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Child of Light Ultimate Edition (Switch) Review

by Jordan Rudek - October 10, 2018, 7:25 am EDT
Total comments: 5

8.5

All I am saying is here’s a game that’s worth playing.

Originally released on 2014, Child of Light has been made available on nearly every platform, and this miniature, 2D fantasy RPG now arrives on Switch. You play as Princess Aurora, who, after her apparent death, awakens in the land of Lemuria and goes on a quest to return to her homeland of Austria. Themes of family, love, and loss permeate Aurora’s adventure, and the colorful and fantastical world of Lemuria provides a sublime backdrop to explore and marvel at. Child of Light’s narrative and dialogue are told through rhyming couplets. This combined with its storybook watercolor art style makes the game ooze with whimsy and charm. In keeping with the writing of Child of Light, the format of this review will be different but hopefully more than all right.

The music and visuals are utterly striking, and you children-at-heart will find them to your liking. The music is light, soft, and thematically apt, and combined with the gameplay the soundtrack kept me enrapt. Shortly after starting you gain the power of flight and can explore and zip around to your heart’s delight. Treasures and items are scattered around each area, but there’s no need to let their sheer number scare ‘ya. You can easily fast travel back to places explored and collect and stockpile what you previously ignored.

The combat is fast and fun and engaging; in turn-based fashion you face off against enemies raging. Mythical creatures light and dark are your foes, and you fight them off with a partner in tow. I really enjoyed being able to switch out my party without wasting a turn or being penalized harshly. There are eight friends who can join your team, each with his or her own value it would seem. Fighter, mage, and support are their general roles, but as they level up you can dictate their growth and stat goals. Ability points are gained with each level up and doled out on a grid so you can customize your lineup.

In terms of content the game is somewhat light, but I couldn’t put it down, try as I might. Following the story and completing side missions reminded me of old-fashioned RPG traditions. Experience points, levels, and stat boosts are here, but “money” and “equipment” are words you won’t hear. Instead, items you find and craft called Oculi may be equipped to empower yourself and each ally. A wrinkle to combat I forgot to mention was that turn order is displayed to raise each clash’s tension. Attacking a foe at just the right time can interrupt their action, sending them to the back of the line, but the same can be done to you if you don’t choose to defend, so tactics are needed to not break but just bend.

All in all, Child of Light can be simple and easy, and played with low stress, an experience breezy. The aesthetic is one up there with the best, and if you avoid enemy encounters bosses can be quite a test. Without a doubt here’s a title that’s unique but subtle, yet demands your attention and a look; I’ll hear no rebuttal. Well-suited to those who want a creative RPG that both sticks to and deviates from this genre’s normalcy. If you’re never played it, well now’s the time. Go on and enjoy Child of Light in its Nintendo Switch prime.

Summary

Pros
  • Beautiful visuals and music
  • Fun and satisfying combat
  • Heartfelt story and characters
  • Interesting ability and level up mechanics
Cons
  • Even with optional content the game is quite brief
  • Items aren’t really varied
  • Lackluster ending

Talkback

ForgottenPearlOctober 10, 2018

Great review!  Most RPGs drag on WAY too long, so the fact that this one's shorter than most sounds like a plus to me.  It'll actually hold my attention to the end.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterOctober 10, 2018

I knew there was a good short RPG I'd played that I wasn't thinking of for that RFN question.

RPG_FAN128October 10, 2018

Holy smokes.  Someone needs to quit their day job and write nursery rhymes instead, and become rich and famous.

Kudos for an entire review in poetic verse!

Wait....is the author the same person who wrote the dialog of Child of Light?

Seriously though, totally epic!

If there were any money in writing...

Thanks for the positive feedback! It took a little longer because of the rhyming, but it still was a lot of fun to write this review.

Mop it upOctober 17, 2018

It's certainly fun to try and match the review styling with the game.

I notice that this is called the "Ultimate Edition." Does that mean it has extra content which wasn't in the Wii U version?

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Game Profile

Genre RPG
Developer Ubisoft
Players1 - 2

Worldwide Releases

na: Child of Light
Release Oct 11, 2018
PublisherUbisoft
RatingEveryone 10+

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