PixelJunk Lifelike

So what exactly is Pixeljunk Lifelike, and how do you play it? The Move controller's at the heart of the experience, and it makes for a brilliantly tactile conductor's baton. The face buttons open up different banks of sound, which can then be manipulated with sweeps of the controller. An upwards swipe sets off a rippling bassline, while swinging to the left starts a round of heavily reverberating drums.

Pointing the controller at the screen and twisting it filters the music, and all the while the visual kaleidoscope sends salvia swirls spiralling out in time. If you've been unfortunate enough to sit through Gaspar Noé's film Enter The Void, the effect will be familiar, but if not then the tendrils of Pixeljunk Eden offer another easy-to-grasp reference point.

It's an experience that's hardwired around its technology too, so it's surprising to learn that at the project's start, Move wasn't a consideration. Now, however, it's at the very heart of the game. "Lifelike is our first and probably our only foray with the Move controller," says Cuthbert, "and I think we've managed to discover a very unique way of using every single axis of motion it has - we use absolutely every bit of data we can get out of the thing."

Of course, it's not the only game this year that, through the magic of motion control, turns players into conductors. Pixeljunk Lifelike is more loosely defined than Child of Eden, though it offers more creative control: the tracks that spring forth after a few minutes spent experimenting are the player's own, and there's a performance aspect to the game that Q-Games is hoping to cater for.

Performances can be broadcast over the PlayStation Network, with players able to tune in and out of other people's sessions. How exactly this will work is yet to be revealed, though it's likely that artists like Baiyon will be highlighted in featured sessions, and other artists could well come on board.

Lifelike's appeal lies in how it levels the playing field between those wanting to recklessly tinker and those of a more professional bent; the results will be different, but they'll always be engaging. "We demoed it to two execs, neither of whom have any musical experience," recalls Cuthbert. "When we handed them the controller to play with it they took to it like second nature and were producing some really cool and original music that was completely unlike Baiyon's style, yet still very good." 

As a piece of casual music software, Lifelike proves surprisingly powerful, though it's likely to confuse as many as it delights. Those won over by the often traditional mechanics that have been at the centre of past PixelJunk games will find little to latch onto; instead, it's a means to create and share music, and the game part of Lifelike is abstract to the point of being non-existent.

It is, however, a natural fit in the genealogy of a series that's always evolving, and that's as happy to take in bold experiments such as Lifelike as it is thoughtful spins on traditional shooters. And how long can this series run?

"Oh I doubt it will end... ever," says Cuthbert, and long may it continue.