Contrast
Storytelling Reinvention:
conveys its narrative through depictions of shadows, creating a visual metaphor of lightness and darkness
Game Information
Release Date: November 15th, 2013
Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Rating: Teen
Genre(s): Exploratory, Metaphorical, Platformer, Role-playing, Strategy
Price: $19.99
Website: http://compulsiongames.com/en/8/contrast
Starting in 2009, director Guillaume Provost organized a team of seven members to develop a unique adventure/puzzle game that allows players move between 3D and 2D worlds. Contrast was released on November of 2013 by Compulsion Games. The team describes the game as "cradled in a smooth, film noir aesthetic, complete with a dark jazz bar, a cabaret, an illusionist and a circus. It’s a mashup of the 1920s and 1940s, with just a little bit of magic…" ("Contrast | Compulsion Games.").
The game takes place in the 1920s in a noir setting, featuring a little girl named Didi. Without a father present, Didi is raised by her single mother Kat and spends much of her time daydreaming and adventuring with her imaginary friend Dawn. The object of the game is to assist Didi in bringing her family back together by solving puzzles through a physical world in 3D and a 2D world of shadows. She is accompanied by an imaginary friend who helps her along the way to mend her family. They both maneuver through lightness and darkness, which metaphorically symbolizes her emotions.
References:
1. "Contrast | Compulsion Games." Compulsion Games. Compulsion Games, n.d.. Web. 7 March. 2016. <http://compulsiongames.com/en/8/contrast>
Researcher: Serena Devera-Taualo
