Contrast is a rather interesting game using the mechanics of shadows and a drawn out story of a young child’s broken heart. You play as a mysterious woman named Dawn who aids a young girl named Didi by trying to save her family from falling apart. In this world, you don’t exist fully to Didi you appear only as a shadow that travels on walls. With this power, however, you can become two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
Story
This game will give you the feeling of a Casablanca-esque theme of a love story between Johnny and Kat. There are a couple of references to the classic noir film throughout the game.
At the start of the game, you get to meet the main character named Didi she is the daughter of a rising singer. Her father isn’t around anymore for certain reasons but he wants to be back with his family but he is in some deep trouble with the wrong crowd as Didi’s mother explains. That’s basically the main plot throughout most of the story as you follow Didi around, sneaking around and spying on your mother and father.
In Didi’s loneliness, she finds out that her father is back in town, wants to start a circus and she is very determined to help her father. Didi’s father has it kind of rough. As you follow Didi’s parents around listening to more of the backstory, it becomes easier to understand her father and what he has been going through.
Love, Light and Dark, Science, Betrayal, and Magic. Is what makes Contrast Story so very interesting.
Contrast is set in the mid 20th century with jazz clubs and cabaret singers, and the game’s use of shadows is just something amazing. As the main character, Dawn, you can use larger shadows to get across environments, leap onto just about any shadow on any wall, and a few puzzles in the game will require you to manipulate the light fixtures so you can use objects that cast shadows to your advantage. While progressing through the game, you do earn a few new abilities that you can use to advance throughout the game, such as a dash move that allows you to pass through thin shadows, and the ability to pick up boxes or spheres and shift them into shadow form.
Throughout most of the game, you will be dealing with carrying boxes and pushing switches to make other machines help you throughout the adventure with Didi. Be aware, however, that there is a lot of frustration with shifting objects in and out of shadow form, and the most common thing to happen in most video games is having the character becoming stuck in the environment.
In the shadow world that slowly crawls into the reality where Didi lives, you will see some characters and connect more with others. All while moving objects and aiming light fixtures, jumping from 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional, leaping over platforms and the shadow platforms cast by the lights.
There are collectibles throughout Contrast that can help in uncovering more detail about the story and narrative about the existence of Dawn.
After playing this game to a certain point you can’t really explain on how amazing these experiences play out through the game’s story. The seamless experience that makes you even more curious about exploring the game that doesn’t have to be interrupted by just watching the narrative cutscenes instead its part of the experience of the game.
Contrast is a game that is worth to try out and experience the dark noir story that is told between these two characters. Listening to a little girl that feels very alone without her parent’s being together, and trying to save their relationship from the bad crowd that her father is involved with.
Final thoughts
So from what I can tell throughout this game its really good story but the game itself felt like it was rushed a little bit and probably should have taken more time to polish some of the models. Other than the little glitches here and there this game is decent and worth the time if you can ignore all of the issues and slight environment problems then Contrast is worth your time !!
Gameplay Footage