There is No Escape From Eden
Let's get the non-essentials out of the way. You are an anonymous protagonist attempting to purify a computer database and save a girl called Lumi (insert "Princess not in this castle joke" now). You do so rails-shooting style, alternating between weapons resembling lock on missiles and a gatling gun. Child of Eden is my first game that has Kinect functionality (though it still can be played with a 360 controller). And I enjoyed the game from start to finish, even though the journey playing the game is not an entirely long one.
Why do I think this game is really good and worth your attention? I think the presentation really got me hooked to the game from the very beginning. It is the most beautiful game I ever saw for an Xbox360 game. Graphics are very colorful and catch your eyes instantly, as if you stumbled upon artwork masterpiece after masterpiece as you progress through the game. But unlike a painting that stays still the game's graphics look alive and wonderful. You can alter the landscape and its electronic beings, and what is already vibrant and colorfullooks even more so. Your stages include areas resembling forests, factories, and databases (abstractly of course) but really doesn't matter; your eyes will be glued to the screen regardless.
If the graphics aren't enough to entice you, you also have a soundtrack that you will rock to. But then again, Admittedly I have a very hard time describing the sound; it's much better if you go on youtube and type in "Child of Eden music" and judge for yourself. But as for my two cents, I think that although all the tracks are techno (all made by the same group, Genki Rockets), I am surprised to find that the score is capable of generating so many emotions within. But there is one similarity between all these songs; they all evoke a sense of awe and amazement. Star Line is the track that I think is the most symbolic of that type of wonder, and following its subtle beats and high pitched vocals gave me a great time. But I think even more impressive is that you the player can intercede this music with your own beat. Every time you purify an element with either the missile you generate a burst of sound. And I have to tell you that it feels so unique. It's not about shooting down the elements because they fit the beat; YOU make the music. So I found myself experimenting with both the lock-on missiles and bullets from each stage, and have two different but nonetheless positive experiences. The score and I don't seem to clash; we seem to be complementing each other in fact. The ability to make YOUR music within the already beautiful soundtrack made me feel like an important part of the game, and that's another reason I was so into the game when playing.
Speaking of being part of the game, Child of Eden's use of the Kinect is brilliantly implemented. Playing this game is akin to being a musical conductor. You move your right hand (lock-on) across the screen to signal a delayed, emphatic burst from the chorus. Your left hand rises (the machine gun), and now the drumbeats begin to rise to the occasion. Then when the climactic boss battle occurs, you swing both arms into the air to unleash Euphoria, and the screen is lit up (removing all incoming attacks) and the music produces one emphatic burst of sound to punctuate the moment. Couple the great music with the trippy, out-of-this-world presentation style, and you have a heck of an experience when Child of Eden. The game is simplistic in its nature; it is as I said an on-rails shooter. It's also not very difficult if you are know what you are doing. But it's a credit to the game that it can make something as mundane as moving a reticle shooting down stuff into a glorious adventure of the senses.
As a note, I recommend using the Kinect over the controller because you are more physically interacting with the game without sacrificing too much control. That being said I think that if you have to beat a game, the controller gives you the best chances of doing so because moving a joystick gives you more direct control over the reticle; just don't expect it to be as engrossing (even though it still is with the graphics and all) when compared to using the Kinect.
That's not to say that Child of Eden is a perfect; the most notable downside is that the bulk of the game is sadly very short. You have 5 stages to go through (although some have to be unlocked by playing the same stages at least twice), each lasting between ten minutes to twenty minutes. That means that you can finish the main meat of the game in a sitting. To be fair, there are extra difficulty modes, and even in normal difficulty you might need to try again at times in different stages. There are also unlockable artworks which I highly recommend because they look outright gorgeous. But still, I hoped Child of Eden would have more stages, maybe through a DLC. Sadly that is not going to be the case.
However, do not let the short length discourage you from either renting or buying a game. I am not a hardcore gamer, but I've been around a lot of games. And no other game I played had me as sucked in than Child of Eden. It's a work of art both visually and audio-wise, and a joy to play and ,most importantly, experience despite its simple design. I hope that you, the reader, would one day also jump into Eden and be amazed yourself the way I have; because my review cannot do justice to the superb quality of this game.
Final Verdict: I would range it between 4 and 4.5 stars, but I will choose the latter because it provides such an emotionally and sensually rich adventure when it is on, and it does so better than any other game I've been around.
