Greek Tragedy is another Halloween release: a fixed-camera PSX horror game that kind of slipped under the radar. Amidst the release of absolute classics this month – Tormented Souls 2, Flesh Made Fear, and Echoes of the Living – it didn’t really get much notice. Well, now that I have finished it (with 3 of the endings), I can’t really say it is competitive with these other titles – especially not as a survival horror game.  It certainly shares some of the hallmark traits of the genre; there are fixed cameras, puzzles, and a sense of vulnerability. But it also subverts so many others, to a point where I don’t even know how to classify it. No map, no inventory management, shoddy combat, linear level design, and an absolutely bizarre plot.  The combat is somewhat similar to the developer selewi’s games – which DO feel like survival horror despite only having a singular unbeatable stalker enemy. Here, you only have a taser gun that merely momentarily pauses the hooded enemies that relentlessly chase you. This flimsy combat system makes the enemies feel more like a nuisance than intimidating.  The real gameplay here is the puzzles, but unfortunately they are a pretty mixed bag. There are a few that were interesting and clever, but there are many others that are either too simple, bizarrely constructed (in a bad way), or just slightly glorified keys. The overall atmosphere is also a mixed bag; while the art style itself is quite charming, the actual content of the college campus, the characters, the vague fraternity/cult story – I just don’t really understand what the atmosphere is supposed to be.  The game took about 2 hours to finish, and it left me feeling a bit… empty. I don’t really understand what the vision was for the developer, on both a mechanical gameplay level or the content and story. Some puzzle fans may enjoy moments of the game, but I really cannot recommend it for classic survival horror fans. Greek Tragedy is available for Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch

Disclaimer: I received a free review key for Tormented Souls 2 from the publisher. This does not affect my opinions, all thoughts and impressions in this review are my own. The Chilean development team Dual Effect have a deep understanding of the survival horror genre. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they spent half their time developing Tormented Souls 2 and the other half reverse-engineering the code of classic survival horrors to understand what truly makes them work. It is easy to label Tormented Souls 2 as just another Residet Evil and Silent Hill like game, but it is far more than that. There have been plenty of excellent indie survival horror games these past couple of years – Heartworm, Post trauma, Hollowbody, Alisa, The Mute House, The Fear Business – the list goes on and on. While all of these titles are well worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre, none of them quite capture the rich visual atmosphere and unforgiving gameplay of Resident Evil Remake and Resident Evil Zero quite like Tormented Souls 2. Playing Tormented Souls 2 feels like stepping into a world where Capcom never shifted the genre with Resident Evil 4, a world where the classic survival horror style that peaked with Resident Evil Zero continued to evolve instead of giving way to action horror. It’s a world in which fixed camera angles, tank controls, and carefully rationed resources never went out of fashion. Survival horror in this reality continued to refine its focus on rich atmosphere, sound design, puzzle-solving and a sense of vulnerability – instead of transforming into years of fast-paced action horror, quick-time events and mandatory enemies that drop resources.  Dual Effect lean into that vision completely. The game invites you to slow down, to absorb every tiny detail and search every room for any scrap of ammo or health you can find. The environments feel like cut content from an unreleased Resident Evil spin-off, with just as much depth – if not more. They are so detailed that they make you want to take your time in every room, simply to soak in the atmosphere. Playing Tormented Souls 2 reminds me what made the genre special in the first place: the constant tension between curiosity and fear, the satisfaction of solving a puzzle, and the constant fear that an enemy might be just around the corner. Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon It should go without saying, but everything has remained as it was in the original game. For many developers, there is a temptation to “fix” the biggest complaints users had with the first title. I am very happy to report that Dual Effect did not cave to this pressure, nor did they seek to cash in by appealing to a wider audience by making the game easier or more “user-friendly”. They set out to deliver a true survival horror experience, and they stayed the course. Health is a resourceAmmo is a resource Saving is a resource   I can’t overstate how important it is that these mechanics remain untouched. The whole time I was playing, I found myself asking questions like: “Should I save now or wait a little longer? Could I run past these enemies and save these shotgun bullets for the boss? Should I heal now or wait for one more hit?” This kind of decision-making simply doesn’t occur in action-horror games like Dead Space or Resident Evil 4. and it creates a completely different experience – one I have been searching for since the original Tormented Souls. The combat is a puzzle  In true survival horror games, you quickly begin to realize that the combat itself is a puzzle. For example, when I reached the first boss in the Convent (the game’s opening area), I only had two shotgun bullets, one healing item, and a few nails. I quickly realised that I did not possess the resources required to defeat the boss unless I used the hammer (which we can confirm – is possible!). This meant I had to load an older save and run past a bunch of enemies in order to solve the “puzzle” of reaching the boss with more health and ammo.  Darkness / Lighter One of the most unique and important “enemies” in the series is darkness itself. If you stand too long in any shadowy areas, you will die instantly. The only way to counter this is by using a dimly lit lighter. But here’s the dilemma: when you’re holding the lighter, you can’t use your weapons or defend yourself in any way – all you can do is run. This leads to some of the most tense enemy encounters I’ve experienced in any horror game, where you have to run and find a candelabra offering small islands of safety to fight from. Survival horror has always been about playing as a vulnerable character who can barely defend themselves, and I can’t think of another series that commits to that vulnerability quite like Tormented Souls. Taking away your ability to fight in the darkness makes these games truly unique. Camera angles Can I just take a moment to appreciate the camera work in Tormented Souls 2? This kind of detail often goes underappreciated, but it deserves recognition. Take this example in the video below – the way the camera snakes through narrow corridors and then follows you seamlessly down the elevator feels almost like the developers are showing off. Achieving that sense of fluid motion and atmosphere takes real precision, and throughout the entire game the camerawork is consistently excellent. Problems / bugs  For our review, myself and Pixel Crypt played an early build of the game, and it’s important that we remain fair by mentioning a few bugs we encountered. The tank controls occasionally stick when entering or exiting menus (although the modern controls are unaffected). We also experienced a few crashes, although it’s difficult to say whether these were caused by hardware issues or software bugs. In a

Definitely one of the best survival horror games of the year, despite its obvious flaws. At its core Fragile Reflection feels like Silent Hill f – PS1 edition. It takes place in a Japan-like world, as you explore a village, a sanitarium, mines, and a dream-like otherworld. It is super inspired by Silent Hill 1 and 2, just with modern over the shoulder camera and controls. The music and voice acting are peak, so authentically PSX. The atmosphere and enemy designs are a little janky but also fantastic. The biggest drawback lies in the technical execution. Animations, hitboxes, and controls can feel clunky, sometimes resembling something held together with duct tape. Character movement and animations in particular look like they came from a first-year animation project. But for me – it is not breaking the magic of the game literally AT ALL. And this is coming from someone who noticed the jank in the demo and had extremely low expectations for the full game. Overall, this game is far more absorbing and charming than I expected. It feels very authentic and nails the atmosphere and gameplay. You will know if you are the type of player that can tolerate a bit of jank in exchange for tons of charm and classic survival horror magic. If not, don’t buy. If yes, buy it immediately. Fragile Refection is avalible now on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3088670/Fragile_Reflection/

Disclaimer: I received a free review key for Heartworm from the publisher. This does not affect my opinions — all thoughts and impressions in this review are my own. Heartworm isn’t just an indie survival horror game, it’s a deeply personal work, built from the streets, buildings, and small details of Vincent Adinolfi’s own life. It’s rare to see something so steeped in personal history, where every location feels lifted straight from a lived memory. The result is an experience where the environments feel authentic. You’re not wandering through generic level design, you’re navigating spaces that have been lived in, remembered, and reimagined, making Heartworm all the more immersive and rewarding to explore.  I was reminded of Hollowbody, which also features a stretch of suburban streets inspired by the developer Nate’s own background in the UK. But the streets there feel distant, abandoned, unreachable, partly because you can only pass by the houses, never step inside. Compared to Heartworm’s intimate spaces, it’s a colder kind of personal.  Another source of Heartworm’s warmth comes from its protagonist, Sam, voiced by M in their very first voice acting role. The game is filled with monologues that breathe life into Sam, offering not just exposition but a direct line into her thoughts and emotions. They’re both well written and beautifully delivered, authentic, intimate, and free from the kind of cheesy dialogue that made Resident Evil 1 so charmingly clunky. Gameplay & Variety At the start of the game, you’re given a welcome set of options: graphics can be retro (pixelated) or modern; movement can be tank-style (player-relative) or modern; and aiming can be tank-style (camera-relative) or modern (over-the-shoulder). It’s a smart touch that caters to a wide range of players, as tank controls can be quite divisive. When I played the demo, I opted for tank movement with modern aiming, but found the switch from fixed camera angles to an over-the-shoulder view a little disorientating, it took me some time to get my bearings. For the full game, I switched to both tank movement and tank aiming, and I’m glad I did: it made the combat feel far closer to classic Resident Evil games. Environments Survival horror locations are traditionally dark, grimy, and designed to make you feel uneasy. But Heartworm took one look at that and said, ‘Nah, we’re going to be beautiful.’ I don’t think I’ve ever played a more beautiful horror game, some of the environments are so gorgeous, I actually forgot I was playing a horror game. Before it’s release, I interviewed Michael Jentsch about the enviroments in Heartworm. I learned a lot about how the game was made, but Michael stayed very quiet about some of its best areas — and I’m glad he did. I was genuinely impressed by the scale and variety of the locations. During my playthrough, I explored an abandoned house, a quiet neighborhood, foggy small-town streets, a warehouse, wilderness, a clock tower, a school, a hospital, a subway station, and an office building and that’s just to name a few. With so many locations to explore, it’s no surprise that Heartworm’s development took around five years to complete and required a small team of dedicated developers. Speaking of which, shout out to the small but passionate indie team behind the game: Vincent Adinolfi, Michael Jentsch, Carlos Lizarraga, Leonardo Esteban Montes, Michael “Goba” Tomczak, Jakub Graczyk, Yves Searle, M. Hart, and Suzi Hunter. Enemies & Combat  Feedback for Heartworm is generally very positive, but one area where I’ve seen some criticism is the combat and difficulty. Like Hollowbody, most enemies can be easily avoided. However, this didn’t surprise me, as both Hollowbody and Heartworm are influenced by Silent Hill 2, a game where enemies are easy to avoid and combat is not the focus. Earlier this year, I also reviewed Post Trauma, another Silent Hill 2-inspired game, and it actually has far less combat than Heartworm. In fact, I thought the variety and number of enemies in Heartworm was very good. There are the bright, TV-like glowing copies of Sam that use a slow-motion attack, the dogs in the Wilderness, the stone statues that come to life with unique stone attacks, mannequin-style enemies, and licker-type creatures that leap from the ceiling. For an indie game, I was impressed by the enemy variety. There are plans to include an increased difficulty mode, but that’s not something I’m particularly interested in when playing a survival horror game. If I wanted really challenging combat mechanics, I’d play a Souls-like game (and I do quite often!). By the end of my playthrough, I had nine health packs and over 100 camera shots, but I think this is because Heartworm went for the Silent Hill-style approach, with enemies that are easier to avoid. In Resident Evil games, you’re often in narrow corridors, so avoiding enemies isn’t always a practical option. Heartworm, on the other hand, takes place in big, open areas and is mostly set outdoors. I didn’t fight any enemies I didn’t have to, which meant I ended up hoarding resources. Wow, what a mansion! When I first found out about Heartworm, I made the same mistake a lot of people did assuming the gameplay and influences would be similar to Fatal Frame. Having now played the full game, I can safely say the gameplay is nothing like Fatal Frame, especially when you’re using tank controls and tank aiming, as I mentioned earlier. I think when you see a camera being used in a horror game, it’s hard not to make the Fatal Frame connection. However, in Heartworm, the camera feels more like a pistol in Resident Evil. It’s far more accurate to say that Heartworm is influenced by Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The Resident Evil 1 influence is hard to miss the Clocktower section toward the end of the game feels like stepping right into the Spencer Mansion, complete with a replica of one of its staircases and hallways. I love seeing references and Easter