And the Lord God Planted a Garden Eastward...

A Grimp getting closer to a Spectra.

I have never believed in miracles. As a child with a skeptical mind, I questioned the validity of stories filled with the workings of "once in a lifetime" saviors and their journeys. I grew up mocking and ridiculing the people who believed in such fairy tales, dismissing their ignorance and painting a red 'X' on any opinion tied to their brainwaves. That was me before witnessing a miracle firsthand. That was me before PixelJunk Eden.

All miracles must have a point of origination. If you want fish and bread, look to Jesus. If you want an awesomely original game packed with content and a robust audio score, thou must place thy faith in Steam. Valve Corporation has showed me the light regarding PC gaming. At first, I was hesitant to dive into the realm of computer games. My youth consisted of consoles; from the OG Nintendo Entertainment System to the Xbox 360. I now wonder why I didn't baptize myself sooner.

Three Grimps chillin' in the hub world.

Developed by Q-Games, PixelJunk Eden originally released on the Playstation 3 in 2008. I was aware of the game at the time, but your boy didn't have a Playstation 3 in his arsenal. If something came out on PS3, I simply ignored it (except MGS4). Two months after my enlightenment via Steam, PixelJunk Eden released for Windows. Honestly, it is one of the most addictive videogames to grace my eyes, fingers, and ears. Let me explain.

ooooo purdy!

Okay, the eyes. As you can probably tell from the screenshots featured in this post, PixelJunk Eden is a feast for the eyes. Packed with colors, shapes, flowers, and spores, this game is basically a really big "fuck you" to the people of the blind community. The colors are vibrant and variant. Plants grow and bloom from spores right before you eyes, burning your retinas with awe and beauty. One stage, or Garden, may contain an even color palate throughout, but another Garden may mix and match colors with the beat of the music. If you are looking for a "trippy" game experience, this is it. 

Trips, no matter the context, are complete shit without music (and possibly a shaman). This isn't my opinion. This is a fundemantal law of the natural universe. Luckily, Baiyon knows what's up. He crafted each track to a unique Garden and he lets it rip. The soundtrack alone is worth the coin. Any DJ could spin this soundtrack at a dance club and have everyone in a trance. From a self-proclaimed music snob, this is a ringing endorsement. Baiyon doesn't drop the ball. Only acid...joking.

Am I joking?

All that is left are the fingers. Let me state that I am not the biggest fan of WASD controls on a keyboard (hello Mirror's Edge). If done right, I can become successful at these controls (hello Mirror's Edge), but I have suckled on the tits of controllers for too long. PixelJunk Eden, however, doesn't have controller support at the time of this writeup, but it doesn't need to. The only thing a player needs is a mouse. The controls are precise and give way to skill and ultimate mastery. 

You essentially control a Grimp. It is a small spider/squid creature that jumps between and grips the geometry of the game. The Grimp can also spin a web and swing from it in order to gain momentum for a jump or to grab a spore that is just a few centimeters out of reach. Ultimately, your goal is to collect shiny objects called Spectra in order to access more Gardens via the hub world. I could go into the minutia of the game, but I know you readers are plagued with ADD/ADHD. Plus, I'm from the "show, don't tell" camp. Win-win. Enjoy!

 -Terry