Contrast

A little oasis of originality for the most selected players.

Contrast is aptly named. Its disappointing instability contrasts sharply with its wonderful ambiance and concept, and you’re left feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

Though short, Contrast can be replayed to get all the collectibles and is worth a look for the way the story and gameplay integrate, even if at times it's a little rough around the edges.

Contrast is, above all, a game that spells magic and dream, a tribute to film noir with a powerful artistic design and a wonderful soundtrack. Unfortunately, it is tarnished by its short duration and some aggravating errors in its code.

Contrast may be great to look at, but when it comes down to it, what really matters is whether it can accomplish the fundamental task of keeping things moving forward without breaking down very often. And on that front, to be brutally honest, it fails, making it worth a download if you have PS+, but probably not much more than that.

Great idea, not so great execution. Contrast's really only suited for the hardcore puzzle lover. [January 2014, p82]

Contrast is a title that lives of lights and shadows: the good character design and attractive setting collide with an inconsistent gameplay.

A description of the gameplay, the setting, and the story all seem great in theory, but my short time with Contrast left me with more disappointment than satisfaction, particularly on the gameplay side of things.

Contrast is a unique puzzle game with enjoyable gameplay in 2D and 3D. It's a shame the controls aren't very responsive, making for a rather frustrating trial & error experience. There's a lot of bugs as well, which further lowers our score. Still, Contrast might be worth checking out, if you're willing to overlook the game's lesser aspects.

There’s a great game hidden somewhere in the shadows of Contrast, and every now and then you see brief glimpses of that potential brilliance. But one can’t help but feel like the game either ran out of time or ran out of ideas.

It does a nice job of weaving a sweet little tale of a young girl and her struggle to maintain her innocence in a (literal and figurative) dark and dreary world, but it's nothing special, and nothing you haven't really seen before.

Contrast juxtaposes some truly inspiring ideas and a magnificently realised world with unfinished, jittery mechanics and level designs lacking depth. [Feb 2014, p.80]

Despite its beautiful visual design and lovely interpretation of Paris in the 1920’s, Contrast is held back by flawed technical execution.

It’s a game of light and shade, sure, but there’s a little too much of the former seeping through the cracks.

Contrast is given shape by promising and atmospheric game concepts, but comes up short in its execution. Although switching from light (3D) to shadow (2D) could potentially create unique and challenging situations, the simple puzzles and bad controls only guarantees a minimal experience. If the possibilities were more though out and everything would work just a bit better, this indie game could've been much more interesting.

Contrast is a game of light and dark: a puzzle platformer with two well-realised female leads that occasionally buckles under the weight of its own mechanics. It's beautiful in parts, but also a little broken; I admire it for the first and can almost forgive it the second.

Contrast is a picturesque, romanticized vision of 1920s Paris that masquerades as a graceful platformer, falling flat on its face at pivotal moments.

Contrast is a low point in the PS4 launch line-up, but its frustrating gameplay and glitches are worth the uniquely fascinating story and aesthetics.

There is a certain purity to admire in Contrast, spotted throughout its dream-like world and theatrically contrived platforming, but it's just a little too concise and a little too thin, like a fleeting shadow.

Painfully marred by bugs and lacking the puzzley meatiness of its peers. [Jan 2014, p.69]

It took me about three hours to burn through Contrast, and the level design didn’t seem like it had really done anything dramatic in such a limited session.

Contrast could have been a great game, but it feels too rushed. The controls are stiff and the platform elements aren´t that challenging. And we aren´t even talking about the countless bugs we found in the game.

Compulsion Games' Contrast hints numerous excellent ideas but in its hasty execution, fails to deliver almost any of them.

Contrast 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 and awkward controls will frustrate the players most of the time.

It simply wasn't fun to actually play. Contrast would have made a delightful short film, but I'm afraid that it isn't a particularly good game.

While Contrast is worth completing for the sake of seeing the gorgeous scenery and hearing the exceptional soundtrack, don't expect to have any real burning desire to play this game again over the coming months.