NOT
Scarce On Sound
Fractured Soul doesn’t sport much in the audio department. All you will find here is a repetitive techno-esque soundtrack in the background and the sound of your lasers firing. It makes the game almost feel bland and uninspired. It would have been nice if the music was a little more prominent to make the faster paced moment feel more intense.
Not Much In The Way Of A Story
Fractured Soul does not give you anything in the way of a premise or plot. All you know is that you are thrown into the boots of a soldier who has the ability to switch between two different planes of existence. Everything else is simply given to you in the form of a paragraph or two in between levels. It would have been nice to have a thicker plot explaining how you have these abilities or why you are doing all of the things you have to do in the game.
Ridiculously Difficult Towards The End
The game goes from slightly challenging to frustratingly difficult and ends up at game-breaking and almost unplayable. It even goes so far as to cut out checkpoints completely in the final levels of the game. I can understand a game giving you a challenge and punishing you for dying, but it shouldn’t feel like work to complete a level. It should be a fun learning experience where you learn from your mistakes so you don’t make them again. After completing these levels I found myself more thankful that it was over than feeling rewarded for my efforts. Games like Spelunky give you a rewarding feeling after completing a challenging level, Fractured Souls just leaves you frustrated.
Verdict
Fractured Soul is a title that provides a nostalgic feeling and is great for those who are looking for a new platformer to play but don’t want to pay for a full priced title. It has fun platforming gameplay and good level design, but suffers from a ridiculous difficulty spike and doesn’t have anything in the way of a story. If you have the money for a full priced title such as Mario or the upcoming Scribblenauts Unlimited, then definitely go with one of those. If you are on a budget or you are just dying for a new platformer, then it is worth giving a shot.
[Editor’s Note: Fractured Soul was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]