You’d have to be a pretty hardcore fan of obscure puzzle games to know this in advance, but Soul Axiom Rebooted, independent studio Wales Interactive’s most recent release, is actually a remake of 2016’s Soul Axiom, a puzzle/walking simulator experience which was met with mixed reviews. That said, after four years and a fresh coat of paint, Soul Axiom Rebooted remains a slightly perplexing title which, though potentially appealing to those who live and breath budget Switch or Steam titles, probably won’t hold the attention of the average gamer.
Dream Inception
With clear inspiration from games like Portal, The Talos Principle, and The Witness, Soul Axiom Rebooted weaves an interesting—if somewhat incomprehensible—tale which sees the player trek through a vaguely sinister dream world fraught with themes of corruption and distrust on the quest for… well, something. We’d say we don’t want to spoil it, but, in truth, the game’s narrative is so indeterminate and hard to follow that there’s really no telling what the point of it was, to begin with—something about an evil corporate entity which imprisons souls in a supercomputer. Though there are a few cutscenes and collectibles which provide background information, the story is so hands-off and in the background that it may as well not even exist.
In the end, it comes off a bit like what The Stanley Parable might feel like had it been stripped of its wit and self-aware qualities—that is to say, aimless and overly-confusing. Yet, the dreamlike atmosphere and ever-changing scenarios and scenery make for an at-times enthralling ride, and, though you won’t know what’s going on for a large portion of the ten-to-twelve-hour campaign, you may well keep plugging along purely to see where you’ll end up next.
Perplexing Puzzles
In terms of gameplay, Soul Axiom Rebooted is rooted in a few well-constructed principles, though it often oversteps its bounds and presents the player with puzzles with ill-defined parameters or obtuse mechanics. During the course of the game, the player is given three separate powers which they may use to manipulate the environment: the first allowing for the deconstruction and reconstruction of certain barriers and objects, the second allowing for certain objects to be “played” and “paused,” and the third allowing players to ignite certain objects or cause explosions. It’s a neat premise which allows for a great amount of puzzle variety, and, while puzzles in the opening hours of the game can be a joy to unravel, there are a few in the game’s later chapters which can really test your patience and give the sense that the developers overextended themselves a bit.
Art School Aesthetic
In terms of visuals, Soul Axiom Rebooted won’t blow anyone away. In fact, while some may enjoy the minimalist, polygonal art style, we found it to be simultaneously garish and overly-bland. There are a few areas that truly inspire a sense of wonder, but most environments are either caked in gaudy visual effects or half-baked and unpolished. We understand that Wales Interactive likely didn’t have the resources necessary to create any highly-detailed textures and instead went for an intensely stylistic approach ala titles like Virginia or Thirty Flights of Loving, but, at times, the game absolutely screams “made in Unity.” Of particular note are the game’s character models, which almost looks as if they were taken straight out of the original Half-Life release. Though they’ve supposedly been brushed-ups since the title’s 2016 outing, they leave quite a bit to be desired.
Dare To Dream?
Still, for a game of this caliber, offering a harsh critique of the iffy visuals or convoluted story doesn’t entirely feel justified. On offer for a mere $12—on sale at time of writing—you’re more than likely to get your money’s worth out of Soul Axiom Rebooted provided you harbor a penitent for slightly janky indie games. It’s by no means the most thrilling or inventive puzzle game you’ll ever play, but those with an appreciation for the genre may get what they bargained for.
A PC copy of Soul Axiom Rebooted was provided to TheGamer for this review. Soul Axiom Rebooted is available now for PC and Nintendo Switch.
