I'd be lying if I said Contrast was anywhere on my radar, prior to the announcement that Compulsion Games' 2D/3D puzzle-platformer would be a free download for new PlayStation 4 owners, but Contrast could very well become one of the most loved and hated games from the PS4 launch line-up.
Contrast sees players solving a variety of platform-based puzzles that unfold in a combination of two- and three-dimensional action, made possible by the protagonist's ability to phase in and out of shadows, in an America, while trying to help a young girl and her family.
Though the game is far from perfect, I found Contrast to be a largely enjoyable, occasionally frustrating game that Compulsion Games wisely chose not to draw out in the name of delivering a higher dollar-to-play-time ratio. Completing Contrast won't take many players more than 4-6 hours -- maybe a bit longer if you intend to hunt down all of the game's secrets -- but Contrast remains fun throughout...when its few it doesn't leave you cursing at your television, of course.
Let's do this in the usual order though.
Contrast Review - Story
In Contrast, players assume the role of Dawn, the latest in a long line of silent protagonists who finds herself helping a young girl named Didi ditch her homework in the name of reuniting her estranged parents. You'll help Didi try and patch things up between her mom and dad, along with a few other tasks that I won't get into for spoiler reasons, while collecting glowing orbs called "Luminaries" and a variety of other story-related collectibles along the way.
Unfortunately, while Contrast does an excellent job of communicating its narrative, the game's story isn't exactly a happy one. Didi's mother and father aren't going to be winning any parenting awards, and the various other narratives that emerge over the course of the game don't leave you with much fuzzier feelings about any of the other characters who appear in Contrast either. In fact, many of the game's brief cutscenes serve little purpose other than to remind you of the personal shortcomings of the adults in Didi's life, though you can at least skip some of the more cliché segments without losing track of the overall narrative.
If anything, I found myself hoping that Dawn (a seemingly employed young detective) would just adopt Didi as her own and disappear into the night on the same train she departs in Contrast's opening moments. While some may be turned off by the story's more-predictable scenes, I suspect most players will find themselves actively rooting for Didi by the time they reach Contrast's final moments. At the very least, those who give the game a chance are likely to be invested enough in the story to see Contrast through to its conclusion.
Contrast Review - Graphics
This could be very well be the aspect of the game that people find most disappointing. Before delving too deeply into the visual aspects of Contrast, I'd like to be clear that I found the game world to be quite striking. That said, I cannot envision a scenario in which anybody actually holds the opinion that Contrast looks like a next-gen game.
While it's certainly not as simple in its appearance as fellow PSN release Super Motherload, Contrast absolutely looks like a game that was developed for the PlayStation 3 and ported at the last minute to increase the size of the PS4 launch line-up. Then again, games don't always need to look like they cost $100 million to be both visually engaging and aesthetically pleasing to the vast majority of those who encounter them.
Such is the case with Contrast, a game that manages to present a clear and easily-followable narrative, despite never showing more than the shadows of most characters, in an environment that definitely succeeds in capturing the vibe of the Roaring Twenties.
From the appearance of the carnival being hosted by Didi's father to the myriad buildings you'll explore around town, it's not hard to appreciate all the work that the artists at Compulsion Games put into Contrast and the PlayStation 4 never fails to keep the game running smoothly. Shadows dance along the walls, without any noticeable tearing or loss in quality, as players reposition the numerous items meant to aid Dawn's shadow-self in completing the Contrast's 2D platform segments.
To be honest, the only thing I personally found disappointing Contrast's visuals is how long the game seems to take when loading on the PlayStation 4, given the substantially shorter load times in Killzone: Shadow Fall and other titles that actually push Sony's next-generation hardware. A few load screens are hardly a deal-breaker though.
Contrast Review - Sound
The Contrast soundtrack is pleasant, adding quite a bit to the feeling that you've been transported back in time to experience the game, but manages to be relatively unobtrusive at the same time. In theory, much of your time with Contrast will be focused on the action unfolding on-screen; whether that be solving a puzzle or taking a few moments to watch the next story-advancing cutscene. As a result, players are unlikely to spend much time paying direct attention to Contrast's soundtrack, though Spearhead Games' musical choices never felt repetitive either, on the rare occasions when I found myself stopping to enjoy the Spearhead Games' musical selections.
Contrast Review - Gameplay
The game sees Dawn escorting Didi through the streets of the unnamed town where the young girl lives, making regular use of her ability to phase between the 3D world and 2D shadow plane along the way, as Didi undertakes the seemingly-impossible task of patching things up between her estranged parents in a single evening.
Unfortunately, despite the largely enjoyable aesthetic of the Contrast game world, the game is marred by some quite noticeable input lag and spotty (at best) collision detection that will send you crashing back down to the floor during many of your attempts at cracking Contrast's myriad puzzles. Truth be told, I enjoyed Contrast so much that I'd originally intended to track down all of the game's collectibles, but the aforementioned input/collision problems and my desire to maintain my own sanity forced me to abandon my quest.
The less-than-stellar collision is likely to lead many Contrast players to make a similar decision, effectively guaranteeing that you won't need more than half a day to complete Compulsion Games' debut release. They game's platforming segments are at least consistent enough to make playing Contrast a largely enjoyable experience; however, less patient gamers (like yours truly) probably shouldn't focus on completing all of Contrast's optional segments.
Contrast Review - Final Verdict
Many of those reading this review will be entitled to a free copy of Contrast, at least for a few more weeks, and don't really have to make a purchasing decision of any kind. If you're one of those people, I'd absolutely recommend you download Contrast before its pulled from the PlayStation Plus freebie list, and at least spend a few minutes checking out the game for yourself.
At worst, you're out (maybe) an hour of your time, and come away with the knowledge that Contrast just isn't your thing. At best, Contrast will challenge you with its visually-engaging puzzles, stopping just shy of frustrating while also bestowing a minor sense of accomplishment for solving puzzles which may/may not have stumped you for a few moments.
I enjoyed much of my time with Contrast, but it's not an easy recommendation for non-PS4 owners, largely Contrast feels like one of those games that people are either going to love or hate. Regaardless of your feelings about its story, Contrast's execution is far from perfect, and some of its more outstanding issues could very understandably keep interested parties from experiencing everything that the game has to offer.
If you ask me, Contrast is a great way to spend a couple of hours, provided you can look past some of the game's rougher edges, but I'd recommend holding onto your cash for a holiday sale of some kind before checking out Contrast on another platform.
Score - 3/5
Have you already had a chance to play some/all of Contrast for yourself? Think I was expecting too much from an indie launch title? Come away from Contrast with a vastly different opinion of the game?
Let us know in the comments section!
