Concrete Genie

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 467 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 344 out of 467
  2. Mixed: 81 out of 467
  3. Negative: 42 out of 467
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  1. WellEvil
    Sep 1, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game with a huge focus on story, characters, and world-building. I don't remember the last time when the story absorbed me so much. Yes, there are a few bugs here are there, but nothing game-breaking. Usually minor visual glitches.… Expand
  2. Empyrea
    May 3, 2023
    6
    I played for 1'5 hours and although it's not a bad a game it felt repetitive so I gave up because I've better games to play. The city looks good althoug the mouths in the scenes are awful although you'll get use to it. In my opinion it's a totally skippable game but if you like not stressfull games and you don't mind to do repetitive things you can give it a try otherwise there are plentyI played for 1'5 hours and although it's not a bad a game it felt repetitive so I gave up because I've better games to play. The city looks good althoug the mouths in the scenes are awful although you'll get use to it. In my opinion it's a totally skippable game but if you like not stressfull games and you don't mind to do repetitive things you can give it a try otherwise there are plenty of better games out there.… Expand
  3. Kai82
    Jan 18, 2023
    9
    I would use this action adventure as an example that videogames can be art. Also I can see this turned into an awesome animated movie. It is the story of the teenager Ash who lives in the coastal town Denska. Denska has become a desolate place as darkness and decay have taken over. However Ash is a skilled artist and discovers that his drawings can banish the darkness. So begins his questI would use this action adventure as an example that videogames can be art. Also I can see this turned into an awesome animated movie. It is the story of the teenager Ash who lives in the coastal town Denska. Denska has become a desolate place as darkness and decay have taken over. However Ash is a skilled artist and discovers that his drawings can banish the darkness. So begins his quest in bringing back the better days by purging the darkness. The game is unique. You draw pictures to safe the day. You have an artbook with motives you can use and will expand it by finding more sheets. On special places you can draw Genies. Those colorful creatures are living in the walls and have special abilities that can help you. Of cause there is opposition as the darkness blocks your path and there is a gang of bullies that will trash you. I like the story and gameplay a lot. Even more when I thought the game will get repetitive it surprised me with a nice twist for both. The art style is amazing and especially the genies are truly magnificent. I almost forgot those were not real a few times. Like I said it is easily adaptable into an animation. The riddles are nice integrated into the system and I want more like that. A quick advice: The motion control did not work that well for me and I switched it to the right stick in the options. Back to the review. The game was refreshing and felt unique. It created emotions and I enjoyed the whole experience. After the conclusion of the story I would applaud the whole team behind it. To be fair I must warn you that I finished the game in maybe 8 hours so it is a bit short and it might not be for everyone. Also you are a bit limited at the start in drawing options. Overall the art style, characters, story and gameplay won me over. I give a 9/10 and recommend it if you want something unique that feels like an animated movie.… Expand
  4. nathanliapis
    Dec 11, 2021
    9
    Gameplay: 8/10, Graphics: 9/10, Audio: 9/10, Loading: 9/10. Underrated game, beautiful artistic world. Very relaxing game!
  5. trinovatic
    Nov 27, 2022
    7
    Bonito, colorido, corto, me sirve. Me gustaría jugar la versión VR pero no hay presupuesto xd
  6. Turbo123
    Oct 19, 2022
    10
    A superb adventure that anyone can enjoy graphics are amazing cartoon style and so much fun love this game a most play period
  7. Heracross93
    Oct 11, 2022
    7
    A bit of a novelty game in the grand scheme of things. Undoubtedly unique and memorable, with wonderful freedom and control for the player.
  8. BrianDavid94
    Sep 11, 2022
    8
    Quick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rarer for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find somethingQuick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rarer for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find something new that I didn't think I'd like. I own a PC (built by me), Xbox One X, Xbox Series X, PS3, PS4, PS5, and a Switch. I prefer Playstation due to their focus on narrative games. For scoring, I’ll be using the Gameinformer review scale and of course influenced by my personal opinions.

    (8) Very Good. Innovated, but perhaps not in the right choice for everyone. This score indicates that there are many good things to be had, but arguable so.

    Had this game in my library for a long time before trying it out and then ended up plating it over the weekend. I’m not creative as a person so I initially stayed away since it seemed like an art game. It is a very short game, like 5-8hrs. In that time frame, about 2/3rd of it is puzzle solving with the other 1/3rd is combat. It’s a good-looking game and has a good art direction. This game has a massage about bullying.    … Expand
  9. Eyssa
    Sep 6, 2022
    10
    Отличная игра, для разнообразия самое то, платина тоже легкая.
  10. storageheater
    Jul 7, 2022
    6
    I was actually looking forward to this, as it looked a treat and I've really enjoyed similar games like Chicory, Tearaway and Psychonauts 2. So, the good: it's fun enough and pretty enough, I mostly liked playing it.

    Since you can't skip the cutscenes, here's the main core of why it left such a bad taste in my mouth: it's so shallow that it's actually quite loathesome. Opening with a    I was actually looking forward to this, as it looked a treat and I've really enjoyed similar games like Chicory, Tearaway and Psychonauts 2. So, the good: it's fun enough and pretty enough, I mostly liked playing it.

    Since you can't skip the cutscenes, here's the main core of why it left such a bad taste in my mouth: it's so shallow that it's actually quite loathesome. Opening with a vindictive display of contextless bullying - our perfect, smartass, confidently quipping all-American jock is cruelly victimised by the fat ugly kids for... drawing? This game posts on Twitter about how they're the real minority, and it's really giving "forgotten 80s cartoon that sells a product range" energy. A key Sad Moment is just your character crying about a 2D blob he met briefly an hour ago, and it does some baffling work regarding oil pollution and how it relates to how sad and abused you are. The merging of story and gameplay events is so unconsidered and careless that somehow everyone is shocked at the end that you have a magic paintbrush. Still, for a game so clearly focused at children, it then seems bonkers to have things like exposed electricity pylons be completely safe. Almost as if "it's for kids" is a lazy excuse for not trying very hard.

    I was a bit surprised at how restricted the arty bit actually is, but it makes more and more sense as you play. It's extremely cool that you design genies that come to life, and I liked playing around with it, but you're just adding a few presets to an existing template and they get messy and blobby pretty fast. I often had to delete the entire painting just to have a chance at seeing exactly what detail they wanted me to add, and very quickly stopped customising my Genies at all, as they would all crowd art scenes and render them hard to see even before I'd covered them up with my stickers. Still, Genie interactions were really delightful and although I'm moaning a fair bit about this aspect, I think it works. It could've been glorious, but what we have is successful and quite pleasing.

    It feels like a lot of compromises on a budget, which in fairness probably describes most games. It feels like an idea that underpaid some writer to justify its existence, which again probably describes most games. I just wish it had come to a compromise that wasn't so insipid.    … Expand
  11. HuevoAlce
    Jun 27, 2022
    6
    I was really excited for this game. It's a shame its novelty wears off after the first hour or so.
  12. misancho
    Feb 22, 2022
    6
    Un juego con aspecto indie exclusivo de Sony con un arte y un estilo gráfico realmente muy bien logrado. Las mecánicas del juego son muy originales y sorprenden al comienzo del juego. La duración quizás es algo corta (unas 6 horas aproximadamente) pero para la propuesta del juego está bien. Como aspecto negativo, la dificultad no está bien balanceada, ya que casi todo el juego esUn juego con aspecto indie exclusivo de Sony con un arte y un estilo gráfico realmente muy bien logrado. Las mecánicas del juego son muy originales y sorprenden al comienzo del juego. La duración quizás es algo corta (unas 6 horas aproximadamente) pero para la propuesta del juego está bien. Como aspecto negativo, la dificultad no está bien balanceada, ya que casi todo el juego es relativamente sencillo pero con algunos picos de dificultad sobre la parte final, que no se corresponden con el resto del juego. De todas maneras, vale la pena jugarlo.… Expand
  13. EduardoMeurer
    Feb 19, 2022
    9
    Jogo muito subestimado, a forma como trata do bullyng é muito boa, além de ser uma obra de arte, uma pena ser muito curto.
  14. Med_Ryan
    Feb 19, 2022
    10
    Masterpiece
    From Well Written Story to the engaging Gameplay & Combat to the freedom of exploration & stunning world to the emotional music, what an excellent experience delivered by PlayStation Studios I think everyone should absolutely experience this gem
  15. Kulikov-den
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    I can't find at least one flaw in this game, everything is so perfect in it: music, visuals, the atmosphere of a half-dead city, the plot, the meditative gameplay. So this creation has fallen into my soul.
  16. Raios-Rogue
    Jan 18, 2022
    10
    What a beautiful magical game with incredible story great graphics. the innovation and magic of Pixel opus shows us why we love Playstation games so much i'm looking forward towards their next game
  17. superpyro296
    Jan 9, 2022
    8
    I think Concrete Genie is a great game with an amazing art direction. It is quite a short game (maybe 6 or 7 hours) but it definitely worth it. It's not a game with deep mechanics, leveling system, etc....but it is a nice platforming story game with some interesting puzzles. I think this game could have been even better if they implemented the combat before in the campaign. It is a easyI think Concrete Genie is a great game with an amazing art direction. It is quite a short game (maybe 6 or 7 hours) but it definitely worth it. It's not a game with deep mechanics, leveling system, etc....but it is a nice platforming story game with some interesting puzzles. I think this game could have been even better if they implemented the combat before in the campaign. It is a easy recommendation for me that deserves a 8/10. I hope this studio will make other games in the future and Sony will encourage it.… Expand
  18. Kigunasu
    Dec 13, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I made an account just to review this game because i feel like i had to as I ended up in tears.
    I was feeling a bit down personally, games seemed boring to me, luckily I had this on my ps4 since it was free with ps plus months ago. When I saw the trailer back then I was super hyped about painting your own stuff and making it "alive" (well kinda, since you get some patterns and it's not free painting). Decided to give it a try after being tired of the same games over and over again.
    Well, this felt not only a real breath of fresh air, but also a game showing morals and values, something society lacks of right now.
    I really connected with the main protagonist, Ash, a boy with a will to explore, and to restore Denska to its original state where people were still happy and it was a colorful city.
    I couldn't help but cry when I thought Luna was gone forever, and when after all the progress made the bullies destroyed your art. Ash finally having friends and getting recognized what he achieved while keeping on doing what he loves the most is the greatest finale to a short game that ended up being a top 10 in my all time game list. Thanks to Sony and Pixel Opus devs and workers for making this happen. This is the kind of game that changes people.    … Expand
  19. eme3773
    Nov 29, 2021
    7
    Buen jugado, buen apartado artístico pero con un mal combate. Historia muy buena
  20. FRIST_008
    Nov 8, 2021
    8
    Очень неплохая семейная игра, которая рассказывает не плохую историю и имеет необычный игровой процесс.

    Забавный VR режим=)
  21. ET0
    Oct 31, 2021
    8
    It is an ambitious, inspiring and charming game, but it lacks team experience to offer excellent gameplay، I hope that in their next project, they will learn from their mistakes and continue with their beautiful creative ideas ❤️
  22. Silvio96
    Oct 28, 2021
    9
    Gioco molto piacevole
    Mi ha sorpreso in positivo
    Forse un po' troppo breve ma va bene lo stesso
  23. AMKrishnan
    Sep 18, 2021
    7
    A short and charming game with a surprising twist in gameplay about halfway through. The animation is very unique and the game is very vibrant. It does, however, have a generic 'bullies vs lonely kid' plot and the change in gameplay may be considered unwelcome by some. The game is about 8 hours long in terms of story, so I'd recommend this if you want a short, but pretty decent experience.
  24. xiekaidream
    Sep 17, 2021
    8
    美版神笔马良（不是； 前半段轻度解密跑酷，体感画画有点像大神，后半段变成了战斗玩法略重复； 剧情转折略生硬； 不过只狼打的怀疑人生之后玩这个小品游戏真是太治愈了
  25. skskskddd
    Sep 11, 2021
    8
    Cute game. I am a terrible arist and i can't draw even a sun but this game make me feel exciting for drawing. Its a game for kids but you can play it if you are a adult and you want to see a cool story. Its very short so it never makes you feel tired while you playing it. Its an easy 5 hours platinum with also a cool story and graphics for this type. The only bad thing is that i think itCute game. I am a terrible arist and i can't draw even a sun but this game make me feel exciting for drawing. Its a game for kids but you can play it if you are a adult and you want to see a cool story. Its very short so it never makes you feel tired while you playing it. Its an easy 5 hours platinum with also a cool story and graphics for this type. The only bad thing is that i think it has very low fps (i played on ps5).… Expand
  26. sergio123456
    Sep 10, 2021
    7
    Juego bastante original y bonito en su estética, se sale un poco de lo que son los exclusivos de Sony, me gusta el uso que hace del dualshock 4, aunque se queda un poco corto en su planteamiento.
  27. Stefanobed
    Sep 7, 2021
    10
    excellent, wonderful good experience , a interactive game style pixar. Another great exclusive PlayStation
  28. EndikaC
    Aug 31, 2021
    10
    Para mi uno de los juegos más bellos hecho por Sony, algo corto la verdad, pero una idea muy original
  29. nexus151196
    Jul 4, 2021
    8
    Добрая и милая игра-сюрприз. Прошёл за один раз , прям в запой. Картинка приятная и очень красивая, духи очень веселые, заставляли улыбаться. Сюжет также порадовал, простой , но увлекательный. Всем советую, отдохнул, пока играл.Добрая и милая игра-сюрприз. Прошёл за один раз , прям в запой. Картинка приятная и очень красивая, духи очень веселые, заставляли улыбаться. Сюжет также порадовал, простой , но увлекательный. Всем советую, отдохнул, пока играл.
  30. PS4isbest
    Jun 27, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. il gioco è molto molto carino, la storia va fluida (tranne per i momenti in cui devi accendere le luci).l'idea di dover disegnare con il movimento del dualshock 4 l'ho trovata un bella cosa anche se abbastanza imprecisa. inoltre a fine gioco quando si devono sconfiggere i geni "cattivi" entra in gioco una nuova forma di gameplay con tasti essenziali.
    una grande pecca è la durata del gioco infatti in 3 ore potete già aver finito la storia e in una giornata potreste platinarlo.

    conclusioni:
    non è un capolavoro, ma per quello che ci si aspetta è un buon gioco    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 83 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 83
  3. Negative: 1 out of 83
  1. Edge Magazine
    Dec 5, 2019
    60
    One thing is certain: Concrete Genie's identity crisis proves its creators still have some maturing left to do. [Issue#340, p.106]
  2. GAMINGbible
    Dec 5, 2019
    80
    The whole game offers up an innocent thrill with the kind of naive charm you get from a well-crafted kids movie, like The Goonies. The characters all have a delightful appeal, the world of Denska is enchanting, and the story is well delivered. It is on the short side, and doesn't feel like a challenge even when the story suggests you're in a difficult moment, but it's definitely worth replaying again and again. In short, Concrete Genie is a beautiful game all about emotions and doing what's right, and it's truly very special.
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  3. PLAY! Zine
    Dec 2, 2019
    85
    Concrete Genie is a stylized marvellous platform that will channel your inner artist. Too bad VR support is not more integrated into the core gameplay.
    Read full review
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