When we talk about PlayStation 4 exclusives we usually think about titles like God of War, Spider-Man, Uncharted, and The Last of Us. But Sony Interactive Entertainment also has many smaller games under its belt. One of these is the recently released Concrete Genie from PixelOpus. Much in the vein of Thatgamecompany’s Flower, this artistically-minded adventure is all about going out into the world and making it a better, brighter place. It’s a refreshing change of pace for those who want a different kind of gaming experience.
Concrete Genie features a young artist named Ash. In the game’s opening moments, we see him hanging out in an abandoned town called Denska; a place he once called home. While reminiscing on the town’s former glory, a group of bullies accosts Ash and tears up his artbook. Ash eventually finds himself in a lighthouse where he meets a magical being that bestows him with an oversized paintbrush. With this, Ash returns to Denska in an attempt to restore it to life.
Gameplay is pretty straight-forward. You take Ash into sections of Denska and revive them with his magical paintbrush. The twist is that you get help from “genies.” Genies can only move across connected walls. Purple thorns will impede their movement. You counter this by using “special” paint provided by the genies. Genies give you this power up after you paint specific objects such as grass, trees, and flowers on walls. Sometimes, the genies will want you to play with them. One will want you to kick a ball to it while another requires you to shine a spotlight on it so it can sing. Each genie you collect has a personality of its own.
You paint by either using the right analog stick or using the DualShock 4’s motion controls. I opted for the latter because A) it felt more natural to paint this way and B) it’s rare games actually require the use of motion controls. There is no penalty for painting outside of the predetermined borders. The game forgives any imperfections so long as you’re close enough. Though you can’t make a “bad” painting, you can undo previous paint strokes and try again. I really enjoyed the intuitiveness of the painting mechanics.
There are three genie types. Red genies create fires, yellow genies generate electricity and blue genies create wind. You’ll need to use each of their unique abilities in order to complete objectives and to press forward. Solving these specific puzzles requires Ash to collect the corresponding pieces of artwork the genies wants him to draw. So long as players remain observant of their surroundings, puzzles will not present much of a challenge.
As you explore Denska, you’ll find pages of your artbook. These pages not only help you solve specific puzzles, but they also give you different pieces to draw on your genies. Think of Mr. Potato Head and you’ll get an idea of how customization works. You can have a genie with giant antlers or long tentacles, for example. There’s a lot for players to toy around with. Since I’m lacking in the imagination department, I left my genies in their default setting. But it’s cool that creative players are free to make all manner of wild and crazy looking genies. Each location ends with Ash having to paint a “masterpiece.” This involves painting many of the items you’ve collected on a huge wall. Though limited to using specific items, I quite enjoyed making these oversized paintings.
The aforementioned bullies are another aspect of gameplay. They are an ever-present nuisance that Ash must avoid. I use the word “nuisance” on purpose because the bullies are no real threat in the beginning. All one really has to do is jump on a rooftop if bullies see Ash. Even if they catch Ash, the game doesn’t exactly end. This dynamic changes in the latter half, however. No spoilers, but Concrete Genie does a nice job of humanizing the bullies. By the end, you’ll feel sympathy for each of them.
I have mixed feelings about how the gameplay shifts in the last half. The first half is a somewhat chill experience where you get to mess around with the paint mechanics. The latter half presents players with new abilities and full-on boss battles. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this portion since it ratcheted up the difficulty and intensity. But it is jarring going from a soothing adventure to a harrowing one (comparatively speaking). This is something players jumping into Concrete Genie without prior knowledge should be aware of.
Given its artistic focus, Concrete Genie is one of the more visually arresting titles out there. What’s fun is that there are three different art styles. The base game has a Tim Burton-esque quality to it. Characters have stop motion animations while the town of Denska is dark and twisted. Ash’s paintings are colorful manifestations that provide a sharp contrast to the drab, dreary town. The beautifully hand-drawn cutscenes (which provide context for the world and characters’ histories) look like they came straight out of a children’s storybook. I can’t imagine the kind of work that went into having so many different art styles mesh together but PixelOpus did a fantastic job of it.
At around 6 to 7 hours, Concrete Genie provides just enough gameplay without overstaying its welcome. In fact, it’s a nice contrast to the 100-hour monstrosities game companies seem to release now. Being a visual person, I’m always up for playing titles with a very specific and unique art style. Concrete Genie certainly does that. It also presents a heartwarming tale about empathy and never giving up on your dreams. Priced at $30, it is the perfect game to play on a nice weekend afternoon. It’s worth your time if you’re a PlayStation 4 owner.
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