But instead, the developer strikes a nice balance between expressive and accessible.
It's very easy to imagine a world where Pixelopus takes this aspect of the game too far by making it a Bob Ross simulator. My favorite part about Concrete Genie though is that it's designed to be captivating for both artsy people, and homespun non-artistic folks like me who almost failed art class, a class practically designed to be unfailable. Hearing them interact, seeing their hierarchy in action, fleshed out the world nicely and provided some nice background chatter as I painted some apples on the side of the fish market. That said, while the group of bullies adds little gameplay wise, they do add a nice narrative touch. You have to be the worst stealth player of all time to get caught by these yobs though. You're not the only thing that roams the streets and alleys of Denska: there's also a group of bullies who will chase you, knock you down, and throw your brush somewhere hard to get. For example, it's also a terrible stealth game, which is actually a good thing, because I don't want it to be a good stealth game. On sketchbook paper, the idea of having to create specific Genies to complete specific in-world tasks sounds like it could be interesting, but it's here where the game's simplicity lets it down, and where I felt it bordered on a creative chore.Īgain, every gameplay element of Concrete Genie feels either complementary to this core mechanic or is light enough that it doesn't detract or distract from it. However, I particularly didn't like how Genies tied into the puzzle-based moments of the game. Both were compelling in their own way.ĭrawing Genies by using a mix of different pre-made designs is probably the highlight of the game, and was made better by how, once completed, they sprung to life in the world. Sometimes I channeled my inner Picasso and took my time, other times I created an abomination that looked like it escaped a kindergarten class. At first, I thought painting the walls of buildings would get monotonous quick, but it didn't, despite a general lack of interesting variation. Ultimately, I opted for simple and reliable, which is a shame, because when the motion controls work as intended, it's another level of immersion and distinction. The former I often found to be toilsome, however, the latter did feel a bit glib in comparison. And there's two options for this: ungainly motion controls or the right stick. However, it's not technology slowly sucking the life out of the town, but an encroaching and inexplicable darkness.Įverything in Concrete Genie is in service of its main attraction: painting life into the town of Denska. Personally, as someone who grew up in a small town left to slowly wither away by the machinations of the world, it immediately felt relateable.
Despair didn't always hang over Denksa though it used to be a small, picturesque seaside town with a lot of life to it. (Photo: SIE)Ĭoncrete Genie takes place in Denska, a small achromatic town where the only thing more despondent than the state of the town is the state of its inhabitants. It's not perfect, and sometimes it's not even great, but it's well-realized, charming, and one of the most unique games of the year. The concept, the story, and the gameplay of it simply have a natural cohesion, which is impressive in a time where so many games can feel pasted together by a hot-glue gun. In most modern games, the creative vision is often buried by design, but not here. Most importantly, Concrete Genie does its themes justice by delivering a unique experience. It has its imperfections and many places where Pixelopus colored outside the lines, yet its numerous shortcomings never add up to really muddle the color - the things the game gets right. Concrete Genie from Pixelopus and Sony Interactive Entertainment is far from flawless.
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