No talk about
Child of Eden would be complete without mentioning the control scheme. After all,
Child of Eden basically represents a breakaway for Kinect games. If it's successful, future games will build on it and only become better. The good thing is that there's no reason
Child of Eden can't be successful.
The controls basically divide two weapons between your two hands. A lock-on targeting missile system is controlled by your right hand. Push your hand forward and the missiles will fire at their targets. Your left hand controls a weaker, but faster rapid fire weapon. You can use this against certain enemies, and you can use it when you need some quick firepower. It works quite well, you simply have to get used to dropping one hand down so the Kinect knows which weapon you're using. The tracking is also quite phenomenal, and shows off just how well the Kinect can track. You can choose another control scheme that lets you use only one hand, but you'll need to clap to change weapons. I have to say that I'm not, not, not a fan of clapping, so this scheme collected dust. But at least its there. You've also got the option of using a standard controller.
Although you're on rails, you do have a bit of control over the camera tilt. This means you can feel a bit like you're flying, looking down and over to see exactly what's coming. The flow of incoming enemies is usually enough of a clue as to where you're supposed to be looking, so it never gets too confusing. Overall, the turning and shooting mechanics work together nicely, and when you get the hang of it, you really feel like you're in control, like you're really in this world.
It's hard to describe how it feels to play this game. To some extent, you just have to try it. But it all works together nicely, and it's a must for Kinect owners. Child of Eden is lovely, but it's also challenging at higher levels. It can be an emotional, heart-tugging journey, but you can also just treat it as a hardcore shooter for your hands.
