Baby you Light up my World like Nobody Else: A Video Game Review of Child of Light

   Whenever I wait for the next big game to come out, such as Watch_Dogs or Murdered: Soul Suspect, I always find myself stuck with the wanting to try something new. I usually play whatever game I find and forget about it in a couple of days. This recent game I played, I have no doubt in my mind, I will remember for the longest time. This game was Child of Light, and it is probably one of the best games of 2014. Child of Light is platforming RPG developed by Ubisoft Montreal. When I saw who was making it, I was honestly surprised. The game feels like something you'd find from an Indie Developer, not a major studio. Ubisoft has been known for making fantastic games, no question there, but large franchises, and not smaller games.

Story:
    The story is about a young girl, Aurora, daughter of a duke in Austria 1895. The day after her father is remarried, Aurora falls asleep, only to wake up in the land of Lemuria, where the sun, moon and stars, were stolen by the Queen of Darkness, Umbra. After finding Igulnicus, a firefly which will be your guide through this land, you set off to find a way to save the land, and find a way home to your father. The story of Child of Light gives off this vibe of story time with a child. All the characters rhyme and the land of Lemuria is vast with oddities around every corner, like a Dr. Seuss story. This keeps building on that indie vibe that you don't usually see from a big name studio.
    Each of the characters in your party has a unique personality that people can relate to, ranging from a business pioneering mouse archer, to a self-doubting dwarf mage, to an honor-bound tribal warrior. I felt connections to these characters and their goals as I travelled with them across the land, as each helped me fight the forces of darkness. My favorite companion I had met was the dwarven mage, who shared my fear of failure and disappointment to his elders. Some of the characters were also legitimately funny such as the mouse, always on the hunt for profit, and a jester you meet very early in your journey, who tries to rhyme in prose, but always has to be corrected. The story developers definitely deserve kudos for creating a such an amazing fantasy rich world, filling it with such detailed cultures and stories. 

Gameplay:
    A few other shining(no pun intend) aspects to this game is the gameplay. The combat system is turn based, reminiscent to the old RPG's from long ago, such as Final Fantasy. Though we have seen something like that before, a new aspect to the combat came into play. At the bottom of the screen, there was a bar that had small portraits of our characters and the enemies going up it. This bar showed our combat order. When a character got near the end, they had their choice to pick what they would use for their next attack. This is where it got interesting. If the character was hit before they reached the end of the bar, they would be launched back lower down it. This was a pretty neat addition to the combat, making the player really think of how they could pull off the right attacks. 
    Another addition to your combat is Igulnicus. The small firefly guide actually helps the character in combat in two different ways. You can have him rest over your party and be used to heal, or if you want to be more offensive, have him rest over your opponents and blind them, slowing their progress on the turn bar.
    But what if you encounter an enemy who can shrug off your attacks? That is where the crafting system comes in to play. Throughout Lemuria, there are shards that Aurora will pick up that can enhance her abilities, such as add fire damage through a ruby. This damage can build up by constructing more powerful rubies, or you can take your ruby, combine it with an emerald and a sapphire to make a diamond, which makes you quicker. There are many different gems that help each situation, and each player's style of combat.

Art
    The one thing I ranted and raved about to my friends and family after finishing the game, is how beautiful it is. The artwork for this game, as I said in the story section, makes it feel as if the game is like a storybook you would read to the child. The design to each land is unique in it's own way, making 2 lands completely original in its own way. From a floating city, to a small town on the shoulder of a giant, to the lava filled insides of that giant, I gazed in awe at every time the screen loaded. Almost everything is on a 2-d plane, including all of the party you get on the way. The only characters that are 3-d modeled are the characters from Austria, such as the player's character Aurora. The 2-d Characters each have a unique look to them, except one pair, but as they are siblings I let it slide. 

Final Verdict:
    This game has easily earned it's spot as one of my personal runners for game of the year 2014. The Art sets the game apart from others I see now a days from big studios. The gameplay is a fun new twist on an old style of combat, and a simple fun crafting system always has me clamoring for more. The story is a coming of age tale that deserves to be a movie or an actual book. Overall I enjoyed this game and recommend it to anyone, not just if they are bored, but if they want to go on an adventure.

10/10

I'M SO ESTATIC! THIS IS FANTASTIC!

So what did you think of Child of Light? What did you think of this Review? Comment below and I hope you come back for more!