A creative, aesthetically pleasing adventure
By: Ryan Ramakrishnan
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
“Contrast” is an entertaining journey through the vivid imagination of a young girl combined with a fresh take on puzzle platforming.
All presented gorgeously in a uniquely stylish Paris, France, “Contrast’s” visuals make it an instant standout. Thanks to a fresh concept of switching between 2D and 3D, as well as using shadows to your advantage to solve puzzles, “Contrast” is a charming game worth checking out.Story
At first glance, the premise is shrouded in mystery. You take on the role of Dawn but the catch is she is an imaginary friend of a girl named Didi. We see Didi’s mother go out late at night to pursue her dreams of making a career in the jazz-centric music industry. Her husband had been out of the picture for some time but “Contrast” presents him as a caring man in hopes to rejoin his family; however, thanks to his association with bad crowds, Didi’s mother couldn't be less accepting.
The relationships between both Didi and her parents, as well as with you, Dawn, are both executed so finely, creating a sense of realism, all of which help create a sweet, engaging story.
With the exceptions of the lead characters, Dawn and Didi, the cast is never seen outside of silhouettes. These characters do however manage to become identifiable and leave a mark thanks to the game’s execution of an interesting narrative.
Didi, rightfully so steals the show. She is adorable, innocent and bears a big heart. Didi’s sense of wonder and excitement make her a pleasantly charming character to follow. 
Gameplay
“Contrast” is a puzzle platformer that does things in a unique fashion by using shadows. Acting as a literal shadow, you will find yourself blending in and out of the game’s many walls and surfaces.
Otherwise, you can perform a jump, a dash and basic platformer maneuvers to get around and make your way through the puzzles.
“Contrast’s” puzzles are always designed with shadows in mind. Whether it is moving a headlight to open a space to walk across or pushing an object in or out of sight to reveal new shadows for your advantage. A lot of it calls for moving objects around, some on the floor and other atop, that reveal shadows in different areas to come to your advantage.
Fortunately, story progressions plays alongside the gameplay. Dawn is more or less the only one capable of completing the puzzles thanks to her acrobatic figure so Didi reaches out to her imaginary friend to progress the story and solve the game’s many tasks.
With time, some of the puzzles feel all too familiar, resulting in the impression of a lack of originality, despite that not being the case.
The puzzle platformer isn’t without its flaws. While “Contrast” doesn’t come with all that many bugs, I did, at times, find my jumping and dashing to not respond with accuracy. This lead to an unfortunate and unfair death or two.
Graphics
The artstyle is wonderfully romantic in its location of Paris, France. The dark tone created by plentiful shadows help give “Contrast” a unique look. Stylized in its jazz shows and circus acts alike, “Contrast’s” depiction of the 20’s in “the city of light,” creates a visually appealing noir setting.
Sound
“Contrast’s” story and setting alike are complemented perfectly by a relaxing jazz soundtrack. The instrumentals and singing from characters like Didi’s mother help maintain the jazz-like vibe this game aims for.
“Contrast” is a puzzle platformer that does things in a unique fashion by using shadows. Acting as a literal shadow, you will find yourself blending in and out of the game’s many walls and surfaces.
Otherwise, you can perform a jump, a dash and basic platformer maneuvers to get around and make your way through the puzzles.
“Contrast’s” puzzles are always designed with shadows in mind. Whether it is moving a headlight to open a space to walk across or pushing an object in or out of sight to reveal new shadows for your advantage. A lot of it calls for moving objects around, some on the floor and other atop, that reveal shadows in different areas to come to your advantage.
Fortunately, story progressions plays alongside the gameplay. Dawn is more or less the only one capable of completing the puzzles thanks to her acrobatic figure so Didi reaches out to her imaginary friend to progress the story and solve the game’s many tasks.
With time, some of the puzzles feel all too familiar, resulting in the impression of a lack of originality, despite that not being the case.
The puzzle platformer isn’t without its flaws. While “Contrast” doesn’t come with all that many bugs, I did, at times, find my jumping and dashing to not respond with accuracy. This lead to an unfortunate and unfair death or two.
The artstyle is wonderfully romantic in its location of Paris, France. The dark tone created by plentiful shadows help give “Contrast” a unique look. Stylized in its jazz shows and circus acts alike, “Contrast’s” depiction of the 20’s in “the city of light,” creates a visually appealing noir setting.
Sound
“Contrast’s” story and setting alike are complemented perfectly by a relaxing jazz soundtrack. The instrumentals and singing from characters like Didi’s mother help maintain the jazz-like vibe this game aims for.
Dialogue is not only delivered well but it is also used in a particularly interesting manner. During the gameplay, you will hear background voices speaking to one another, progressing the story. It is interesting to hear their believable interactions in the background, refraining from interrupting cutscenes.
Content
A small amount of collectibles provide something more than the main story but ultimately, “Contrast” isn’t a game with incentive to revisit or even explore outside of the core plot.
Conclusion
With unique and fun level design and an interesting, emotional plot, it is clear to see “Contrast” comes from a development team with an insane amount of creativity. Didi, an incredibly likable character, has a charming and realistic story about family and gets her story executed with great finesse. Despite some technical issues here and there and a little repetition later on, I found “Contrast” to be a compelling game with incredibly interesting puzzle design.
Did you like the shadow manipulation? What did you think about Didi and her family’s story? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
A small amount of collectibles provide something more than the main story but ultimately, “Contrast” isn’t a game with incentive to revisit or even explore outside of the core plot.
Conclusion
With unique and fun level design and an interesting, emotional plot, it is clear to see “Contrast” comes from a development team with an insane amount of creativity. Didi, an incredibly likable character, has a charming and realistic story about family and gets her story executed with great finesse. Despite some technical issues here and there and a little repetition later on, I found “Contrast” to be a compelling game with incredibly interesting puzzle design.
Did you like the shadow manipulation? What did you think about Didi and her family’s story? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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