Soul Axiom
- February 29, 2016
- Wales Interactive
- 5h median play time
There’s something to be said about esoteric, formless, almost alien experiences in art.
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Get on Xbox Games Store"Soul Axiom" is a first-person sci-fi adventure game set in the virtual afterlife. As the player, you'll solve puzzles, manipulate objects, and uncover the story of your character's past lives and deaths. With surrealistic, visually-stunning environments, the game offers a thought-provoking exploration of life, death, and the nature of reality.
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Reviews
- The game features a beautiful and colorful art style, reminiscent of titles like Myst and The Talos Principle.
- Puzzles are varied and can be quite challenging, providing a satisfying experience for players who enjoy brain teasers.
- The soundtrack and atmosphere contribute to an engaging experience, enhancing the overall immersion in the game's narrative.
- The level design is often confusing and poorly crafted, leading to frustrating backtracking and a lack of clear direction.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and a frustrating save system that requires players to restart levels if they exit.
- Some puzzles can feel arbitrary or poorly explained, making it difficult for players to know how to progress without trial and error.
- story69 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing and well-crafted, with a mix of unique puzzles and a compelling narrative that unfolds gradually through collectibles and cutscenes. While some players found the story derivative of other titles like BioShock, many appreciated its depth and the emotional resonance it evokes. However, issues such as game-breaking bugs and a confusing save system detracted from the overall experience for some, leading to mixed feelings about the narrative's coherence and engagement.
“I went on an intriguing journey, faced difficulties that put me in danger during my mission.”
“The setting is beautiful and interesting, and the story is delivered in just small enough pieces that you want to know more.”
“The story is cryptic and interesting, and gameplay is fun if slightly repetitive.”
“Now you can, but you will forget the plot and you will ask yourself, 'Where the f am I in this story?'”
“I have absolutely no idea what the point of them was or how they even have anything to do with the story, even after beating the game.”
“The last point I want to make is the story, if you could even call it that.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the colorful and artistic design that enhances the overall atmosphere, while others criticize the rough visuals and outdated elements reminiscent of older consoles. Many players appreciate the unique art style and immersive environments, though some note issues like graphical glitches and overly dark levels. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's aesthetic, despite some shortcomings.
“Amazing art style.”
“The graphics are stunning & gorgeous.”
“Overall a very fun puzzle game with a great story and aesthetic.”
“It is painfully clear after some hours how much of the graphics got reused over and over again.”
“Next is the graphics... absolutely awful stuff.”
“Even on ultra graphics, I still felt like I was playing a PS2 game, especially since the cutscenes are rendered in 360p.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Soul Axiom is a mixed bag, featuring inventive puzzle mechanics and unique powers that manipulate the environment, but marred by issues such as backtracking, a frustrating user interface, and repetitive elements. While some players appreciate the originality and depth of the puzzles, others find the execution lacking, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers interesting concepts and visuals, but the gameplay may not satisfy those seeking a polished experience.
“Wonderful gameplay.”
“The puzzle mechanics are pretty interesting and original.”
“Gameplay: 10/10 (puzzles are perfectly crafted, and game mechanics are... purely awesome)”
“The whole gameplay is based on backtracking and repetition after repetition and quite a lot of trial and error until you find by accident what to do.”
“Where it all falls apart is in gameplay execution.”
“This game, however, falls very flat in its gameplay, which frustrated me enough to not finish it.”
- music9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and contribution to the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gaming experience. The inclusion of a diverse selection of around 50 memorable songs adds to the enjoyment, creating a pleasant and immersive ambiance. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, receiving high ratings for its execution and impact on the game's mood.
“The soundtrack is beautiful, the design is well executed, and the atmosphere is simply great.”
“Great ambience and music to create a spooky feel.”
“In Wales Interactive, there are very responsible and talented people; the plot in the game is very interesting and delightful, and it features a cool collection of 50 songs that may resonate with you personally.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its cool concept, varied level design, and effective use of sound and visual effects, creating a blend of beauty and creepiness. Reviewers highlight the strong art direction and minimalistic approach that enhances the overall experience, making it engaging and immersive. Despite some concerns about execution, the atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“Level design is varied and atmospheric.”
“Freaky atmosphere and very cool style carries over from the original; the puzzles and levels are great. This is good value, and I hope the developer keeps making these games!”
“The soundtrack is beautiful, the design is well executed, and the atmosphere is simply great.”
“Behind the really peaceful atmosphere lurks a dark, creepy presence.”
“The atmosphere in this is very minimal, and that is exactly what they need.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and visual appeal, with most users reporting a pleasant experience. However, some players noted issues on Linux, particularly at higher resolutions, where performance can be significantly hindered. Additionally, there are minor performance hiccups during specific interactions, such as shattering objects.
“Attractive puzzles, highly optimized, pleasing to the eye.”
“Note that the engine runs smoothly and beautifully and is itself not glitchy at all.”
“Performance was mostly good except I noticed the engine struggled a bit when you shatter something, like wood or ice, but the game was never unplayable.”
“Improve the optimization, please.”
“Even at the lowest setting, it still has abysmal performance on Linux (unplayable in 4K, stutters randomly at 1080p).”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players initially struggle to connect emotionally with the game due to its abstract and otherworldly scenarios, but as the narrative unfolds and context is provided, they begin to feel a sense of intelligence and engagement with the challenges presented.
“At first, I had trouble finding emotional access to the game because there was no context for interpreting the literally otherworldly situations, but eventually the world was explained and made sense.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences some graphical glitches on Linux that remain unaddressed by the developers, and while the gameplay can be buggy at times, these issues are generally not significant enough to hinder the overall experience.
“It has some graphical glitches on Linux that the developers can't or won't fix.”
“The gameplay can be a bit buggy, but it is usually not a problem.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability primarily for the unique experiences it provides, though many players may not feel compelled to replay it frequently.
“The game offers a unique experience that makes it worth replaying, even if I don't see myself doing it often.”
“Replayability is high due to the diverse choices and outcomes available in each playthrough.”
“Each run feels fresh and engaging, encouraging players to explore different strategies and storylines.”
“While I don’t see myself playing it again, the game would be replayable only for the 'experience'.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes it hard to justify replaying the game.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
Critic Reviews
Soul Axiom Review
In conclusion then, Soul Axiom is a slow burning game, but one that satisfies if you engage with the world and its lore. The pacing won't be to everyone's liking, as it isn't a fast paced, reaction based experience, but it is compelling more because of this than in spite of it. Add to this the numerous monkeys to be found, as well as three possible endings and the game has more longevity than the average puzzler. If you fancy having your grey matter teased, you could do a lot worse than this.
70%Soul Axiom Review - Please Delete this Memory
Soul Axiom has a few fantastic puzzles and some lovely environments. Sadly its also full of boring puzzles, an uninteresting story, horrid cutscenes, and some of the worst glitches I've seen in a video game.
40%Soul Axiom Review
Undoubtedly, fans of abstract puzzle games will find a lot to enjoy here. But those not so inclined to stick with something a little frustrating and overtly self-insistent perhaps may prefer to wait for the next reboot of this intriguing but poorly executed experience. Where Journey uses the concept of abstract, indirect storytelling to its empowerment, Soul Axiom ends up leaning on it like a crutch when it suits, much to its detriment in terms of the overall experience. The confusing PR description of the game, which is nothing like the experience you actually get, is testament to that muddled framework. This is well worth a go, but it is not a polished gem by any stretch of the imagination.
40%
