Plot: What’s it about?
Didi is a young girl who has always been a part of show business, as her mother is a cabaret performer. While Didi seems to be the main character of Contrast, in the game you take control of her imaginary friend Dawn. The world Dawn exists within is impacted by Didi’s own life, which isn’t a simple one. She feels the pressure of being a star performer’s daughter, while also not having the relationship she craves with either of her parents. In Contrast, Dawn navigates various landscapes and Didi hopes the journey will bring some stability to her home life. In Contrast, you have to rely on shadows to progress and luckily, Dawn can use shadows in the needed ways. So there is some element of platform based play, but the main focus is on puzzle solving. You will need to manipulate light and shadows, in order to create the path for Dawn to move forward. The game also shifts between world, the real world of Didi and the shadow laden realm of Dawn, both of which have to be worked in tandem to find success. The mechanics at work here aren’t all that original, but the execution is well crafted. So use both worlds to your advantage, solve the shadow puzzles, and hopefully close the fractures within Didi’s family life.
Contrast was released last year for Xbox 360, but it suffered due to some bugs and glitches. I want to say up front, I had no such issues with this Xbox One version. The game was smooth and problem free, so whatever issues arose back then have been ironed out nicely for this incarnation. I found Contrast to be a worthwhile experience, even the second time around. The puzzle mechanics are well designed and while not intensely stressing, they provide a nice challenge. I don’t think all puzzle driven games need to push you to the brink and Contrast was able to find a suitable balance point. A challenge at times, but never to the point where your controllers face a trip across the room. The shadow elements are just a lot of fun and most importantly to me, the puzzles mesh with the story and offer more than just “I solved it!” compensation. The game also has some collectibles to track down, but they also further the story to an extent and are not a chore at all. The main knock against Contrast is length, as it takes about four hours or so to finish it and find all the collectibles. But the entire duration is quality game experience, so there’s minimal filler. I didn’t feel cheated by the short length and since the story is well handled, it all pays off well. In the end, Contrast is a rock solid game that tells a worthwhile story, so it is well worth checking out.
Video: How’s it look?
This is a beautiful game, especially in the noir inspired shadow world. The improvements over the 360 version aren’t massive, but you can notice an overall enhanced presentation. Even as you play, you’ll notice so much depth and skilled composition here, so take a few moments to really soak in and appreciate these visuals. Not much else I can really say, Contrast is a gorgeous game and it looks excellent here.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The overall sound design is good, but the highlight has to be the music. A jazz soundtrack isn’t common in video games, but Contrast boasts a remarkable one. The music is a great fit for the game’s experience and I couldn’t find a single track that wasn’t a pleasure to listen to. Tolerable music is rare in video games, so to find a game that has a superb soundtrack is a treat. Contrast really shines in this department.
