We had a chance to preview PixelOpus’ game at a Sony event in New York City and it’s certainly become a title we’ve put on our wishlist. Concrete Genie, a PlayStation 4 exclusive coming to the console this holiday, is about a boy named Ash who escapes into art and wants to bring his sleepy, broken-down town, Denska, back to life with a little whimsy (and a lot of color). As in, it’s not the only thing about the game that matters. Somehow, Concrete Genie is a game about bullying that isn’t, well, centered on it. Couple that with whimsical art and creatures and we've got a winning formula that isn't just about teaching. It is a truly beautiful game, and at an affordable price, I would say Concrete Genie is a must buy for any PS4 owners with kids, and even those without.Games about bullying are often heavy-handed, prescriptive, and usually juvenile. While the simplistic gameplay holds it back a bit, there is no denying the sheer amount of heart that went into crafting this product. There are so many themes for a kid to relate to, including some relatively heavy subject matters such as divorce and parental fighting, that it may be helpful for parents to play along and explain the meaning of certain interactions to their kids when it’s needed. Is it okay for kids? Absolutely! I think anyone between the ages of 6 and 12 will likely enjoy this game, and I strongly suggest that people play Concrete Genie as a family activity. Players who have ANY experience with games will find Concrete Genie a breeze to get through, and while I understand this may have been an intentional choice, some more difficult side/optional content would have been appreciated. CritiquesĮven though this is a game aimed a younger audience, the developers could have provided a *little* more challenge. The game also provides quite the scavenger hunt for all of the missing pages in Ash’s sketch book, and this collectathon will keep players engaged long after the main story is over. There is also quite a bit of platforming in the game, and the animations of Ash scaling the various walls and environments of Denska look strikingly similar to Nathan Drake’s animations in the Uncharted series, to the point where I think PixelOpus is intentionally trolling their fellow Sony studio, Naughty Dog. Players must paint “genies” (which can be customized to the players liking) on the walls of Denska, and use their unique properties to progress past various obstacles (for example, fire genies can burn down wooden crates blocking Ash’s way, electric genies can power generators needed to operate machines, etc). GameplayĬoncrete Genie combines elements from various genres to create a one of a kind single player campaign, but is at its core an environmental puzzle game. Players take on the role of Ash, a young artist living in the now deserted town of Denska, and must use the power of his imagination, as well as a magic paint brush, to restore his hometown to its former glory.ĭeveloped by the small team at PixelOpus, Concrete Genie follows in the tradition of games like Flower and Journey to create a unique and artistic experience that, while not challenging in the way a satisfying game typically should be, provides the player with a solid six hours of eye candy, therapeutic play, and deeply thematic moments of self reflection. In a gaming landscape filled with epic AAA blockbusters, it’s refreshing to see a smaller, experimental game come out of Sony’s Worldwide Studios. Written by Mike Melkonian of Ĭoncrete Genie is currently available for PlayStation 4 and is playable on PSVR.
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