The highly acclaimed producer of the video game Rez, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, makes another sensation-staggering creation in the form of Child of Eden, a rail shooter and music game published by Ubisoft for the Xbox 360 and Kinect. Child of Eden is currently the premier game for the Kinect peripheral and the best reason to own the motion sensing device.
List Price: $39.99
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Child of Eden is a follow-up to the 2001 rhythm game Rez. In Child of Eden, the player is sent on a mission to cleanse a virus that has infiltrated Eden, a massive supercomputer/Internet storehouse that contains all human knowledge. The quest is undertaken in order to save Lumi, the first girl born in space who is to be resurrected to serve as Eden’s personality. This somewhat confusing storyline doesn’t really matter, as players will soon be too focused on the astounding audio-visuals to even remember what the game is all about.
Child of Eden is a rail-shooter and rhythm game involving synchronized visuals and audio. As a rail-shooter, players cannot freely explore the environment; they can only move within the confines of the screen as the camera automatically advances to a set direction. In the game, the player must shoot down targets in time with the music’s beat using either a lock-on function or rapid fire action. With the Kinect, players can use their entire body as the controller. Aiming is done using the hands, changing weapons can be accomplished by clapping, moving your body shifts the camera angle, and throwing both hands in the air releases a power-up bomb called Euphoria. The standard Xbox 360 controller can also be used, but it’s not nearly as fun or as functional as the Kinect. This is also one of the few games where the motion sensing peripheral is actually better than the standard controller. Child of Eden is seamlessly integrated with the Kinect, and almost no flaws are apparent.
The graphics of Child of Eden are breathtakingly impressive. It’s a game that can actually make players feel good about themselves as they get lost in a swirling world of multicolor shapes and mesmerizing music. The different levels in Child of Eden are divided into five “archives”, with each one having a different theme. Although incredibly short, they offer a different sensual experience, bombarding you with vibrant colors, all kinds of shapes and objects, flashing lights, and titillating tunes.
The difficulty level is tolerable, and both beginner and advanced players will have a challenge in store for them. More difficulty settings can be unlocked as you beat the game, and a variety of other options and freebies are also revealed.
Overall, the Kinect Child of Eden game can keep you busy and make you lose track of time as you sway and experience the psychedelic trip that this game beautifully offers.
The only downside of the Child of Eden Kinect game is its short main campaign. The game can be completed in a few hours tops, and the unlockable content does little to lengthen the experience. It’s replayability is impressive though, so going through the game a second, third, fourth, or lord knows how many times can still give you the sense of satisfaction. However, players will wish there was more to Child of Eden after they finish it for the nth time.
Child of Eden uses the Xbox 360 console. The Kinect peripheral is optional and the game can still be played using the standard controller. More controllers can also be attached to provide additional external vibration function. The game is single player only.
The ruling for Child of Eden is simple: if you own an Xbox 360 and a Kinect peripheral and wonder why there are so few games that are good with the Kinect, you need to grab a copy of Child of Eden as soon as possible. The game is already stunning to play with the Xbox 360 alone, but the experience is further enhanced with the Kinect as you use your entire body to blast away those pesky computer viruses. Child of Eden lets you forget everything and puts you in a hypnotic trance as its trippy sounds and wonderful graphics envelope you. It’s that great.
