PixelJunk 4am

PixelJunk 4am isn't a game, it's more like a social network experiment. That's a gift and a curse at the same time: All depends on the music you're playing or listening to. If you like it, everything's great, but if you can't stand the beats, you'll go offline in a jiffy. It's so creative and there sure are a lot of options, however, your mileage may vary so much that it isn't possible to predict if players will actually love the game.

4am's unique interaction style and possibilities deserve that extra bit of polish to match their innovation. [Aug 2012, p.105]

Q-Games proves it still likes to experiment. Pixeljunk 4AM is not a game, but a music generator controlled by the PlayStation Move. It will definitely cheer up any fan of electronic music, but we doubt if it will keep you up until four in the morning. [July 2012, p.92]

Unquestionably a niche title, 4am's a cool experiment that those who crave something different can easily get lost in. [Aug 2012, p.83]

Q-Games latest release, PixelJunk 4am, is a masterfully crafted visual music painting tool. At best, it's an interesting experiment, meant for chilling out on the sofa. At worst, it's just a tech demo. Baiyons music is good and well suited for the activities, but buyer beware – it's nowhere near a game.

This lets you invent and create with a variety of intriguing tunes, and the Move compatibility makes it feel that much more involving and dynamic. It just lacks some punch as there is no real competition, and the production feels less robust than past entries in this well-received and popular series.

PixelJunk 4am is a wonderfully stimulating experiment, but it's not for everyone.

PixelJunk 4am is a really ambitious package that provides some of the best implementation of the PlayStation Move controller to date. Those with a passing interest in music production will get a lot of entertainment, but it's important to note that the unrestricted design makes it more of a tool than a game. Some control niggles limit what is feasibly possible, and the quality of the samples isn't always great, but the ability to perform live over the PlayStation Network is one of the most exhilarating and innovative ideas to grace the platform in years.

The game offers stress-free, relaxing gameplay that allows its users to be as creative as they'd like to be. Although PixelJunk 4am may have a lack of traditional game elements, that same lack of traditional game elements is what makes it great and one of the most fascinating and intuitive experiences available for PlayStation Move.

A quasi-interesting experiment that Move owners with an interest in electronic music might want to invest in.

4am is too obfuscated for serious music producers who will grow frustrated at the limited number of samples and the lack of visual feedback over which tracks and effects are active at any one time. And the experience is also too inscrutable for beginners, who will find themselves lost in the matrix of noise, unsure of how it may be truly directed or tamed. A fascinating toy, then, but a toy nonetheless.

A novelty toy that will hold your interest about as long as most novelty toys do.

PixelJunk 4AM should be seen as an instrument instead of a game. Unfortunately the Move-controller does not have too many options and that's why this is an instrument that will not be fun for too long. It's too bad you need other people to give you kudos and gamers will probably miss the traditional game elements, which seems to be making PixelJunk 4AM simply not interesting enough.

The main problem is there isn't any visual feedback of which to speak. [Aug 2012, p.79]

Superb concept, poor execution. Needed more balancing. [August 2012, p81]

An obscure music/ rhythm game that works with the Move controller, but will not keep you interested for more than a couple of hours.