CHILD OF LIGHT (PS4)
The number of labels that can be applied to Child of Light is astonishing. Under one light a traditional role playing game, yet under another a side-scrolling adventure, its innovations unique to both genres are noteworthy. That’s barely scratching the surface, as its beautiful art-style compliments the game superbly. A great effort from Ubisoft Montreal, it stops just short of superb due to a few quibbles. But none of these spoil the game, and Child of Light is a beautiful journey for those who even have a faint interest in role-playing.
You’ll immediately notice how striking Child of Light’s visual style is. Powered by Rayman Legend’s UbiArt engine, the beautiful water-colour visuals drift between contrasts. Gorgeous, bright landscapes which feel comforting often contrast with sharp, darker landscapes, populated with gnarled trees and viscous scenery. The various monster designs are the stuff of childhood nightmares, as garish spiders and rabid hounds are just some of the creatures you must fight. Each area feels different from the next, and no detail is sacrificed between them. The audio is just as strong too, as a beautiful score from Béatrice Martin haunts each scene with beauty and elegance. The dialogue, written entirely in Iambic Pentameter, can be engaging, if sometimes forced. The presentation just adds a feeling of warmth, elegance and sentimentality.
Unlike other recent RPGs, which favour bloated bombast, Child of Light’s incredibly simplistic story keeps the game moving nicely. Focusing on the story of Aurora, the young daughter of a Duke of Austria, she contracts a life-threatening illness which leaves her bed-ridden. However, she suddenly wakes up in a mysterious land known as Lemuria, yearning for her father’s company. But more pressing matters take her attention, as the sun, moon and stars have been stolen from Lemuria, and it’s up to her along with many allies she recruits along the way to stop the evil Black Queen. Simple, straightforward, yet featuring plenty of charm – particularly the endearing backstories to the characters you recruit to the party – Child of Light weaves a subtle yarn which keeps you going.
Best described as Final Fantasy meets Limbo with fairy-wings, Child of Light blends its separate gameplay elements cohesively and results in fun. Navigating Aurora is smooth and a step up from the static movement of older RPGs. You first gain the ability to levitate, and soon you’ll be tasked with solving more complex puzzles and avoiding obstacles. Chest and items are cleverly placed in both high and low areas, encouraging exploration. Aurora moves with a blissful combination of speed and restraint, meaning avoiding obstacles presents a fair challenge. The amount of freedom in movement feels like a bird set free from its cage, making exploring the world a marked improvement from the static nature of older JRPGs.
Combat presents just as much fun, though it is admittedly quite traditional. Enemies sprinkled around the world can be ambushed from behind, or alternatively can surprise attack you. Once in combat, moves are governed by a meter at the bottom. Interestingly, you can slow enemies down using the blinding light of Igniculus, a blue orb who accompanies you. However, you can only slow one enemy, preventing it from becoming a crutch. Interruptions can be caused by executing an attack in a small window, shown by a red bar on the meter, when the enemy’s icon is there. Some of these elements have been taken from others, but it feels married together smoothly in Child of Light, and combat is often a lot of fun.
Along with traditionally levelling up your party, the interesting Oculi system adds depth to how you customize your party. Though not clearly laid out, each character excels in different categories, such as strength, defensive and offensive magic and speed. Oculi gems can be equipped to three slots, and these bring different bonuses depending on where you assign it. However, if you can collect three Oculi which are compatible with each other, these can be combined to create an even more powerful gem, which further enhances the effects. Choosing the right slot, distributing the Oculi and creating effective new Oculi presents a lot of depth, making for more than just numbers and levels. And more importantly, you can notice the changes Oculi has on your character.
Combat presents just as much fun, though it is admittedly quite traditional. Enemies sprinkled around the world can be ambushed from behind, or alternatively can surprise attack you. Once in combat, moves are governed by a meter at the bottom. Interestingly, you can slow enemies down using the blinding light of Igniculus, a blue orb who accompanies you. However, you can only slow one enemy, preventing it from becoming a crutch. Interruptions can be caused by executing an attack in a small window, shown by a red bar on the meter, when the enemy’s icon is there. Some of these elements have been taken from others, but it feels married together smoothly in Child of Light, and combat is often a lot of fun.
Along with traditionally levelling up your party, the interesting Oculi system adds depth to how you customize your party. Though not clearly laid out, each character excels in different categories, such as strength, defensive and offensive magic and speed. Oculi gems can be equipped to three slots, and these bring different bonuses depending on where you assign it. However, if you can collect three Oculi which are compatible with each other, these can be combined to create an even more powerful gem, which further enhances the effects. Choosing the right slot, distributing the Oculi and creating effective new Oculi presents a lot of depth, making for more than just numbers and levels. And more importantly, you can notice the changes Oculi has on your character.
Beautiful, and certainly fun, Child of Light suffers from only a few issues which hold it back. Hardcore RPG fans will find the Normal difficulty too easy, as throughout my experience, you could count how many times I died on one hand. This is mostly due to how quickly your party levels up, as you often can increase levels after a few battles. It seems petty to complain about difficulty, but for an experience which feels so much like a fresh approach of RPGs from the past, like Secret of Mana, you somewhat wish it would ape the challenge of those games. However, Hard difficulty is a nice compromise, which ups the challenge considerably and will certainly present more of a test for old-school RPG fans.
It’s also a little on the short side compared to other RPGs, though for a downloadable game it is lengthier than most. It’ll take you a good twelve hours to finish your first playthrough, and a few more should you opt to partake in side missions. Some of these are well worth doing, as completing them rewards you with extra party members. Chests and collectible letters are scattered around the world, encouraging you to spend some time searching every nook and cranny. New Game + is available too, allowing you to take on the harder difficulty without having to start on a lower level or max out your characters. For around £12, it’s good value, but it still leaves you wanting more.
Child of Light is one of the most elegant, beautiful games to come out, serving as both a fresh approach to the genre and a fitting reminder on why you loved those games so much. The combination of platforming and role-playing may seem strange, but it results in a flexible, new experience which keeps you engaged throughout. Stripping the elements of the genre which have made it so tired, and injecting it with plenty of different touches, it is a game which other developers could learn a thing or two from when making RPGs. Only held back by a lack of challenge and some other minor quirks, Child of Light is well worth a download to any fan of the genre.
It’s also a little on the short side compared to other RPGs, though for a downloadable game it is lengthier than most. It’ll take you a good twelve hours to finish your first playthrough, and a few more should you opt to partake in side missions. Some of these are well worth doing, as completing them rewards you with extra party members. Chests and collectible letters are scattered around the world, encouraging you to spend some time searching every nook and cranny. New Game + is available too, allowing you to take on the harder difficulty without having to start on a lower level or max out your characters. For around £12, it’s good value, but it still leaves you wanting more.
Child of Light is one of the most elegant, beautiful games to come out, serving as both a fresh approach to the genre and a fitting reminder on why you loved those games so much. The combination of platforming and role-playing may seem strange, but it results in a flexible, new experience which keeps you engaged throughout. Stripping the elements of the genre which have made it so tired, and injecting it with plenty of different touches, it is a game which other developers could learn a thing or two from when making RPGs. Only held back by a lack of challenge and some other minor quirks, Child of Light is well worth a download to any fan of the genre.
VERDICT
Visual: 9/10
Audio: 9/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 OVERALL: 8/10 |