Schein
- October 9, 2014
- Zeppelin Studio
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Schein is a single-player puzzle platformer with great graphics, where you guide a father through a mystical swamp, using a magical light to reveal new dimensions, solve puzzles, and defeat beasts to find his missing son. Inspired by Limbo and Braid, Schein is known for its unique gameplay and captivating story."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique light mechanic that alters the environment, creating interesting and challenging puzzles.
- The art style and atmosphere are visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The soundtrack is enjoyable and complements the gameplay, adding to the immersive experience.
- The platforming sections can be frustrating due to clunky controls and unfair hit detection, leading to frequent deaths.
- Many puzzles rely on blind jumps and trial-and-error mechanics, which can detract from the enjoyment and flow of the game.
- Technical issues such as lag and crashes have been reported, affecting the overall performance and playability.
- graphics40 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique and creative art style, with many reviewers noting the beautiful and detailed visuals that enhance the overall atmosphere. However, some criticism arises regarding framerate issues and a sense of unpolished elements, particularly in animations and character models. Overall, while the graphics are appealing and contribute positively to the game's experience, they are sometimes overshadowed by gameplay concerns and technical limitations.
“The graphics are beautiful and the idea is amazing.”
“I want to recommend this game; the graphics are amazing and the triplicate-art shows a level of devotion and attention to detail that most games don't have.”
“The visuals are very nice and detailed.”
“The graphics are pretty simple, and there are framerate issues if there is a lot to render at one time (you definitely notice if the screen is covered in fire).”
“I had to half the resolution and lower the graphics quality in order to get a somewhat acceptable framerate.”
“With simple graphics, a so-so character model, and some less than great voice work.”
- gameplay37 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Schein features a unique light mechanic that alters the game world, providing some interesting puzzle-solving moments; however, many players find the execution lacking due to clunky controls, narrow visibility, and repetitive mechanics. While the concept is solid and the atmosphere engaging, the overall experience is marred by frustrating gameplay elements and unpolished design, leading to mixed reviews. Despite some challenging puzzles and creative ideas, the game struggles to maintain player interest and flow.
“The gameplay is smooth and its simple art style makes it enjoyable for everyone, even those who don't want to spend a lot of money on a PC that can run heavy games.”
“The lighting mechanic is fun to utilize and challenges my mind to solve the puzzles.”
“A platform game with an interesting gameplay dynamic, based on how the world around you changes depending on which colored light you're carrying.”
“I was hoping for some cool brain twisters, but all the puzzles were barely puzzles at all and most of the gameplay seemed more about being as annoying as possible.”
“Half the mechanics make no sense.”
“The gameplay has no flow.”
- story35 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a father searching for his lost son in a swamp, presenting an interesting premise but ultimately lacking depth and coherence. While some players appreciated the intriguing concept and atmospheric elements, many criticized the voice acting and overall execution, describing the narrative as mediocre and underdeveloped. Despite its artistic visuals and engaging gameplay mechanics, the story fails to leave a lasting impact, often feeling shallow and disconnected from the gameplay experience.
“The story, interesting game concept using alternate dimensions, good systems of checkpoints, responsive control, and atmosphere are the pros of the game.”
“Schein is a great platformer, including puzzles, and an interesting story.”
“[i]Schein[/i] tells the story of a desperate man, who ventures forth into the mystical swamp in search of his missing son.”
“The voice acting was bad... just plain bad, no emotion or really any connection to what was currently happening in the story, and the guy was basically monotone.”
“The story itself really didn't make a ton of sense. I think I got the gist of it, but other than that, it didn't make sense.”
“The story is about a father looking for his lost son in a swamp, but it does not add much depth to the game.”
- music23 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience, though some players find the voice acting and certain sound effects less appealing. While the soundtrack is described as calming and appropriate for various game moments, opinions on the game's art and gameplay mechanics suggest that the music alone may not be enough to elevate the overall enjoyment for all players. Overall, the soundtrack stands out positively, but it is accompanied by mixed feelings about other aspects of the game.
“Music is nice in this one, but the atmosphere of the game may not fit everyone's taste.”
“I really liked the music and the art direction.”
“The music, graphics, and voice acting are charming and at times suspenseful.”
“- the music isn't remarkable in any way”
“The graphics and music is nothing like Bastion, Braid but it is decent enough and fits very well with the atmosphere.”
“Only thing I really liked is the background music and visual style of the game.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of gloomy and intriguing elements, enhanced by a strong atmospheric soundtrack, though opinions on voice acting vary. While some players appreciate the compelling and dark ambiance, which may not appeal to everyone, others note that the graphics and animations are simple yet fitting. Overall, the atmosphere is a significant highlight, contributing to the game's engaging puzzles and gameplay mechanics.
“The story, interesting game concept using alternate dimensions, good systems of checkpoints, responsive control, and atmosphere are the pros of the game.”
“You'll find a nice gloomy atmosphere, good puzzles, and hard platforming.”
“The graphics are simple but pretty, and the audio (including the voice acting) is suitably atmospheric.”
“The graphics and music are nothing like Bastion or Braid, but they are decent enough and fit very well with the atmosphere.”
“Maybe it is the atmosphere.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering and frame rate drops, particularly on Windows 8. Despite attempts to address these problems, many players still experience difficulties that hinder gameplay and control. Overall, the optimization appears to be a major concern, affecting the overall experience.
“Update: I found a fix for the performance issues that 2D games tend to have on Windows 8; it fixed the performance of all games... except this one.”
“Schein does have problems; the main character is played too flat. He’s supposed to be depressed, but whether it's a production issue or a performance issue, something about it just doesn't land.”
“I've run into some serious performance problems with this game.”
“Second, the game suffers from some serious frame rate stuttering.”
“Seems to be a hardware optimization issue.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Schein" is criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with long and finicky platforming sequences that detract from the overall experience. Players found the slow pacing and challenging timing requirements to be bothersome, overshadowing the game's potential.
“This one is a pretty tedious mess.”
“This was an absolutely tedious and bothersome completion for me.”
“What could have been a lovely clever platformer was, unfortunately, turned into a series of long, inexplicably tedious jumping sequences that is all about split-second timing.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably strong, with engaging narration that enhances the characters' growth. However, some players feel that the overall experience suffers from a lack of additional content and environmental variability, leading to repetitiveness and a high difficulty level.
“The narration has created wonderful character development.”
“The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the overall narrative.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the growth and evolution of the characters.”
“The game suffers from a low variability of environment and a lack of additional content, such as character development and puzzles, which makes it feel repetitive over time despite its high difficulty.”
“There is no character development or puzzles to solve, which significantly detracts from the overall experience.”
“The absence of character development leaves the gameplay feeling flat and unengaging.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers find humor in the familiarity of Schein's light-based puzzle mechanics, noting that it amusingly echoes other games in the genre. The humor seems to stem from the playful nature of the gameplay rather than overt comedic elements.
“It's kind of funny that Schein isn't the first puzzle platform game with a light gimmick that makes elements of the world appear and disappear that I've played.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The voice acting of the main character, while perceived as somewhat unmotivated, effectively aligns with the emotional context of the game, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
“The voice acting of the main character is a little bit unmotivated, but it fits the emotional situation perfectly.”
