In all my years of reviewing games, I have never experienced anything like Child of Light by Ubisoft Montreal. Programmed by Brie Code, Child of Light is a literary masterpiece that combines poetry, folklore art, and a children’s bedtime story into a comprehensive role-playing experience unlike any other. The player assumes the role of Aurora, a young princess that is unaware of her untimely passing. Lost in a dream world that is bathed in mystery and rife with monsters, you must search for a way home to your father, The Duke.
On the surface, Child of Light seems like a simplified role-playing game with a turn-based combat system. But once you complete the brief tutorial that explains the controls and the basic principles of gameplay, you realize that Ubisoft Monteral’s latest offering includes far more depth than its appearance would first suggest. Once you find Aurora’s sword and acquire the ability to fly, the entire game takes on a shape of its own, as you explore a world teeming with rock caverns, open fields, and towns populated by odd-looking citizens.
Along the way, you will meet a variety of eccentric characters that will become your companions. Among them is Igniculus, a talking firefly that plays an important role in your survival. Igniculus is controlled with the right analog stick; he can open floating containers (which contain items) and heal party members during combat. His most useful ability is his luminescence, which can blind enemies and even interrupt their spells. It can also be used to unlock the various door puzzles found throughout the game world.
A variety of puzzles present themselves during the course of your adventure. Some involve rotating giant wheels covered with spikes, while others are as simple as pulling levers. Doorways that lead to different levels contain puzzles that require the player to cast shadows to match a variety of symbols. For example: very early on during the game, there are three scepters that stand before a large tree that contains a locked door. You can use Igniculus by pressing and holding ZL to illuminate the symbols on the scepters to match the ones on the tree trunk. Later puzzles are more challenging, as some involve mirrors that spin rapidly in a large circle.
Combat plays out much differently than most role-playing games. While battles occur on a static playfield, you never encounter more than three adversaries at any given time. Moreover, you are only allowed to have two active party members during combat. This limitation can have its challenges, especially when your party is relatively small in the beginning. But the genius and even the strategy behind this limitation becomes evident once you have enough companions in your party. As your party members weaken, you can switch them out for different companions during each turn. It’s always good to have a healer (or even health potions) handy for when the situation is no longer in your favor. Rubella, a circus jester and one of Aurora’s second companions, is a powerful healer that can keep your party alive during the game’s most difficult moments.
In fact, there were times when I found myself using Rubella, while changing out Aurora for other melee-based companions. This strategy only works against weaker foes, though. As you progress through the game, you will encounter stronger enemies that will require a better strategy. Since these monsters inflict far more damage than their predecessors, it’s difficult to maintain Rubella’s MP (Magic Points) since she is forced to heal constantly. The best strategy is to summon two melee-based companions and then use health potions to keep them alive.
The combat system uses a ‘Timeline’ bar that decides the order of attackers. This is an automatic process where images of both your party members and enemies slide along the Timeline until they reach the ‘red’ area of the bar. Whoever reaches the ‘red’ section of the bar first gets to attack. Speed potions can be used to increase this process, and to help you attack faster. Certain party members can cast a ‘Speed Down ‘ spell to have the opposite affect on your enemies. Despite its limitations, the combat system allows the player to experiment with a variety of strategies.
It’s worth mentioning that Child of Light doesn’t include armor or weapon drops like most role-playing games. Your companions use the same gear throughout the entire game. This may come as a surprise to some role-playing purists, but the game does substitute the loss of gear with something called Oculis – colored stones that can improve your gear with fire, water and attack enhancements. A limited crafting system is used to mix these stones into more powerful versions of themselves. Once enough stones have been created, they can be applied to your party’s armor and weapons to boost their performance. You can also remove stones already in use with more powerful ones.
I was entranced by Child of Light’s beauty and foreboding atmosphere the moment I started playing. The hand drawn graphics are simply breathtaking; they resemble rough sketches from an artist’s porotflio. The animation in particular is very smooth, especially during the combat sequences. Even the spells are pleasing to the eyes as they generate bright, colorful effects and large explosions on screen. Child of Light’s graphics are unforgettable to say the very least, and the art style in particular gives it a unique personality all its.
A game like Child of Light doesn’t come along very often. Its poetic narration, compelling story, and entertaining gameplay makes it a worthwhile purchase for any gamer looking to find that ‘next best thing’ to play. Don’t hesitate; this is one game that all RPG fans should own.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Wii U (Available on eShop)
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Price: $14.99
Child of Light’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Gorgeous folklore-style graphics. | |
| Sound | |
| A memorable sound track and hard-hitting sound effects during combat. | |
| Gameplay | |
| A challenging combat system that relies on strategy. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Child of Light should be experienced by all gamers, regardless of their chosen platform. | |
