SCHiM Review – Chasing Shadows

SCHiM Review

SCHiM takes the idea of ‘what lurks in the shadows’ and builds a fascinating puzzle, platforming adventure. With its unique art style and distinct premise, the game offers a fresh take on the genre which evolves around light and darkness. But does SCHiM manage to sustain its intrigue and deliver a satisfying experience throughout?

You play as a spirit that lies in the shadow of people and objects. Tied to your human, together you experience the highs and lows of life until a separation leaves you stranded and alone. This leads to a spirited adventure where you leap between silhouettes to return to your human. Although there is a clear overarching purpose, each level also has smaller stories that subtly take place in the world. You’ll notice small sequences that give you insight into the folk dwelling in the beautiful European-influenced environments. The delicate approach to the story allows those solely interested in the gameplay to overlook this, yet it also offers an intriguing narrative thread that adds more to your journey.

What We Do in Shadows

In essence, SCHiM is an isometric puzzle platformer that uses the environment to create paths to your objective. As the world is alive with citizens getting on with their regular lives, you will leap into these shadows to progress towards your destination. Due to this, you have time to soak in the environment, observe scenarios, and linger in the vibrant, minimalist world. Patience is required as you will need to wait for the opportune time to venture forth. For example, to cross a road, you must wait for passing vehicles and leap into their shadows to get to the other side. This adds a dynamic element to the gameplay, reminiscent of classic titles such as Frogger.

The isometric view obscures parts of the environment making you spin the camera on its axis to see more of the world. This opens the opportunity to explore and find hidden collectibles within each level. With a press of the trigger, the camera drifts in the direction of your goal making sure that you always know where to go. As well as adding incentive to revisit stages to 100% the game, it also leads to the discovery of more stories and a deeper understanding of the world. The relaxing ambiance makes this a stress-free affair which helps the accessibility. Anyone can jump in and immerse themselves in the quirky, quaint surroundings.

Enchanting Environments

Environmental puzzles add another layer to the gameplay, requiring you to progress down one avenue to open up another. In its simplest form, you may need to spring over to the pedestrian crossing and hit the button to stop the movement of cars. Other scenarios involve a little more thought to traverse the landscape. For example, you can bounce on umbrellas and control cranes to alter the length of their shadows so that you can continue to your objective.

While there are some great moments where you inhabit the item of the shadow that you reside in, this notion could have been expanded to take greater advantage of the novel concept. The conundrums are straightforward, often requiring you to press a button to advance. Although this simplicity adds to the chilled vibe of the game, introducing more challenging puzzles would have enhanced the adventure.

Charming, Quaint, and Full of Character

The presentation is wonderful with alternating modern, simplistic blocks forming landscapes. Each area feels unique, partly due to the varying color palettes but also due to the intricately designed areas that add character to each segment. Some sequences are particularly short, only requiring you to move a few steps to complete. While this does create a nice pace to the experience, they do feel like filler sections to establish movement from one place to another. Further anchoring the tranquil atmosphere is the slick, smooth soundtrack. Electro beats and laidback rhythms enhance the sense of calm and relaxation. The seamless integration of sound and visuals makes each moment feel cohesive and engaging, ensuring that every step taken is a delight.

SCHiM is a unique adventure that intuitively blends platforming and puzzling to deliver a memorable experience. Although the game lacks challenge, it seamlessly slips you into a relaxed state with its chilled beats and minimalist art style. Packed with character, this clever title will keep you enthralled throughout.

*** A PlayStation 5 code provided by the publisher***