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Titan Souls

One singular great idea is the foundation for a smart and occasionally thrilling action puzzler.
Titan Souls Game Cover
69%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
story, grinding
67% User Score Based on 4,562 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 24 reviews

Platforms

PCTabletPlaystation 5Mac OSPhonePlaystation 4WindowsPlayStationPlaystation Vita
Titan Souls Game Cover

About

Titan Souls is a single player survival role playing game with fantasy and thriller themes. It was developed by Acid Nerve and was released on April 14, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Titan Souls" is a challenging action adventure game where players explore a vast ruined world and defeat 19 massive enemies known as Titans using a single arrow and careful timing. Each Titan has unique attacks and weaknesses, requiring careful observation and quick thinking to defeat. With minimalist controls and permadeath, success depends on skill and strategy.

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67%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,562 reviews
gameplay340 positive mentions
story111 negative mentions

  • Unique concept of one-hit kills for both the player and bosses creates a thrilling challenge.
  • Beautiful pixel art and atmospheric soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
  • Each boss fight feels like a puzzle, requiring strategy and observation to defeat.
  • Long respawn times and the need to walk back to boss arenas after each death can be tedious.
  • Controls can feel clunky, especially on keyboard, limiting aiming to 8 directions.
  • Lack of a clear narrative or lore can make the world feel empty and unengaging.
  • gameplay
    1,172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Titan Souls" is characterized by its minimalist mechanics, where players engage in intense boss battles using a single arrow that must be retrieved after each shot. While the one-hit kill mechanic adds a layer of challenge and excitement, many players find the frequent respawn walks tedious and frustrating, detracting from the overall experience. Despite its simple controls and unique boss designs, the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, leading to mixed reviews regarding its enjoyment and replayability.

    • “The gameplay is simple and good.”
    • “The mechanics are straightforward, but the battles require strategy and precision.”
    • “The gameplay is centered around the player's lone weapon: a single arrow that they can shoot and then recall, a mechanic that requires precise timing and positioning.”
    • “The gameplay loop is broken; you must walk all the way back to a boss after dying.”
    • “The one-hit-death mechanic makes the fights intense, but taking up to a minute to walk to the boss again after you've died really becomes tedious after you've done so a million times.”
    • “The gameplay is very simple, with few buttons needed; you get used to it very quickly, but I started using the gamepad right away when I booted up, and it's been a smooth ride.”
  • music
    825 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Titan Souls" has been widely praised for its atmospheric and evocative qualities, enhancing both exploration and intense boss battles. Composed by David Fenn, the soundtrack features a range of styles that effectively match the game's emotional tone, from soothing melodies during exploration to dramatic themes during combat. However, many players noted that the brevity of boss fights often prevents them from fully appreciating the music, as encounters can end quickly, cutting off the tracks just as they begin to build momentum. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The soundtrack enhances the emotional rhythm of the game, swelling in intensity during combat and softening during moments of quiet exploration.”
    • “David Fenn made an incredible soundtrack that captured the game's stark contrasts from the quiet, reflective loneliness of exploration to the brutal intensity of combat with the titans.”
    • “The music ranges from somber, almost meditative tracks during exploration, to more intense, pulsing compositions that set the stage for the life-or-death intensity of each boss fight.”
    • “The music I heard was pretty bland and sounded like default instruments from a music creation program put together by a beginner composer.”
    • “It's a shame though that you don't get to appreciate the boss music as either you or the boss will instantly die and cut the music out just when it's about to play.”
    • “The music stops the instant you die and you are forced to walk back to the boss and initiate the fight every single time, which makes for an incredibly jarring experience.”
  • graphics
    599 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Titan Souls" are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style, which effectively conveys a minimalist yet evocative atmosphere that enhances the game's themes of loneliness and danger. Many reviewers appreciate the clean and stylish visuals, noting that the art design complements the challenging gameplay and unique boss mechanics. While some find the graphics charming and fitting for the game's aesthetic, others feel that the simplicity may not appeal to everyone, particularly those seeking more detailed environments. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, contributing significantly to its immersive experience.

    • “Visually, it uses a clean and stylish pixel-art aesthetic, and its minimalist atmosphere conveys a strong sense of loneliness and danger in a hostile world.”
    • “The combination of pixel art graphics and the design of the titans creates an aesthetic that is both simple and powerful.”
    • “The art style and attention to detail bring the bosses and environments to life, enhancing the overall immersion and adding an extra layer of enjoyment.”
    • “The graphics are mediocre along with the soundtrack.”
    • “I'm a bit sick of games where the graphics are as crap as this is, and the gameplay is equally bland.”
    • “The pixel art style is incredibly bland.”
  • story
    542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Titan Souls" is minimalistic and often cryptic, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and visual cues rather than traditional narrative elements. Players may find themselves piecing together a vague lore through exploration, but many reviews indicate that the lack of a clear plot or character development can leave the world feeling hollow. While some appreciate the atmospheric storytelling reminiscent of titles like "Shadow of the Colossus," others express disappointment over the absence of a substantial narrative to engage with.

    • “The lore is spread throughout the world and tells a grand tale of divinity, power, failure, and the quest for truth.”
    • “As you venture deeper into its mysterious world, the story slowly unravels, inviting you to piece together the secrets of the land you now explore.”
    • “The game is very pretty and has a mysterious, daunting atmosphere and contains a lot of environmental storytelling; most of the story is told through visuals and small clues.”
    • “The absence of a traditional story means the world can feel hollow to players who crave lore or character-driven narratives.”
    • “The story is non-existent.”
    • “The game creates a mystical story through gameplay that is challenging, fair, and exciting, but the lack of a real story makes playing it less demanding.”
  • atmosphere
    192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Titan Souls" is widely praised for its clean pixel-art aesthetic and haunting soundtrack, which together create a sense of loneliness and foreboding in a desolate world. While the minimalist design and expansive environments enhance immersion, some players find the emptiness tedious, especially during lengthy backtracking after deaths. Overall, the game successfully evokes a mysterious and atmospheric experience, reminiscent of titles like "Shadow of the Colossus," though opinions vary on how engaging this atmosphere remains throughout gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere is full of foreboding thanks in large part to the haunting soundtrack.”
    • “The gentle background music and huge landscape makes Titan Souls very therapeutic whenever you're not bashing your head against the wall which is a titan, and the fact that there are no other living beings present except for you and your rare foes gives off an atmosphere of loneliness and solitude, two of my favorite feelings in any game.”
    • “The atmosphere, design, and the titans themselves are all wonderfully well-crafted.”
    • “Sadly, this all accumulates in a severe lack of atmosphere and after killing 8 or so bosses, I had enough.”
    • “I felt the game doesn't have much atmosphere even though it's trying, but maybe that's just me.”
    • “The only boring area is the last one, which was fitting enough of a zone as far as atmosphere goes, but visually it was nothing remotely special.”
  • grinding
    160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews overwhelmingly describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious, primarily due to the long walks back to boss encounters after each death. Players express frustration with the repetitive nature of these treks, which often take longer than the actual boss fights, leading to a sense of artificial difficulty and a lack of rewarding gameplay. While some appreciate the challenge of the one-hit kill mechanic, many find the overall experience frustrating and unengaging due to the excessive backtracking required.

    • “No grinding or enemies with a million hitpoints - just a sequence of short, original, really difficult challenges.”
    • “But it's be action challenge time, not tedious restart time.”
    • “There's no tricks here, no grinding, no stats, no help.”
    • “The trek back to a titan’s lair after every death, while atmospheric, can become tedious after repeated failures.”
    • “Walking back every time I die is soul-crushingly boring and tedious.”
    • “The one-hit-death mechanic makes the fights intense, but taking up to a minute to walk to the boss again after you've died really becomes tedious after you've done so a million times.”
  • replayability
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the variety of new game modes and challenges that enhance replay value, particularly for speedrunners and achievement hunters. However, others find the overall experience short and lacking in depth, leading to limited replayability beyond initial playthroughs. While some modes offer a fresh challenge, many players feel that the game could benefit from more content to sustain long-term engagement.

    • “Different game modes add a lot of replayability, and a few of the achievements are quite tough.”
    • “Insanely replayable, really fun to try to speedrun; honestly a 9/10 game.”
    • “The game is short, but it offers replayability through harder modes upon completion.”
    • “Thirdly, there is hardly any replayability.”
    • “Despite the replayability thanks to the achievements, almost 15€ for a walking simulator with some bosses is kind of a waste, at least in my opinion.”
    • “There is little in terms of story and not much replay value besides the different game modes and achievements.”
  • emotional
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is deeply intertwined with its challenging gameplay and evocative soundtrack, which heightens the intensity of boss encounters and quiet exploration alike. Players often experience a mix of desperation, frustration, and eventual triumph as they navigate the game's demanding mechanics, leading to moments of genuine emotional investment, such as crying during difficult battles or feeling a poignant connection to certain bosses. Despite its minimal narrative, the game's art style and emotional atmosphere resonate strongly, making it a memorable experience for many players.

    • “The soundtrack enhances the emotional rhythm of the game, swelling in intensity during combat and softening during moments of quiet exploration.”
    • “I managed to make it all the way through - but no game has made me feel as pathetically human as this one.”
    • “I cried and quit.”
  • humor
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of absurdity and dark comedy, with players finding amusement in the quirky deaths and creative boss designs, despite the frustration of the combat system. Many reviewers appreciate the funny achievements and the unexpected ways to defeat bosses, though some feel that the humor can be overshadowed by the game's difficulty and tedious mechanics. Overall, while the game has its comedic moments, it can also lead to rage and irritation, making the experience a rollercoaster of emotions.

    • “Fun game concept (1hp guy fights beasts with weird weak points using the family heirloom arrow) and funny execution (deaths being prompt is always a winner, along with time to process the killing blow).”
    • “You also get one rusty arrow, but the thing is the arrow can come back by holding 'C', which allows for some funny accidental boss kills.”
    • “When I pulled stupid moves that caused me to die, I couldn't help but laugh because it was just simply funny to die the way I did.”
    • “The humor feels forced and often falls flat, making the game more tedious than entertaining.”
    • “What could have been a lighthearted experience is bogged down by unoriginal jokes and awkward timing.”
    • “The attempts at humor are so over-the-top that they detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • optimization
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting poor performance, random crashes, and issues with controls, particularly for keyboard and mouse users. While the graphics and gameplay mechanics show potential, the overall experience is marred by stuttering, lack of control remapping, and inadequate support for low-spec devices. Despite some improvements made during development, many players feel that the game remains poorly optimized, detracting from its enjoyment.

    • “The art is amazing and the gameplay is intuitive, encouraging pattern recognition and optimization.”
    • “The controls are easy to remember and fluid, with minimal input lag; performance is not an issue, even on low-spec devices. The battles have solutions that are often creative or otherwise unanticipated.”
    • “It was originally created for the Ludum Dare game jam, but over the course of the next 6 months, it was ported from Adobe Flash to a new engine, which enhanced graphic capabilities and improved performance, with more titan fights being added during development.”
    • “Beat the game using horrible optimization in 6 hours.”
    • “I wanted to like this game but it's just so poorly optimized that you feel punished for simply wanting to play.”
    • “Technically, this game's optimization is very poor; it struggles immensely with alt-tab, not to mention the game's clueless ability to understand resolution formats, getting them often entirely wrong.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report it running smoothly on low-end systems and experiencing minimal bugs, others highlight significant issues such as glitches, controller input problems, and a sluggish camera that detracts from the overall experience. Despite the appealing pixel art and unique bosses, many users find the technical flaws undermine the game's potential for enjoyment.

    • “And on a technical level, it can run bug-free on literal toasters!”
    • “The sprite work is nice, the bosses are unique, and it's not buggy.”
    • “Pretty much bug-free.”
    • “This game is fundamentally flawed and kind of buggy.”
    • “Overall, I find the combination of sluggish camera, weird glitches, and unbalanced boss/travel time to make for a pretty unenjoyable experience.”
    • “- The game demands precision play and split-second accuracy, but this is hampered by a lot of glitches and clipping.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is minimal, with a lack of narrative guidance and depth, which may disappoint players seeking a more engaging story or character arcs. Many reviewers feel that the focus on combat, particularly against titans, overshadows any potential for exploration or meaningful character growth.

    • “Its minimalist approach means there’s little in the way of story or narrative guidance, which may alienate players looking for a more in-depth plot or character development.”
    • “The problem I have is that this game offers nothing besides killing titans; no exploration, no character development, no reward, and no real driving point besides killing the titans, which seem to bother no one.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers generally feel that the game's monetization strategy is fair and not exploitative, indicating that it does not come across as a cash grab.

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5h Median play time
9h Average play time
3h Main story
7h Completionist
2-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 27 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Titan Souls is a survival role playing game with fantasy and thriller themes.

Titan Souls is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, Phone and others.

The main story can be completed in around 3 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 7 hours to finish. On average players spend around 9 hours playing Titan Souls.

Titan Souls was released on April 14, 2015.

Titan Souls was developed by Acid Nerve.

Titan Souls has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Titan Souls is a single player game.

Similar games include Eldest Souls, Jotun Valhalla Edition, Teslagrad, DeadCore, Ghostrunner and others.