Child of Light

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 641 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 478 out of 641
  2. Mixed: 112 out of 641
  3. Negative: 51 out of 641
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  1. stamito
    Dec 1, 2017
    7
    So, some really nice ideas in this metroidvania-rpg kind of game but it’s not quite what I expected.

    To begin with, I thought the story although nice, felt a bit childish. It is kind of like a fairy tale, which isn’t a bad thing, but I just couldn’t feel captivated by it of its characters. Graphically speaking, it’s nice, the quality of the graphics is average, but the art style of both    So, some really nice ideas in this metroidvania-rpg kind of game but it’s not quite what I expected.

    To begin with, I thought the story although nice, felt a bit childish. It is kind of like a fairy tale, which isn’t a bad thing, but I just couldn’t feel captivated by it of its characters. Graphically speaking, it’s nice, the quality of the graphics is average, but the art style of both characters and venues is unique enough and it has a nice personality to it. Music and sound are good, some beautiful melodies in there.

    Gameplay! I think the idea of mixing different genres is fine, but it’s made in a way that it doesn’t feel like it excels in any of the genres that it takes ideas from, ending up with a mixture that without feeling bad, does not feel special either. There is a bit of exploration done in a similar way motroidvanias (MV) are done, but it loses the platforming element MV usually have as your character just flies around. I thought that made the game less funny that it could have been. Then, you also get a touch of RPG, with experience-levelling classic mechanics with attributes and skill boards. You’ll also get a turn based combat system similar to some classic JRPG. As I mentioned before, although it is a nice idea combining all these elements, I don’t think it’s been executed particularly well, it just feels average.

    That said, the story itself plus the addition of an “easy mode” make it a good game for the little ones at home in my opinion, I think it offers a good experience for smaller kids. For adults, I think it is an average game, it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the game, but I think a lot of people will think it’s nothing out of the ordinary.    … Expand
  2. jeanphilt
    Feb 5, 2018
    6
    Beautiful game but a little short and I think they could make a great game by pushing this game to the next level. At 15$ its not expansive but you can find AAA titles at this price 1-2 years after release. I got it for 8$ so its fine but I dont think I would pay more for this kind of game. Im happy to encourage games that are innovative and I think Child of Light is special for its art design.
  3. panos74gr
    May 4, 2014
    7
    Beautiful music, a great art style and a deep combat system can help a lot, but after a while, the world of Lemuria feels shallow and the story not that interesting.
  4. x0lani
    Jul 23, 2014
    6
    Gorgeous hand drawn environments! The battle and inventory systems are a really nice take on those of your typical RPGs, a la Final Fantasy. It's fitting that the game is not too long either. However, the dialog... Save me from the dialog!
  5. Makaveli
    May 11, 2014
    7
    Game is good, could get boring pretty easy once you realize that you fight the same enemies over and over....That could be said for other indies though.. I like the art style and it's a decent RPG for 15 bucks... I suggest going on youtube and looking up some videos before you buy.. The game isn't going to be liked by everybody...
  6. GrandSekiza
    May 19, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So COL is a pretty good game at least when it comes to the overall graphics and fighting schematics of the game. Now one of the biggest drawbacks is story, the story is just well....super cliched and I mean really cliched. First off Aurora? Come on guys Sleeping Beauty......evil stepmother and stepsisters? Check Cinderella. I'll return to the faults of the story in a moment, the cast of characters isn't bad most of them are good except for Gen she's probably the worst and if you play the game you'll know what I mean. Combat is a 2v3 system which in my opinion is annoying because with how many characters in the game it should be 3v3. Thats my only problem with the battle system; the leveling system is good though by the end of the game you probably will only have one tree maxed out for each character. Returning to the story everything is sooo predictable, I mean come on the only thing that was missing was a Prince(Ingiculus transforming into one at the end? Would've been pretty cool.). It would've been cool at least if Norah had been good in the end or something. The over cliche of the story really ruins the game in my opinion. You end up just paying 15 dollars for something you could've just watched on DVD. Also I want to add in that the rhyming can become well tedious and annoying at times but makes its different for I give them kudos for it.… Expand
  7. cyberkill
    Apr 5, 2016
    6
    I was expecting little bit more from the game. Not bad but the fights seemed kind of boring in a while. I was thinking of purchasing this game. And reading all the reviews yes or no. And my opinion is if you don't buy it, you would not miss anything at all. Nice RPG for a kid but it seemed little childish for me.
  8. dlopatnikov
    Apr 30, 2014
    5
    Just three words. Boring... as... hell...
    As good as Ni No Kuni? Yeah… right…
    What did you expect? It’s only $14.99.
    Ni No Kuni is just $19.99.
  9. Vanpire73
    Feb 10, 2015
    7
    Being a dress casual type of RPG player, I had to give this guy a shot. The 2D side-scrolling was a welcome change of pace, but it got a little stale midway through the game. If they choose to do a sequel, I think I might prefer a little more of a platforming element. The physical tools needed to navigate the realm were just too basic and... kind of boring. It just needed more outsideBeing a dress casual type of RPG player, I had to give this guy a shot. The 2D side-scrolling was a welcome change of pace, but it got a little stale midway through the game. If they choose to do a sequel, I think I might prefer a little more of a platforming element. The physical tools needed to navigate the realm were just too basic and... kind of boring. It just needed more outside of its great combat system. The combat is a turn-based/timing hybrid and it works well. The skills of your squad and the strategy involved to achieve victory can be mixed and matched to suit your style or the situation. The crafting was welcome, but it would've been nice to have an easy way to see how to craft gems from recipes you discovered. It was a pain in the *ss trying to remember what had to combine with what to get what. The art style was pretty swell and the story was about some redheaded broad becoming a woman and defeating an evil brunette and/or blonde who may have been related to her or not or something. I don't know, I don't really play for story unless it's pretty compelling. Overall I'd recommend.… Expand
  10. curzon_dax
    Oct 5, 2018
    6
    It took itself way too seriously. It would be a solid 8 if it didn't overdesign the RPG aspect of it (it's a simple indie game, no need to have 80% of the time having to do lengthy RPG fights) and the poetry was way too corny. This game would be much better if it kept it simple with the RPG design and if the writing was more organized and less gloomy.
  11. VitaGamer12
    Jul 8, 2014
    7
    Child of Light is a good game with beautiful visuals and outstanding graphics with the UbiArt engine. The game has a decent story that gets sometimes dry. I really liked the character igniculus who has unique abilities and he is just a charming character. The gameplay is quite good but it never expands much and feels a bit boring. The missions are unique and the enemies are quiteChild of Light is a good game with beautiful visuals and outstanding graphics with the UbiArt engine. The game has a decent story that gets sometimes dry. I really liked the character igniculus who has unique abilities and he is just a charming character. The gameplay is quite good but it never expands much and feels a bit boring. The missions are unique and the enemies are quite interesting. I also liked the local multiplayer as the 2nd player controls igniculus and you know that I really liked that character so I would always play as. Overall a good game with a fantastic Deluxe Edition which I bought. The deluxe edition is only available in Europe and Japan though.… Expand
  12. Yubaba
    Apr 14, 2015
    6
    A good effort by Ubisoft Montreal to enter a genre totally unknown to them. The game offers satisfying content for its low price. With an excellent art direction, Child of Light is definitely a unique game that one should strive in order to find a flaw in its presentation. The OST is not very diverse but suits the game very well and does not become repetitive. The length could and shouldA good effort by Ubisoft Montreal to enter a genre totally unknown to them. The game offers satisfying content for its low price. With an excellent art direction, Child of Light is definitely a unique game that one should strive in order to find a flaw in its presentation. The OST is not very diverse but suits the game very well and does not become repetitive. The length could and should be longer as it is obvious that there is a part in the end that was left out, probably due to time constrains. The game will definitely last two playthroughs (about 25 hours both) but after that there is really nothing to do. The story is the weak point of the game, with characters that never fully develop and a plot that can be found in any children's story. Still, the game worths every penny it asks for. Very enjoyable and hard not to love, despite its flaws.… Expand
  13. SirPierreFun
    May 12, 2015
    6
    Child of Light is a lovely adventure, a journey as remarkable as it is uncommon, that left me grappling with my own sadness.
    I would recommend spending the 14$ that it costs on the PS network and by it
  14. rodfeal
    Mar 6, 2017
    5
    Rhyming storytelling gives me sleep, horrendous characters and tiresome dialogs. Exploration is also bad...
    Graphics are excellent, but that's the least important thing on a good game to me.
    Game plays okay, but not my style. Seriously, many characters appear just out of nowhere and they are so boring that you couldn't care less... In my heart, I'd give it a three or 4 or less score,    Rhyming storytelling gives me sleep, horrendous characters and tiresome dialogs. Exploration is also bad...
    Graphics are excellent, but that's the least important thing on a good game to me.
    Game plays okay, but not my style. Seriously, many characters appear just out of nowhere and they are so boring that you couldn't care less...
    In my heart, I'd give it a three or 4 or less score, though I can admit that it's not that terrible.    … Expand
  15. glangweilt
    Oct 24, 2017
    5
    The complete lack of an intriguing story might be the biggest disappointment of this game. The combat system is interesting for the first 50 combats and then just becomes repetitive. It doesn't score lower because Child of light is one of the first successful attempts of expanding the medium to poetry (and it might be the only thing the game does exactly right). The fact that Child ofThe complete lack of an intriguing story might be the biggest disappointment of this game. The combat system is interesting for the first 50 combats and then just becomes repetitive. It doesn't score lower because Child of light is one of the first successful attempts of expanding the medium to poetry (and it might be the only thing the game does exactly right). The fact that Child of light runs smoothly and with very few glitches saves it from receiving a negative review.… Expand
  16. DrFriendless
    Jun 2, 2018
    7
    I don't normally play platformers, as the skills they require are of little interest to me. Luckily, this isn't a very standard platformer and there were only a couple of occasions where I had exhibit any skills at all. The game turned out to be more of a 2D side-scroller RPG.

    I liked the combat system a lot. Each character had individual powers, and for any battle situation there were    I don't normally play platformers, as the skills they require are of little interest to me. Luckily, this isn't a very standard platformer and there were only a couple of occasions where I had exhibit any skills at all. The game turned out to be more of a 2D side-scroller RPG.

    I liked the combat system a lot. Each character had individual powers, and for any battle situation there were a variety of characters and powers which could be used, so I was always considering whether I could win just by bashing on, or whether Id have to try something else. The character development let me aim to gain particular powers that I thought might be useful, and it was wonderful when a new power worked well.

    The RPG element was also good. The characters were cute without being painful, and each had enough charisma that I could remember their names and motivations, which often in games I do not care about in the least.

    The art work and music were fine, though I'm not as thrilled about them as some people seem to be. One thing that did bother me were the various pointers to Ubisoft's external Uplay thing - I just don't care and I will never use that, please don't be pushy about it.

    Overall, a very nicely made game that I liked a whole lot more than I expected.    … Expand
  17. drlowdon
    Dec 1, 2018
    7
    Having died following a mysterious illness Aurora awakens in the land of Lemuria and must defeat the Queen of the Night if she is to return home and save her kingdom.

    Child of Light is a stunning looking mix of RPG and side scrolling platformer with an execellent musical score. The turn based combat system at the centre of the game is very clever but, even with the simple platforming    Having died following a mysterious illness Aurora awakens in the land of Lemuria and must defeat the Queen of the Night if she is to return home and save her kingdom.

    Child of Light is a stunning looking mix of RPG and side scrolling platformer with an execellent musical score. The turn based combat system at the centre of the game is very clever but, even with the simple platforming and puzzles to mix things up, it did become a little repetitive towards the end of the 10-12 hour playing time.    … Expand
  18. tomvs123
    Oct 1, 2018
    5
    It's a great game, as long as you know what you're getting in to.

    The two main unique points to this game are the children's fairytale aesthetic and the dialogue, which is composed entirely of rhymes. If you don't like both of those, or one of those really irritates you, look elsewhere. I don't particularly like children fairytale artwork, but the world art in this game is downright    It's a great game, as long as you know what you're getting in to.

    The two main unique points to this game are the children's fairytale aesthetic and the dialogue, which is composed entirely of rhymes. If you don't like both of those, or one of those really irritates you, look elsewhere.

    I don't particularly like children fairytale artwork, but the world art in this game is downright beautiful. That alone kept the game interesting to me. The character artwork is not as good to me, but that's likely due to me just not liking the style.

    Combat is turn based, and is relatively basic if you're used to JRPGs. The main gimmick in this game is interrupts: You'll want to hit enemies right before they attack to interrupt them, and you want to avoid getting hit right before you attack so you're not interrupted. This is primarily what you'll be strategizing for in addition to basic stuff, like using attacks that the enemy is weak to. Also, separately from the main combat, you have a flying ball/spirit that you can control, which you can use to slow down enemies or heal your party.

    The story is an old-school children's fairytale, including a bit of darkness and death that normally goes along with them. The plot and world isn't something you'll want to try to make sense of. Things happen randomly and for seemingly no reason some times, which is typical for stories intended for small children.

    The most irritating part of the game for me is the dialogue. It's all done through rhymes and some storytelling clarity is obviously lost because of it. Very early in the game, I had to get used to deciphering the vague rhymes so that I could understand what was going on. I don't expect most children will clearly understand what the characters are saying, which I think goes against the overall aim of the game. Deciphering the dialogue is more difficult than the typical Dr. Seuss book. This is definitely not the game for people who like direct and concise storytelling.

    Also, the game seems a bit rushed/incomplete. The ending comes up very quickly and without much notice. Basically, your last objective and last boss are rolled into one. I was expecting at least 2 more hours of gameplay. Also, the puzzle mechanics are used only rarely and are relatively simple: pushing boxes or flipping switches. The most difficult thing I had to do was flip a timed switch and run down a hallway to get through a door: all while I was wondering to myself why that was there, since the previous section (and section afterwards didn't really have any puzzles.

    And one last gripe: Every time you start the game, it will ask you to log in to some Ubisoft service. There's no way to turn this off. Why can't I just play my single player games in peace?

    I can see this game as being a favorite for people who love children's storybooks, as there's not really any other games like it. But anyone else might just see it as average. I'll keep it in my collection just for the beautiful world artwork, and to let my kids to play when they're 6-7.    … Expand
  19. res0nancer
    Aug 4, 2023
    6
    Прошел чисто из-за желания словить легкую платину на ПС4, и в конце пути узнал, что игра считается настолько легкой, что платину в ней нет.
  20. IRevolverZero
    Feb 12, 2020
    5
    A mediocre RPG that's not really sure what it wants to do. It's trying to be very emotionally loaded or beautiful, it just does so on a surface level (there's no depth to the morals or motives of the characters). There is not much story here, the cast is a case of quantity over quality and the rhyming in all of the dialogue is very annoying.

    +level art +music +combat -story    A mediocre RPG that's not really sure what it wants to do. It's trying to be very emotionally loaded or beautiful, it just does so on a surface level (there's no depth to the morals or motives of the characters). There is not much story here, the cast is a case of quantity over quality and the rhyming in all of the dialogue is very annoying.

    +level art
    +music
    +combat
    -story
    -character animations
    -level navigation (flying around)    … Expand
  21. chantikone
    Aug 3, 2020
    6
    I grant this game an amazing art direction and a quaint, unique script and dialogue. However, I wasn't able to complete it out of boredom. I am a fan of adventure games (and some RPG games) but this one was impossible to complete. The game is good, but I think you need to love RPGs.
  22. Johnnyls
    May 30, 2020
    7
    This is a beautiful game with good music, but the battles and exploration in a map could be more interesting.

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PS4 Game of 2014
34
#34 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
35
#35 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. IGN
    Aug 29, 2014
    93
    None of it feels focus-tested, or designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience; rather, it always comes off as exactly the expression its creators intended.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    60
    This game should end around the 6th hour – which is roughly the middle of the campaign – when artsy visuals and fairy tale charm concealing the rather shallow content cease to suffice and the originally relaxing pace starts to make you drowsy. [06/2014, p.52]
  3. Gamers' Temple
    Jun 20, 2014
    88
    Its unique look and charms will stick with you long after you've finished the game, and long after you've forgotten most of the other RPGs that you played before it.
    Read full review
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