Games for Lunch: PixelJunk Eden

In a nutshell: A garden party.
8/5/2008 7:00 PM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 3

0:17 I accidentally returned to the main menu through the pause menu. No confirmation or anything. Lame. That's OK, though... those first few minutes were just practice.

0:20 I'm much more focused this time, exploring less and quickly collecting pollen more. The strict "oscillator" time limit has made me this way. Seems like a game that would do well with a timeless "exploration" mode.

0:22 I'm starting to get the hang of controls, especially the use ofsilk to collect stuff and propel myself ever higher. I still wish I could shoot silk in midair -- it would completely change the tenor of the game... in a good way. It would turn it into a completely different game.

0:23 I climb my way to the huge, glowing Spectra and collect it to finish the level. My score makes me 12,672nd in the world, but I can't tell what that score is based on, exactly.

0:24 I love the way the plants bend and sway as I stand on them. It's amazing how lifelike these silhouettes can be.

0:25 A blue, spindly stick with leaves on the end sprouts up in my "Eden," granting me access to Garden 02. This one is rendered in reds, with a more percussive feel to the music.

0:30 I like the way the collected pollen drifts over to the next nearby plant sprout -- helps prevent me from getting lost. I don't like how one false jump means falling all the way to the bottom. Yes, again.

0:31 I collect the second of 50 spectra and say goodbye to Garden 02 for now.

0:32 I didn't get access to a new garden this time -- the game tells me to find one of the many remaining spectra in Garden's 1 and 2. Why couldn't I get them when I was there before? Back to Garden 01, I guess.

0:34 Now that I know the level layout and controls a bit, I blaze a path to the first Spectra.

0:37 I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm getting REALLY tired of falling all the way to the bottom of the stage when I miss a jump by a hair's breadth. It would be REALLY nice to be able to correct my jumps in midair a bit more...

0:39 Grah. I fell again! For a game with such a relaxing motif, these controls make it pretty frustrating.

0:41 I finally work my way back up to collect the second Spectra, after getting close oh so many times. I'd almost prefer it if they let me keep exploring until I ran out of oscillator crystals. This constant kicking out to the menu feels like they're artificially lengthening the game a bit.

0:43 Back to Garden 02 for some variety. The way the plants grow and move is really astonishing -- like an art project come to life.

0:45 I find myself constantly wishing my silk line was just a little bit longer, or that I could jump just a little bit higher. I also wish I was a little bit taller, and that I was a baller, etc.

0:47 Work my way up to a misshapen rock. I can't attach silk to these, making it hard to guide my jumps even harder to guide. Grumble.