Concrete Genie | PS4 Review
Getting lost in art is what human beings do. Whether through a good book, television series, drawing, or, dare I say, video games, humans love art. It speaks to us on a primal level. It’s capturing this spirit that is the goal of Concrete Genie. Ash is a kid in his early teens, tormented by the unruly bullies of his town. To escape this pain, he draws creatures in his sketchbook.
It’s through those same bullies that Ash finds his way to the old, abandoned lighthouse outside of town. It’s there he discovers a paintbrush with the ability to turn his art into life. It’s a charming premise, even if the bullying feels more than a little over-the-top. The excitement Ash feels at his newfound power is infectious, and you’ll love bringing these “Genie” creatures to life just as much as he does.
Finding Light in the Darkness
Bringing things to life is what Concrete Genie is really all about. The town of Denska is dank and dour. The populace has abandoned it as oil spills, grime, and juvenile delinquents set upon the neighborhood. People didn’t feel safe, and it scared all but a handful away. It’s up to Ash and his newfound brush to make Denska beautiful again.
The closest genre I could think to put Concrete Genie in would be 3D platformer. However, that’s really not a fair assessment of what you’ll be doing in the game. Your primary action is to paint. Throughout the different zones of the town of Denska, you’ll need to brighten things up. You do this by painting the town with bright colors. You’re free to choose your own designs. Maybe a campfire under a starry night, a sci-fi star system, or a snowy mountaintop. It really is up to you. Let those creative energies fly. You even get to paint your own Genies to life. Choose the body type, add horns and tails, and generally be as silly and fun as you want with it.
Art is Life
For the majority of the game, it’s a pretty zen experience. Jump around alleyways and rooftops, hang out with your Genies, and paint all over town. It’s nice to see the once hopeless and dark zones of town turn bright and vibrant through your actions. You do have to avoid the aforementioned bullies, but they’re easily avoided and a minor annoyance.
In the final couple hours, however, Concrete Genie completely changes tone, genre, and mechanics. The game gains a combat system, and everything takes on a darker and more monstrous edge. Frankly, it was jarring as hell at first. I lost myself in the zen art gameplay, and wasn’t quite prepared for such a different set of mechanics.
Embrace Change
After overcoming the initial shock, I quickly got on board. There’s enough story hooks to make you want to rescue Denska in its darkest hours, even if the message of togetherness and forgiveness is a little simplistic and naive. It was pretty great seeing a group of kids become the protagonists in an almost 80’s movie sort of way.
The issues I have are minor ones. Sometimes it can be a little confusing on where to go next, and the in-game map is an almost complete disaster. I admit this may be due to my color blindness, but the map almost made things more confusing. There’s also an artistic decision to make the human character’s faces move about like stop-motion animation. It conflicts with the rest of the art style, because nothing else behaves like this. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
Concrete Genie is a refreshing game. Video games have a tendency to make the primary verb “kill” across the board, so it’s nice when something comes along to offer something different. The charm and heart from Pixelopus just oozes over every inch of the game, and it really does make you want to smile. So go and relax a little with the game. Remind yourself of that childhood imagination inside every one of us. Lose yourself in some art.
Concrete Genie
$29.99
Pros
- Tons of Variance in Art Options
- Throws a Welcome Curveball in the Final Act
- Creates a Zen Atmosphere
Cons
- On-the-nose Bully Storyline
- Cumbersome UI
