Sony has placed Contrast in the spotlight of the games industry. Their decision to add it to the recently vacated Instant Games Collection spot left by DriveClub on the PlayStation 4’s PS+ line-up has catapulted this game into the minds of prospective PS4 owners everywhere. The question now becomes whether it shines in its newly found place of fame or slinks quietly into the shadows of gaming mediocrity.
With all of this added pressure, it is appropriate to remember that Contrast is a relatively low-budget indie platformer from Compulsion Games. The key differentiator separating this game from other platforming titles is its use of light and shadow to create puzzles. You play Dawn, a mysterious, quiet character who only seems to be able to interact with a young girl called Didi. All other characters in the game can only be distinguished by their shadows. Similarly, Dawn is invisible to other NPCs. The story opens with Didi disobeying her mother, a cabaret singer, and venturing into the noir-ish world with Dawn helping her find her father.
The tone of the game is exceptionally well-realised. The art Deco architecture surrounding you, the cabaret soundtrack and the dark environments all lend themselves to expressing a clear sense of time and place within the game. The beauty of the game’s aesthetic is probably its best feature, with beautifully atmospheric lighting being the cornerstone of its achievements.
This lighting engine is obviously vitally important as the entirety of Contrast’s gameplay hangs on it. Taking control of Dawn, you can blend into the shadows, traversing the environment on the 2D planes of buildings and other objects. Shadows on the walls can then be used as platforms to progress to the next area or to find collectables. Puzzles typically move a light source or object concerning a fixed light source to create pathways for you to get across. The game changes up the puzzles by adding moving light sources like carousels or hotel lobby lifts, which keep things interesting.
Unfortunately, we get to the bad points – firstly, the controls are far too clunky. Dawn is meant to be acrobatic and agile, but movements often veer wildly between being overly sensitive and almost unresponsive. You need to nail character movement when combat is shunned instead of platforming.
The game is also linear – you spend almost the entire match following Didi’s orders and ensuring she gets from A to B so the next cutscene can play out. The few times you veer off course, you are treated to sparse areas with nothing to do.