Child Of Eden Review

A neurotic musical mind mess in the form of a game, It’s the fresh futuristic game in cyberspace! Well, there was a large amount of hype in the papers and various media that were promoting this glow-tastic game that seemingly put as many people in a day-dream from the dramatic effects and tantalizing music just as much as it gave enjoyment and innovation to the Xbox 360 and it’s Kinect capabilities.

Graphics/Sound 5/5

This has got to be where Child of Eden completely excels in all aspects to it’s brothers and sisters of the gaming world. Graphics, at a glance, are made up thousands of entwined, visually stunning effects which entertain the player just as much as any on-lookers who can sit back and enjoy the light show before them. Enemies are compromised of a huge array of different shapes, sizes and species, from archaic flying manta rays and other aquatic fish right up to a burning phoenix soaring through space! As you are propelled through a mind absorbing world you take , at times, hordes of enemies on in huge areas; some of which retaliate by shooting further effects at you to take you out. However nine times out of ten you find yourself in awe of what is happening around you, you don’t notice any form of attack up until your screen glares red, blipping that little flower shaped life-bar to smithereens.

Sounds and music throughout Child of Eden is what really bites loving teeth into you, each level has its own main song which is played throughout, from laid back chill-out music , to some fast beat trance, that, on many occasions get’s the players feet moving. There are some beautiful little additions to the game in regards to sound. Your attacks will have a certain instrument attached to them, tempting the player into attacking in sync with the music. Another nice feature in regards to this is in order to let the player know that they are actually hitting the enemies amongst the orchestrated glow worms, is to have another musical sample play for you, very simple, but very effective! Overall the graphics and music along with the level design blending beautifully with each of them gives a solid 5/5 in this section!

Gameplay 3.8/5

Child of Eden’s literal gameplay is fairly straight forward, being very generous and giving you the option of using a controller as much as the option to use Kinect ( which for once does not betray you by making you jump in the air all the time) there’s a little something for everyone’s playing style. Shooting and using different weapons combines different hand movement for each one, without revealing to much in spoilers, you need to use these different weapons as some enemies are immune to the other. One weapon being an old style ‘target lock then fire’ laser to take out multiple enemies and the other replicating a ‘purple powered machine gun’ batting away your electric foes like flies. Following this you have a third attack which many people have taken to calling ” The happy bomb ” where you lift both your hands and destroy your enemies with an oncoming ecstasy! Gameplay for the Kinect takes some patience and steady control over your hands however. It can become a little bit tiring and repetitive but you are always kept on the ball with the new enemies and bosses you encounter as well as learning the quirky method to reduce them to dust; or pixels in this case. Actual levels are very well made and offer up different optional challenges for the experienced player such as getting that time record to beat everyone else or ‘purifying’ 100% of the level. Despite being navigated through each level you are given a bit of freedom in the larger areas to operate in what is called “Eden” , in other words the internet in flouro. At times the gameplay becomes a little boring, especially if you perfectionists aspire to complete everything, it demands you to be a professional of withstanding repetition of levels! But combined with the music, amazing visuals and countless enemies to fight, they compliment it nicely to bring the score to a healthy 3.8 / 5

Longevity 2.2/5

Sadly, many games have their let downs. With other parts of the game being extremely well coordinated and at many times mind blowing, it brings the regular player of their new cherished game to a halt. It is a pretty short game. After your adventures through the wondrous world of Eden you come to a sudden stop when you unlock the final level , a total of 5 levels, which really isn’t great. Playing through the levels again loses it’s fun eventually unless you’re in it for the achievements. But to not leave this on a low note, it is definitely a great buy for anyone who enjoys social gaming, it has your friends “ooo’ing and aah’ing” and can be a great game to play when you’ve had enough of the serious stuff to get down with some casual fun gaming.

Extras 3/5( may contain mild spoilers )

Despite the quick completion of the game for many people it does have its little extras to peak some interest for another playthrough or two. Having completed the game you gain access to some interesting options. One of which is setting a filter for the graphics to ” Trip ” this changes everything in the game to lot’s of blacks , whites and bright colors that really give levels a different feel. You also get access to hard mode for you hardcore gamers in which you can get further items towards ” Lumi’s Garden ” to make your start menu look the bomb!

Overall, this is an amazing game with some truly intense level designs and music. Albeit a short one, it can be a great compliment for social gaming or to get people looking on in amazement at a party. Many very innovative ideas have been implemented into the game as well as providing the Kinect with something a little bit different to show off some of it’s capabilities to make gaming a crazier and all the more fun place!