Eschaton
- November 3, 2022
- jabuga
Get on Steam"Eschaton" is a single-player action game set in the Scottish Highlands, featuring impressive visuals and a dense atmosphere. You'll explore surreal environments, interact with strange beings, and uncover a conspiricy in a journey inspired by 90's low-poly style. The game utilizes experimental audio techniques for a unique experience until midnight.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a captivating atmosphere with excellent sound design that enhances the eerie experience.
- The retro graphics and unique visual style create a nostalgic and immersive environment reminiscent of PS1-era games.
- Despite its short length, the game offers an intriguing and surreal narrative that encourages exploration and interpretation.
- The gameplay is minimal, with very few puzzles and a short runtime that may leave players wanting more content.
- The story can be confusing and lacks clarity, making it difficult for some players to fully engage with the narrative.
- Audio elements can be overwhelming or harsh, potentially detracting from the overall experience for some players.
- atmosphere52 mentions
- 81 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, described as "cozy horror" and "surreal," with a strong emphasis on visual and auditory design that enhances the experience. Reviewers appreciate the absence of cheap jump scares, allowing for a more thoughtful and unsettling exploration of the environment. Overall, the game is noted for its captivating atmosphere, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms regarding its narrative depth.
“I personally feel that this game atmospherically is what I would describe as 'cozy horror', a complete contradiction but one that’s accurate here nonetheless.”
“Amazing atmosphere and visuals, with some fascinating and thought-provoking themes and ideas.”
“The environment and sound is great and makes the creepy stroll around this old manor house very atmospheric whilst always keeping you wondering what is around the corner or through the fog.”
“Despite the eerie atmosphere and blood, there isn't really any horror here.”
“I love the atmosphere, but that's all this game has going for it.”
“There are a couple of light puzzle elements, but other than that the game is a pure walking sim; the atmosphere is thick and charged but there are no cheap jump scares to disrupt your experience.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their retro, pixelated aesthetic reminiscent of the PS1 era, creating a moody and atmospheric experience. Players appreciate the chunky, grainy visuals, vibrant colors, and effective use of lighting effects, which enhance the game's eerie yet engaging environment. Overall, the unique art style and striking visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm, making it a must-play for fans of retro graphics.
“The PSX graphics look great; everything is grainy and moody and chunky with some very nice rain and magical lighting effects.”
“I love the crunchy pixelated art style of the game and the vibrant colors that it pushes out there along with the strangely comfortable yet spooky ambience that the game provides.”
“Amazing atmosphere and visuals, with some fascinating and thought-provoking themes and ideas.”
“The graphics are heavily pixellated.”
“Outside of the visuals and the immersion it briefly crafts, there isn't much to this.”
“Features some haunting visuals, audio and music.”
- story32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story is described as a short, intriguing horror-mystery that incorporates occult themes and references, but many players find it confusing and lacking depth. While the atmosphere and sound design are praised, the narrative often feels disjointed and incomplete, leaving players to piece together their own interpretations. Overall, the story has potential but could benefit from further development to enhance clarity and engagement.
“It's a compelling short story, give it a go!”
“Very cool short form horror mystery story.”
“It seems like there's been at least some occult background reading - references to the Qabalistic tree of life frame the whole story, most of the entities you meet are pagan deities of some kind, there's a big wheel-and-eyes angel, I'm sure I recognized quotes from the Kybalion in there, there's a copy of Principia Discordia laying around, and you can find Eris' apple in an open drawer.”
“The story is... fairly incomprehensible; there are some obvious influences, and I think I get the gist, but man it doesn't tell you much.”
“The story largely goes nowhere as you simply spend 10-20 minutes walking up to 4 different deities, clicking on them, hearing the abstract musings they have to say in the form of a few sentences, and then return to the starting area to piece together one simplistic puzzle which consists of putting a six-syllable phrase in order.”
“It tells no story, but rather gives you some random elements to make up your own, and concludes it.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally considered minimal, with most players completing the game in about half an hour and expressing that it feels overpriced for the content offered. While the mechanics and sound design receive praise, many reviewers feel that a stronger story or more engaging gameplay could elevate the experience significantly. Overall, the game is seen as atmospheric and intriguing, but lacking in substantial gameplay elements.
“I am absolutely still recommending this game, because the mechanics were neat and the sound design was very good.”
“Very interesting and atmospheric, and some interesting boundary break mechanics involved for getting to see additional weirdness.”
“With a better story or gameplay, though, this could easily be a great game.”
“The game itself is kind of a mixed bag; there's not a lot of actual gameplay to it, with two playthroughs taking me about half an hour; I spent almost as much time trying to figure out how to make it display properly on my ultrawide monitor.”
“There's hardly any gameplay.”
“Even as someone who can enjoy a brief walking sim with minimal gameplay, I found this to be overpriced with minimal payoff.”
- music10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game features a mix of themes, including a main menu track, ominous walking music, and a distorted Irish drinking song, all presented at a high volume. The standout piece is a choral track that plays during a climactic moment as players ascend to the sky, adding to the game's haunting atmosphere. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, some players feel uncertain about its overall impact.
“Soundtrack wise, there’s a little bit in there like the main menu theme, a bit of ominous walking music, and what sounds like an Irish drinking song on the radio, but crunched up with static and dialed to 11 in volume; however, the best track is that chorus singing at the end as you ascend to the sky.”
“Soundtrack wise, there’s a little bit in there like the main menu theme, a bit of ominous walking music, and what sounds like an Irish drinking song on the radio, but crunched up with static and dialed to 11 in volume; however, the best track is that chorus singing at the end as you ascend to the sky.”
“Soundtrack-wise, there’s a little bit in there like the main menu theme, a bit of ominous walking music, and what sounds like an Irish drinking song on the radio, but crunched up with static and dialed to 11 in volume; however, the best track is that chorus singing at the end as you ascend to the sky.”
“I suppose the focus is on the sound and music, but... I dunno.”
“Features some haunting visuals, audio, and music.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by clever supernatural references and amusing sound effects, particularly when interacting with locked doors. Players appreciate the quirky moments, such as a funny owl segment, which adds to the game's unique blend of spooky and lighthearted ambiance. Overall, the humor complements the game's pixelated art style and engaging sound design.
“If you've got even a passing interest in supernatural funny business, you'll recognize a lot of references while playing.”
“The sound design for Eschaton is solid, especially the ability to stack pounding sound effects when trying to open locked doors, which adds a humorous touch.”
“I love the crunchy pixelated art style of the game and the vibrant colors, along with the strangely comfortable yet spooky ambience that the game provides (though that owl segment was actually kind of funny).”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a lack of emotional depth in the game, with some players feeling it fails to provide a meaningful or engaging experience. While a few appreciated the intellectual references, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment, leading some to refund the game due to its perceived lack of entertainment and emotional impact.
“I ended up refunding because even on sale, I couldn't justify keeping a game that has nothing to offer, be it entertainment value or a short emotional journey.”
“Also, I understood the Kabbalah references and it made me feel oh so smart, so clap clap clap.”
“Wholesome 100”
- optimization6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is noted to be inconsistent, with some players experiencing decent performance without bugs, while others found it surprisingly variable, particularly given its low-poly design. Overall, the performance quality seems to vary among users.
“I didn't encounter any bugs in my playthrough, and the performance wasn't bad.”
“Very short, weird, low poly walking sim with a surprisingly inconsistent performance.”
