Soulless: Ray of Hope

About

Soulless: Ray of Hope is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Meridian4 and was released on October 18, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Soulless: Ray of Hope" is a 2D pixel art metroidvania game where you play as a soul-less knight. Explore a vast interconnected world, fight challenging enemies, and discover the truth behind your existence. With no checkpoints or save points, every decision matters in this unforgiving yet rewarding adventure.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews

story16 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

Striking visual style with beautiful silhouette art and atmospheric environments that enhance the emotional storytelling.
Engaging narrative that explores themes of perseverance, guilt, and redemption, conveyed through minimal dialogue and strong visuals.
Simple yet thought-provoking puzzles that encourage exploration and experimentation, complemented by a haunting soundtrack.

Gameplay can feel sluggish and imprecise, particularly during platforming sections, leading to frustration in chase sequences and precision jumps.
The game is quite short, with a runtime of around 2-3 hours, which may leave players wanting more content and replay value.
Several bugs and technical issues, including control responsiveness and dialogue display problems, detract from the overall experience.

story
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The story of "Soulless: Ray of Hope" is a poignant exploration of memory, loss, and inner darkness, conveyed through minimalist design and atmospheric storytelling. While some players appreciate its emotional depth and multiple endings, others find the narrative vague or underdeveloped, with mixed opinions on its execution. Overall, the game resonates with those who enjoy subtle, atmospheric storytelling, though it may not satisfy players seeking a more robust plot.
- “Elin’s journey to find his friend becomes more than a literal rescue mission—it evolves into a symbolic exploration of memory, loss, and inner darkness.”
- “The world around him reflects emotional turmoil, and the story’s progression mirrors his gradual confrontation with grief.”
- “The storytelling culminates in a conclusion that leaves room for interpretation, with multiple possible endings depending on the player’s choices.”
- “The plot is weird and boring.”
- “The story could have been fleshed out more and made more significant, instead of feeling like an afterthought.”
- “The storyline felt very forced to me as well.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
72%
10%
The gameplay is a blend of traditional platforming and puzzle-solving, characterized by a deliberate pace and a unique glide mechanic that enhances traversal while reflecting the game's emotional themes. While the mechanics are generally solid and the art direction is praised, some players find the gameplay slow, imprecise, and occasionally frustrating, with limited replay value and trivial puzzles. Overall, it offers a meditative experience that prioritizes atmosphere over complexity, appealing to those who appreciate narrative-driven gameplay.
- “The gameplay combines traditional platforming with puzzle-solving, though its approach is more deliberate and contemplative than action-oriented.”
- “The glide mechanic, introduced early in the game, becomes a defining feature of traversal, adding a sense of grace and vulnerability as Elin soars briefly before gravity inevitably pulls him back toward the ground.”
- “At its best, the gameplay mirrors the story’s emotional core—moments of freedom punctuated by tension and fragility.”
- “On the other hand, those expecting deep replay value or complex mechanics may find the content limited.”
- “The puzzles for the most part don't feel interesting; the gravity mechanic in particular was just annoying.”
- “Beautiful art and sound direction...but the gameplay is just not there.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their artistic quality, featuring a silhouette art style reminiscent of titles like Limbo, enhanced by layered backgrounds, glowing accents, and delicate color gradients that evoke emotional depth. While many reviewers appreciate the beautiful visuals and immersive atmosphere, some note that the gameplay does not always match the high standard set by the graphics, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its emotional storytelling.
- “It embraces a silhouette art style reminiscent of games like Limbo, but distinguishes itself with layered backgrounds, glowing accents, and delicate color gradients that infuse the bleakness with beauty.”
- “The interplay between shadow and light becomes a recurring visual motif, not only defining the aesthetic but also tying directly into the game’s themes of hope and despair.”
- “While Limbo was dreary greyscale from start to finish, this game effortlessly changes color palettes and showcases a beautifully immersive, artistic art style.”
- “The visuals in some levels can be very pretty although they aren't anything new.”
- “There were some graphical bugs...”
- “Pretty visuals, but gameplay is mediocre.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
32%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the emotional experience of gameplay with ambient piano melodies and dynamic shifts that match the game's various scenarios. While most players find the soundtrack beautiful and immersive, some note issues with the transition between tracks and occasional distractions in specific areas. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and storytelling, making it a significant aspect of the overall experience.
- “The haunting soundtrack further elevates the experience, relying on ambient piano melodies and mournful tones that create an emotional backdrop to the lonely trek through the darkness.”
- “The music in 'Soulless: Ray of Hope' is amazing; sometimes you will listen to piano pieces and sometimes guitar.”
- “This game is a freaking masterpiece, the graphics, the aesthetic, the wonderful soundtracks and everything, it needs more attention, the plot is satisfying and heart touching, a true masterpiece for the indie genre.”
- “The changing of songs when entering a new area is not fluid/seamless; it's actually kind of distracting.”
- “If you lower the audio volume, it resets itself whenever a new song starts and gradually goes back to what you set it to.”
- “Nothing about the music comes to my mind - so I guess it was just mild background.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
8%
15%
The atmosphere of "Soulless: Ray of Hope" is characterized by its hauntingly minimalist design, expressive world-building, and a poignant soundtrack that enhances the emotional depth of the experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to convey mood and meaning through subtle storytelling and artistic elements, creating a memorable journey that resonates deeply. While some comparisons are made to other titles, the unique 2D silhouette artwork and atmospheric soundscapes contribute to a captivating and immersive environment.
- “Soulless: Ray of Hope, developed by Frisky Fatal Games and published by Meridian4, is a hauntingly atmospheric 2D puzzle-platformer that weaves together melancholy storytelling, minimalist design, and expressive world-building into a short but memorable journey.”
- “The game’s greatest strength lies in its ability to communicate a world and a mood through atmosphere rather than exposition.”
- “And the atmosphere really gets under your skin in a good way.”
- “You're probably better off playing other 2D side-scroller puzzle games like 'Inside' or 'Pinstripe', of which the former has stellar level design, visuals, music, story, and atmosphere.”
- “The music seems to be there to add more atmosphere to the game rather than to have 'something to listen to'.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game excels in emotional storytelling, using minimal dialogue and a haunting soundtrack to convey themes of perseverance, guilt, and redemption. Its visual and auditory elements create a compelling atmosphere that enhances the player's emotional journey, making the experience both immersive and resonant despite its short runtime. Overall, it stands out as a beautifully crafted indie title that effectively combines art direction and narrative to evoke deep feelings.
- “Beneath its simple premise lies a tale about perseverance, guilt, and the search for redemption, all told with very little dialogue but through visuals, sound, and emotional tone.”
- “The haunting soundtrack further elevates the experience, relying on ambient piano melodies and mournful tones that create an emotional backdrop to the lonely trek through the darkness.”
- “The world around him reflects emotional turmoil, and the story’s progression mirrors his gradual confrontation with grief.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay, particularly in the arrow section, which can lead to unexpected deaths. While checkpoints are generally well-placed, players often encounter issues that require restarting to resolve gameplay mechanics, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The arrow section is exorbitantly buggy, and will just have arrows snap onto you, and kill you outright.”
- “I feel bad negatively reviewing since the game was apparently made by teenagers, but at the end of the day it is still a paid game that is very buggy.”
- “Checkpoints are fairly placed, but some areas in the game are buggy if you die, forcing you to restart the last checkpoint you encountered just to get the mechanics of the game working (this was most prominent with the actual boss of Act 2).”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with some players noting a lack of complex mechanics and content that doesn't encourage multiple playthroughs. However, the presence of collectibles and achievements offers some incentive for replaying. While the game is concise and avoids filler, its short duration may deter those seeking deeper replay value.
- “However, there are also collectibles and achievements that add replay value to the game.”
- “On the other hand, those expecting deep replay value or complex mechanics may find the content limited.”
- “There's not much replay value.”
- “It's 10 bucks for a game I played start to finish in 90 minutes, and there's no replay value.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring additional lives to effectively progress.
- “But still, it doesn't make the chase sections any less tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the visuals, including backdrops and character designs, are praised, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of growth or narrative depth in the reviews.

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4h Median play time

4h Average play time

4-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Soulless: Ray of Hope is a platformer game.

Soulless: Ray of Hope is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Soulless: Ray of Hope.

Soulless: Ray of Hope was released on October 18, 2016.

Soulless: Ray of Hope was developed by Meridian4.

Soulless: Ray of Hope has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Soulless: Ray of Hope is a single player game.

Similar games include Monochroma, Toby: The Secret Mine, LIMBO, Planet of the Eyes, Ori and the Blind Forest and others.

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