When you've been dismembering zombies, crushing orcs and blasting Nazi soldiers all day you may find you need to immerse yourself in a world of calm. Atari has the answer to video game related combat stress with their release from VitaminG Studios The Undergarden. The Undergarden takes the player to a secret underwater world that challenges them with physics based puzzles while building beautiful gardens.
I got a chance to play the game at Atari's office in New York City and found it riveting despite the lack of explosion, weapons and mayhem. Once you get past the urge to see if you can kill off your character—don't bother, I tried—you get caught up in the beautiful graphics and music as you cultivate the gardens. Along the way you use the fruits of the garden to help solve puzzles that require you to manipulate the landscape to get around obstacles. The music is provided by musicians you can pickup to help make your gardens grow stronger. The musicians react to each other forming bands as you pick up different players. There are also strange artifacts to be discovered and a co-operative player mode that lets you and the kids explore the world together. There''s 14 levels of play to keep you busy and as you gain experience you can customize your character with different colors and accessories.
If you really want to relax and unwind this the game to play. The puzzles are stimulating enough to keep your mind engaged while your eyes and ears are treated to beautiful colors and soothing sounds. The Undergarden is available now for PC Download and XBox Live Arcade. Playstation Network is coming soon. With all the stress of the holiday season The Undergarden may be just what you need to mellow out.
