Product Info

Platform

PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC

Publisher

Finji

Developer

Greg Lobanov, A Shell in the Pit, Alexis Dean-Jones, Madeline Berger, Lena Raine

Genre

Adventure, RPG

Players

1-2

File Size (Minimum)

2 GB

Release Date (NA)

Jun 10, 2021

Purchase From

PSN Store

Steam

Official Store

Chicory: A Colorful Tale first launched on Kickstarter on August 15, 2019, and within 24 hours, the game was funded. By the end of August, the game was funded at 200%. Creator/developer Greg Lobanov, a Philadelphian who lives in Canada, also worked on another unique indie game, Wandersong (our review). The soundtrack was composed by Lena Raine, well-known for creating the soundtrack for popular indie game Celeste (our review). In early 2020, it was announced that the game would be published by Finji, releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam) in 2021.

After a successful launch, Chicory shows that a Kickstarter game can compete with AAA titles. With its collecting, painting, enjoyable soundtrack, and solid storyline, Chicory: A Colorful Tale deserves a spot in everyone’s gaming library.

The Custodian Arts

You are Pizza (No, really, that’s the default name given by the game), a janitor at Chicory’s Tower, and Chicory’s number one fan. (The game doesn’t define what sex your character is and lets you choose the outfits and colors to your liking.) Chicory is the Wielder, someone considered the chosen one who uses a magical paintbrush to color the world as the Wielder sees fit. Since the people in the world of Luncheon (Have you noticed the food theme yet?) depend on the Wielder to make their lives comfortable, there’s a lot of responsibility to take on this role. However, something amiss is happening. All the colors are gone, turning the world into black and white. Not only that, mysterious, corrupted trees are sprouting all over Luncheon. Moreover, with the sudden disappearance of Chicory, the magical brush is left in Pizza’s hands, so it’s up to you to fill in the role of the Wielder.

Pizza lacks confidence and may not be the best artist compared to past Wielders. Still, that doesn’t stop this lovable dog from working to make things right. You’ll encounter Chicory’s predecessor, learn details about Chicory’s past, and solve the problem of the corrupted trees.

Be the Painter

When using your brush, it’ll leave Pizza’s hand and act like a cursor. It’s free to roam anywhere on the screen and automatically understands the depth shown. For example, filling in the grass at a higher level won’t paint in the lower ground unless you tell the brush to do so. You can even color the non-player characters’ (NPCs’) clothing and/or their skin. Color palettes change based on the area you explore so that favorite blue won’t be available when exploring an area like Appie Foothills.

Later in the game, players can create their own color palette and equip it to their brush style. You’re allowed to equip up to four brush styles, each using a D-pad direction. These brush styles are found in large gift boxes hidden across Luncheon. One of the styles available can be your own custom style and can be redesigned anytime at a specific location. They won’t do anything special in boss fights and are more for creating decorative art on your canvas at art school or for filling in color across the land. When filling in color in areas, expect an NPC to compliment you on your work, but that’s about it. As implied, players can take art classes at the art school. There, you paint on blank canvases based on the topic of feelings or in order to recreate an art piece. When finished, you’ll see your masterpiece in either an art gallery in a nearby town or out in the wild on canvases.

Doesn’t it make you feel good to be an artist?

Be Yourself

Chicory doesn’t try to push you to be pixel perfect when drawing and coloring. The world is your oyster and the game’s NPCs will love you no matter what—well, most of them. So don’t be concerned if you are not the greatest artist outside or inside the world of Luncheon. The game does a great job portraying Pizza as an ordinary individual who enjoys art and who can be an artist and break the mold of having to be perfect. The game pushes the topic of being perfect in the world. Don’t let others tell you how to be perfect. Be yourself.

The characters in Chicory also have unique personalities. Pizza’s father really cares about his family and loves giving detailed advice when asked. Blackberry, Chicory’s predecessor, is very stern and stubborn. The game also doesn’t hold back when it comes to same-sex relationships. One of the townsfolk, a brawny squirrel who thinks and says “manly” things, eventually comes out of the closet. When visiting the queen of insects underground, her personality is the opposite of her looks. She is quite compassionate toward her people and toward Pizza.

Pizza’s Awakening

This artistic indie game is inspired by many games such as Wandersong but more so by The Legend of Zelda. Out of all the games in that franchise, it arguably draws the most from Link’s Awakening. Collecting things like heart pieces is a part of all Zelda games, but Link’s Awakening had even more of it, such as finding the secret seashells. In Chicory, instead of heart pieces, you are collecting other things: litter, lost kids, brush styles, outfits, and home decor. While collecting everything doesn’t give you a new ability for your brush, it can help you acquire new brush styles to use for painting.

In Link’s Awakening, you are exploring an island. Chicory may not take place on an island, but it is mostly surrounded by water. While exploring, your map will render places you’ve visited, similar to Link’s Awakening. Also, Link is rewarded with the ability to jump and swim in that game as he explores. It’s a similar situation with Pizza as she earns those by defeating bosses. The top-down view and exploring each screen are also Zelda inspirations.

Not only that, the Appie Foothills area is to Chicory as Tal Tal Heights is to Link’s Awakening. Being located at the foot of the mountain area and with its musical score, the two locations share similar vibes.

A Whimsical Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Chicory isn’t something to pass up. Each score created by Lena Raine feels right at place. The game’s opening menu is soft and orchestrated as a welcoming to the game. Visiting towns are full of upbeat, sunshiny vibes. During depressed moments, the score comes right in to deepen the mood with its low notes. Boss fights are heavy, strong, and powerful, influencing the rhythm of the fight. Fans of Lena’s work will be happy to hear that the boss fight gives off a resemblance to those in Celeste.

Using Both Sides of the Brain

While battling against the darkness that lurks in Luncheon, Pizza will have to not only use the brush to aid in battle but also be quick on the feet to avoid getting hit. Pizza can be on one side of the screen, being moved around with the controller’s thumbstick, while you navigate the brush with the other, pressing the trigger buttons to initiate attacks against your foe.

During a battle, your frightful foe will change up its pattern. For example, your brush may suddenly no longer have an effect against an enemy’s protective barrier, but you’ll notice another brush on screen moving the same way but in the opposite direction. You’ll have to use both sides of your brain to navigate that brush in a different direction to make the other brush hit the enemy to bypass that barrier. Confusing? It may sound like it, but on screen, it’s entertaining.

If you take enough damage in a fight, the game will prompt you, asking if you want to try again and adjust your settings for more lives. Afterward, the game does a “rewind” effect to keep you playing and avoid a game over. With how interactive the boss fights are, this is one of those moments where you don’t want to stop and retrace your steps like many other games. Bosses are the only enemies in the game where you need to worry about attacks. Outside of those fights, you just need to worry about solving puzzles, collecting, and exploring.

Brush Buddies

In Chicory, two players can play together offline. The first controller still controls Pizza and a brush, while a second controller controls a second brush to help paint. It’s an interesting way to have more friends involved to help paint the town. Solving puzzles becomes easier, since some are quite tricky for just one person. The extra brush also comes in handy for those crazy boss battles.

Exploring At Your Own Risk

As you explore, you’ll run into areas that require puzzle solving. Some just require a simple splat of a brush to fly you up to new ground. Others can become quite tedious, making players move and paint objects to create a path to unlock paths.

In some areas, you’ll be required to jump to different flower petals or from one platform to another. Since the game is presented in isometric 2D, the depth perception can throw off a player at times. For example, there are multiple flowers in mid-air that require some platform-jumping skills. If you aren’t carefully looking at the shadow underneath to understand where the flowers are, players can miss and be forced to re-do the puzzle all over again. It’s frustrating at times, but this only happens in a small number of scenes.

When it comes to collecting, you’re given a tracker to find lost kids. It’s a great tool for seeing the number of kids in an area, but it doesn’t help with your litter and outfit collecting. You will have to rely on speaking to an NPC to learn the general location of those specific items. In short, expect some backtracking for that 100% completion. Many of the items are not easily accessible until you acquire the last power-up for your brush. You can work on those after completing the game’s story.

DualSense Vibes

The PlayStation 5 is still less than a year old, so not many games take the controller to its limits. Chicory doesn’t push the DualSense to its full capabilities either, but it does make use of it in unique ways. Depending on what paint color you choose, the light on the controller changes based on the palette chosen. It doesn’t cover every single one, though. The DualSense picks the closest color available to the one in the game.

Additionally, the vibration will adjust based on where you color. For example, while running your brush on a plateau, the brush gives feedback if you are trying to go outside the line. It feels like a fishing rod being tugged.

Also, the thumbstick isn’t the only way to color. Players can use the touchpad to move the brush, but it is quite sensitive. Fortunately, the game has quite a list of options to adjust the speed of your brush, so you can adjust it to your liking. Swapping between the thumbstick and the touchpad will reset the cursor on screen, though, which can be a nuisance at times, especially during your canvas painting sessions. A mouse cursor and, hopefully, a Nintendo Switch JoyCon would be better tools for drawing than the DualSense.

A Perfect Ending

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a unique indie game that not only lets players be the artist but also delivers a powerful message along with excellent gameplay and a whimsical soundtrack. It deserves to be on everyone’s radar to play and is a strong candidate for one of the best games of 2021.