Contrast is one of the first games I got to demo at PAX East this year. I had seen bits and pieces of the game in a number of articles and videos, but I never paid much attention to it’s progress or premise until I noticed it at the Indie Megabooth. The 1920’s, vaudvillian art direction and unique game play mechanics caught my eye as I was passing by, so I figured I’d investigate this original title that has come to impress so many during PAX. I also had a quick chat with one of the developers about how emerging independent game studio Compulsion Games arrived at this point.
Contrast is a Pan’s Labyrinth inspired mystery platformer centered around the trials of a sad little girl named Didi and her imaginary friend Dawn. The girl is having some family troubles, and like all little children, finds it easier to escape into fantasy then face an adult world’s problems head on. But she’s smart, so she deals with her issues in her own unique way, which plays both into the gameplay and the level design. I noted early on while playing that the environment you run around in is somewhat fantasy looking – almost dream like. The developer explained that what Dawn sees, who also happens to be the character you’ll control, is a mixture of Didi’s reality and imagination. A blend of both her worlds to create beautiful yet abstract areas for you to explore. Game director Guillaume Provost came up with the game idea and it’s mechanics while playing through Portal, which soon evolved into the noire inspired platformer it is now.
So my hands-on demo started in a chapter sometime later in the game. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on at this point; Didi was talking to me about something that I didn’t really get, but I jumped quickly into action. The main appeal of Contrast and the prime mechanic of the game is Dawn’s ability to manipulate shadows and light – to move in and out of 2D and 3D planes at will to navigate her environments and overcome obstacles. As long as a wall or surface is lit up, she can hop in and out of it, using her surrounding shadows as platforms. Even at this point in the game’s development cycle, I found the mechanic to be very flexible and surprisingly easy to use. With minimal instructions I was quickly using shadows from lamp posts and carousels with ease to climb over obstacles and progress through the levels. And while shadows are mainly used as platforms and walkways, they can also impede you. So at times I had to jump, exit the 2D plane, pass the shadow obstacle that was blocking me, re-enter the 2D plane and land all in one motion. It’s a little tricky at first to navigate both dimensions, but it didn’t take me long to get the knack for it. I can definitely see the potential for some pretty complex puzzle areas that make use of static and moving platforms, and obstacles from both planes and multiple light sources.
There’s a scene in a vacated Jazz bar or Broadway show room that has you aiming spot lights on a stage for a hidden woman with a sultry, sexy voice. The entire room reminded me a little of Jessica Rabbit’s singing number in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, or even the film Casablanca. After you set up the spot lights to lighten up the stage, it reveals the possibility that only Dawn and Didi are fully 3D modeled characters (at this point at least), as the cabaret singer and her band of dark figures appear in the form of shadowy silhouettes, at which point they sing a fantastic number for you. This may be further evidence that what you’re seeing is in fact a part of Didi’s imagination and not completely reality. It was wonderfully atmospheric and dark, and a good first look at the kind of tone the game is setting overall.
This is what I like about Contrast, it aims to be different by focusing on a smaller but engaging story, and re-enforces it with charm, style and intrigue. Of all the indie games coming out in the next few months, this will be one to leap from the shadows and take the spotlight. The game is set for release on Steam in May, with the possibility of release on other platforms at a later time. You won’t want to miss it.
