The emotional swing of Anger, Joy and Anger
Pixel Junk Eden is one of those rare and interesting games that keeps you thinking about it after you're done and makes you always want to do better because you know you can. The emotional curve that I went through when playing this game was initial frustration and complaints. One of the initial things you feel should be in the game from the beginning is the sense that you should be able to swing out silk in mid air to catch a branch. Once you get over the fact that you cannot do that, you adjust and move on.
Than comes the upswing. Once you get good, a point is reached in the game where it is very satisfying to make combos by catching multiple polen in one shot, than release and catch 3 more in the air before dropping into a seed, bouncing out into another seed and getting another bonus.
Once again comes frustration. The game gets to a point where it ignores it's own rules and mechanics.
The idea of swinging around and catching polen is the core of the game, which gets nullified by creating cliffs that cannot be swung upon and polen that cannot be cought with silk, forcing you to jump around catching polen with your body which is not as much fun. And than there is Gravity. Further levels take full advantage of this concept by switching the gravity of the level to the point that it makes you regret you ever bought this game.
With all the bad considered, the good is still a good enough package to warrant a purchase.
