The gameplay of El Shaddai is that of a watered-down God of War or Devil May Cry...and God of War isn't exactly an example of deep gameplay anyway. It isn't terrible, or even badly-controlled, but it is simplistic and derivative.
The game also leaves me wondering: Why is there a button dedicated to changing the weapon's color? Apparently it's something about "purifying" the weapon, but I don't see what difference that makes. Does that make it work better? I can't tell.
Due to the basis of the story, there are constantly repeated bible references and themes. These can make the game feel dangerously close to being a production of a religiously-affiliated content house, even though it actually isn't. This can be fairly irritating, particularly during the first (roughly) half-hour which consists primarily of unskippable cutscenes.
However...El Shaddai is worth playing simply for the environments alone.
I'm not a particularly graphics-driven gamer these days. I'll pick an ugly or low-tech title with solid gameplay over a shallow cinematic polygon-pushing powerhouse nearly every time. But the art direction in El Shaddai is incredible. These are the most original, inspired abstract environments I've ever seen - let alone with interactive motion.
Various other games certainly have more raw horsepower under their hoods. But due to the pure artistry here, and very creative use of pixel shaders, I don't hesitate at saying this is the most beautiful looking game out there.
Though notably imperfect, El Shaddai isn't a videogame with graphics and story: It's an interactive painting you can battle through.
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