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its mechanics, particularly for non-VR users, citing issues like clunky controls, game-breaking bugs, and a lack of content for the price. While some found the horror elements engaging and the atmosphere immersive, others felt the game was too short and repetitive, relying heavily on jump scares. Overall, the gameplay experience varies significantly, with some players enjoying it while others found it frustrating and lacking depth.
“This game is gold, really smooth horror VR gameplay 10/10.”
“Game play, I felt a good bit of how the game immerses you with the environment; even with the walking and moving mechanics, I still felt like I was there and really felt part of it all.”
“The gameplay and story is intriguing.”
“The graphics are so-so, the gameplay is boring, and it really doesn't capture anything that makes the movies cool.”
“I don't know how anyone, even if using VR, could justify the full price admission for only 2 hours of gameplay.”
“Broken achievements, glitchy gameplay, and game-breaking bugs.”
- stability56 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, significantly impacting both VR and non-VR experiences, with players reporting issues like unresponsive controls, teleportation errors, and inconsistent object interactions. Many users feel that the game is unplayable in its current state, especially on Steam VR, and express frustration over the lack of polish and compatibility for non-VR players. While some acknowledge the game's potential and fun elements, the overwhelming consensus is that its stability issues detract from the overall experience.
“This is the most technically broken buggy mess I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen other friends play this game on other platforms without these issues, but on Steam VR this game is utterly broken and unplayable.”
“I feel like I wasted my money and time because of how buggy it was and completely non-compatible with non-VR.”
“It has so many bugs and glitches that it is nearly impossible to progress.”
- optimization20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing severe performance issues, including input drops and long loading times, while others report a smooth experience on higher-end setups. Many users emphasize the need for significant performance improvements, as the game can be unplayable for those without adequate specifications. Overall, while some players find it well-optimized, the inconsistency in performance suggests that further optimization is necessary.
“Great VR experience, runs smoothly, many locomotion options, and still getting patches.”
“Game runs flawlessly with my setup, no stuttering whatsoever, which is impressive since a few VR games with worse graphics had issues. It shows how well this game is optimized, and more developers need to follow this one's lead.”
“There's clearly some performance optimization that needs to happen.”
“Even trying to use an Xbox controller was a nightmare; it kept dropping my inputs. I would pick up an object and it would drop right away. Even just trying to operate the starting menu was a nightmare. I barely managed to get into the game, only for everything to start flashing black. Even after I closed the game, Steam VR began stuttering and flashing black. I had to exit out of Steam VR to stop it.”
“The game is so badly optimized that it will just ruin your PC if you don't have the specs.”
“There are a bunch of people that can't get this game to even boot up and play because of the bad optimization. And when they do, it takes 5 to 20 minutes just to get it running... no joke.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with most players noting that it can be completed in under an hour once familiar with the content. While there are some opportunities for different endings and achievements, the general consensus is that the lack of substantial replay value limits long-term engagement.
“About 30 minutes of playtime, with some replay value for different endings and achievements.”
“This game actually has a good deal of replay value.”
“No real replayability, but it was lots of fun and very polished.”
“There's very little replayability.”
“Because of this, the replay value is also very low and I’d expect to be able to complete the game under an hour after knowing where everything is.”
“Little replayability at the moment.”
- music10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently described as creepy and atmospheric, enhancing the overall tension with elements like a heartbeat and old-timey tunes. Players appreciate how the sound design, including recurring jump scares, keeps them engaged and on edge, even after multiple playthroughs.
“The creepy music is a great touch.”
“The music box kept turning itself on, which was really annoying.”
“You walk around a dimly lit house to the sound of a heartbeat and some creepy old-timey music.”
“The music, sound, and recurring jump scares always keep you on your toes – even if you’ve run through the game a few times.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by players' reactions, with many finding it amusing, especially during tense moments. Instances of unexpected comedic relief, such as a character dropping a book in a dramatic fashion, contribute to the overall enjoyment. Players also enjoy sharing the experience with others, often leading to funny interactions and reactions.
“Well, my partner and I have been enjoying this VR game. We haven't gotten around to completing it as we are looking for hidden things in the game. It's quite funny when my partner gets terrified and won't go any further, so I have to brave it and take over :)”
“Some parts were even funny [spoiler] (when the girl just drops the book on the stairs and tells you it's after her or something) [/spoiler]”
“My viewers thought it was funny.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional response to the game, with feelings of adrenaline and fear enhancing their experience. However, some have noted that the movement system can induce physical discomfort, impacting their overall enjoyment. The anticipation of future updates adds to the emotional engagement, as players look forward to even scarier elements.
“Wow, I gotta say that this game has really made me feel alive.”
“I've purposely not finished the game as I want to experience a more scarier game. Some of what I've already experienced really got my adrenaline going and made me feel scared.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often requiring extensive searching and external help to progress. The need to Google solutions for seemingly obscure puzzles detracts from the overall experience, making some parts feel more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay.
“It feels like a tedious chore.”
“It was a decently short game and some aspects of the game were tedious at times and required a bit of googling. I couldn't find the candle for 20 minutes, checked the entire house room by room top to bottom, googled it, and found the most complicated, out of the blue solution to get the candle. I'm assuming I glanced over a major hint because I would have otherwise never found it.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing that the $30 price tag is not justified given the availability of superior horror games on Steam.
“There's so many better horror games on Steam; I just can't recommend anyone spending $30 on a cash grab like this.”
