Game Review: Concrete Genie

Hello Enthusiasts,

As much as I love nonsensical violence in my video games, I can appreciate quieter, more atmospheric titles as well. Today's topic is one such game, a PS4 exclusive, Concrete Genie. As always, you can expect some Mild Spoilers Below. 

You play as Ash, a young artist that enjoys hanging out in a desolate town called Denska. The place has been abandoned for a while now because of a dark mold that has overrun many parts of the city. Ash's mother warns Ash not to go there, but he seems to draw inspiration from the place. However, within the game's first cutscene, bullies harass Ash and destroy his notebook for drawings before sending him up to a creepy old lighthouse where a ghost supposedly lives. Ash meets this spirit in the lighthouse, which takes the form of one of his drawings. The "ghost," called Luna, guides Ash to find a magic paintbrush that can bring his art to life. With the brush, Ash can paint living portraits on buildings and walls that bring life back to the town. He's also able to create "genies," playful little monsters that live in the walls as Ash's art and interact with the environment in various ways. Ash decides to use this power to clear out the dark mold, bring life and people back to the town, find his pages of art that the bullies scattered around town. Along the way, maybe he'll even help those bullies overcome some of their own trauma. 

The story is ultimately a heartwarming, feel-good tale about forgiveness and kindness winning the day. It's not groundbreaking in its message, but it's still something you'll feel good about as you go through it and finally finish it. 

The gameplay does take a little getting used to. The game was designed to be used with the Dualshock 4 or with PS VR, so there is heavy emphasis on motion controls. Still, after a while, it does start to feel natural. In fact, using the motion controls made the process of painting these giant pieces of art feel more natural, and I ended up happily swinging and tilting my controller around. The art is beautiful, almost giving the appearance of being stop-motion, though it is just a little off from that. As you go through the game, you gain access to different art that you can paint with the brush (it's all based on your notebook pages that you find). If you're like me, you end up having some favorite pieces that you throw onto every mural you paint. Interacting with the genies is fun, whether you're playing a game of peek-a-boo or creating a scene for them in the walls.

For all of the beautiful things about this game, there is one major drawback for me. This game is incredibly easy. It was beyond easy; I didn't lose or get caught by the bullies at all throughout my entire game. I know it's not meant to be an intense experience, but the puzzles are all laughably simple. The most challenging part of the game was getting used to the motion controls, and even with that, I ended up beating the game after maybe five or six hours of playing it, which included time just drawing randomly on the walls (because, again, that is satisfying). The game also doesn't have a whole lot of replay value. It has a great story, but not one I feel like I need to experience more than once. 

At the end of the day, this was a fun game. I absolutely enjoyed lighting up the streets of that town with my beautiful neon graffiti and playing around with my artistic creations. It won't be for everyone because, again, it's not too intense or action-packed. Still, for anyone who wants a pleasant gameplay experience (or anyone with a kid that loves games), this is a definite recommendation. 

I give Concrete Genie an 8 out of 10. 

Sincerely, 

The Bored Enthusiast