Child of Eden
Producer: Ubisoft
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
Rating: E10+
Genre: Action
Visual Stimuli
Written by Jesse Seilhan
Do you remember when the first person born in space integrated into the internet, allowing a virus to threaten all of mankind? Yea, me too. If you don’t recall the adventures of the 23rd century, then you are not alone and the makers of Child of Eden are here to bring you up to speed. Impossible to genre-fy and must be experienced to truly understand, this spiritual follow-up to 2001’s Rez allows players to unite most of your senses into a trippy blend of motion gameplay and audio/video stimuli. Using the Kinect on the Xbox 360 and the Move on PS3, Child of Eden offers a (semi-)controller-free way to lead a virtual orchestra by combining weapons and timing to defeat a myriad of digital enemies. Don’t worry about the crazy story that I described at the beginning, just enjoy the ride and don’t think too hard.
The key to this game is using the motion-controls with either the Kinect sensor on Xbox or using the Move wands on PS3. One hand allows players to be slower and more methodical before unleashing a screen-clearing barrage of ballistics by pushing toward the screen. The left hand has rapid-fire purple lasers that eradicate the only thing in the game that does damage, also colored purple for easy detection. Using a combination of slow-and-steady swipes and rapid shoves toward the screen, the player is constantly given a progression of tougher enemies combined with a rising tempo. You can use the standard controller to accomplish the same goals, but it is nowhere near as fun as the motion controls. Using the beat as a guide, the correct timing will give players a score bonus and more unlocks, typical videogame fare. But scores and unlocks are not the focus of this game, but rather advancing far enough to see what visual delight and audial opus is around the next corner. Each level takes design seriously and creates a different landscape, ranging from underwater travels to semi-steampunk cogfests, all with accompaniment that fits the style perfectly. Some of the boss battles are worth the sometimes-frustrating length of the levels as their size and scope drasticly dwarf the prior foes. The colors dazzle, but almost to a fault, as some of the later levels become difficult to decipher some of the harmful baddies from friendly shapes and colors.
The game loses some credit for failing to do some of the little things right, like give players a reason to replay levels instead of making them replay levels in order to advance in the game. Child of Eden is stunning and sometimes brilliant; it also leaves players wanting more after only a few hours’ worth of gameplay. Those hurdles keep this game from becoming a legend but if judged solely on the gameplay and feeling of the experience, then it rivals games like Rez and Lumines. No amount of marketing will convince the average Joe to plunk down $60, but those seeking to justify that Kinect purchase without having to dance around or exercise will find paradise in Child of Eden.