Contrast is a 3D puzzle\platformer that takes place in a world full of magic, cabaret singers, and burlesque shows. It utilizes a 1920's 'French Noir Film' art style that is unlike any other game I've played. The character design is beautiful, the voice acting is amazing, and the jazzy soundtrack fits the world perfectly. I can't stress enough how much I love the look and feel of this game. Yet, I can't recommend it, which is particularly disappointing considering how much there is to like here.

You play as Dawn, a woman trapped between the worlds of light and darkness, and who cannot be seen by anyone except for a little girl named Didi. Didi's parents have broken up, and with the father out of the picture, her mother works at a nightclub to pay the bills. This, of course, means nobody is watching the little demon-spawn and it's up to Dawn to keep her out of trouble. Easier said than done, since she insists on roaming around the city at all hours of the night, refusing to listen to reason, and all you can do is enable her.

The entire game revolves around a shift mechanic that allows you to become a shadow, an ability you will need to solve puzzles and progress through the game. Adjusting light sources to cast shadows to interact with is this game's bread and butter, and you'll be doing a lot of it.

The problems with Contrast start almost immediately. While the puzzle mechanics are unique and interesting, they are a bit buggy, and simple platforming can be difficult with controls that don't feel tight or responsive. Dawn has a tendency to get stuck in the environment and other shadows as well. There are even a couple of places where dropping an object in the wrong spot could result in the player not being able to progress further, forcing them to load the last checkpoint.

Once the game defines the parameters on the first couple of puzzles, it doesn't change them up much and they can become repetitive fast, which really shouldn't happen in a game this short. Which brings me to the biggest issue Contrast faces. The entire game can be completed in under 3 hours, and the ending is exceedingly abrupt. All of these issues combined leaves me with a feeling that the game is unfinished. Almost as if Compulsion Games ran out of money for the title half-way through development. Obviously, I do not have firsthand knowledge that this is the case, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing an Early Access game, and not a full release.

Altogether, Contrast is a game that should have been a one-of-a-kind, beautiful experience. When a bad idea becomes a bad game, it's expected, but when something that starts off this amazing falls flat, it's all the more frustrating. I expected better, as did most gamers, and in the future I hope Compulsion learns from their mistakes, and releases games that shows us all what they're really capable of.

Contrast is a 3D puzzle\platformer that takes place in a world full of magic, cabaret singers, and burlesque shows. It utilizes a 1920's 'French Noir Film' art style that is unlike any other game I've played. The character design is beautiful, the voice acting is amazing, and the jazzy soundtrack fits the world perfectly. I can't stress enough how much I love the look and feel of this game. Yet, I can't recommend it, which is particularly disappointing considering how much there is to like here. You play as Dawn, a woman trapped between the worlds of light and darkness, and who cannot be seen by anyone except for a little girl named Didi. Didi's parents have broken up, and with the father out of the picture, her mother works at a nightclub to pay the bills. This, of course, means nobody is watching the little demon-spawn and it's up to Dawn to keep her out of trouble. Easier said than done, since she insists on roaming around the city at all hours of the night, refusing to listen to reason, and all you can do is enable her. The entire game revolves around a shift mechanic that allows you to become a shadow, an ability you will need to solve puzzles and progress through the game. Adjusting light sources to cast shadows to interact with is this game's bread and butter, and you'll be doing a lot of it. The problems with Contrast start almost immediately. While the puzzle mechanics are unique and interesting, they are a bit buggy, and simple platforming can be difficult with controls that don't feel tight or responsive. Dawn has a tendency to get stuck in the environment and other shadows as well. There are even a couple of places where dropping an object in the wrong spot could result in the player not being able to progress further, forcing them to load the last checkpoint. Once the game defines the parameters on the first couple of puzzles, it doesn't change them up much and they can become repetitive fast, which really shouldn't happen in a game this short. Which brings me to the biggest issue Contrast faces. The entire game can be completed in under 3 hours, and the ending is exceedingly abrupt. All of these issues combined leaves me with a feeling that the game is unfinished. Almost as if Compulsion Games ran out of money for the title half-way through development. Obviously, I do not have firsthand knowledge that this is the case, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing an Early Access game, and not a full release. Altogether, Contrast is a game that should have been a one-of-a-kind, beautiful experience. When a bad idea becomes a bad game, it's expected, but when something that starts off this amazing falls flat, it's all the more frustrating. I expected better, as did most gamers, and in the future I hope Compulsion learns from their mistakes, and releases games that shows us all what they're really capable of.