Constance

Constance is a beautiful and challenging action-adventure game that uses metroidvania mechanics to explore the hardships of mental and emotional burnout.

The game world is a bit like Constance herself: charming but unsettled.

Constance is an example of one of the hardest things in gaming. To take ideas established four decades ago and use them to say something different and interesting is a wonderful feat worth celebrating. Constance has something to say, and it says it well. There are flaws in the moment-to-moment gameplay, such as its bosses and a few tedious platforming sections, and it's not something that's going to completely rock the Metroidvania space, but it doesn't need to. It's a much-needed reminder of the joys of concentration and an antidote to an overstimulating world.This is an easy recommendation to any Metroidvania fans who want something familiar to spend 10 hours on. Those a bit more wary of the genre might find themselves less enchanted, but Constance is absolutely worth playing for its visuals and ideas alone.

Constance is a game about confronting your inner darkness. Its hand-drawn cartoony art style won me over initially. Its challenging platforming puzzles and boss fights that required me to fully utilize the plethora of techniques I’d learned throughout the journey kept me engaged and always felt satisfying to complete. This fluid and extremely rewarding gameplay loop alone solidifies Constance as a must-play platformer. The heartfelt story at the core of it all is a welcome added bonus.

Constance not only caters to multiple audiences, but also raises awareness of rarely discussed issues. Its setting makes everything more understandable, breaking down communication barriers and bringing the message of self-care to where it’s most needed. Whether for the challenge, the art, or the message itself, it’s a great and challenging Metroidvania!

Art can be messy and complicated, testing creatives in ways other professions do not. But the tale of Constance is one of perseverance in the face of strife and moving ahead despite future challenges. The narrative hits hard for those wanting to make art, and through challenging boss encounters, engaging combat, and fun platforming, it succeeds in expressing those powerful themes. This is one painting worth buying in a sea of amazing Metroidvanias on the market.

The enthusiasm and talent of the Blue Backpack team shine through from beginning to end in Constance. Eccentricities and all, this fluid action-adventure comes highly recommended. I had a blast beating the game and pushing as close to 100% completion as possible; there is simply so much to discover here. I'm excited to see what's next (DLC) from the studio-their prior work, Trüberbrook, is also worth a look. A different type of game entirely, but one with quirky charm too.

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 a fine metroidvania which is well-paced, well-designed and beautifully drawn. The combat is a bit meh; however, some will view that as being more accessible but some will view it as lacking ambition. Whichever way you view it, I would personally recommend Constance to any metroidvania fans who love a meaningful story and/or don’t want a massive time sink.

Constance put forward an idea that seemed illogical and unrealistic at first, as it smacked of repetition; yet the game has more than proven itself on its own merits, standing shoulder to shoulder with the genre’s greatest works. Its art, lore and gameplay have risen above true titans to claim its place among the very few