Taken Soul | Đoạt Mệnh
- March 6, 2024
- SOGA Std
Get on Steam"Taken Soul is a survival horror game set in the dreamy yet eerie city of Da Lat, Vietnam. As Trung, you'll navigate dangerous situations and fight dark forces to investigate the disappearance of your mother and sister. The game authentically recreates Da Lat's distinctive architecture and chilling supernatural tales, providing an immersive and tense experience."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The innovative mechanic of using butterflies to reveal invisible enemies adds a unique twist to the gameplay.
- The atmosphere and sound design, particularly the music, are well-executed and enhance the horror experience.
- The game offers a glimpse into Vietnamese culture, providing a fresh perspective in the horror genre.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, making it frustrating to play and often requiring restarts.
- The storyline is weak and feels rushed, with many plot points left unresolved and lacking depth.
- Combat mechanics are clunky and unresponsive, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- story20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story has been widely criticized for being weak, rushed, and lacking coherence, with many reviewers noting that it fails to engage players effectively. While some elements, such as the "taken soul" plot, are resolved, the overall narrative feels disjointed and filled with holes, particularly regarding family dynamics. Despite the localization efforts being appreciated, the storyline's execution leaves much to be desired, often leading to confusion and frustration among players.
“While looking for your sister (because of whatever happened to your mom), you uncover a plot of murder, corruption, and cover-up to put spirits to rest.”
“The storyline, while not entirely original, is quite captivating.”
“The attention to detail is mind-boggling; the missions, from the smallest to all the main missions, are worthy of Oscars.”
“As for the story, it is pretty weak.”
“I was displeased with the story; it felt rushed, especially when it just jumped your character to a place after loading, gave a few lines of dialogue, then jumped again to another place (this happened twice).”
“Luckily, the 'taken soul' plot gets resolved, but your family plot is left with a few holes from what I felt was a rushed ending.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of innovative mechanics and familiar inspirations, drawing comparisons to Resident Evil while introducing unique elements like using butterflies to manifest spirits and a humorous duck race mechanic. Combat is generally smooth and satisfying, with realistic shooting mechanics, although some mechanics feel underutilized later in the game. Overall, players appreciate the engaging and varied gameplay experience, despite some inconsistencies.
“The gameplay is amazing; killing half-zombie, half-ghost-type creatures is so satisfying.”
“Once you get this mechanic down, combat is smooth and fun.”
“The mechanic of using butterflies to manifest spirits is very innovative to me.”
“To describe the gameplay, I would say that it is inspired by Resident Evil in the way it plays but fails across the board.”
“Maybe I am crazy, but the whole hospital setup and how you leave the hospital (I am trying to keep this vague as not to spoil things) seems to show some mechanics that are rarely used later on, if at all.”
“Fortunately, it did not affect the gameplay, but still looks very weird towards the end.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being plagued with bugs and glitches, particularly during key sequences, which can hinder gameplay and make it unplayable for some users. While some players find it manageable and even enjoyable for speedrunning exploits, the overall experience is marred by poor optimization and user interface issues.
“Even after, the first chase scene is buggy; the game is unplayable.”
“Unfortunately for me, it was too buggy to get beyond the first chase sequence.”
“Turns out, the game is buggy, badly optimized, and there's also lots of issues with UI/UX.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated and plagued by glitches, with many users noting that they fall short compared to other indie titles at a similar price point. While some aspects are described as solid and clean, the overall visual experience is criticized for lacking polish and coherence.
“The graphics were solid and clean, the story was off to an alright beginning, but then I hit a wall with the first combat/chase/survival area.”
“Graphically, the game looks very dated.”
“Game lore is nonsensical, there are lots of bugs, and the graphics are poor. There are tons of indie games with the same or lower price that are 100 times better.”
“No big deal, graphical glitches happen.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with standout tracks that are enjoyable, particularly a vocal piece in Vietnamese that many found sweet. However, some users noted a limited number of tracks and instances where music was absent during gameplay. The soundtrack for the final stage is especially praised for its energizing quality.
“The song that they include that has the singing was my favorite; I can’t understand the lyrics as they are in Vietnamese, but it sounds really sweet.”
“The soundtrack for the last stage is also amazing, and I could listen to that to pump me up before doing anything.”
“The song that they included with singing was my favorite, but I can't understand the lyrics as they are in Vietnamese; however, it sounds really sweet.”
“The sound effects and music are really well done.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing glitches, such as achievements unlocking unexpectedly, and entertaining mechanics like the duck race, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
“I also found it pretty funny that the achievements are very glitched; I grabbed one item and then got the achievement for all 5, so that was an easy 100% for a game.”
“The duck race mechanic is quite entertaining and humorous.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is widely praised for its cool and engaging qualities, with many users highlighting a distinctly creepy ambiance that enhances the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is really cool.”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive and adds to the overall experience.”
“The game creates a creepy atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“The game has a creepy atmosphere that fails to immerse the player.”
“I found the atmosphere to be unsettling, but not in a good way.”
“The overall atmosphere felt flat and uninspired, lacking any real tension.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is reported to be inadequate in certain scenes, leading to performance issues.
“The game optimization is lacking in some scenes.”
“Performance issues are prevalent, especially in crowded areas.”
“Frame rates drop significantly during intense gameplay moments.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“Grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
