I’ve Been Down….To the UnderGarden
The Undergarden is a visually-striking game. This isn’t because of highly technical levels or incredibly smooth animations, but because of the game’s stylistic choices. It’s clear from the moment you press the start button that the developers behind this game had a specific vision in mind, and they wanted to bring it to life in the best way they could. However, after spending some considerable time playing in The UnderGarden, I can’t say that their mission was fully realized. Sure, there is plenty of style here, but as for substance, there is sadly not much to be found.
The game’s premise is similar to PixelJunk Eden, but with a slightly different twist. You play as a cute, fuzzy creature who wants nothing more than to pollinate the flowers of the UnderGarden and see life flourish. And like the aforementioned PJE, the game doesn’t have an overarching goal or bad guy. You simply wander through each level pollinating flowers as you please and solving some environmental puzzles to clear obstacles and proceed. Although this format sounds pretty fun at first, this is where Undergarden loses some of its appeal. The level design just isn’t as inspired as one would hope. Though wandering around the levels pollinating flowers certainly has its charms, the landscape isn’t all that varied and it’s hard to get interested in making the same few plants bloom over and over again through the game’s 2D maze.
Although there are some puzzles that break up the monotony, the puzzles themselves are very lackluster and use the same mechanics over and over. The basic puzzle-solving concept involves picking specific fruits that either sink or float and then manipulating oversized blocks or a wheel of some sort with them to proceed. Sure, the mechanics get more complex as the game proceeds, but after the novelty of the first few puzzles wears off, it’s hard not to feel like you are just going through the motions with the puzzle levels.
Unfortunately, this lack of gameplay diversity carries over to the pollinating mechanic as well. Going though levels begins to be a bit of a grind, as you’ll wander back and forth between the pollen sac and the world’s different flora, and then repeat for as many times as it takes to get the job done. Of course, this mechanic was also put to use in 2008’s Flower to great acclaim, but the difference here is that while Flower featured plenty of amazing visuals, a full 3D world to discover, and an interactive soundtrack; Undergarden just has a 2D maze to navigate.
Just running through each level, solving a puzzle, and then warping out doesn’t provide the depth needed to sustain a title such as this. Still, if you feel like putting forth the effort, there are some extras that you can discover in the UnderGarden. For example, even though pollinating each area is a fairly straightforward affair, there are some hard-to-reach areas that you can explore if you want to go for 100% pollination in every level. Doing these bonuses will net you some in-game goodies like new skins and accessories for the main character (although no matter what skin you put him in, he still looks a bit like a creepy hamster).
Of course that’s not to say that UnderGarden is a complete waste of time. The game itself is quite fun, and if you aren’t comparing it to anything else, you’ll certainly have fun opening blossoms and solving puzzles. I would certainly say that The UnderGarden is the most zen-like experience you’re likely to get on the Xbox 360. And if you don’t mind the shallow level design and easy puzzles, a round or two of UnderGarden is certainly rewarding. I just can’t say that it’s the most unique or interesting experience you’ve ever had.
Technically, the game is hit-or-miss. The world of the UnderGarden has a lush color palette, and the different themed areas are certainly interesting to behold. However, the repetitive elements that plague the level design keep the game from looking its best, despite its zippy framerate and smooth animations. The game’s sound quality isn’t the best either, with sparse background tunes that only kick in when you pass small music-playing creatures. The tunes themselves are pretty simplistic, and you’re better off listening to the music on your hard drive rather than waiting for a tune or two to kick in.
The UnderGarden isn’t a bad game. In fact it’s a pretty relaxing experience. However, I feel that there was real potential to make this passable game into a really good game. Just wandering a nice-looking area doesn’t provide a challenge, and even going back and trying to complete all the various stages to 100% seems tedious and doesn’t make for exhilarating gameplay. Though this game is fun in small chunks, I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone looking for a lengthy gameplay experience. The best visit to the UnderGarden is a brief one, and it probably won’t be one of your most memorable experiences.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.3 Graphics
The visuals satisfy on a technical level, but the game’s artistic design isn’t as fully realized as it could have been. 4.1 Control
The game is easy to control, with simple navigation and interaction commands. 2.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music is too sparse and simplistic to be really enjoyable. 2.9 Play Value
While the game is good in small chunks, it gets monotonous quickly and doesn’t have much replay value. 3.1 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
Game Features: