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Press release:
Denver, USA – 14th November, 2023.
The Denver-based indie games publisher Versus Evil and independent game studio Jukai Studio, are today very proud and excited to announce that they have just released a massive patch for their nightmarish psychological thriller “Stray Souls” (the said patch is available right now for PC and consoles via digital stores).

The first patch since the launch of the game addresses common performance and gameplay issues found across consoles and PC, in addition to improving quality of life aspects to mechanics including the jumpscares, aiming and boss fight encounters. Fixes include the following:

Re-recorded mocap for face idle animations for both Daniel and Martha.

Adjusted the leg pull jumpscare camera, resolving the bug that caused it to occur before the breaker room cutscene, eliminating illogical confusion.

Daniel no longer sways while aiming the gun. Improved the random grandmother peeking sequence and reduced their frequency to avoid repetition.

Overhauled visuals, representation, and camera issues for the grandmother jumpscare.

Fixed the inability to aim and shoot during the wendigo (first) boss fight.

Adjusted the difficulty of the wendigo (first) boss fight.

Adjusted flashlight brightness on some levels.

Re-recorded exaggerated Martha bump animations and overhauled the entire system to make it feel more natural.

Fixed Martha’s absence at the family gravestone before the cutscene starts.

Added a hint to the note in the graveyard to make it easier to find (now more prominent in the environment).

Updated audio levels for voices and conducted a sweep through all cutscenes to balance the audio levels.

Adjusted audio levels for all enemies.

Fixed subtitles font sizes.

Fixed the crash when dying in the first wendigo boss fight. (Xbox One)

More about Stray Souls:

Dive into the mind of Daniel, a teenage boy who inherits a home from his estranged grandmother. As he moves in, Daniel meets the enigmatic Martha who knows more about the house than he would expect. As night falls, dark secrets hiding within the dwelling and Daniel’s past come out of the woodworks – secrets Daniel cannot seem to outrun…

Stray Souls combines beloved elements of Japanese survival horror games with an array of new tricks, including a variety of randomized systems where enemy encounters, item placement, paranormal activity and even weather patterns are always changing so no two playthroughs are exactly the same. Featuring new music by legendary Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka and using the power of Metahuman technology and Unreal Engine 5, characters and environments are authentically brought to life, throwing you straight into the dread and dismay of the narrative in glorious 4K 60fps with haptic feedback support on PlayStation 5.

Stray Souls combines beloved elements of Japanese survival horror games with an array of new tricks, including a variety of randomized systems where enemy encounters, item placement, paranormal activity and even weather patterns are always changing so no two playthroughs are exactly the same. Using the power of Metahuman technology and Unreal Engine 5, characters and environments are authentically brought to life, throwing you straight into the dread and dismay of the narrative.

About Jukai Studio
Established in 2022, Jukai Studio is an independent game studio comprised of an experienced team focused on creating memorable experiences within the horror genre. Aiming to push the boundaries of what is considered possible within the indie space, the team has come together to work on its first title, Stray Souls, a genre-pushing homage to classic survival horror.

About Versus Evil
Founded in 2013, Versus Evil, LLC is the US based video game publisher behind critically acclaimed video games First Class Trouble, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and The Banner Saga trilogy. Publishing games on all major mobile, PC and console platforms, Versus Evil works with independent development studios from around the world. The corporate philosophy is to champion the independent game developer. For more information visit versusevil.com

Versus Evil ® is a registered trademark of Versus Evil LLC.