Education
- April 23, 2020
- Tonguç Bodur
Get on Steam"Education" is a short horror game set in an abandoned school haunted by the main character's past. Explore six atmospheric levels, solve puzzles, and uncover the mystery through diaries and newspapers. The game features a thrilling soundtrack, immersive sound design, and collectibles to find. Progress is saved at the beginning of each level. The core focus is on creating a chilling and immersive atmosphere.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a creepy atmosphere and good graphics, effectively creating a sense of unease.
- The story, while simple, is engaging and explores themes of bullying and remorse through notes and character backstory.
- It's a short experience that can be completed in under two hours, making it a quick and affordable option for fans of walking simulators and lite horror.
- The gameplay is overly simplistic, with minimal puzzles and a lack of meaningful interaction, leading to a feeling of dullness.
- The character's lack of remorse for past actions undermines the narrative impact, leaving players questioning the purpose of the protagonist's journey.
- Technical issues such as bugs, a poorly implemented flashlight mechanic, and repetitive sound effects detract from the overall experience.
- story42 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily conveyed through scattered notes, providing a backstory that some players found engaging, while others criticized it as thin or poorly written. While the narrative includes elements of bullying and a dark past, opinions vary on its execution, with some appreciating the atmosphere and emotional depth, while others felt it lacked coherence and depth. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with potential for improvement but moments of intrigue that resonate with certain players.
“The main character's backstory was really well written in notes scattered around the abandoned school, and is really a person you love to hate.”
“It's a really easy walking sim where you walk through an old abandoned school and learn the story of your character's life at the school.”
“Good game with a great story about what happened in the school and about a certain student.”
“Boring, generic, poorly written horror walking simulator that quickly degenerates into stumbling around darkened rooms pixel-hunting for whatever item is necessary to advance the story.”
“The story is told through notes, with fairly poor writing and no voiceovers.”
“Story is nonsense and the player character is a completely unlikable jackwagon who did a bunch of horrible stuff when he was a kid, up to and including causing another person's suicide, and doesn't feel bad about any of it at all.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, creepy, and unsettling qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and immersion. While some players noted the presence of minor jump scares, the overall horror experience is primarily driven by the game's atmospheric elements, including sound design and visual aesthetics. Many reviewers appreciated the combination of a compelling story with the atmospheric setting, making it a memorable experience despite its short length and linear gameplay.
“It is short, unsettling in its setting and atmosphere, and tells an enjoyable story that's also a little sad, and it's sad in more ways than one.”
“It’s still a walking simulator with a couple puzzles and some minor exploration, but it’s also got a dark and oppressive atmosphere.”
“There were two minor jumpscares in the game, but otherwise, it’s all atmosphere and figuring out how to progress through this abandoned and decayed school where you had once been the rich kid bully, within which you now find yourself trapped.”
“The horror aspect of the game is alright, spooky atmosphere, weird noises and a (at first) terrifying monster.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally well-received, with users noting that they are competent and contribute to the overall atmosphere, particularly in the horror context. While some mention that the graphical settings do not significantly impact the experience, the visuals are considered good for a budget title, earning scores around 7/10. Overall, the graphics enhance the gameplay, though they are not enough to compensate for other shortcomings in the game.
“For a 2 dollar game, the graphics are pretty good.”
“The graphical settings make no difference despite being offered different resolutions.”
“Graphically competent, especially due to the use of assets, the game sees you walking around an abandoned school, trying to figure out your past errors and come to terms with it.”
“Did like the overall graphics and atmosphere, but we all know that alone does not make a good game.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simplistic design that primarily involves exploration, unlocking doors, and reading various documents, with occasional puzzles. While some players appreciate the mechanics and graphics, others criticize the repetitive nature and immersion-breaking elements, such as the flashlight battery system. Overall, the experience is mixed, with some finding it engaging and others deeming it a waste of time.
“Game mechanics are well put together; solving a puzzle in one room leads to a key to open the next, and there are a lot of locked doors, empty rooms, and hallways to explore.”
“Graphic-wise, it looks great and the gameplay is pretty good.”
“With a simple plot and even simpler gameplay, the game is barely serviceable in what it sets out to do.”
“Most of the gameplay consists of exploration and unlocking doors while reading journal entries and newspaper articles, though there is the occasional puzzle.”
“The unnecessary flashlight battery mechanic... I have 14/15 achievements and don't really feel the desire to get that 15th, even though my OCD is kind of telling me to be a completionist.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by a blend of unnerving and haunting tracks that effectively enhance the atmosphere, with ambient sounds contributing to a spooky experience. While some users noted a lack of the mood-setting music found in previous titles, the overall sound design, including voice acting and sound effects, received positive feedback for its quality and ability to complement the game's scenery.
“The music and sound effects were really well done.”
“I liked the music; it went well with the atmosphere.”
“As far as audio is concerned, there is a splash of voice acting, but most of the audio tracks take the form of unnerving music and haunting sounds such as distant screams, doors opening and closing on their own, etc.”
“The ambient sounds and music were even a little spooky.”
“The soundtrack is a bit creepy but lacks the music that has set the mood in his previous games.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game performs well on high-end systems, achieving a steady 60fps, particularly on setups that meet or exceed the recommended specifications. This positive performance is attributed more to the capabilities of the Unreal Engine 4 than to the game itself, suggesting that users with adequate hardware are likely to experience good optimization.
“It runs very well on my AMD 5700 RX / AMD 12-core / 24-thread Threadripper / 32GB memory system, at a constant 60 FPS. Your mileage might vary, but I suspect anyone who meets the general recommended specs will have good performance. Although that speaks more to the Unreal 4 engine rather than to the game; Unreal is far superior to Unity any day when it comes to ease of optimization and maintaining steady FPS.”
