Disregard the kitsch and cliches: Child of Light is a glorious indie-style masterpiece

With a great art style, good story, and fantastic gameplay, Child of Light is an amazing entry in the downloadable genre of games and is a powerhouse worth checking out. Indie games such as FEZ and Braid have been a big part in in the market so far, so big name companies have started making games that look like indie titles, but with a bigger budget and wider range of work. Case in point: Ubisoft’s Child of Light.

Child of Light is a fantasy Role-Playing Game that is very much like classic series Final Fantasy and Grandia. The story is about a young Austrian girl who “dies” and wakes up in the fantasy world of Lemuria. Desperately looking for her father and a way to wake up, she learns that this is her new reality, and that an evil queen has taken over the land.

This story is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty, as the main character’s name is Aurora, the villain is an evil queen that can turn into a dragon, and the story centers around her believing she is asleep. This may make it a bit clichéd, but it is still a satisfying, well-done story.

This game is just a work of art. The presentation of this game is glorious, looking like a painting came to life. The characters, aside from the main character, are all hand-drawn, as are the backgrounds.

The music is also fantastic, as it was composed by Béatrice Martin, most commonly known under her stage name, Cœur de pirate. It’s mostly piano music, but when a battle rears its head, epic orchestral music starts playing.

The gameplay is another selling point. A cross between classic side-scrolling games and turn-based RPGs was a good idea for this setting and style. Though many might not like turn-based RPGs, this one pushes the envelope by adding a game mechanic that makes the battles intense. I won’t spoil this mechanic, as it’s so intense and fun that you must play it for yourself.

Overall, this game is a fantastic experience with great gameplay, story, artwork, and music. But, to be fair, to critique it, the art style is sometimes “wonky”, especially when seeing two characters talking to each other, and the entire game is in rhyme, and though it’s clever, it gets tiresome at times. Overall, I give Child of Light a nine point five out of ten because the story is good but can be slightly clichéd, the art is beautiful for the most part, and the combat is a powerhouse that makes this game an experience worth playing. The game is available for download on Wii U, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

Matthew J. Kerins | The Broadside
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