REVIEW: Take A Leap With ‘SCHiM’ (PC)

Life takes unexpected turns, some for the better, some not. How do we choose to move through them? And what significance might other people and things play into our daily lives? SCHiM conceptualizes a unique perspective on this through elements of light and shadow in an animated environment.

Duo developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman present a casual 3D platformer where you are a Shadow separated from your human. While wholesome with dashes of whimsy at first glance, SCHiM is simply a story about a person losing their shadow. Engage in a minimal design world with a changing color palette for every level as you try to reconnect with your human by jumping from shadow to shadow.

Inspired by real Dutch and European locations, every level in SCHiM tells a story. The environment is active with movement. Whether people are shopping in a grocery store or a line of ducklings is crossing the street, everything is alive. Even the shadows. As a lost little shadow with large googly eyes, you must constantly survey your surroundings. Honking cars occupy bustling streets as several pedestrians gather at a nearby stoplight. You can’t cross the walkway like everyone else. Instead, you’ll have to utilize the shadows you see leaping from space to space.

The aesthetic of SCHiM is minimalist, with the use of high-contrast colors. Additionally, it utilizes a hierarchy of line weights to build the distinction between the foreground and subjects your shadow can jump to. Shadows are cast by subjects like trees, people, or automobiles driving by. Every shadow is interactive, and some help move players through obstacles and pathways.

Objects within these shadows, like benches or fluttering umbrellas, serve as passive elements and simple jumping points. Meanwhile, others, like stoplights or metal signs, can be actively controlled to further movement for yourself and those in the environment. These dynamic shadows allow players to strategically navigate an area, using them to reach seemingly inaccessible areas or solve puzzles.

Jumping is a fundamental mechanic in SCHiM, as you can only move to other shadows. While some are stationary, precise timing and control are crucial when jumping towards moving shadows. The jump function is straightforward: a quicker release grants a quick hop, while a longer hold extends your jump further. There is a limitation, however, to how far your shadow can jump.

Missing jumps that land outside of shadows or direct light send players back to a designated checkpoint to retry the sequence or planned route. There is a small forgiveness, though, should you narrowly miss a leap. An emergency, tiny hop is available to help you reach safety. While an overshot jump won’t help with this forgiveness hop, it can save a lot of headaches for levels with multiple checkpoints.

Upon entering a new level, the game narrows in on the destination point and scans back to where your Shadow starts each time. It provides a brief view of the map and serves as a potential route you could take. The environment and people have simple dark outlines. Platforms and objects critical to progressing through levels are marked with thicker highlights or a complete outline. This visual cue not only aids in navigation but helps direct players toward objectives. Should you ever feel lost in exploring or need to access your route, a function that enables the camera to align with the point of interest is accessible for players.

Once a level is cleared, it can be accessed at any point through the Main Menu to replay. There are a variety of levels designed to challenge the player in strategy and shadow navigation skills. Each is structured with clear objectives and cues to guide players from one point to the other. Collectible items hidden are in the environment for those seeking more adventure.

When found, some serve as additional help by becoming present in the world and creating a shadow. While these collectibles are optional, they encourage exploration and provide additional depth to the lively world of SCHiM. While some levels enhance immersion with meaningful objectives in tandem with finding your human, others feel it unnecessary to focus solely on movement mechanics without a deeper narrative or context.

SCHiM misses the jump at times with consistency. Levels and progression feel imbalanced as they scale from overly simple execution to lengthy and more complex environmental puzzles. While early gameplay is built upon smaller areas and new ways to move from shadow to shadow, some maps began to feel like fillers nearing late game. If players don’t care about finding collectibles, the journey to finally reconnecting with your human feels tedious.

Overall, SCHiM is worth jumping at. It’s approachable for most players and unearths a deeper story about life’s unexpected lows and highs.

SCHiM releases on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on July 18, 2024.