Scholar’s Mate Review (PS5) – As a developer and publisher, JanduSoft already has several horror titles under its belt, like Evil Inside, Ikai, and Horror Tales: The Wine. Even though this team makes a wide array of games, it knows how to make horror games.
Much like the other horror games in its repertoire, Scholar’s Mate isn’t perfect, but it puts together an interesting concept that horror fans will enjoy.
Scholar’s Mate Review (PS5) – A Decent Horror Diversion With Challenging Puzzles
Cat And Mouse
Taking on the role of Judith, the game drops you right into the fray, waking up trapped in a locked psychiatric ward. Many puzzles separate you from escaping the ward, making you sift through documents and rooms on your way out.
However, Judith is not alone in this factory. A behemoth of a man stomps around with aims of cutting your life short. This Jason-like figure, much like the titular horror icon, is invincible. So, for the extent of the game, you play a dangerous game of cat and mouse all while trying to escape.
All through my time with the game, I couldn’t help but compare Scholar’s Mate to Haunting Grounds. The two share a great deal between them: somewhat convoluted puzzles you must solve to escape as well as a constant feeling of pursuit and danger.
Another trait these two games share is how much down time there is. Without the ability to kill or defeat your adversaries, you resort to running, hiding, and shaking off your captors. This additional time contributes to the dangers involved and truly hits home with how much risk you face along the way.
Tense Puzzles
However, what makes Haunting Grounds a cult classic is the fact that the balance between puzzles and pursuit leans more into the pursuit aspect of the game. Scholar’s Mate leans more into the puzzle side.
While not a bad thing, the constant pursuit forces you to start and stop your puzzles often, leaving you less time to brainstorm. To the game’s credit, this deeply adds to the tension of the game. With that in mind, the experience as a game may not be to everyone’s liking.
Personally, the constant need to stop or delay my actions grows more frustrating than scary. I think this comes from the fact that there just isn’t much substantive narrative backing to the situation. Games don’t need complicated or convoluted stories to feel enjoyable, but if the circumstances just aren’t there, then the motivation to keep pushing forward doesn’t come out.
The saving grace here is that your pursuer doesn’t have complicated artificial intelligence. Many times he won’t notice you across the room if you open and close a door or pop into a hiding spot.
The villain loves to be the predator in this cat-and-mouse game, but thankfully the game gives some freedom to you as the player to more easily navigate his pursuits.
To boot, the sound design absolutely rocks. You KNOW when your pursuer gets close just by his footfalls. Each sound feels authentic and relative to your position; you need to wear headphones to truly appreciate the strengths of Scholar’s Mate.
Going back to Haunting Grounds for a bit, the consequences and intensity from your pursuers also contribute to that game’s status as a cult classic. You got a feel for your enemies and why they do what they do. In Scholar’s Mate, the motivations of your antagonist just don’t cook very long. While it culminates into something by the end, the hook just doesn’t quite land as well as it could.
Visually, Scholar’s Mate does enough to sell the aesthetic of the abandoned hospital and its ambience. Everything looks realistic, and many objects almost look real, but enough of the game showcases hard or jagged edges that, combined with the slower pace of the game, can easily take you out of the immersion the game creates.
These issues show up more in well-lit areas, which don’t show up in the game very often. Still, when the jagged visuals appear, you practically feel them. They don’t break the game, but the immersion certainly takes a hit.
Far From A Checkmate But Still A Decent Move
Scholar’s Mate doesn’t have the kind of polish that many horror games do, but it doesn’t need to in order to deliver on its strengths: pursuit and puzzle solving. Immersion takes hold most of the time, with enough breaks in it to change how you look at the game. Still, sound design and the challenge that comes from elaborate puzzles can easily win the day for the right person.
Besides, $12.99 is a fantastic price point for this game, making it an easy suggestion for horror fans and puzzle lovers to pick up in the lull of the summer game releases.
Scholar’s Mate is now available on PS5 and PS4.
Review code generously provided by publisher.