Soul Dossier

About

Soul Dossier is a single player and multiplayer survival role playing game with horror, anime and erotic themes. It was developed by （Hong Kong）GKD Game Studio and was released on January 8, 2021. It received neutral reviews from players.

Soul Dossier is a multiplayer game based on Oriental culture (5vS1). The game is based on a variety of traditional Oriental cultures, including five elements, eight diagrams and folklore.

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49%

Audience ScoreBased on 478 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

optimization7 negative mentions

Unique asymmetrical horror multiplayer gameplay with blend of Chinese cultural elements.
Visually appealing character models, detailed maps, and strong atmosphere.
Free-to-play with engaging mechanics, varied character abilities, and rewarding loot boxes.

Extremely poor and incomplete English translation making it very difficult for non-Chinese speakers to understand or play.
Severe optimization and performance issues including lag, crashes, long loading times, and high system requirements.
Unbalanced gameplay with overpowering survivors, numerous bugs, and problematic matchmaking, especially for players outside Chinese servers.

gameplay
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The gameplay offers a unique, skill-based experience combining horror, bluffing, and cultural mechanics that many find engaging and addictive, especially compared to similar titles like Dead by Daylight. However, issues such as clunky controls, lack of clear tutorials, server lag, bugs, and a steep learning curve hinder accessibility and overall enjoyment, particularly for new or non-Chinese-speaking players. Despite its promising mechanics and distinct setting, the game feels rough around the edges and needs significant improvements in polish and guidance.
- “I really enjoy this game; it has a high skill ceiling where, when you learn the mechanics, you definitely get rewarded during certain moments.”
- “The game incorporates rich Chinese metaphysical concepts (five elements, three souls and seven spirits, eight trigrams) into its mechanics.”
- “This game separates itself from the dull repetitiveness of Dead by Daylight and its clones by adding new mechanics and abilities which end up being rather addicting.”
- “This game looks cool, it really does; it had potential to be good but gameplay-wise it's terrible if you're the ghost.”
- “The game is too difficult for new players, the game does not guide gameplay mechanics, I failed 20/20 matches, I quit this game; the default characters for humans and zombies are too weak, you are forced to buy strong characters to win, the time to buy them means you have to lose for a long time, you need to play at least 50 hours to be able to play this game, goodbye.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive, and while it tries to combine horror elements with team-based mechanics, it never really delivers anything fresh.”
graphics
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
7%
The graphics in Soul Dossier receive mixed feedback: many praise its charming art style, detailed character designs, and atmospheric visuals that enhance the horror experience, sometimes even surpassing similar titles. However, several users note outdated or simple graphics, occasional bugs in graphic settings, performance issues like lag, and a lack of polish. Overall, while not AAA-level, the graphics are considered a strong point that contributes positively to the game's unique style and mood.
- “Stunning graphics: the visual quality is top-notch, with detailed environments and character designs that enhance the overall experience.”
- “The game boasts optimized performance and high-quality graphics, making it a tech marvel.”
- “Amazing graphics and interesting twist on the 5v1 horror survival game - namely, each survivor is actually unique (they have a unique active ability and a unique alignment to 2 elements, from which you can pick minor perks from those elements) and you have to use elemental shards on only their respective wards to repair those wards.”
- “The story fell flat, and the graphics looked outdated.”
- “Graphics and gameplay are... meh.”
- “Awful game with terrible graphics, trash.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The story receives mixed feedback, with some players finding it engaging and immersive, particularly in investigative or horror contexts, while others criticize it for being minimal, poorly translated, or nonexistent. Several comments highlight a lack of deep or well-developed narrative elements, and some express a desire for richer character backgrounds and cutscenes to enhance connection with the game. Overall, the storytelling often takes a backseat to gameplay and atmosphere.
- “The investigation mechanics are well-developed, and the story keeps you hooked.”
- “The storyline is engaging and offers a unique perspective.”
- “The game’s storyline is captivating and keeps you hooked from start to finish.”
- “English translations and storytelling can feel rough or confusing.”
- “The story fell flat, and the graphics looked outdated.”
- “There is no story; only character text without cutscenes.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
44%
39%
Optimization reviews are highly mixed, with many users reporting poor performance, low FPS, lag spikes, and frequent bugs that hinder gameplay. While some praise the game's graphics and technical ambition, the overall consensus points to significant optimization issues that negatively impact the experience.
- “The game boasts optimized performance and high-quality graphics, making it a tech marvel.”
- “I do understand that game development is difficult and I'm willing to give this a second chance if the optimization is ironed out.”
- “The game has performance as a key aspect.”
- “The 'enter your name' window might potentially be the hardest boss of all time; if you get past it, all you'll experience is a buggy 10-15fps slideshow as the game is horribly optimized.”
- “Horrible game, incredibly bad FPS optimization, and the world even reloads things in-game causing huge lag spikes; there is no tutorial, you need to look up on YouTube how to change the language to English.”
- “Granted it will run, but I am getting at best 20 FPS at 1080p on default settings with heavy stuttering.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and freezing, leading to poor optimization and low performance even on high-end hardware. While some improvements have been made, many users still encounter buggy interfaces and gameplay problems that hinder the overall experience.
- “Runs great.”
- “Whenever I want to move, time freezes for half a second every other half second.”
- “The 'enter your name' window might potentially be the hardest boss of all time; if you can get past it, however, all you'll be granted is a buggy 10-15fps slideshow as the game is horribly optimized.”
- “The buggy gameplay is something else I have to point out; you can walk around perfectly fine but jumping is a problem.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its distinct, eerie setting deeply rooted in Chinese culture and folklore, creating a tense and immersive horror experience. While the graphics may not match AAA standards, the unique world design and character elements strongly enhance the mood, setting it apart from other titles in the genre.
- “The atmosphere and characters more than make up for the lack of AAA graphics.”
- “Props, characters, and world design reflect traditional numerology and folklore, creating a distinct and eerie atmosphere that stands apart from other horror games.”
- “Deeply atmospheric setting rooted in Chinese culture and folklore.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight that the game blends humor with tension and scares, creating a unique and engaging experience. The humor is noted for adding depth and lightness to intense matches, contributing to overall enjoyment alongside stylish visuals.
- “These tools offer varied strategies across both roles, adding both depth and humor to the tension-filled matches.”
- “Overall, Soul Dossier combines humor, good graphics, and lots of stylish character outfits for an engaging experience.”
- “Update: I played some more and I have to say it's extremely funny and scary at the same time.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The music in the game is generally considered underwhelming and uninspired, with some users noting it sounds like royalty-free tracks. It does not significantly enhance the overall experience and is overshadowed by other frustrating game elements.
- “♬ music ♬”
- “I especially liked the music choice in the game.”
- “Soundtrack - meh”
- “The music choice feels like royalty-free tracks and doesn't add to the experience.”
- “Environment, music, accessories, especially characters.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features impressive character designs with detailed visuals that enhance the overall experience. The quality of character development is well-received, earning an 8/10 rating for design.
- “The game is good and I like the character designs.”
- “Stunning graphics: the visual quality is top-notch, with detailed environments and character designs that enhance the overall experience.”
- “8/10 character design.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is notably time-consuming and requires significant effort, with players often needing multiple attempts or extended playtime to unlock desired items or skins.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I remember grinding the crap outta Mortal Kombat 9 just to get Mileena's bandage wrap skin.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users criticize the game's monetization for prioritizing added in-game purchases, loot boxes, and skins over optimization and bug fixes, perceiving it as a cash grab. Support responses were unhelpful, focusing only on purchase instructions rather than addressing concerns.
- “Instead of making the game more optimized and fixing the known bugs that are painfully obvious, they keep adding more in-game purchase content like loot boxes and skins. Clearly, they are just trying to make quick cash with all the skins and loot boxes.”
- “Reached out to support about this in English/Chinese and all they did was email me back with instructions on how to make in-game purchases by adding to my Steam wallet balance.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers high replayability with its unique, culturally rich atmosphere and consistently engaging scares that keep players coming back.
- “8/10 – hauntingly original, culturally rich, and full of replayable scares.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional response to the game is predominantly negative, with users expressing strong dissatisfaction and a resolute decision to avoid products associated with the developer’s country of origin.