Constance Review

If you adore Hollow Knight and Celeste, you’ll go crazy for Constance. This game can be unbelievably harsh and often requires extreme accuracy, but it also leads to a euphoric sense of reward. I must admit that I quit quite a few times. Yet, it got under my skin, and I always returned to explore the world and take down the array of tough bosses.

Blue Backpack developed this hand-drawn 2D platformer. It is a single-player game that has Metroidvania action at its core. This isn’t my favourite genre, as the constant back and forth blows my mind. However, the developers have incorporated a nice photo system to help rule out confusion. This wasn’t always perfect, as things are surreal. Consequently, the random nature of the world made it harder to explore.

Constance tells a dark tale.

A deep story of depression, anxiety, and burnout isn’t my go-to option. But when it is done correctly, it tugs at your heartstrings, and it is hard to put down. Constance does just this with its chilling representation of modern living. An unrewarding job with demanding colleagues is enough to make anyone upset. However, when you don’t feel appreciated, things go from bad to worse.

These feelings and the theme are represented through an interconnected metaphor. Additionally, the collection of tears as you destroy a boss opens up new memories. Each one is tough to swallow, and the pressure is genuinely captivating. Yet, it is the sense of freedom and the belief that the protagonist is healing that make this truly special.

Typical mechanics.

Although Constance offers some different ideas, it uses familiar mechanics as well. The need to travel back and forth and find new abilities is essential. Furthermore, the desire to open new pathways by destroying huge bosses is nothing new. Yet, it is the use of a paintbrush and inspirations to fight monsters and master new skills that was interesting. Each area offers plenty of new creatures that aren’t that challenging to defeat, but this can’t be said for the bosses.

The bosses will test your patience and resolve. There are multilayered attack and defence elements that must be studied and overcome. This is easier said than done, and you will find yourself failing more often than not. When you die, you have 2 choices. Respawn at a shrine, or absorb the “Puppet’s Curse”. The curse makes enemies tougher while you gain health from slaughtering them. This makes the fighting a bit tougher, but the reward is worth it.

Sadly, the combat is a little imbalanced. The creatures offer little challenge, and once you know how to slay them, you will not struggle. Unfortunately, the bosses prove to be much tougher and frustratingly difficult to get past. This will cause less able gamers to throw in the towel.

Constance looks phenomenal!

I’m a sucker for well-done hand-drawn art. Constance delivers this with its abstract world, exceptional animation, and weird but interesting level design. Each slash of your paintbrush adds energy to the world, and every movement feels alive. The audio is a masterful atmospheric treat. The dynamic soundtrack delivers a unique blend of energy for each zone. Furthermore, there are booming tunes for each boss encounter.

The controls demand a ridiculous level of dexterity. You must master different special inputs and rapid button pressing as you disable traps, avoid pits, and leap from platform to platform. The button bashing feels great for experienced players, but not achievable for younger gamers. I played this for around 15 hours, but I didn’t find every secret. If you are more competent than I, you’ll get this done in around 10-12 hours. Subsequently, it isn’t the biggest game I’ve played.

Constance is fantastic.

Despite the short playtime and the slight imbalance in combat elements, Constance is fantastic. Visually, it is stunning, and I think the audio is superb. However, the controls can be fiddly, and there were moments when I wanted to scream at the top of my voice. Regardless of these complaints, I love it and recommend grabbing a copy from the Xbox store!