When I started playing El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron for review, I told myself I wasn't going to be fooled by the visuals. I would evaluate this game based on its mechanics more than anything, and I wouldn't let form distract me from function.

I abandoned that idea quickly.

For one thing, visuals are a part of the experience, and must be considered. For another thing, this game is beautiful, to the point that they justify the game on their own as a form of digital tourism. You must see this game -- and, since those graphics support one of the more mechanically interesting action games in recent memory, you should probably play it too.