PixelJunk™ Eden 2

Mouse only enjoyment at it's second best.

Initial impressions after ~1hr of play: - The game mechanic in the original Eden is light years better than Eden 2. Not sure what the game designers were thinking, Eden 2 would have been a home run if they'd just used the original Eden with more levels. - Jumping is hit-n-miss with a controller, you don't really know where you're going to end up when you start hitting buttons while swinging. In the first Eden you knew where you were going and could time your swing and cutting loose. In Eden 2, its all very unpredictable and the grimp gets pulled in bizarre directions. - The timer is a massive pain and makes the game unenjoyable. You have to find checkpoints to extend the timer and that timer goes down *quickly*. The original Eden mechanic of gathering gems to extend your "energy" bar was so much better because you could get those much easier. Now its like "where the f*ck is the next checkpoint". - I refunded Eden 2 once but decided to buy it again. Maybe this will grow on me but I'm not hopeful.

Buy the first one - it's better. This one is not fun by comparison, looks terrible and has a boring soundtrack. The first is beautiful, with intuitive gameplay, feels fluid and has a soundtrack worth listening to.

To most people, they may not even be able to tell that this used to be a mobile game that [i]required[/i] the cameras and used them [i]heavily[/i] to make the backgrounds actually dance. For such an origin story, the work done to convert it back to a 'classical' game is quite impressive. [hr][/hr] I think the ideal circumstances for playing this game is having played the first, but not anytime recent. It builds on the original with new mechanics, while some others (mainly level selection) are outright different; movement being chief among them. I do enjoy the game quite a lot, the music is something I already listen to somewhat regularly. I suppose it can feel a little... condensed, not having a lobby to (literally) unwind in and explore casually. It had more of that paradise vibe in the first game.

Fantastic game, but sadly overlooked by gamers at large. If you enjoy the trailer footage, go for it. You won't regret playing this game at all, its an experience you won't find anywhere else on the gaming market. The music and visual themes are great, the platforming has received a bit of streamlining compared to the first title. You have more control with a mid air jump, are no longer highly dependent on the momentum of you silk swings and the screen acts as your out of bounds, preventing falling down an entire map. You advance the screen by connecting to either ground or a plant. I like the new progression system also! If I had to name a negative, it would be that unlocking things after a run takes too long, especially if you spend a lot of time collecting crystals and some such.

[h1]Designed for small screens[/h1] I've been a huge fan of [b]Q Games[/b] and their [b]Pixel Junk[/b] series for as long as they've been around. Hell, I even bought my first console (Playstation 3) for a single reason - to play [i]Pixel Junk Eden[/i] on it. I loved its momentum-based gameplay and wild audio-visual world of Bayion's art. I'm not gonna lie - I absolutely hated Eden 2 at first. The movement feels more stiff. The flow is gone. The visuals are overwhelmingly distracting. The time-and-bonus based gameplay is... game'y instead of zen-like. Worst of all, some of the visual effects are just too much when played on a large monitor or an OLED TV. [h2]Then I tried it on my Steam Deck[/h2] ...and suddenly it all made sense. [b]Eden 2[/b] was originally a Nintendo Switch exclusive. As such, all the changes were made with a handheld experience in mind. Shorter levels/sessions. Simplified controls for small-resolution, 6-7inch displays. Different incentives to keep one going - etc. It all makes sense in the context of portable play. [b]I absolutely love this game - on a Steam Deck, but would not recommend it, if you plan to play it on a big screen.[/b]