We never managed to corner one of PixelJunk Eden‘s developers, but the game ended up being exactly what it looked like—an organically growing platformer where you learn to jump rather than walk. We did learn some of the rules minutae that make Eden something more than a banal exercise in being pretty, however.

It turns out that growing plants in your garden mostly serves to help you reach a handful of mandatory collectable fobs in each level, so Eden is fundamentally a guided exploration platformer. You grow the platforms vegetation by destroying floating seed pods. The pods explode into collectable pollen that, once enough accumulates, makes nearby plants burst into growth. Progress to the essential collectables proceeds like climbing a mountain: you nail down a new foothold, hoist yourself up, and start hammering again.

Not shown: The 50 story fall and
two minutes of cursing as you climb back up.

Leaping from plant to plant lets you both collect pollen and advance through the levels, so it came as a surprise that Eden only grants you token control once you’re airborne. It’s easy to slightly misjudge your trajectory because tilting the analog stick only gives you a small launch guide for your upcoming jump, and the game’s beautifully spartan level design means you’re working without a net.

There is a swinging mechanic that eases the falling risk while you’re busy collecting pollen, though. You can leave a silk anchor behind when you jump and use your momentum to arc through swaths of pollen. The silk dissolves after a few seconds, but it’s more than enough time to get the job done. Longtime gamers beware, though: years of Bionic Commando may have taught you to cast a line to arrest a bad fall, but Eden offers no such luxury. Once you’ve made an unwise leap, you’re on a ballistic course to your destiny.

Ok, some of the levels aren’t so much heart-breakingly
beautiful as eye-searingly garish.

Unforgiving aerial acrobatics are difficult to love unless you’re a hardcore gamer, and Eden raises the ante with a constantly dwindling health bar. There are plenty of health refills out there for the intrepid gamer, but the jumps to reach them are risky, and a lengthy fall only costs you precious time. The levels are pretty sizeable too, so there are some serious risk taking decisions you’ll have to make on the fly. The game isn’t balanced so that falls are mortal errors, but the frustration they engender may be unpalatable for casual gamers.

All in all, PixelJunk Eden looks like it’ll appeal to players who look for a challenge and don’t mind retracing their steps when they fail. Those players can look forward to crisp abstract visuals, pleasant ambient techno, and simultaneous cooperative platforming. Easily frustrated gamers on a time budget would be better served by a game like CarneyVale Showtime.

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