I loved Child of Eden for what it was: A memorable audit/visual experience that kept me wanting to see what the next level had in store until the credits rolled. Each level has a different vibe and the music, enemies and level design are designed around those themes. I played with a standard controller and can honestly say the gameplay is secondary - really only served as an attention grabber to draw you deeper into paying attention say that you focus on the experience at hand. For me, a person with the money to buy a lot of games but with less time to play them, this game is exactly what I love. There is no filler, there is no grinding, there are few explanations - just an invitation to experience what lies ahead and some basic mechanics to get you there. I really wish there were more games that were comfortable having a very specific focus at the cost of being able to slap "40+ hours of gameplay" on the back of the box.
That being said, I fully understand that everyone approaches their gaming time from a different point of view. While I would have liked the music several years ago, I likely would have been put off spending $60 to buy this game only to beat it 2 hours later. At the time of playing this, I imagine you can pick this up for a bargain price, which helps take the sting off the short play time. Also, my biggest complaint about Q! Games is that they do a terrible job of showing the player how to get better at their games. I would have loved to have a video after beating the game of someone with a lot of skill playing through a level putting up a huge score. That may have motivated me to play through again in a different way after I had already experienced the game. Instead, I will likely put this game back in the cabinet with little chance of playing again anytime soon.
This really is a game where you have to decide what you want out of a game. I thoroughly enjoyed my few hours with Child of Eden and imagine many others will as well.