Child of Light Reviews
[S]o mark Child of Light as an unfinished work. Its three-pronged idea remains 33% explored: the world is beautiful; the combat progression is callow; the narrative is so obsessed with its own telling that it never leaves the tunnel.
True aficionados would do well to leave alone but it's something unlikely to worry the developers here. Child of Light is RPG-lite indeed, but in the burgeoning world of videogame genres, there's plenty of room for that too.
There are the makings of a better game in here, and the combat is reliably entertaining throughout, but Child of Light never quite rises as high as its untethered protagonist.
Child of Light is a beautiful adventure through a whimsical fantasy world, but its story lacks emotional resonance.
Child of Light perhaps doesn't shine as bright as it might, but it's nonetheless quite a dazzling sight.
Players attracted to the visuals and style may be alarmed to find the combat so frequent (and the writing uneven), but anyone even mildly interested in JRPG combat should give this game a look. Issues aside, it's a clear sign that even big-budget studios can stray from the beaten path with success. And there is no doubt many players will fall in love with its blend of whimsical storytelling, engaging combat, and an attention to detail that deserves particular appreciation.
As visually resplendent and periodically fun as Child of Light can be, it too often buckles under the weight of its own aspirations.
Child of Light seems content to only scratch its own surface
A beautiful game to look at, and wonderfully polished, but a thimble-deep RPG.
I come away from 'Child of Light' more disappointed than unsatisfied. There is immense potential in Ubisoft's Framework development engine and the team behind it, and I hope they take this game as a lesson on the path to greater, more focused design. First, the gameplay is everything. The turn-based, timeline stuff is highly entertaining and, more importantly, different. Second, beautiful art doesn't make a well-constructed world. It helps, sure, but Aurora's adventure was back-dropped by a collection of still life portraits, not a living, breathing world. As a video game, you're missing the point if the player doesn't feel a part of a bigger universe. Third, poetry is for the poets.
Gorgeous to see and hear and engaging as far as gameplay is concerned, Child of Light is an excellently built game with a forgivably wonky augmentation system but an underdeveloped narrative. Its artists very clearly knew what they wanted it to be, but couldn't quite manage to orchestrate effectively. Play it, soak up its beauty, but expect a jejune take on fairy tale yarn-spinning.
Parts of the game don't work, but they don't take away from what it's trying to do.
A mostly successful experiment at turning one of the world's biggest studios into an indie developer, with the end result being a charming love letter to the best of Japanese role-playing.
In the end, I loved Child of Light less than I hoped I would. It is terrific to look at, and its battle system remained addictive for several hours of gameplay. The humdrum exploration, the too-repetitive (though fun) combat, and the unfocused story bring the title down after a strong first impression. I still believe it is worth experiencing, especially given the scarcity of RPGs on the Wii U, but some fundamental flaws keep it from getting my unconditional recommendation.
Child of Light offers so much more value than the price tag denotes. The bittersweet story is articulated in an incredibly innovative way, the art-style and animation are striking, all topped with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and elegant combat system. There are lots of 'full-price' games out there that have embarrassingly less to show. I don't think you could want much more, this is unless you're partial to the more typical titles under Ubisoft Montreal's belt.
This is a unique and affecting title that is worth seeking out by any who haven’t tried it before.
A visually gorgeous, hand-crafted RPG from the creators of big budget titles; a sumptuous storybook adventure, only marred by a few small blemishes.
Child of Light is a great first step into the genre for Ubisoft and a thoroughly enjoyable experience overall. It takes the classic Active Time Battle system and puts a twist on it with the Timeline mechanic. The presentation is top notch and sure to generate some interest in the game all on its own.
Child of Light proves that cheap downloadable RPGs can be done right after all. Visually enchanting and featuring a clever twist on classic turn-based combat, this puts many full-sized RPGs to shame. Even with painful rhyming dialogue and generic story, you'll find yourself hooked to the end.
Child of Light is one of those games where the less you know about the plot, the more fun it is