Child of Eden

[Ekkebus]

After almost 10 years, the spiritual successor to Rez is finally out in stores. Naturally I ran my ass over to Best Buy at 10 this morning to get a bit of play in before I had to run into work today. I've only got to play a couple of levels so far but man I'm already in love.

The game has a lot in common with Rez from the start. A LOT in common. Its an on-rails shooter with trippy visuals, thumping trance beats, with a storyline about saving a chick from a computer virus. Check, check, and CHECK. They even carried over a couple of the most recognizable sound effects from Rez. Mechanically its very similar as well, with the same 8-target, lock on system in place that Rez used. Here though, there is some divergence. While you do get a bonus for locking onto the max 8 targets before firing, you get an even bigger bonus if you release your laser lock on in time with the beat of the music. Its really a pretty small difference but its a great bit of extra encouragment to work even more with the music than you already do. The second change is the addition of a second, rapid-fire weapon. This is used primarily for taking out enemy missiles but also for softening up enemy types before you can lock on with your laser. Neither are a huge change to be sure, but they both serve to differentiate this game from its predecessor.

Visually this is one of the best looking games I've ever played both technically and artistically. Stunning.

The game is "better with Kinect" but not having one of those I'm slumming it with a regular controller and its totally fine. Basically controls just like Rez did. Still though, I'd be very interested in trying the game with Kinect controls someday as I think it would work really well.

I'll talk more as I get to play more...

[Jakanden]

Cant wait for this to arrive. I now have a Kinect thanks to work so i look forward to it being my first Kinect game.

[Wood]

Apparently Amazon won't deliver without delivering it to my apartment, instead of the apartment office. Release day delivery my ass. Well, I have a kinect, so I'll give you guys a decent rundown as how it plays on that control scheme.

[Ekkebus]

I've already replayed Matrix and Evolution like 3 times a piece and Beauty and Passion once each. I love how different each level is with its theme and visual aesthetic. I'm also enjoying the simple pleasures of unlocking more stuff to put in Lumi's garden. I feel the gameplay becomes more distinct the further you go as you have to switch between the rapid fire laser and the lock-on laser much more rapidly against enemies in the later levels.

[bokista]

I had no idea this game was also controller compatible. Perhaps I shall purchase it!

[Jakanden]

Love it, but this is definitely a controller game for me. I do not like playing it with the Kinect at all.

[Wood]

I only played it with the Kinect so far. My only gripe with is so far is the gesture to release the locks. I'm having difficulty finding a gesture that works to where it's easy to do, AND get's recognized 100% of the time. There's only a few times where it didn't get picked up, but it's all good.

I definitely like playing this game through interpretive dance, and I feel it's not bad to do at all. I feel it's a damn good justification for a kinect owner to buy outright. Is it easier to play on a controller? Maybe, however I think using the kinect is a good way to play it, and very different than the controller. I feel that the controller makes the game simply Rez 2.0 (which is still FUCKING AWESOME). Really good immersion game, to be sure, very pretty, and awesome!

[Jakanden]

I cant get past level 4 (the gears one). I keep getting my ass kicked and i cant figure out what i am doing wrong.

[Ekkebus]

Passion is where you really have to start prioritizing neutralizing enemy bullets over EVERYTHING else. Also a lot of the bullet sprays from the red/purple orbs come out in a circular spread going either clockwise or counterclockwise. You can eliminate them much faster by tracing their arc in the opposite direction.

[Reznor]

I'll just be enjoying this game with a new "Carbunkle Magicite Pipe"

In reference to the podcast, I'll let you know the answer to that question soon-ish.

[Juese]

I know there's only 6 hours left, and I'm sure it'll go on sale enough, but Amazon has it for $35 today (Pacific so you've got until 3am EST) Had to pass, but that's a dandy price.

[Zeiram]

I clearly haven't played No More Heroes recently enough, or else I would have realized that the Child of Eden theme is the pop song that plays at various places around Santa Destroy (like Naomi's lab).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genki_Rockets