Released Today! Bringing color back to a faded town; fastest review of PS4's "Ash and the Magic Brush"

Ash and the Magic Brush," the first new title in five years from Pixelopus, the studio behind Entwined, was released today. We had a chance to play it first, and here is our review of the game.

The story takes place in the port town of Denska. It is a town, but that was a long time ago, and now it is deserted and uninhabited. The main character Ash often visited this port town, which is also his hometown, and painted landscapes and imaginary friends called "Kaibutsu" (sea creatures). One day, he gets a magic brush that can bring his paintings to life. Joining forces with the living creatures, Ash brings Densuka back to life.

The paintings he draws come to life.

The most distinctive feature of this work is its very own magic brush. You can draw pictures on the walls of Denska's house, containers at the port, store signs, and everywhere else. Because they come to life, plants and trees sway, butterflies and birds flap their wings, and fly away. The texture is more like electric light decoration than paint, so it is bright and easy to see from a distance. Perhaps it is because Denska is so deserted and out of date, but the paintings look even better.

All the pictures that can be painted are in parts, so there is no need for the player to create them from scratch; once the button is pressed, all that is required is to release it. No skill is required. The size can also be adjusted by moving the controller up and down while holding down the button.

In addition, the pictures drawn in the town of Danska will remain forever. A field of flowers and a starry sky that I painted as a test at the beginning of the story remained on the wall of a tram ticket store even after I had completed the main story. It is also nice to see that the drawings, which were drawn as desired, have become the footprints of the player and Ash. Also, the more pages of sketchbooks scattered around the area that are collected, the more parts of the picture that can be drawn. The map shows where the pages are located, so you can collect them smoothly without getting stuck.

Adore "kai-butsu" and explore with them!

The "animals" react in various ways to the pictures drawn by the player. If there is a dandelion, they will blow off its seeds, and if there is an apple, they will eat it. There are so many variations that you will never get tired of just playing with "Kaibutsu". As the number of parts you can draw increases, you will start to wonder how the "Kaibutsu" will react when you draw this. Incidentally, there are a total of 18 types of "Kaibutsu" with different appearances. As with the landscape parts, as you collect pages scattered throughout the region, you will be able to add various horns and tails.

Kaibutsu" do not only react to our pictures. They walk around inside the walls, beg for pictures from the main character, sit on the floor to rest, and perform other non-functional actions. The "kai-butsu" is not a subordinate or a follower, but a living creature and a friend.

The basic flow of the game is to light the light bulbs by drawing pictures on them, and then to proceed by removing the black ivy, where various riddles are solved. The key to solving the riddles lies in the "Kaibutsu," and a wall with a piece of wood in it will bring a fire-attribute Kaibutsu, while a wall with a power outage will bring a lightning-attribute Kaibutsu. It is important to understand the structure of the surroundings and the characteristics of the Kaibutsu, but none of the riddles are too difficult, and you can proceed at a brisk pace. After struggling for a while, a hint will appear on the screen, hinting at how to solve the puzzle.

There are also children in Denska who bully Ash and chase after him when they find him. If caught, they will hide the magic brush and throw it in the trash. However, there is no particular disadvantage, since you can guide them by shouting and the location of the magic brush will be displayed on the screen even if they catch you. As long as you guide them, they will never find you.

At first glance, the story seems to be a friendly adventure between Ash and "Kaiyabutsu," but that all changes as the story progresses. The game becomes an action game, with attacks and evasions added to the actions with the magic brush. Then, of course, you have to fight. ......

VR mode, where players create their own world

This title includes VR content independent of the main story, which can be played using the PlaySation VR console and two motion controllers. There is "Potari and the Mysterious Canvas," in which players can play and paint with Potari, the "Kaiyibutsu" (a marine creature) that appears in the story, and "VR Free Painting Mode," in which players can paint as they please, but painting on the 3D map in this mode is a revelation. The player enters the world of the film and simply paints as in the main film, but the control specifications are very good. One of the motion controllers serves as a magic brush, and the other as a sketchbook for selecting parts to paint. Holding the "brush" and the "palette," the player is truly a painter.

And once in the 3D map, the player becomes a god. If he wields the brush, the chosen picture will be painted as it is. If you paint the sun, it becomes morning; if you paint the moon, it becomes night. You can create the world as you wish. The player can do directly what he or she has been doing through Ash, so the sense of realism is exceptional. It is a bit difficult to prepare the equipment, but if you have a set of equipment at hand, we encourage you to try it out.

It took about eight hours to complete the main game, which is not a large volume. However, the depth of the interaction with the "sea creatures" and the fantastic atmosphere, which is neither realistic nor animated, are unique. The short length of the story is well suited to the unique style of the game, and I felt as if I was experiencing a mysterious event that took place in a single summer. For those who like "atmospheric games," this is a work I can recommend.

(Text: Natsuyoshi Natsuyoshi)

Product Information
Ash and the Magic Brush
Genre: Action Adventure
Compatibility: PlayStation 4
Player: 1 player
Release date: Now on sale
Price: Packaged version 2,900 yen (excluding tax)
Downloadable version: Normal edition 3,132 yen (tax included) / Digital Deluxe edition 4,212 yen (tax included)
CERO: B Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

(C) Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC