Review of Child Of Eden - Xbox 360

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Child of Eden The good

Beautiful graphics and audio soundtrack

Immersive Kinect controls

Use of up to 4 controllers as vibrating force feedback

Well-designed shmup (shoot'em up) with intricate gameplay-scoring mechanics

Child of Eden The not so good

Shmups tend to be shorter games than other genres

Menu navigation can be confusing because it sometimes switches between Kinect and controller

sitting position does not control as well as standing (higher Kinect sensor placement preferred as well)

Menu navigation can be with either the Kinect of the game controller. Menu navigation is a little confusing because it doesn't seem you can go completely controller-free to navigation. It appears you can but often the game seems to switch to controller mode and you have to press a button on the controller to switch back to Kinect menu control. In general, the menus are a little confusing in terms of selecting missions.

The game is definitely meant to be played with Kinect controls rather than the standard 360 game controller. Combined with the controllers for force feedback, controlling with the Kinect is the most immersive experience where you just forget the interface and become one with the game.

If you place your Kinect at waist level, the game control appears to suffer a slight bit. The game appears to control better with the Kinect higher up, especially when targeting near the bottom of the TV. It's not a major difference but if you can, put the Kinect above the TV. The logic also applies to sitting down. Child of Eden does allow you to play in the sitting position but when sitting down, targeting objects near the bottom of the screen can be hard because if the Kinect is placed low and you're sitting down, when you move your hand to crotch level to target low objects, the cursor will spaz while the Kinect is figuring out where your hand is. The game controls better in the standing position as well. I played a large chunk of the game with the Kinect at waist level and it played fine.

The game uniquely allows you to use up to 4 controllers as vibrating devices so if you wear baggy pants or shorts with pockets, it's an awesome experience. I thought it would be a gimmick, but it just feels awesome. It's not just generic vibrations. Different explosions produce different effects. The vibrations also appear to be spatial and positional as well. There's also some pulsations due to the various music beats. You have to experience this pants vibration to understand how good it feels. I only have 3 wireless 360 controllers so I didn't have the full 4 controller experience but it felt great nonetheless. I also tried 2 controllers in the front pockets of my shorts and it worked great. It really recreates the atmosphere of being in a game machine at the local arcade.

The game starts with an introductory movie in high definition that looks like something out of the mind of Tim Burton. You see a real actress model playing Yumi where she's walking through a surreal forest scene with augmented CGI. Her images will intersperse throughout the game. The actual in-game graphics are very good. Personally, the art direction is merely good for me since the artwork is somewhat abstract and there's not as much artistic license as I would've liked, but my lack of enthusiasm is merely personal preference. The framerate is extremely solid and shows no obvious moments of slowdown.

The first mission is the tutorial level where they teach you the game mechanics. The right hand is used to paint the various enemies on-screen. You just move your hand over the enemies which locks onto them. Once they are locked you do a simple wrist flick to unleash the explosions. You don't have to do a dramatic motion to unleash your weaponry like you may have seen in various hands-on gameplay videos, just a quick flick of the wrist. The left hand controls your tracer weapon which is like a machine gun. There is no locking of targets. You simply maneuver the onscreen cursor with your hand which autofires.

The trick is figuring out which weapon to use on which enemies so you'll be switching back and forth between the weapons constantly. As part of the game mechanics, the game doesn't allow you to use both weapons simultaneously. They designed the game to force you to switch hands thru the different types of enemies so weapon choice is not merely preference. For example, in order to destroy enemy bullets, you need to use the tracer gun (machine gun) instead of the standard weapon. Raising both arms (a la an orchestral conductor) will unleash your smart bomb which clears the screen of bad guys. General movement of the screen is on-rails like most shmups. However, you can shift the view in a direction by moving the cursor to the edge of the screen. During the frantic scenes where enemies are filling the screen, you'll often be waving your right hand as if you're erasing a chalkboard in order to paint enemies and launch explosions quickly.

Targeting via your hands is wonderfully done as you never feel like you're fighting the controls. You'll feel part Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer's Apprenctice, part Tom Cruise in The Minority Report. I've never liked the Rez controls whether it was on the Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation 2 or Xbox 360. Every tiem I played Rez, I kept wishing the game used a mouse. I hated the subtle autoaiming in Rez to compensate for a game controller. But in Kinect, it feels amazing and accurate with your hand. You rarely overshoot the cursor like with a game controller.

Game mechanics-wise, there are multiple ways to play Child of Eden like most shmups (shoot-em-up games). If you simply want to kill enemies and finish the game, you can play frantically and move your hands rapidly. If you want to score higher and increase your multiplier, you have to play more precisely and deliberately. For example, you should target more enemies before launching exposions. Also, the more you launch missiles to the beat of the music, the higher your multiplier score will be. This sounds easier than it actually is. It's hard to build a high multiplier because you have to switch to your tracer weapon in order to shoot down enemy bullets. There are lots of little nuances to the scoring mechanics that I haven't figured out yet. I'll adjust the review if as I find them.

Like other shmups, the screen can become quite hectic where it's hard to distinguish between debris, enemy bullets, or enemies themselves so it requires constant attention to quickly identify the various elements. If you love shmups, you'll love Child of Eden.

Of course people will note Child of Eden's lineage to Rez because Tetsuya Mizuguchi was basically the father of both games. But for people that don't know Rez, Child of Eden is like playing your typical shmup such as Raiden or Ikaruga or Torus Trooper or even more old school, games like Galaga or After Burner. The only difference is Child of Eden plays from a first person perspective rather than third person.

I cannot comment on the length of Child of Eden as I have not yet finished the game. However, from reading other reviews, it appears the game is short. Shmups tend to be short so this is more a negative on the genre than on child of Eden (I finished Raiden IV rather quickly). So replayability, such as with Pac-Man Championship Edition and other such games, comes from trying to achieve higher scores. There are a number of things to unlock which lengthens the game somewhat. Length is mostly likely the greatest weakness in this fine game.

There are no multiplayer game modes. Xbox Live support is restricted on online leaderboards. It's unclear if there will be any DLC levels in the future.

Bottom line: Child of Eden is a must-own Kinect game. There are now 3 games that people universally use to show off the Kinect: Dance Central, Kinect sports, and now Child of Eden. This game is defined by the Kinect controls and the amazing music. The music is so well integrated into the gameplay and is not just background noise. Most age groups will enjoy playing Child of Eden except for young children whose dexterity might not be high enough to subtly control the cursor. If you don't have a Kinect, it's still a great game, but you feel a bit disconnected. If you do have a Kinect, it becomes a phenomenal game. If you've never like shmups, Child of Eden may make you a convert.

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I received the game from Amazon yesterday and all I can say this is a must buy. I have not played the game without the Kinect (you do have the option to do so). Also I have the Kinect on top of my DLP (the first review said that it works better if it was placed higher).

This is the best game out for the Kinect yet (6/14/11), period (Sorry Kinect Sports, your 2nd best now).

The Graphics are simply amazing, easily a 10. The controls were very good, and the sensor picked up and tracked my arm movements very easily. The pace of the game was great (and some parts are frantic).

You use your right hand to target your laser and after you lock on up to 8 targets a quick flick of your wrist fires the laser. You use your left hand to target and fire a rapid fire gun that can shoot down enemy missiles that are fired at you. When you raise both hands you unleash a powerful bomb that basically nukes everything on the screen. There are blue balls that are periodically released that you have to shoot to regenerate your health (from when you run into enemies or are hit by their missiles). You can earn bonus points (with Good or Perfect ratings) based on how you fire your laser with the beat of the music. After you clear an entire section you get your score and a rating on how you performed.

Additional screens are unlocked based on the number of stars earned.

I can't stress how much fun I had playing this game, It's that good.

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Was expecting more based on all these good reviews. It's basically flapping your arms around as you're shown computer art; more specifically flapping your right arm most of the time and waving around your left arm if you see purple. It's ok, glad I got it for $25 in the BYOG1F sale at best buy. Other kinect games (e.g. kinect adventures, kinect sports, and dance central) are always an instant hit with guests when they come round, but I'm not sure this will go down as well as it's less intuitive and needs some explaining -and even then it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

Honest reviews on Child Of Eden - Xbox 360

Seriously, why doesn't this game have more publicity?

Like reviewers and the developers of the game have said (and I have confirmed), this game is better with Kinect than the standard controller. Very fluid, lag-free and immersive; this game truly shows Kinect's potential.

Seriously, you'll be kicking yourself later if you don't buy this game!

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Overview:

Developed by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft, Child of Eden is a first person shooter. But it's also a game unlike almost every other first person shooter out there. Dazzling visual and audio effects, brilliant level design, smooth controls, and a catchy technopop soundtrack form a solidarity with which Child of Eden rises to greatness.

Story:

If you haven't heard of Child of Eden, the game is essentially an on-the-rails first person shooter. The story is set in a distant yet near future, where space travel has been accomplished and the internet is referred to as "Eden." The first child to be born in space, Lumi, is saved into Eden's archives. Centuries later, scientists attempt to recreate Lumi from her record in Eden; to their dismay, Eden becomes corrupted (by futuristic spyware ads?). As the player, you are tasked with purifying Eden of this viral intrusion and saving the new Lumi from being destroyed.

Sounds weird? You bet. But the story succeeds not because the subject matter is unconventional, but because its implementation is unconventional as well. There is no epic narrative here, no real dialogue to speak of. The viral intrusion isn't represented by some all-powerful avatar whom you have to defeat. And yet somehow the game manages to capture your attention all the same. Lumi, who is also the face of the mysterious real life band Genki Rockets (whose music is featured prominently in the game), is captivating in her innocence and beauty. As you come upon the penultimate seconds of each mission, flashes of her face and figure as she sways gracefully to the music freed from the viral infection just seem to draw you in further.

Gameplay:

Ultimately, the story is only a backdrop for the innovative gameplay. There are two modes of playing Child of Eden, one with the standard controller and one using Kinect. In both versions you are equipped with the same arsenal of weapons: a tracking missle launcher capable of destroy viral incursions with devastating accuracy, a purple shooter used to eliminate enemy projectiles and similarly colored enemies who are especially vulnerable to rapid fire, and a "Euphoria" attack, which is essentially a screen-clearing bomb attack.

Child of Eden is an on-the-rails game, meaning you move along a set and predefined pathway. Along the way, enemies and powerups will spiral around you, and it's your job to eliminate and/or capture as many of these infections as possible. As you destroy them, you rack up points for efficiency and thoroughness. The Tracking missile is the most effective weapon to use against most enemies, and if you time your attacks along with the soundtrack, you'll earn increasingly rewarding bonuses.

Some situations will require you to use your purple repeater gun, keeping the levels from becoming too monotonous. Enemies also come in dozens of different varieties, each with their own behaviors, strengths and weaknesses some even react differently to your two main weapons in a visual way. Clearing through wave upon wave of these oddly-designed (cybernetic worms, jellyfish, whales, and phoenixes all need to be purged) viruses is fun to do and watch. Finally, your Euphoria attack can save you from being overwhelmed, but be aware that you must collect Euphoria powerups before you can use them in battle.

You can't discuss Child of Eden without its compatability with Kinect. While using the controller is slightly more fluid and precise, there's no denying just how enjoyable it is to blast through the deluge of enemies using Kinect's motion controls. Using Kinect, your right hand becomes your homing missiles, requiring you to flick your hand forward after you've locked onto your targets. Your left hand becomes your purple machine gun. Raising both hands above your head activates Euphoria. Playing Child of Eden with Kinect is an infinitely more rewarding experience; the motion controls are smooth and the movement really brings you into the action. You feel powerful, as if your hands are literally shaping the world around you. The camera can occasionally be a little jittery, but this is a minor annoyance at worst.

Graphics & Sound:

The game succeeds on a technical and artistic level as well. The graphics in the game are vibrant, and the game plays smoothly, despite the smorgasbord of cybernetic invaders that swirl through your entire screen. The backgrounds feel living, the enemies animate fluidly and sometimes shiny lights are really just all a game developer needs to keep your attention. The game also achieves on an artistic level as well, managing to capture a mix of cybernetic, matrix-code feel with an organic twist. It's almost like you're floating in a techno dream that you can't tear yourself away from, even if you wanted to.

I've already mentioned the catchy tunes that play in the background as you blast your way through the game, and how you earn bonuses if you time your attacks to synch with the rhythm of the beat. On screen flashes of "Good!" and "Perfect!" accompany your attacks when you pull them off successfully, and these are further joined by musical chimes, notes, even lyrical melodies that meld seamlessly into the soundtrack. When you get into a good groove, your attacks harmonize with the soundtrack into explosions of music that only further highlight Child of Eden's artistic vision.

Other Notes:

The one complaint I have is that the game can be over too quickly. You unlock new levels by earning stars from each stage, but in total (at the moment) there are only five levels. These could easily and conceivably be completed in an hour, for the particularly rhythmic and shooter-oriented gamers. There is a plethora of unlockables, including concept art, videos, and collectible items for Lumi's Garden (which is essentially the title screen). Still, at the end of the day I wish there were more actual levels of gameplay to be had. Here's hoping that Ubisoft and Q Entertainment might see fit to release some DLC.

Final Thoughts:

Anybody can enjoy Child of Eden, but for those who see videogames as more than just mindless entertainment, I can not recommend it enough. Stunning visual and artistic design unite with musical and auditory splendor to create a game that is worthy of being called art.

Recommended For:

+ Fans of First person shooters

+ Fans of games with extraordinary style and vision

+ Anybody with a Kinect and $50 to spare for the game.

Not recommended For:

People with Epilepsy. Like, seriously.

People without a Kinect. The game might be better with a Kinect, but don't buy a kinect just for this game. With only 5 levels to blast your way through, it'll be a short-lived high for spending the $149.99 for.

See more reviews like this one at my blog: boredomsadvocate.blogspot.com/