Child of Eden for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

Impressive. Original. This is one of those games where if there are other people in the room while you play this game, they will feel compelled to watch it played. I would tell you the story, but that's just peanuts to the actual experience of playing it. The visuals, just like Rez, are nothing short of moving art. The music and sounds, albeit J-poppy, are appropriate and match the upbeat atmosphere of the game nicely. I played it on both kinect and controller to establish which worked better. The kinect gameplay emulates conducting a symphony of electronic ambience, and though this is VERY aesthetically pleasing, it sacrifices speed and precision. The controller gamplay's reticle moves noticeably faster and possesses more precision but lacks the aesthetics of making sound with your hands. Either way it is really easy to enjoy the art and sounds of this game so long as you have two ears, eyes and heart. The most defining dissappointment in this game is it's brevity. It is very short, despites it's attempts to add length with a "challenge mode." It has replay value, but it is still really, really short. It WILL leave you wanting and craving a lot more. Really though, thats the only issue. If it was longer it would've easily recieved a 9 or 10 in rating. Again, due to it's brevity, I'd say rent it. However you play it, this rail-shooter's soundscapes and visuals will stay with you for quite some time.

I won't lie, my review for this game may be a tad biased. Since it's reveal, I have followed this game closely, waiting for it to launch. Now that's it's here, I'm happy to say it's kept to my expectations -- this IS the first taste of what a ground-up Kinect game is capable of.

While the story seems a little thin, the game itself is the main attraction. The visuals are appealing, and the music is a consistent, upbeat trance-style that combine together to make an experience that consumes your attention. Once you pick this game up, good luck putting it down. But therein lies the games one true problem: this game is short.

Most people say a three-hour experience: I'd have to agree. There's five true levels, with one level taking between 10-15 minutes each. You'll beat this game shortly after you begin, leaving room for so much more.

Thankfully, there is a replay ability to the game. You'll want to come back, whether to continue unlocking achievements, play the game through again on the (much) harder Hard mode, or to play through the (technically) sixth level which is a challenge mode of the previous five levels.

If you are planning to play this game using a controller instead of Kinect, you will still enjoy this game. Having played the game using both the Kinect and the controller, I enjoyed both, playing my first time on Normal via Kinect. The second run I used the controller for the precision on Hard mode.

The achievements will take multiple play throughs, and if you're playing with Kinect, your right arm WILL hurt far more than your left. I promise.

If you're not into the aspect of dying and restarting a level, there is an optional difficulty called "Feel Eden" that allows you to explore the game without the worry of taking damage. It's nice for those that just want to explore, not worry about health.

Overall, this game is a great rental title. You'll be hard-pressed to not smile while playing this entrancing game -- though it will leave you wanting more.