PixelJunk Eden is a very good autistic game.

"On veut se faire un “petit jardin” en dix petites minutes et voilà qu’on y passe une heure pour tenter de trouver toutes les pousses à faire germer. On se dit qu’il suffit de quelques minutes pour faire le tour d’un niveau, mais c’est avant de découvrir où sont les Spectras suivants et cette envie irrésistible de tous les attraper. Par ses musiques, ses graphismes, son gameplay, PixelJunk Eden est d’une grande accessibilité et permet de s’évader de façon quasi immédiate, en ne voyant pas le temps passer ni un quelconque ressenti d’épuisement de fun." GameSideStory.com

Petit jeu indé tres sympa si vous voulez vous détendre dans un univers sobre mais néamnmoins tres beau

A pleasant palate cleanser of a game, well worth the price of admission if you’re after something a little different from the usual platforming tropes.

At it's heart Eden is a simple platformer, each level or “garden” has five items to collect, with a cumulative total of these items unlocking additional levels. To traverse these levels you have a jump and grip/swing mechanic, the physics involved in which are slightly “floaty” therefore offering a good degree of mid-air readjustment. Reaching the higher areas of a level requires the player to pollinate plants, a process achieved by picking up nearby items, or destroying enemies in the vicinity, with larger pollen rewards generated for destroying multiple enemies in a single jump. Players are required to accomplish all of this against the clock, though that clock can be topped up by acquiring some items dotted around the gardens.

There are no great bold innovations to be seen here, the pleasure of the game is derived from the fact that the design of the game mechanics, the visuals and the sound all come together to make a very pleasant gaming experience. In an odd juxtaposition of perception and content, the easy going almost Zen-like meditative vibe of Eden in the early stages is tempered with some really rather infuriating moments in the later in the game, but that’s alright, because you can simply drop back a few levels and do a run through an earlier level for no other reason than the fact the world of Eden is a very pleasant one to visit.

Finally it should be noted this is the definitive version of the game, controls redesigned for mouse and keyboard, several annoyances ironed out from the original PSN version (Thankfully you no longer have to collect all 5 items in one run to clear a level), all of the Encore content included, and the addition of a nifty “warp” function which allows for the rapid repair of any mistimed jump.

Let me start by mentioning that I'm not very fond of platform games. Never have been. They usually feel way to linear and restricted to me, and hardly ever offer exciting game mechanics.

While PixelJunk Eden technically is a platform game, this label wouldn't do much justice to it, as it truly is so much more! The game mechanics are simple yet innovative and the gameplay is very fluent. The player can move around freely over the entire map, explore every corner and in the meanwhile develop the map as it grows with you (by seeding plants).

No need to use the keyboard; the mouse does it all for you. This however doesn't mean it's a simple point-and-click game. Different combinations of mouse buttons make you jump in different ways and it all feels very natural.

The artwork is amazing and the 15 maps all offer something new. The minimal house music compliments the game very well.

Is there nothing negative to mention about the game? Of course, there always is. While the gameplay has the potential to be very relaxing, the timer that decreases your health can be stressful. You have to pick up crystals to recharge it, but these are not always around in the later stages of the map and it can be a little frustrating to die just before reaching your goal. In my opinion your health shouldn't be affected by time that much, but rather more by the enemies you have to defeat. These do some occasional damage, but more often interfere with your jumps.

Overall a very nice game with high replay value. You can play for just 10 minutes or for several hours, which makes it a game you can easily come back to. Even the main menu is fun to play around with.