Contrast

I'm a sucker.  I'm a sucker for puzzles.  I'm a sucker for the noir theme.  I'm a sucker for sultry vocals over lazy jazz piano. I'm a sucker for Contrast.

The feel. It's just there.

I didn't really know what I was getting into with Contrast.  I saw screenshots and heard some of the soundtrack and decided "I might want this game." I bought it early on Steam, and got the soundtrack for free. Soundtrack alone has been worth the price of admission for me.

This is the only loading screen you see, and only 3 times.

This game artistically plays all the right notes.  It's one of the most thematically cohesive games I've ever played.  Dawn, the protagonist, is perfectly crafted for this game.  The silent hero that has a fantastic mystique.  Her confidence exudes and makes her the ultimate complement to her supporting cast of uncertain and broken humans.

Her face says it all. No, really, that's all she'll say.

But hey, isn't this a video game?  Of course it is! Contrast is a puzzle game through and through. The game consists of platforming to collect items and collectibles. The game sets itself apart by playing in both 2D and 3D within the same world. Your character has the ability to become one with the shadows in order to traverse impossible paths.

Dawn can jump into this well lit wall.

The shadow world has its own unique ambiance.

The puzzles are challenging and rewarding, without any of the answers being inconceivable (you keep using that word...). The achievement-hungry (such as myself) can use this as a nice snack of collection to get another 100% on their platform of choice. The story moves along at a great pace, and even cutscenes stay true to the spirit of the game, told exclusively on walls by silhouettes of the characters.

I didn't want to put this game down. It seamlessly runs from start to finish, creating intrigue and entertainment the whole time. I always wanted to see the next environment.  I couldn't wait for the next morsel of story to pull me along for another puzzle. It all just worked so well together.

I'm a sucker. A black-and-white, 2D, 1920's sucker. And this game is sweet.

100%

<3 Brad Gaffney, UI Programmer, Gearbox Software