Game Review - Child of Light

Child of Light is a whimsical video game with beautiful backgrounds, sincere characters, and an elegant score. 

STORY:

Aurora is stuck in the dream-like magical kingdom of Lemuria.  The only way for her to return home to her sickly father is to vanquish the Queen of the Night and take back the stolen sun, moon, and stars.  Tiny princesses, courageous mice, dangerous creatures, and a rhyming firefly named Igniculus ensue.

"Will you please stop looking at me like I'm retarded...

I have no idea how this rhyming started...

I'm just here to fulfill a quest...

Now pack your crap and let's do our best."

THOUGHTS:

The first thing you'll notice about this short 10-12 hour RPG is its beauty.  Each backdrop and location mimics fantastical watercolor paintings that could be found in a child's fairy tale book.  Your character, Aurora, is wonderfully designed and just the act of moving her through each side-scrolling environment is worth the price of admission.  The music helps add drama or whimsy to the story, and the physics engine gives the characters a sense of weight.  (Every time Aurora takes off or lands or loses her crown, and especially when she swings her sword, you easily can feel each and every movement.)  In addition to the music and physics is the sound.  The big moments throughout your quest have their due, but it’s the subtle sounds that make playing special.  Pay close attention to when Aurora is running or landing, the sound of her footfalls add a sweet touch to the overall fairy tale theme.

"I told you not to take those downers...

We haven't got but 10 hours...

So pop a pill or maybe two...

Or I'll leave your drugged ass, sad and blue."

COMBAT & GAMEPLAY:

Most joystick fondlers won't have a problem with the game being a 2D side-scroller.  It's the battle system that'll make or break your love for Child of Light.  This isn't a hack and slash like Dragon's Crown.  The combat is turn-based, so you'll have to understand and appreciate JRPG games like Final Fantasy.  The good thing is the game doesn't fall into the trap of being overly complicated, but it does have enough weapon and character upgrading for hardcore fans to appreciate.  There's also no need to grind like in Final Fantasy and just a few simple puzzles keep the game interesting without being frustrating.

Once you spot an enemy on screen—hopefully you'll run or fly into them from behind to enable a surprise attack—you're then whisked away to the battle screen.  The battle screen roughly remains the same throughout the story, save for slightly different colors and backgrounds.  Your two party members along with the enemy (anywhere from one to three) are placed atop platforms and a turn-based striking system dictates who attacks first.  But the genius comes in the form of the time-bar at the bottom of the screen.  While in combat, a scrolling time bar will control who strikes next, giving each battle a sense of urgency and allowing the player to use everything in their arsenal to strategically cripple the opponent.  With spells that speed up the player or Igniculus slowing down the enemy and with the ability to interrupt enemy attacks, it becomes possible to win a battle without ever taking a scratch.  This necessity to think on your feet is what really deepens Child of Light's combat.  All the above may sound exhausting, but the game does a great job of slowly introducing you to each combat strategy, so you'll never feel overwhelmed.

"Listen, you fat upper class rat...

I'm trying merely to have a civilized chat...

Don't make me smack your face, unless you want to roll the dice...

Cause I'll shove my sword up your ass, not once, but probably twice."

If there is one place that you might find a little confusing, it'll be in the gem crafting department.  Throughout the game in hidden chests, you'll come across fragments and gems called oculi.  The game will take you to the crafting page and show you how to make your first gem out of the acquired fragments, but that's as far as it'll go.  There are dozens of combinations to learn and several different ways to use the oculi.  In game tutorials could have been a little more helpful, but it's nothing that can't be cured by perusing your favorite gaming site to read about what each oculi does and its secret combinations.

The object of the game is to reclaim the sun, moon, and the stars during three different boss fights.  These battles are significantly longer than most, but not much harder.  In fact the game will probably feel a little on the easy side, especially for the hard-core gamer.  The mature gamer will just enjoy the tale being told and the fun combat to be had.  There is one minor hiccup.  The last boss fight felt a little rushed.  You'll traverse whole levels, fighting many different creatures to locate two of the three bosses, but the last battle will sneak up on you when you're least expecting it.  It felt abrupt, as if the developers were out of time and just decided to end the story right there.

"Don't cry like a puss, you dirty old hag...

Your shriveled up face is starting to sag...

I'm just here for some frigging directions...

Now point the way before I add to your face, a few imperfections."

HOW THE STORY IS TOLD:

This by far could be the only problem you have with Child of Light.  If you're expecting this smaller game to have voice acting throughout, then you might be a tad disappointed.  The initial start of the game and a couple of the major story events have voice-over explaining the tale, but the majority of the game will be have to be read.  Every conversation, every character interaction, and every quest will be dictated through the written word.  If you don't like having to read in a game, then this might be your first turn-off.  The second turn-off could be the four line rhymes in which the story is presented.  It makes sense to tell the story as if you’re reading a child's fairy tale, but a lot of the dialogue seems forced into a rhyme, making the plot harder to decipher.  Think Shakespeare.  You know it's English, but you may have to read it a couple of times to figure out what the hell they're saying.  It's a shame, because stopping to understand what's going on will take you out of the immersion, making the nursery rhymes a bit of a distraction.  There's also the uncomplicated and very straightforward plot being told.  Twists are nonexistent and there's nothing you haven't seen or heard before, but luckily the fun combat and gameplay make up for the lack of original story.

REPLAY VALUE:

Except for a few side quests that could easily be obtained and beaten during your initial play-through, there are only the hidden confession letters that may make you replay (or at least travel back to) certain parts of the world in search of finding them all.  There is a game plus mode, allowing you to keep your upgrades and gems, and then replay the story with harder enemies, but without trophies or achievements, most gamers will probably decline another play-through.

 

"I'm wasting my time, looking for water...

Why doesn't the old man have his own frigging daughter?

Now I'm lost, is it up or is it down...

To hell with this quest, I'm better off drowned."

CONCLUSION:

Child of Light is a fantastic casual RPG that shows even small games can be just as—if not more—entertaining than their AAA brothers.  With a pleasant fairy tale theme, gorgeous art, a simplistic yet deep upgrading system, and only a 10 to 12 hour play-through, there are many reasons for a gamer to enjoy Child of Light.  If you don't like having to read through nursery rhymes or fight enemies using a turn-based battle system, then you might want to pass.  For all other gamers, Child of Light should definitely be on your "to play" list.

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for cliché rhyming story)