Child of Light Review (Xbox One)

If you take away the storyline and the first-rate combat system, Child of Light would still exist as a visually inspired experience. Taking a few pages out of Studio Ghilbi's dreamy aesthetic and merging it with Limbo's dark silhouetted style, Child of Light creates a painterly world wherein every inch of its landscape is eye catching. If fighting creatures on a consistent basis gets you a bit combat weary, navigating Aurora through Lemuria and having Igniculus open treasure chests or unlock different areas is a great change of pace. Considering the beauty that surrounds Lemuria, getting lost within its lands is far from boring.

As Princess Aurora, your life starts off as your the king's little angel, but life simply doesn't hand you roses. Aurora dies, and as her father weeps by her bed, she is transported to Lemuria, a dark land where an evil queen has snuffed out all the light within the world. It's your task to bring back balance into this fairytale driven universe, but with dangerous creatures littering the landscape, a second death is not too far behind.

A small, bright orb named Igniculus is Aurora's first ally, and his assistance is absolutely mandatory for our heroine's survival. With another controller, one of your friends can join your game and play as Igniculus, and although the character doesn't have huge weapons or spells at his disposal, his respective powers are undeniable.

Under solo mode, you'll use the left stick to move Aurora through Lemuria (the A button gives the princess the ability to fly deeper into the game) and the right stick to navigate Igniculus. You'll use Igniculus to light Aurora's path during dark passageways and caverns, but more importantly he aids the princess and the rest of her party during combat. Whenever any of your band of outsiders are low on health, simply move Igniculus over the respective character, press the left trigger, and a healing light will gradually restore their hit points. During battles, Igniculus can also shine a blinding light to enemies, thus giving your fighters a distinct advantage over their adversaries.

Even though Child of Light uses a turn-based mechanic for combat, the addition of a fight bar at the bottom of your screen brings a heightened level of drama to the mix. With Igniculus available to blind your enemies, this may slow down their actual turn and enable a member of your party to sneak in a devastating blow. Conversely, if Aurora wants to cast a devastating spell, it may take her longer to summon her powers, which in turn leaves her vulnerable to attack. Your party members and enemies can be viewed as icons that race along the fight bar, and whichever icon crosses over to the "cast" section first wins that respective turn.

The ability to switch party members during combat, along with Igniculus' abilities to heal and blind warriors during the skirmish, also adds an increased depth to the proceedings. So even if you've played your share of turn based titles, Child of Light's fight system isn't exactly old hat.

Child of Light's crowning achievement lies in its compelling and ultimately evocative storyline. Aurora, who's already mired in her own tragedy, does not have enough time to wallow in her own pain. Her death, as well as her father's unending grief, take a back seat to the needs of Lemuria as well as the emotionally scarred members who join her company. Whether it's spellcaster who can't stop crying or an introverted court jester, these individuals need Aurora to help guide them to their eventual destination. Just as Igniculus serves as Aurora's trusty companion, she also brings light into her newfound friends' lives.

Survival and continued perseverance is now a part of Aurora's existence, and even if a huge part of her childhood is now layered in darkness, her bravery, along with a little help from her companions, should take her the rest of the way.

If you take away the storyline and the first-rate combat system, Child of Light would still exist as a visually inspired experience. Taking a few pages out of Studio Ghilbi's dreamy aesthetic and merging it with Limbo's dark silhouetted style, Child of Light creates a painterly world wherein every inch of its landscape is eye catching. If fighting creatures on a consistent basis gets you a bit combat weary, navigating Aurora through Lemuria and having Igniculus open treasure chests or unlock different areas is a great change of pace. Considering the beauty that surrounds Lemuria, getting lost within its lands is far from boring.

My slight Child of Light complaint lies in the experience points system. Each character has a set of abilities that you can upgrade or earn through skill points that are earned within each level up. The problem is that leveling up is an all too easy process for Child of Light under normal mode. Getting your party members in tip top fighting shape is a great thing, but when they seemingly level up within minutes, failure is really not an option in the game. Nothing in life is ever really free, so a bit more hard-earned level ups, even in normal mode, would have been appreciated.

Although Child of Light, in essence, may be as easy as pie to play, the inspired and poetic world of Lemuria continuously pulled me back in. Much of the storyline's narrative is written in rhyme, and much of its prose contains a deliciously haunting and insightful tone. One of my favorite lines from Child of Light arrives when Aurora reads the following message during the first stages of her travels: "The answer is clear. I will follow my dream's intention and join the traveling circus in the plains, before its ascension."

Child of Light takes us into the world of a child whose dreams, though temporarily shaken, continue to float through Lemuria's darkened lands. It's a lesson that's beautifully rendered in this first rate RPG, and thankfully Aurora's light continues to point me in the right direction.

This review was completed by a download code for Child of Light provided by the publisher for Xbox One.