Parents' Guide to Another Eden

Visually, this adventure is stunning, which keeps players coming back chapter after chapter. Another Eden begins with a town's mayor finding the main character, Aldo, and his infant sister, Feinne, in the forest. It fast-forwards 16 years to the present day, but as the village is about to celebrate a festival, Feinne is kidnapped by the Beast King, a powerful monster who makes an off-handed comment about wanting her powers. The unfolding plot pulls players through the game's various adventures, slowly revealing more about their history and other elements.

Players can't speed up or automate battles, conversations, or other elements -- the game requires constant interaction -- which can get frustrating if you accidentally stop to talk to a character you've already met and have to click through the same conversation again. Gamers will unlock a capability, though, that allows them to instantly travel to certain parts of the world without having to walk there, which helps make that process much faster. The game does a good job of presenting short-term goals, such as activating three Water Prisma devices in the town. As players complete and undertake tasks like battling monsters they encounter, using their choice of fight moves, they'll earn items and improve their characters. They'll also be given more involved quests. Although there can be some wandering around to figure out what to do at times, a map in the corner of the screen highlights what direction to take and often indicates key points of interest players should head toward. The game can involve some waiting periods, such as when the main character sleeps. Players will just see a dark screen for a few moments, which can be a little confusing at first and somewhat slows down the pace. Mostly, though, Another Eden delivers a steady stream of action -- which keeps the game interesting.