Definitions such as "gray days" or "the colors of life" are not simple idioms in the air: in the collective imagination, if gray and lack of color is often combined with lack of life, colors are symbols for any sentiment. Of course, among these there are also not too pleasant sensations such as sadness and melancholy, yet the whole spectrum of feelings is what most represents us as human beings.
Concrete Genie it is just that: a story of human beings grappling with colors and designs, ready to defeat the greyness of the darkness. The game of PixelOpus, already seen with Entwined, therefore takes on important concepts by depicting them in this adventure suitable for all ages, both in terms of gameplay and content: this will be enough to make Concrete Genie the right color cue in the midst of the darkness of usual games?
Social Problems
In Concrete Genie we will play the role of Ash, a young boy who, after having lived happy days together with his parents in the city of Denska, now he finds himself drawing squares completely shrouded in darkness and greyness. Finally, to create further boredom there are bullies, who, turning inside the various locations, always try to annoy poor Ash, now estranged from his peers. Precisely for this reason, however, he will end up discovering, inside the Denska lighthouse, a strange one brush which will allow him to create gods magical designs on the various walls of the city, so as to bring it back to the splendor of the past: these will help him Geni, of the creatures imprinted in the concrete of the walls that the player can create using predefined and assembled templates.
The game unfolds in this way, in about 6 hours, in search of a solution to definitively chase the darkness out of Denska: to do this Ash will have to recover his drawings (snatched by the bullies) and create these Geniuses ready to help him during the crossing.
The (two) colors of life
In the game we will therefore mainly deal with scenes ready to tell you the story of the title and with basic platforming and puzzle resolving sessions where you will have to exploit the powers of these Genes: they will in fact be of three types, and each will allow you to ignite, electrify or blow what you need so you can move forward. In addition to this, Ash will also have the task of turning on all the lights in the city (by painting near the wall where the light bulbs are): in the event that the darkness is too widespread, you will have to resort to Super Painting, unlockable by satisfying the various Geniuses with the drawings (which they will request from you via balloon).
All the creative part develops through gods assemblable templates, which you can paint on the various walls using the gyroscope of the Dual Shock 4 (as has not happened for some time). Unfortunately this kind of puzzles - perhaps deliberately to entice a greater range of users - always remains easy to solve (since it uses a binary resolution system), becoming boring in the long run. By completing the various districts you can create the ones that Ash defines Masterpieces, real “opera magna” that will close the circle and make it possible for you to cross to the next one. Some level design gimmicks remain brilliant and fun, but for the most part you won't have to worry too much to continue.
To press later in the game he finally thinks about it a basic combat system: we will not spoil you how, where or why, but you just need to know that through very classic commands you will find yourself trotting in the various areas ready to defeat the enemy. The union of these two elements immediately brings to mind a great classic of the genre, Jet Set Radio: taken as inspiration, Concrete Genie is very reminiscent of that title, especially in the way it will let you continue in search of the right design. If you are a lover of completism, there will be additional modes such as Free Design o VR, capable of adding spice to the title without distorting its history.
The colors of feelings
Although the gameplay mixes some familiar dynamics, if there is one certainty in Concrete Genie it is that it tells a human story, made up of feelings and courage. From Ash himself, to the bullies, also passing through the various drawings, every being in this game sparks from every pore feelings and a past that, for better or for worse, tells a slice of real life: the choice not to let the bullies beaten or to avoid that kind of violence it also makes the Pixel Opus game a great banner towards those values that must not be forgotten. Precisely for this reason the game is suitable for all audiences: it can entertain with its out-of-the-ordinary gameplay and at the same time tell a story with a moral.
To these colors are added those of the graphic sector: using a graphic style halfway between drawing and 3D, Concrete Genie has a style of its own, very colorful when needed and dark when it should. The effect that the various designs on the city walls give are bright and very bright, something truly unique. Finally, a well-finished audio sector is added, with dubbing in other languages of all points. Unfortunately, there are two very important things to lower the value of the game: first of all the consequences of a similar plot. If you want to tell something basic to the greater slice of the public, you must opt for a method that is easy to understand, and for this unfortunately free from real creative ideas in terms of interesting intertwining. Secondly, the choice between the various designs does not stand up to comparison with systems already seen as in Graffiti Kingdom: unfortunately there are not many Geniuses, and the ideas end up after having created less than a dozen.
