Child of Eden is the latest from video game maestros Q Entertainment, the company behind such music-infused titles like Lumines and Every Extend Extra. Producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi has mentioned many times that he regards it as a spiritual successor to his past effort Rez but from what I played it feels more like a full-blown sequel to it.

Level designs are very organic, flowing and a lot more diverse than that of its predecessor Rez.

The on-rails shooting here is remarkably similar to that of its predecessor though Eden does set itself apart in a couple of key ways, the most obvious being its use of Microsoft’s body-sensing Kinect controller.

This method requires players to use their hands to aim and fire the two primary weapons. The right hand is used to lock on to up to six targets with a sudden motion like a flick of the wrist firing it. Using your left hand (making sure that you’ve lowered your right) activates the Tracer, a constant machine gun-like attack that’s best used against purple coloured projectiles and objects.

Your final attack is a screen-clearing bomb which is activated by raising both arms in the air together. Mizuguchi was keen to point out that this could also be done by clapping both hands together instead (much like he demonstrated during the game’s debut at last year’s E3) by making a change in the options menu.

Child of Eden has been described by many game journalists as the most responsive Kinect game to date. However, the slight delay between your motions and the on-screen action inherent to the Kinect sensor becomes immediately clear when you switch over to a standard control pad. Changing between the two main weapons in particular is far more responsive, jumping between two of the face buttons rather than having to lower one hand and then raise the other to approximately chest height. This method definitely seems to be the way to go for those gunning for high scores.

There’s more to the game than its relatively simple mechanics however. As was the case with Rez the game aims to provide a sense of synaesthesia; the bringing together of audio, visuals and user input to create a zen-like level of immersion. A big part of this is the way the player’s actions affect the sounds of each stage, with varying performances providing a different soundtrack each time you play.

As you deal the finishing blows to the game’s bosses Lumi’s image and voice will start to emerge

Eden’s single biggest difference from Rez is the style of synaesthesia it aims to produce. Gone is the stark wireframe aesthetic and mechanical electronica soundtrack (though parts of the Matrix level seem highly reminiscent of it), replaced by a more organic design. Everything is much more flowing and often based on naturalistic elements like the sea and space. The Evolution stage is a particularly good example of this, starting above a vast expanse of water with plant-like enemies eventually moving into space battling a giant whale-like creature.

Q Entertainment and Ubisoft haven’t been hugely forthcoming about the music of the game. The soundtrack is provided by Genki Rockets, the upbeat Japanese electronica band that Mizuguchi has a hand in. Some of their best-known tracks are present here though in heavily remixed form. I personally recognised Star Line, Breeze and Heavenly Star, the latter of which appeared in the previous Q Entertainment outing Lumines II.

The Genki Rockets connection is deeper than just the soundtrack though. Lumi, the fictional singer of the band, is a key part of Eden’s plot. In the band’s lore she is a star child, the first human born in space in the year 2037. The game is set even further in the future presumably after Lumi has died, as the sentient AI called Eden (apparently the same AI from Rez) is about to recreate her personality in the digital world.

Where the player comes in is when a virus attack puts the project in jeopardy, requiring them to rid the system of the marauding intruders. The story is pretty out there but from what I know of Rez and Genki Rockets fans they wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am concerned about its longevity and replayability though. The game features only five levels (known as archives) plus an additional hidden one which appear to be fairly short in length, each lasting well under fifteen minutes. With that in mind you could theoretically beat every level in less than two hours. High score runs and the two control methods might give you a few more reasons to replay but without any other meaty pieces of content like multiplayer it doesn’t strike me as the best value for money product.

The final archive named Hope will make use of hundreds of fan submitted photos.

However, presentation-wise Child of Eden is one of the most stunning and unique games I’ve ever experienced and definitely one of the better of the current crop of Kinect titles. Rez and Genki Rockets fans will undoubtedly get the most out of it but the simple controls and vibrant aesthetics will probably appeal to a broad audience. It launches for Xbox 360 on June 14th in North America and June 17th in Europe. A Move-enabled version for the Playstation 3 is scheduled to land sometime later in the year.

Most Anticipated Feature: Having a Kinect title that doesn’t require you to look like a complete crazy person in order to play it.