Imagine the best elements of a 2D platformer with the challenge of a role-playing game, toss in a hint of turn-based fighting and add a handful of beautiful graphics. This is “Child of Light” in a nutshell. Developers Ubisoft Montreal have another gem on their hands with this game.
You play as a small girl named Aurora, who is taken from her father to Lemuria. Upon arriving there you meet your trusty partner, Igniculus. He is a firefly with many abilities to help aid you in your journey throughout the game. The only way Aurora can get back to her father is by bringing back the sun, the moon and the stars to Lemuria. These elements were stripped from the world by the Queen of the Night.
The controls for the game use a mixture of keyboard and mouse, and can take a little time to get use to. You use the keyboard to control Aurora and use the mouse to control Igniculus. You can also play this game with a partner where one person is Aurora and the other is Igniculus.
The way you fight in this game is very standard for a turn-based fighter. Once you come in contact with an enemy in the world, the game cuts to a fight scene with you and your partner or partners on the left side of the screen and the enemy or enemies on the right side of the screen. You each get a turn to either fight, flee, defend or heal yourself.
The fighting system is so simple that anyone can pick it up and win battles, but the RPG element of this game will make it hard to master fighting because depending on where you spend your skills points will determine what spells you know and how powerful they are.
Using Ubisoft’s UbiArt Framework engine, this game has amazing graphics. The world is more like a bunch of mystical drawings put together on the screen than computer graphics compiled for the sole purpose of this game. Even down to the small details like branches on trees or grass on rocks, this game does nothing but impress.
“Child of Light” is another one of those simple games that’s sure to please a majority of the people who pick up this game.
It is available now on PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and all next-gen consoles.
5 out of 5 stars