Child of Light

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 132 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 132
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 132
  3. Negative: 16 out of 132
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  1. Jellybean15
    Nov 13, 2015
    8
    Child of Light is one of the few gems of 2014 that will unfortunately slip under a lot of peoples’ radars, which is really sad, because while this title is not as mainstream as the other Ubisoft games released the same year, it’s easily one of the very best released by the publisher. On the surface, Child of Light appears as another one of those artistic games that looks to impress youChild of Light is one of the few gems of 2014 that will unfortunately slip under a lot of peoples’ radars, which is really sad, because while this title is not as mainstream as the other Ubisoft games released the same year, it’s easily one of the very best released by the publisher. On the surface, Child of Light appears as another one of those artistic games that looks to impress you more with it’s pretty art style, beautiful music, and a tone purposely set to appeal to all ages, another game that’s way more style over substance. However, Child of Light impresses with not just its great presentation, but also a solid combat system underneath its surface.

    The game stars Aurora, a princess who has awoken from a deep slumber and is determined to get back to her father, the King. She is accompanied by a firefly, a teardrop shaped creature who serves as her guide and companion in battle. Despite her gentle and kind nature, Aurora is not incapable of defending herself, and she uses both a sword and magic to help her fight creatures in this game’s time based combat system.

    What I love about Child of Light’s Combat mechanics is how simple yet deep it all is. In battle, Aurora, her allies and enemies alike are all placed on a timeline across the screen. An icon is displayed to represent who is currently ahead in the timeline and will get to go first. When one of your character’s icons gets about 3 quarters of the way through the line to a red section, time will stop to allow you to choose your next action. Depending on how powerful the action is, the more time it could take to cast, and that’s where the red section comes into play. If a character or enemy is attacked while in the middle of casting a move, their icon will be pushed further down the line, not only preventing them from casting their move, but cancelling it out entirely. What stops this from being such a simple combat system is the firefly. While allies and enemies in battle must wait for their turn to move, you control the firefly independently and use his magic to either heal Aurora and her allies or blind their enemies, slowing their progress on the timeline. This simple feature gives so much more strategy to an otherwise simple system because interrupting an enemy’s move becomes a big part of winning the battle. You have to decide whether or not slowing an enemy down or letting him move at a normal pace on the timeline is more beneficial for your strategy. It not only requires careful planning, but quick thinking, making the combat system very satisfying.

    Like I’ve mentioned, Aurora is not by herself. She has allies that you can swap in and out of the party. They all have different sets of attacks and come in varying degrees of strength. The only problem with the party system is the limit of only two characters fighting in your party at a time while you’ll be fighting groups of three. It’s a minor annoyance but feels like an artificial way to increase the difficulty by nerfing your party, rather than make enemies stronger. Since some are clearly more powerful than others, it is hard to initially justify using some party members over others. That’s where the Oculi system comes in.

    Oculi are gems that contain magical properties that you can assign to one of three slots belonging to any party member. Different colors represent different properties and how they affect you depends not only on their color but on what column you put them in. A red oculi - depending on the column - can give your attacks fire damage, fire resistance, or more health. Oculi also have different sizes, which can be found or crafted by combining oculi together. The same color will result in a more powerful version, but different colors combined will create a new color altogether, encouraging both experimentation and careful thinking. Plus, since many enemies are weaker against some elements and strong against others, assigning different elements to party members gives them purpose, especially since you can swap party members mid battle.

    As for the game’s presentation, the game is absolutely beautiful, both visually and audibly. With cel-shaded characters on paint brush environments and an amazing soundtrack, Child of Light’s presentation is absolutely stunning. Plus, with characters from talking animals, dwarfs and other mythological creatures, the game’s world, plot, and story are something straight out of an old school Disney movie, but manages not to become too childish, save for the dialogue that feels the need to compulsively rhyme.

    Overall, Child of Light is a very satisfying 12-15 experience, with great combat and an interesting story. Plus, on the Vita, it’s the perfect handheld experience for gaming on the go.    … Expand
  2. guy102931
    Jul 3, 2014
    10
    Average frame rate of 30 is the compromise made for the Vita version of Child of Light, which stands above its home console counterparts as a result of the optional touchscreen or back touchpad controls for Igniculus.

    Character models are slightly less detailed, but everything else stands equal to the home console/PC versions.
  3. unluckydice
    Jul 5, 2014
    10
    This 2D RPG game is a gem, it seriously even puts some AAA (supposedly) games to shame, Props to Ubisoft for creating the best environments and music iv seen and heard in a game. Think Final Fantasy 7 mixed with Muramasa Rebirth.
  4. Kaniya
    Jul 26, 2014
    10
    Vita Version comes with all the DLC previously released for console version. Child Of Light features the same engine as Rayman series and i should say the art work is superb, the areas are wonderfully drawn as it is hand crafted, I often spend sometimes staring at the beauty of the artstyle in the game.
    Story is set in a sad looking world but its wonderfully told and its meaningful and    Vita Version comes with all the DLC previously released for console version. Child Of Light features the same engine as Rayman series and i should say the art work is superb, the areas are wonderfully drawn as it is hand crafted, I often spend sometimes staring at the beauty of the artstyle in the game.
    Story is set in a sad looking world but its wonderfully told and its meaningful and fantastic. Music is fantastic too. only downside is that the combats might not be that challenging if you play RPG and Turn based RPGs on regular basis .
    it takes about 12 to 14 hours to complete the whole game as well.    … Expand
  5. loadstone007
    Aug 10, 2014
    10
    Excellent game. Mind blowing graphics and art direction, great music (especially when using headphones) and the gameplay is addicting and fun. This is how a game on Vita should be done.
    You owe it to yourself to buy this game.
  6. chiemartin
    Jul 6, 2014
    10
    For $15, I find no need to wait for it to go on discount to pick it up. It's a ridiculously great game, as I can't seem to put it down when I pick it back up. I'm not much of a fan of turn-based battle, though this kept my fancy just the same. It has a platformer-feel in an RPG setting; a wonderful blend indeed. :D
  7. JamalKhan
    Jul 5, 2014
    8
    A little over a month after the release of the Japanese RPG made by French guys, Child of light has finally come to the Vita. But with only one trailer and a small nod at E3 people of wondering whether or not it is any good, I here to tell you today that yes the game is good. Child of light is still as colourful and vibrant as it was one month ago; this is thanks to the lack of anyA little over a month after the release of the Japanese RPG made by French guys, Child of light has finally come to the Vita. But with only one trailer and a small nod at E3 people of wondering whether or not it is any good, I here to tell you today that yes the game is good. Child of light is still as colourful and vibrant as it was one month ago; this is thanks to the lack of any compression or corner cutting from Ubisoft to bring the game to the Vita. The game looks excellent and also plays excellent due to a smooth frame rate. Simply put it it’s a solid port of a solid game.
    The story of the game revolves around main character Princess Aurora trying to bring back the sun, moon and stars, during her quest she is helped by various playable townsfolk. The story is serviceable and allows the game to flow but is nothing to cry home about. Interestingly the game is told rhyme, which should be credited but the main problem is that there is no voicing for the most part of the game, which leads to a barrage of text and reading which ultimately makes the story less interesting.
    The game itself is a turn-based RPG with a lot of depth, the casting system of waiting and interrupting enemy’s is very well done and makes Child of Light stand out from the crowd. There is a lot of variety in the characters within the party as each character plays as a traditional RGP character such as a Mage or a healer. There’s also a massive skill tree for each character and what’s really cool is that all characters gain experience in every fight even if they did not fight. This eliminates the problem of having a few strong characters and a bunch of completely useless weaklings later on in the game as everyone is a viable option in an encounter. There is also an open map to explore filled with power buffs and collectables however there is no platinum trophy which is disappointing as there isn’t too much incentive to find all of the confession notes. My only real gripe with the gameplay is that the melee attacks don’t actually connect with the enemies which results in awkward animations of Aurora swinging her sword in the air and damaging enemies.
    Overall Child of light is another great addition to the Vita library and if you haven’t already bought the game than the Vita is the best place to get it as it comes with all the DLC packs of the console versions for free but unfortunately is not cross-buy meaning that if you already own the game, you’re going to have to pay for it again if you want to play it on the Vita.    … Expand
  8. sergiopepeu
    Jul 3, 2014
    10
    Jogo absolutamente surpreendente. Um poema em forma de game. A versão do Vita possui taxa de quadros estável e o visual está praticamente identico a versão do PS3. Realmente, um dos melhores jogos em todas as plataformas desse ano.
  9. Jesterson
    Jul 15, 2014
    5
    This game, while certainly looks gorgeous, is just plain dull and boring. Uninteresting story about.. Well i'm not even sure what it's really about. Bland characters, both story- and gameplay-wise, i've ended up using just 3 out of 7. Unsatisfying development, most skills are just more powerful versions of what you already have, oculi (gems) system is also completely uninteresting.

    So,    This game, while certainly looks gorgeous, is just plain dull and boring. Uninteresting story about.. Well i'm not even sure what it's really about. Bland characters, both story- and gameplay-wise, i've ended up using just 3 out of 7. Unsatisfying development, most skills are just more powerful versions of what you already have, oculi (gems) system is also completely uninteresting.

    So, pros: beautiful picture, nice soundtrack. Cons: everything else, weak story and gameplay. At least it's short.    … Expand
  10. Overanalytical
    Aug 11, 2014
    0
    I'd give this a 4 but you all know how metacritic works graphics are in simplicity : cheap gameplay is steryotypical and nothing all that knew story is non existent honestly and the audio is good but that won't make a game for me at least I did not like this one bit
  11. 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.
  12. chesaro
    Oct 26, 2014
    9
    Beautiful... Just beautiful, the visuals, art, fighting mechanics, the music. The story is a little bit simple, but the bed time book narrative justified that, besides that, the only problem i had with this one is that, it is very short
  13. Kaprawiec
    Jun 22, 2015
    4
    Game on same engine that rayman! Wow I am hyped! Lets see what we got here!
    Story: Well, if Youre 10 years old the story will be ok for You because its aimed for the kids. I didnt like it but im much older so lets give it 5/10 because I wasnt the targed i guess.
    Graphic: Beautifull, but again the art didnt hit the spot for me. 5/10. Sound: Fits this game perfectly but nothing    Game on same engine that rayman! Wow I am hyped! Lets see what we got here!
    Story: Well, if Youre 10 years old the story will be ok for You because its aimed for the kids. I didnt like it but im much older so lets give it 5/10 because I wasnt the targed i guess.
    Graphic: Beautifull, but again the art didnt hit the spot for me. 5/10.
    Sound: Fits this game perfectly but nothing spectacular 8/10.
    Gameplay: A bit boring and repetitive. If the story was better then maybe I would enjoy it more.
    You will finish it in about 10 hours, and then You can wander the map more but I cant see any reason to do that.
    Damn, Im bored as hell to just simply write a review for this game - take this as a warning.    … Expand
  14. philipnorton42
    Apr 16, 2015
    8
    Well written dialog that rhymes throughout. Interesting story with some nice characters. Gameplay is standard turn based combat and 2d platform/exploring with some extra flair. It's a little on the short side, but well worth playing.
  15. Kai82
    Aug 8, 2020
    9
    A masterwork in art-style and presentation. It is a charming and enjoyable 2.5 D sidescroller with RPG elements. It is the story of princess Aurora who enters the world of Lemuria in her sleep. Lemuria was once ruled by light but has become a dark and scary place as the dark Queen Umbra took over. Lemuria and the real or better said Auroras world are connected. As you progress to the storyA masterwork in art-style and presentation. It is a charming and enjoyable 2.5 D sidescroller with RPG elements. It is the story of princess Aurora who enters the world of Lemuria in her sleep. Lemuria was once ruled by light but has become a dark and scary place as the dark Queen Umbra took over. Lemuria and the real or better said Auroras world are connected. As you progress to the story you meet new characters that join your party as you uncover the truth. As you can imagine the story is inspired by fairy tales and myths. It is charming and enjoyable but because of the fairy tale connection you can see the twist coming from far away. For the exploration part: You explore the world of Lemuria and can always go back to previous levels. It has some clever puzzles and mechanics that I enjoyed. Some treasures are relay good hidden. There are of cause side quest by several NPCs for you to solve. You got Iggy the firefly as helper. Which is Navi from Zelda but helpful and not annoying. Well integrated in the game and puzzles. RPG elements: It has an active time battle system similar to Grandia or the earlier Final Fantasy games. If you encounter visible (not random) enemies there is a bar with 2 parts for all characters and enemies. If your icon reaches the first mark its your turn and you can chose an action. The better your stats are the faster you are and you get more actions. Depending on the speed of the action you progress on the second part. Stronger attacks take longer and you can pass by with faster once or your enemy in reverse. You can ambush enemies from behind and you can get ambushed in reverse. You level up and get better stats and learn new abilities. There are special items called Oculi. These gemstones can be equipped by the characters and improve them. There is a crafting system to improve them or forge new once. Then there is the art style. The game is like a painting. It looks really special but it is the kind that can anoy some players. This is a fitting transition to the dialogue. It is in rhymes and sometimes a bit off. I must also praise the music by Beatrice Martin aka Coeur de pirate. An awesome and unforgettable performance. Overall this is a special and unique game that I enjoyed a lot. Beware this is also the kind that can annoy the hell out of you as it is not for evryone.… Expand
  16. 00-z3N
    Mar 14, 2018
    8
    Review/Reseña (English/Español)

    Score/Nota: 8.3/10 We are undoubtedly one of the highest quality rpgs in recent years and is that this work coming from Ubisoft (if something we can thank them is that at least, be good or bad, try to create new franchises every year) overflows charisma and originality. It is not your typical medieval rpg in turn, COL combines the role with touches of    Review/Reseña (English/Español)

    Score/Nota: 8.3/10

    We are undoubtedly one of the highest quality rpgs in recent years and is that this work coming from Ubisoft (if something we can thank them is that at least, be good or bad, try to create new franchises every year) overflows charisma and originality. It is not your typical medieval rpg in turn, COL combines the role with touches of platforms, at the same time, has a system of battles "turn" quite peculiar, since depending on a bar we can know in a certain measure in which moment they can attack us, which allows us to create a better strategy based on the many possibilities offered by the same, giving a feeling that we are facing a game of "battles in real time". The OST its "meh", but in terms of history the game is sublime, because although it is simple at the beginning, step by step it takes strength and ends satisfactorily with a very beautiful message, from the hand of a great range of interesting and charismatic characters that will make that we enjoy every hour that we are glued to the console.

    No doubt a mandatory game for the owners of a PSVita since it is the only one that offers the extra to be portable without losing any quality and the fact that the game as such is quite simple and simple, is a great option for all those who wish to start in the world of RPGs. 8.3/10

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estamos sin duda ante uno de los rpgs de mayor calidad en los últimos años y es que esta obra viniendo de Ubisoft (si algo le podemos agradecer a ellos es que al menos, sean buenas o malas, intentan crear nuevas franquicias cada año) rebosa de carisma y originalidad. No es tu típico rpg medieval estricto por turnos, sino que combina de manera magistral el rol con toques de plataformas, al mismo tiempo, cuenta con un sistema de batallas “por turnos” bastante peculiar, ya que dependiendo de una barra podemos saber en cierta medida en que momento nos podrán atacar, con lo cual nos permite crear una mejor estrategia basándonos en las muchas posibilidades que nos ofrece el mismo, dando una sensación de que estamos ante un juego de “batallas en tiempo real”. Musicalmente hablando es muy flojo, pero en términos de historia el juego es sublime, ya que aunque es simple al inicio, poco a poco toma fuerza y termina de manera satisfactoria con un muy lindo mensaje, de la mano claro está, de una gran gama de personajes interesantes y carismáticos que harán que disfrutemos cada hora que estemos pegados a la consola.

    Sin duda un juego obligatorio para los poseedores de una PSVita ya que es la única que ofrece el extra de ser portable sin perder calidad alguna y el hecho de que el juego como tal sea bastante simple y sencillo, es una gran opción para todos(as) aquellos que deseen empezar en el mundo de los rpgs. 8.3/10    … Expand
  17. guaripolo
    Apr 29, 2015
    10
    Amazing game. Beautiful art direction, charming story, very good sound. My only complain its that the game is a little short and the dialogue its a bit cheesy.
  18. Ogie
    Dec 25, 2016
    7
    Child of Light is really cool lighthearted game. The art style is pretty interesting and looks quite good. The game system does not bring anything special, it is simple but definitely not bad and it is works quite well. Story is pretty decent and the fairy tale theme feels really great. This is pretty decent game for low price.

    Graphic - 7 Gameplay - 7 Lasting Appeal - 7 Execution -    Child of Light is really cool lighthearted game. The art style is pretty interesting and looks quite good. The game system does not bring anything special, it is simple but definitely not bad and it is works quite well. Story is pretty decent and the fairy tale theme feels really great. This is pretty decent game for low price.

    Graphic - 7
    Gameplay - 7
    Lasting Appeal - 7
    Execution - 7

    Overall - 7    … Expand
  19. eR1c245
    Apr 18, 2016
    10
    WOW! This game is a work of art, the graphics are truly beautiful. This is one of those games that you just enjoy slowly as the visuals, sound and game play are so beautiful that you don't want it to end. I am blown away by this game, ...its more of a work of art in my opinion and calling it a game doesn't do it justice. Its a rich poetic experience.

    Take away the stunning visuals,    WOW! This game is a work of art, the graphics are truly beautiful. This is one of those games that you just enjoy slowly as the visuals, sound and game play are so beautiful that you don't want it to end. I am blown away by this game, ...its more of a work of art in my opinion and calling it a game doesn't do it justice. Its a rich poetic experience.

    Take away the stunning visuals, sounds and what you have is a deep storyline with some really fun RPG action, problem solving and side scrolling adventure. Really this game blends a bit of everything but does it really really really well.

    There are other games that may be more addictive, but this is truly a gem.    … Expand
  20. radovasq
    Jan 14, 2017
    7
    Como amante de los RPGs, puedo decir que... Al menos lo terminé, lo que es un logro puesto que el juego no me motivó mucho para sacarle el jugo.

    No voy a negar que luce súper, y que la música es "bella". Pero lamentablemente la historia, al menos para mí, es muy poco profunda como para que me emocione. A eso sumarle algunos clichés asociados a ciertos personajes que sólo me motivaban a    Como amante de los RPGs, puedo decir que... Al menos lo terminé, lo que es un logro puesto que el juego no me motivó mucho para sacarle el jugo.

    No voy a negar que luce súper, y que la música es "bella". Pero lamentablemente la historia, al menos para mí, es muy poco profunda como para que me emocione. A eso sumarle algunos clichés asociados a ciertos personajes que sólo me motivaban a presionar la "X" cada vez que hablaban. Son comos los Jar Jar Binks del juego: odiosos, y provocadores de vergüenza ajena.

    El combate lo encuentro interesante eso sí. Es básicamente el sistema ATB de los Final Fantasy, pero con la salvedad de que los contendientes se pueden interrumpir mutuamente mientras preparan el movimiento. Esto le añade una componente estratégica que, o juega a tu favor, o te jode por un buen rato al no dejarte hacer nada.

    Si te gustan los juegos de hadas (y por qué no, la cursilería), entonces puede que Child of Light sea para tí. Yo al menos dejaré la caja con el cartucho en la estantería de forma indefinida, a la vez que serán los primeros datos que borraré cuando a la Vita le quede poco espacio en la memoria.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PS Vita Game of 2014
14
#14 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2014
12
#12 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. RPGamer
    Oct 1, 2019
    80
    It took an unusual amount of effort for me to finally play Child of Light, but the game lingers fondly in my memory now that it finally happened. This is a unique and affecting title that is worth seeking out by any who haven’t tried it before. Just be prepared for Ubisoft not to make playing the game an easy task.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Aug 25, 2014
    85
    This 'Western-JRPG' has been faithfully ported. Lack of cross-save/buy is annoying. [September 2014, p73]
  3. Everyeye.it
    Aug 6, 2014
    85
    Even on the PsVita, this old-school RPG shines: bright colours, fascinating atmospheres, and a solid gameplay. A perfect conversion for one of the most intriguing digital titles of this year.
    Read full review
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