- Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
- Release Date: Nov 15, 2013
- Also On: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Nov 15, 2013With a very well made atmosphere, a good storyline and a high quality Jazz soundtrack, Compulsion Game's title takes the player in a very seductive world. But the true strong point of the game is in its addictive gameplay, the possibility to shift between 2D and 3D serves both the game and the story by providing us with a peep of the real world, seen through a game of shadows. Without being flawless, Contrast manages to be a very good platform game that will win the hearts of most gamers for sure.
-
Nov 19, 2013The foundations are there and the premise is one of the most original we have seen in recent times, but it’s just not quite fleshed out enough.
-
Nov 13, 2013Contrast is a game full of heart, beauty, and at least a few excellent puzzles.
-
Nov 21, 2013If you cannot think outside the new game genres, try at least some unusual combination with the current ones. That's the message of the artistic arcade game Contrast. It's a character-driven piece of work where two gaming styles along with their atmospheres unite. However, it's lacking both in richer content and more enjoyable controls to reach excellence.
-
Nov 17, 2013While the story is good fun, and the mechanical conceits awesome, Contrast's puzzles just aren't as hard as they need to be.
-
Nov 17, 2013A charming adventure, a great experience, that feels somehow constrained by its length and, in some points, its controls. However, we think it's a game you should consider if you like what it has to offer.
-
Nov 15, 2013Contrast is a nice puzzle game with an amazing art direction but not so amazing gameplay. The dualism between light and darkness is nice, as the setting, a noir grotesque version of the ‘20s, but the game itself lacks on the technical side, and, after a while, even the puzzles become boring.
-
Nov 15, 2013Contrast is a bit of a hot mess -- kind of like the bumbling Johnny Fenris in its core. Rife with bugs and prone towards glitching in the worst possible ways, Compulsion Games' pretty little title can and will outrage. If you're willing to overlook the brokenness of its platforming, Contrast is dazzling in almost every other capacity.
-
Nov 24, 2013Contrast's plot is intriguing and very well told, but the game is way too short and inconsistent.
-
Nov 20, 2013Contrast has a couple of very nice ideas and a lot of style, but it feels underdeveloped and it doesn't live up to the expectations it sets up with its first few minutes. It deserves a chance if you like the setup and its mood, but don't expect too much from it.
-
Nov 19, 2013Keeping true to its name, Contrast immerses the player into a fascinating and well-characterized setting, forgetting however to deepen his rousing introduction. Not only on a narrative level, unfortunately, but even from the gameplay point of view.
-
Nov 18, 2013It is a pity: Contrast can count on a good story, an amazing setting, and some good 2D platform sessions, but lacks on puzzles, length and variety; all in all that situation delivers a certain sense of boring.
-
LEVEL (Czech Republic)Dec 28, 2013Simple, yet poetic game of shadows and light, which would benefit from a little more polish, so it wouldn’t grate on its players’ nerves. [Issue#237]
-
Dec 12, 2013A different experience, not memorable, but it manages to hold our attention until the end. It’s worth it for its noir aesthetic, combined with a cabaret soundtrack and a clever mix of patterns of play, both in 2D, 3D alternation, as the variation between moments of platforms, and those in which we are put to mental test.
-
Dec 4, 2013It's all good and well, but what does it help if the controls are imprecise, glitches abound and the save system gets on your nerves?
-
Nov 26, 2013Contrast is a game with a beautiful mood, great music and a lovely film noir-inspired visuals. The plattforming and gameplay is mediocre, with few and short highlights.
-
Nov 24, 2013Like its name implies, Contrast is a game with a sharp difference between its highs and lows. There's a lot to like here, but it doesn't make it all that easy to do so.
-
Nov 19, 2013Contrast is a curious, fair attempt at a puzzle platformer with some neat ideas that make it somewhat enjoyable, but is a slightly frustrating experience that in the end won’t be remembered for its gameplay, but more for its world, visuals and sound.
-
Nov 15, 2013When it works, Contrast is a beautifully executed vaudevillian tale of sadness and intrigue, but when it doesn’t, the frustrating glitches and awkward controls will drive you mad.
-
Nov 13, 2013Contrast has a lot of heart, but its protagonist and environments lack some soul. It's not the best puzzle platformer you'll ever play, but it's far from the worst.
-
GameStarNov 25, 2013Quotation forthcoming.
-
PC GamerDec 31, 2013Still, even with the most charming narrative, the clumsy and ultimately banal action leaves Contrast whistling in the dark. [Feb 2014, p.74]
-
Nov 15, 2013Contrast offers a nice story and a unique atmosphere, but nothing that is really advanced, artistically speaking. The basic idea of gameplay is quite good also, but the bugs ans awkward controls will frustrate the players most of the time.
-
Nov 13, 2013Many of Contrast’s individuals parts are beautiful, special, funny and even a little profound. Viewed as a whole though, with a little distance, the end result is confusing and difficult to look at. Contrast is rushed, messy, and, just like that, it’s done.
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 120 out of 211
-
Mixed: 78 out of 211
-
Negative: 13 out of 211
-
Nov 16, 2013
-
Nov 15, 2013
-
Nov 15, 2013