"I think I just shit myself"

Despite the huge amount of games on Xbox Indie there fortunately are some gems around and we think we’ve found one. Xbox Indie now has over 577 games available since it first started and a good 85% of them are just pure and utter garbage. It is with relief then that we’ve stumbled across a game by Kydos Studios called Soul. This game was not what we were expecting and to truly appreciate this title, don’t bother researching it, as you will only spoil the fantastic experience that awaits for you at the price of a big bag of walkers crisps, or 80 Microsoft points to be precise. The game costs a mere 63p for advocates of normal currencies and with that, this game is an absolute steal. So you maybe asking what this game is all about, so let me move on and explain.

The Beginning

 Soul is best described as a horror maze based title. Your job is to guide a deceased man’s soul up to heaven. The soul is pretty much an orb that requires the users, guidance and precise movements to guide them away from dark monsters. Not only do you have to avoid these monsters, you also need to avoid touching the sides of the game area, as this will cause your Soul to burst and fade away. Gameplay mechanics here aren’t for your casual gamer, even on Easy mode it requires finite patience, but the beautiful grimy visuals that look straight out of a Japanese horror and reward for reaching the next screen by crossing against a new challenge, keeps you wanting to push forward. There is no save, so you will also have to complete this game in one sitting. The dark monsters are a challenge enough, but you also need to avoid raging sewer water and very dark lit areas for starters to ensure you progress.

The Sewer Maze

 Fortunately in Easy mode you have unlimited lives to do this. And the speed of your orb is around 70% of full speed. Play the game on Normal and you’ll be up against the normal speed reaction of the orb, which makes the game extra tense, imagine playing a game where constantly you’re giving your buttocks a work out, as you are clinching it from being on the edge of your seat. Hard mode is for complete masochists, gamers whom aren’t human. Not only are you having to contest the game with a certain amount of lives, you also must complete each screen against a timer, if you thought N+ was hardcore, this game punches way above the lofty heights of frustration and trickery that Metanet Studios achieved.

Soul Vs Evil

Kydos have done an amazing job with this title, they have made it visually unnerving and the game is quintessentially a work of art. There is one other thing I should mention. This game has a particularly shocking factor to it when you die, it’s randomised so it doesn’t have you expecting it to happen, but let’s just say that I nearly shit myself. I so wished, that I had the video camera pointed at myself, the first time I played this. It would have been an absolute glorified moment in gaming ownage. The developers have set out to scare the players and they certainly have. How they do that, I will leave the mystery for you to reveal.

The Lifts Maze

Sadly this title does seem to be overlooked by players, even the amount of reviews online suggests it doesn’t have the coverage it deserves. I would really like to see this on the PSN and perhaps Kydos should approach Sony, as their ‘Games as Art’ ethos would most certainly sit upon their downloadable platform with not only more exposure but with more appeal from its users. The quality of this title cannot be overlooked, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you choose to buy a premium theme or gamer picture with your MS point’s change, save 80 Microsoft points and have fun scaring the crap out of all those you invite to play it. Turn the lights out, close the curtains and let the horror begin.

Score: 5/5

We DARE you to DOWNLOAD this Indie Game!