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Child of Eden Preview

Scheduled release date:
TBA
Publisher:
Ubisoft
Developer:
Q Entertainment
Number Of Players:
1
Genre:
Action


Overshadowed by the launch of the PS2, Rez for the Dreamcast became one of the most unique and beloved games of the brief DC generation. It also came to the PS2 but even so, any fan will tell you that the United Games Artists title didn’t receive anywhere near enough attention, despite all its acclaim. Ever since, those same fans have been pining for a sequel and although it’s not called “Rez 2,” Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s latest project, Child of Eden , is the spiritual successor. Although one would technically classify Rez as an on-rails shooter, the game was about a lot more; it was about the overall experience and unparalleled atmosphere. Essentially, you could call it an experiment in synaesthesia, and it’s clear that Child of Eden is utilizing similar appealing aspects in its presentation. If you’re looking for an entirely different video game with potentially memorable gameplay, you’ll have to keep an eye on this one.

Really, the game features many of the same features we found in Rez ; we’ve got the on-screen aiming reticule, the imaginative creatures as targets, the abstract background and the excellent music aspect. And believe it or not, this trippy adventure even boasts a storyline: a diva called Lumi is trapped inside a machine of some kind; this machine holds important memories that are under fire from numerous viruses. Now, the player will dive into each archive of memories and attempt to “cleanse” the area, all the while enjoying the unique look and rhythm of that particular archive. The idea is that each new set of memories will have its own style in terms of both visual and audio elements, so although the gameplay remains the same, it’ll always feel relatively fresh. During the E3 live demo, we saw Mizuguchi executing control via motion sensing with various movements of his hands (he was using Kinect) and we have to say, it looks mighty impressive.  Here's the debut trailer:

The good news is that Child of Eden will support all types of control , including the PlayStation Move and Kinect, as well as traditional game pads. Of course, the game really is designed for actual physical movement but we imagine the game should be wildly entertaining, even with a regular controller. As for differences between Rez and this successor, the latter features a softer, less hard-hitting soundtrack that is more about gentle immersion rather than heart-pounding beats. And believe it or not, Mizuguchi has his own band – the Genki Rockets – and they’re overseeing what eventually goes into the experience. Of course, the title will also feature HD and 5.1 surround sound, so although it isn’t the same thing as God of War III or Uncharted 2: Among Thieves , this is one game that will demand the full capability of your entertainment center. Really, if you haven’t upgraded to HD yet and you’re a next-gen gamer, you’re behind.

Although the presentation at E3 involved Kinect, and you can see that one hand controls both the movement and firing, you can expect similar movements to be mapped to the PlayStation Move. The only difference is that we’ll of course be holding something in our hand; we’re just wondering exactly how it will work, and if we’ll need both the wand and Navigation controller. It all depends on how they set it up but as is, Child of Eden has the potential to be a singularly awesome game and one that feels nothing like anything else on the market. We should probably add that it’ll come with a definite seizure warning; most games have that warning these days but if you’re actually susceptible, this one could definitely hurt ya. That being said, we just love the look of this one, and we can’t wait to “feel” it.

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BikerSaint
BikerSaint
13 years ago

Hmmmm, Son of….Flow

just2skillf00l
just2skillf00l
13 years ago

Sucks to be seizure susceptible…this game looks pretty cool! Oh and Ben…have you gotten your hands on Singularity yet? I'm itching to find out about it!?

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

Crazy, I might have to get Rez for my Dreamcast now.

kraygen
kraygen
13 years ago

Sorry I had no interest in this at all. I don't get what the buzz is about, regardless of the control scheme, it just looks like colored shapes that you wave at.

My game needs to have a point, a purpose, a story, and gameplay.

JackC8
JackC8
13 years ago

Same here. Either that was a really bad trailer or else this game is just an interactive screen-saver.

just2skillf00l
just2skillf00l
13 years ago

Actually Ben explains above that the game boasts a storyline. Well…I don't necessarily need a story for all my games…I mean Joe Danger doesn't really have an engaging story…it's just pure fun.

Xombito
Xombito
13 years ago

In regards to control. Can't the PSeye track both the move and the player? Or the can eye also offer controller free motion control? As the PSeye can also track player movement.

Imagi
Imagi
13 years ago

Yes it can, but I doubt the game will use it, however with Move this should be fun, with precise control. The E3 demo of this had the guy wearing white gloves and the precision of control was severely lacking. Rez is one of my all time fave games and one of the reason that my dreamcast is still attached to my T.V

Ole_Gunner
Ole_Gunner
13 years ago

thought this was an xbox 360 exclusive to be honest..Glad to see it appearing on Sony's console!

Zorigo
Zorigo
13 years ago

some point in august i am going to get invest in all those incredible psn games
flower
flow
pixeljunk shooter etc etc
and pick up PSN plus

Xombito
Xombito
13 years ago

There's a pixeljunk package for sale isn't there?

sonic1899
sonic1899
13 years ago

I gotta say I wasn't very impressed with Ubisoft's press conference, other than what involved Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and the new Rayman game. It seemed to be catered to the casuals and the remarks Joel Mchale made were no better than Jamie Kennedy's at the 2007 conference.

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