Yes dont you guys moan this is the last post for this week

I feel extremely lucky to be able to bring you some of the first hands on impressions of Luc Bernard’s Eternity’s Child. The game (which started it’s life as an XBLA game) is set to release on WiiWare and PC (Via Steam) sometime this year. There was a trailer released a short while ago and some minor story details but most of the game has been a mystery. Allow me to shed some light on some of your questions. Hit the jump for full impressions.

Graphics:

There’s no denying that Luc’s artwork and style is amazing. Most everything in the game is diverse and yet still fits together nicely. The level I got to preview was of the forest variety with giant mechanical birds, cannons, big ocean worms and heat-seeking razor sharp hearts. Animation was smooth (havering at around 75-80 fps) and everything was extremely crisp.

Gameplay:

The version I got to play was pre-release and only a single level. The game revolves around Angel and his sidekick. Angel does all the moving and the sidekick does all the shooting. Basically, you control Angel with the usual means (W,S,A,D on pc, nunchuck on Wii) and move your sidekick’s heart-shaped cursor around the screen to aim and fire with the left mouse button (presumably A or B on Wii).

The game itself is an interesting mix of genres. At first glance you’d think it was just a standard platform game. Once playing however you’ll notice it bears more resemblance to a scrolling shooter. Even though backgrounds are static, harder parts of the game become a beautiful exercise in bullet dodging and destruction. The Difficulty is nicely balanced. The level was never too frustrating or too easy. Enemies were dispatched of at varying levels firepower (except for one green robot who seemed invincible).

The game plays out like a hyper stylized N+: exploring the entire level, collecting items, etc. However there’s the shooting component that sets it apart. As far as the collection aspect is concerned, there were coins and gems to be found but they weren’t used for anything in the demo.

Sound:

Okay, Sean Beeson’s soundtrack is Burton-esque and amazing. It’s moody, quiet and it’s never intrusive. It really does it’s job and is enjoyable to listen to. See for yourself! Check out the Official Soundtrack page.

Problems:

The only problems I came across were some minor clipping issues. Hopefully these will be fixed once the game goes gold.

Overall:

Luc and his team have crafted a really interesting mix of genres. The level I got to play was enjoyable, challenging and beautiful. Eternity’s Child looks like it’s going to be a great fit on WiiWare. I can’t wait to get my hands on the final product when it’s released later this year.

Special Thanks to BadAssBill, Luc and the entire team of giving me the chance to play the game!


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