Concrete Genie (PS4) Review

AN UNEXPECTED FIRST PARTY GAME FOR YOUNGER PLAYERS.

Concrete Genie is something special. Growing up I remember plenty of games aimed at children, but over the years that has disappeared. We still have TV shows and movies that clearly aim for an audience of children first and foremost, but video games that are aimed at kids have become mostly licensed properties. Sure, there’s games that are aimed for all audiences like a lot of Nintendo properties, but to see a new intellectual property that is for kids is very uncommon.

If you are an adult without kids or lack any interest in spending time with a feel good game that is fairly easy and tells a story with a message, this game is not for you.

PLATFORMS: PS4
MSRP: $29.99
PRICE I’D PAY: $29.99

Set in an open world, Concrete Genie is a 3D platformer that has some puzzle and collectathon elements. Ash controls (and looks a bit like) the characters in Infamous, where he sort of magnetizes to the next jump point as he climbs. There are few fail states, and even when those happen it is quick to get back to action. The main aspect of Concrete Genie is painting, which is done by using the Sixaxis motion control (this can be changed to the right analog stick in the menu). Using the premade designs the main goal is to light up all the lightbulbs and paint genies to help get through the environment (red genies light fires, yellow make electricity, and blue blow wind). New designs can be earned through exploring the world, which opens up as more goals are met.

The story of Concrete Genie is about a boy named Ash who, unlike the other kids, spends his time drawing in his book instead of causing problems. One day the other kids tear up his sketchbook and lock him on the gondola to the lighthouse. There Ash find one of his drawings has come to life. This drawing, Luna, shows Ash how to remove the darkness that made people leave the town of Denka in the first place. Two thirds of this game is following Luna’s instructions, bringing light to the town of Denka through painting with the help of the genies and no combat. Throughout this the other kids will try to bully Ash and grab his magic paintbrush, which allows him to see part of their past, before getting away from them again.

Slight spoilers ahead. Parents may want to read just to be sure it is for their family.

Eventually the other kids catch up to Ash and ruin one of his murals by painting over it and one of the genies, as well as breaking his paintbrush. As the biggest kid starts kicking Ash while he is on the ground the genie pulls itself out of the wall and has become evil and attacks the other children. At this point in the game Ash finds himself fighting back against the very things he created, and the final third of this game is spent with basic combat elements. Nothing too complex, but it is there. No one dies, including the corrupted genies, so there’s no need to worry about excessive violence.

Spoilers over.

The story of Concrete Genie is what really got me. Like a good kid’s movie, Concrete Genie has a message; that message is that forgiveness is important. Ash realizes there is no benefit to holding a grudge and that he just feeds into the darkness that is ruining his world. Those kids that bullied him had their own pain and issues they were dealing with. Maybe it is the climate of the world in which I write this review, but this resonated with me heavily. Right now the internet is much more interested in cancelling other people and looking for the gotcha moments that we don’t care to look at the humanity of the other person. We don’t care to make the world a better place, we only care to feel good about ourselves that we stopped the perceived bad guy. If we really cared about making the world a better place we would try to help one another become better, which is something Ash himself realizes in this game. Despite clearly being made for kids, I feel like a lot of adults need to play this game to maybe learn a thing or two.

Concrete Genie also includes a free painting mode which allows players to paint freely in one area of the game. The VR version of free painting is locked off until the main VR mode is completed. The VR mode is nothing special, just a small diversion that took me under an hour to finish. Not very difficult but it was neat to see the premade designs in full 3D models rather than 2D designs on a wall. For the amount of time it takes to do the VR experience, I think it would be fairly safe for kids to take part in it (although that’s up to the parent’s discretion).

Overall Concrete Genie was something unique. With kids playing Fortnite and Minecraft and whatever else I don’t know how well this game will do, but I do think it is one of the best handcrafted experiences made for kids I have seen in a long time. I’m 27 and don’t have kids and I did find myself enjoying the game, and when I score it I am scoring it as a kid’s game and not comparing it to other games currently available made for adults. I feel it necessary to state that because I think the game is very good and I don’t need to hear why I gave this game a better score than some other game. The audience is clearly children. I don’t plan to review kids’ games because there just isn’t a lot of them around anymore, but I had some interest in Concrete Genie when it was announced and got to review it.

Concrete Genie is a wonderful experience with a strong message of kindness and forgiveness. Anyone wanting a fairly short, wholesome experience will find a lot to love here.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Message and story
  • Unique art design
  • Genies have a lot of personality
  • Platforming feels really good
  • Combat doesn’t feel too difficult for kids
  • Lots of control options
  • Extra creative modes for those who want it
Bad
  • Game is a bit short
  • Not aimed at adults which marketing hasn’t made clear
  • VR mode feels tacked on and unnecessary
  • Sixaxis control is on by default
8.5
Great
Written by
Anthony is the resident Canadian. He enjoys his chicken wings hot and drinks way too much Coca-Cola. His first game experience was on his father's Master System and he is a loyal SEGA fanboy at heart.