Review: PixelJunk Eden is Simple, Innovative, Addictive
Posted on 04 August 2008 by Erik
I made it a point this weekend to dedicate myself to the controller, up my achievement score and try out some digitally distributed enjoyment for both PS3 and Xbox 360. Geometry Wars 2 is absolutely fantastic and I’ll get to that in its upcoming review, but first let’s touch upon the highly anticipated title for the PSN, Eden.
Before we discuss the gameplay, I’d like to endorse Eden’s demo as one of the greatest trial versions of a game ever to be released, simply because of the amount of gameplay presented to you. They give you several levels to play around with, confident that after you have your fill you’ll be ready to invest the 10 clams for the full game. It didn’t take long to convince me that the title was one I had to have in my collection; to be honest, I’d probably oblige if they asked me to pay double.
I could go on about the wonderful simplicity of the game, the bright, yet unobtrusive color scheme, and the fact that the game shows off several artistic levels; but instead, let’s focus on what matters most to me as a gaming participant: gameplay.
At its roots, Eden is a platformer, something I found out very quickly making my way upwards only to come tumbling down as I missed a branch with my Spiderman-esque silk thread. You can’t die by falling off the screen, instead having a time limit that you can increase by picking up the corresponding power-ups.
You assume the role of one of Eden’s guardians, protecting and propagating at the same time by destroying enemies and transferring the energy they leave behind into building up your garden. All the while, swinging through the ever-transforming levels to get to the top and clear the stage.
The game is incredibly accessible to both new and veteran gamers; while it’s plenty fun to jump right in and start jumping around aimlessly, letting your eyes pick up what’s happening and why it’s occurring, there’s also tons of room for growth. As you gain the ability to use your given skills effectively, the game presents a whole new experience by encouraging you to maximize your efforts.
The replay value isn’t something I really should be touching on since I’ve yet to complete the entire game, how long that would take is anyone’s guess, but it’s worthy to note that you can play a level 10 different times and create 10 different paths to your goal, with several unique methods at your disposal.
The developers were wise to make this such an uncomplicated experience, no age or gender demographics have been targeted, they just let the game speak for itself.
Simple, innovative and incredibly addictive, PixelJunk Eden will do for the Playstation Network what Geometry Wars did for Xbox Live Arcade.
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Tags | Addictive, Geometry Wars 2, Innovative, PixelJunk Eden, PlayStation 3, ps3, PSN, Review, Simple
