Head Backstage with Contrast, the PS4's First PS Plus Freebie

It may lack the big-budget punch of DriveClub, but Canadian indie Compulsion Games’ upcoming Contrast sure seems worth your time all the same. The film noir puzzle platformer is set to deploy next month on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, with PlayStation Plus subscribers on the latter system securing the swish excursion for free.

The game, which takes you on a journey through a burlesque-inspired fantasy world, follows the tale of Didi, an impressionable infant with a racy imaginary friend named Dawn. The latter character can jump into the shadows, resulting in two-dimensional stages within three-dimensional worlds. This forms the basis for the title’s conundrums, as you must move objects and light sources in the real world to manipulate the shadows.

“The aim of the game is to help Didi explore why her family is so messed up,” explained community manager Sam Abbott on the PlayStation Blog. “She’s a 9-year-old girl – so, of course, all she wants to do is get her family back together. However, while you travel through the world with Dawn and Didi, you’ll realise that Contrast is also a story about fatherhood and parents, and about how a little girl perceives adult relationships and situations.”

Don’t worry if you’re not getting a PS4, as you’ll be able to buy the game on Sony’s current generation console for £9.99/$14.99 from 19th November in North America and 20th November in Europe. As already mentioned, it’ll also be available for free at launch on Sony’s impending machine. Are you looking forward to dashing between dimensions? Sing us a sultry number in the comments section below.