Not many games see fit to become, well, a completely different kind of game a number of hours into their campaign. Whatever the reasons, after that shift Ash’s brush becomes a tool of destruction as much as creation. Oils and WaterThis seesaw between painting and stealth – Tactical Expressionist Action, if you will – makes up the bulk of Concrete Genie but, at a certain point, it sees fit to become an action game on top of all that (Pixelopus has been open about this since it began previewing Concrete Genie, but I won’t spoil the story reasons for why it happens). It’s over all too soon, but it’s another touch of magic. The sketch that used to draw trees now grows trees, you can paint an aurora onto the skyline itself, and an adorable sprite companion, Splotch, giggles and messes with all your creations. But, quite suddenly, you’re dumped into a new 3D environment, with some very new tools. It begins exactly as you’d expect – transferring painting control to two Move controllers and having you do the same thing you’ve most likely done for hours already (but now from a first-person perspective). Virtual Surreality Concrete Genie comes bundled with a VR Experience mode, which, just like the main campaign, comes with something of a twist. Story concerns aside, the idea here seems to be to offer a change of pace in the open world rather than a true stumbling block for less-skilled players. Even the punishment for being caught is minimal – they just throw you in a dumpster and leave. Again, the challenge is meagre to non-existent – if they’re in your way, just scamper to a rooftop and use the D-pad to shout and draw them to a different area. All of this creativity is coupled with some extremely light stealth, as Ash’s gang of bullies roam around town in search of him. Pleasing genies also earns you Super Paint, which essentially acts as a gorgeous firehose for the creeping purple darkness that’s infested certain walls and needs to be cleaned away before any new artworks get started. The puzzles are never more complicated than “oh I need another new genie” but, again, I found myself invested in making interesting designs, simply because they were such a pleasure to watch when animated – cowering from rain, huddling around a campfire for warmth, or begging me for another cartoon apple. Red genies can set fire to certain items, yellow genies can power electrical systems, and blue genies can blow certain objects across rooms. Put these together in specific locations and your creation springs to life as a genie who’ll follow you from wall to wall, offering one of three given powers. Genies are another act of creation – some of Ash’s sketches are of furry monster bodies, or the tails, horns, and ears that attach to them.
As it is, the only real wrinkles are some colour-coded gates, which is where the genies come in. On the other, I’d welcome the opportunity to turn painting into a true mechanic – perhaps using sketches like items in an inventory (a campfire sketch used to burn an obstacle, a rainstorm to put out the remains). On the one hand, it lets those invested in the story skip through at their own pace without telling them they have to do something creative first.
Paintings are never judged on their content – they just need to cover enough space. Mechanically, it’s simple and transparent.
Complete all the walls in an area, and the next area will open. Make all the lights on a section of wall shine and it’s marked as completed. Paint enough, and those lights begin shining. For the most part, you’ll be required to slap your shifting artwork onto areas marked with hanging lights. Your progress across Denska is measured by whether or not you’ve filled a few set walls you have to paint. Art for Art’s SakeBut, as I’ve mentioned, Concrete Genie is built so that you don’t have to do a good job.
0 kommentar(er)
