PlayStation Magazine UK - 12.2019

073

REVIEW

INFO

FORMATPS4

(LIMITED PS VR

SUPPORT)

ETAOUT NOW

PUBSONY

DEVPIXELOPUS

he fishing village of Denska was

once prosperous, but after a

series of disasters those days are

long gone. The streets are quiet

save for a group of very unhappy

youngsters, most of whom ride

around on their bikes and lash

out at the brick walls that can’t

fight back – and then there’s you, Ash.

Ash remembers what the village used to be and

still visits it – despite his parents’ warnings – to

make the most of a quiet place to sketch. That

doesn’t last long as the town’s other teens find

him and tear up his sketchbook, scattering the

pages to the wind before abandoning him at a

derelict lighthouse. But, in the tradition of many

a kids’ animated film, Ash is not alone; one of

his creations, Luna, comes to life. Sporting a look

that’s reminiscent of some of the best stop-

motion films of the last decade, what follows is

a graffiti-painting story arc that’s just a bit too

wholesome to sit near Tim Burton’s earlier work,

rather falling in line with the likes of Laika (which

is far from a bad thing).

A BRUSH WITH GREATNESS

With Ash’s oversized paint brush and magical

living paint in hand (as well as whatever torn-out

sketchbook pages you can get your hands on),

you have access to a not-insubstantial library of

stamps that you can manipulate the basic shape,

size, and placement of using the DualShock 4’s

in-built motion controls. It’s a no-stress outlet

for creativity that, thanks to the use of premade

designs and avoidance of any fine detail work,

mostly avoids the common pitfalls of motion-

control-based mechanics. We thought we’d chafe

at the inability to create our own totally original

designs in the main game but picking creative

flourishes from someone else’s sketchbook makes

for a laid-back experience that’s welcoming to

players with a wide range of artistic inclinations.

CONCRETE

GENIE

The devil’s in the details... or

could it be the painted genie?

STROKE OF GENIUS? @KoeniginKatze

Get ready to paint the
town! Denska is far
from drab even before
you come along with
your sketchbook.