I Actually Liked Child of Light

[Ubiquitous Duck]

There, I said it. In an open forum setting.

I liked Child of Light.

I've seen quite a few reviews spinning around calling this game juvenile, simplistic and downright boring.

I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I loved the art design, the childlike nature of the interactions, the rhyming communications gave an individual feel and I loved the music. I also enjoyed the story-telling, in conversations, the confessions you find and by the cinematics with voice-overs.

Also the length was good for the pricing that they were marketing it at.

What I wish to ascertain is... am I alone in this? (or at least the minority) Because I'm not hearing good feedback around me, but I really enjoyed myself.

Have you played it? If yes, what did you think? If no, why not and do you plan to give it a go?

*Disclaimer: Please mark any spoilers that you delve into; I have dodged the use of any in this opening*

 

[Zhukov]

You say it so defensively. I wasn't aware that that was such a controversial viewpoint.

It reviewed fairly well, so it seems you're in safe territory.

I haven't seen much criticism of it. Yahtzee didn't care for it and a fair few people found the rhyming thing annoying (which I kinda agree with).

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a bit of backlash somewhere down the line. Every game that tries something a bit ambitious or different, that dares to be something other than Stubbly McBuzzcutt Saves The World With Guns will at some point be attacked for being pretentious or some such. Happens like clockwork. Especially when it involves any kind of narrative or theme.

 

[Bombiz]

There, I said it. In an open forum setting.

I liked Child of Light.

I've seen quite a few reviews spinning around calling this game juvenile, simplistic and downright boring.

where are these reviews calling the game " juvenile, simplistic and downright boring".
Cause all i've seen are people praising it like it's the next indie coming. And i'm sure that's not a controversial opinion to hold especially on this forum.

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

You say it so defensively. I wasn't aware that that was such a controversial viewpoint.

It reviewed fairly well, so it seems you're in safe territory.

I haven't seen much criticism of it. Yahtzee didn't care for it and a fair few people found the rhyming thing annoying (which I kinda agree with).

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a bit of backlash somewhere down the line. Every game that tries something a bit ambitious or different, that dares to be something other than Stubbly McBuzzcutt Saves The World With Guns will at some point be attacked for being pretentious or some such. Happens like clockwork. Especially when it involves any kind of narrative or theme.

I've not read many reviews, because I don't really tend to do many.

But it was from the opinions of people I hear a lot, like Yahtzee, who were against it - some a lot moreso than Yahtzee, because his show he has always said is about ridiculing games, even when he enjoys them, so it can be hard to discern whether he disliked something or not.

Perhaps I have overestimated the hate then, but it was just the only voices I was hearing were giving negative feedback and just brushing it to one side, as if it was just a poor game that wasn't really worth talking about.

I thought this was quite sad, because I enjoyed it.

I get that it comes across as childish, but I saw that as part of the aesthetic of the game as well - maybe that is just an excuse for poorer writing - but I thought it worked.

 

[Bombiz]

I've not read many reviews, because I don't really tend to do many.

But it was from the opinions of people I hear a lot, like Yahtzee, who were against it - some a lot moreso than Yahtzee, because his show he has always said is about ridiculing games, even when he enjoys them, so it can be hard to discern whether he disliked something or not.

Perhaps I have overestimated the hate then, but it was just the only voices I was hearing were giving negative feedback and just brushing it to one side, as if it was just a poor game that wasn't really worth talking about.

I thought this was quite sad, because I enjoyed it.

I get that it comes across as childish, but I saw that as part of the aesthetic of the game as well - maybe that is just an excuse for poorer writing - but I thought it worked.

I'll give you some advice. Next time you think a game is being called "juvenile, simplistic and downright boring." look up a lot of reviews before you go posting about how much you like it and how you don't understand why "so many people" are hating on it.

Also it would help if you post that reviewers you listen to/ read.

 

[spartandude]

I've seen nothing but praise for this game. They only reviewer ive seen criticizing it really was Yahtzee, and even then it wasn't that damning.

 

[shrekfan246]

I imagine a lot of other people did as well, considering the average reception it appears to have gathered. In fact, it currently has a slightly higher Metacritic user score than critic score, and Metacritic users are rather notorious for review bombing games over the pettiest, stupidest reasons.

Personally, I watched a few videos of the game and determined that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because of the stilted, forced rhyming. The combat system seemed like it had the potential to get very frustrating, as well. The world and visual aesthetic were fantastic, but it's very rare that that's good enough to pull me through a game.

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

I've not read many reviews, because I don't really tend to do many.

But it was from the opinions of people I hear a lot, like Yahtzee, who were against it - some a lot moreso than Yahtzee, because his show he has always said is about ridiculing games, even when he enjoys them, so it can be hard to discern whether he disliked something or not.

Perhaps I have overestimated the hate then, but it was just the only voices I was hearing were giving negative feedback and just brushing it to one side, as if it was just a poor game that wasn't really worth talking about.

I thought this was quite sad, because I enjoyed it.

I get that it comes across as childish, but I saw that as part of the aesthetic of the game as well - maybe that is just an excuse for poorer writing - but I thought it worked.

I'll give you some advice. Next time you think a game is being called "juvenile, simplistic and downright boring." look up a lot of reviews before you go posting about how much you like it and how you don't understand why "so many people" are hating on it.

Also it would help if you post that reviewers you listen to/ read.

Well my question was around just sourcing people's opinions on it, not asking why I've encountered these bad reviews. I wanted to know what people thought of the game on here, to see what the general opinion people had of it was. I wasn't asking why all reviewers didn't like it. I just said that I'd been hearing bad responses and wanted to know what people thought, as I was currently feeling alone in my opinion.

I believe the review I read was on Edge and I listened to Totalbiscuit and Jesse Cox talk about it on their podcast and both seemed like a pretty 'push it to one side and forget about it' attitude. The latter even went further to suggest it was Ubisoft trying really hard to appear indie and failing, although I didn't include this in my opener, because it isn't where I was interested in centreing the discussion.

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

I imagine a lot of other people did as well, considering the average reception it appears to have gathered. In fact, it currently has a slightly higher Metacritic user score than critic score, and Metacritic users are rather notorious for review bombing games over the pettiest, stupidest reasons.

Personally, I watched a few videos of the game and determined that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because of the stilted, forced rhyming. The combat system seemed like it had the potential to get very frustrating, as well. The world and visual aesthetic were fantastic, but it's very rare that that's good enough to pull me through a game.

If it didn't have the artstyle and approach to telling the narrative, I'm certain I wouldn't of enjoyed it.

I know that's kind of like saying, IF HALF GAME WASN'T THERE ME NO LIKEY, but I think they were key in me enjoying this game. It also fitted into my enjoyment of somewhat generally depressing games.

I also liked the music as well, it was a weird mixture of depressing and soothing at the same time. Like it was trying to be dreamlike, but in a dream where you don't feel like everything is right.

I loved it for these reasons, definitely not the combat. The combat is really simple though, so you kind of just breeze through it a lot of the time. I never lost a fight or even lost a character in a fight, so I wouldn't say that aspect was ever challenging. Didn't even ever use a potion. Very easy.

 

[shrekfan246]

I imagine a lot of other people did as well, considering the average reception it appears to have gathered. In fact, it currently has a slightly higher Metacritic user score than critic score, and Metacritic users are rather notorious for review bombing games over the pettiest, stupidest reasons.

Personally, I watched a few videos of the game and determined that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because of the stilted, forced rhyming. The combat system seemed like it had the potential to get very frustrating, as well. The world and visual aesthetic were fantastic, but it's very rare that that's good enough to pull me through a game.

If it didn't have the artstyle and approach to telling the narrative, I'm certain I wouldn't of enjoyed it.

I know that's kind of like saying, IF HALF GAME WASN'T THERE ME NO LIKEY, but I think they were key in me enjoying this game. It also fitted into my enjoyment of somewhat generally depressing games.

Well, yes, that's where opinions start to come in to play. Some people are going to love the novel approach to storytelling, others aren't.

I can't speak for everyone in a situation like my own, but as a person with an intense interest in writing and making a career out of it, I hold similar views as Yahtzee does - The rhyming was a cute idea, but was too poorly executed. Honestly, in most cases that wouldn't even bother me, I like plenty of games that have terrible writing. But specifically because of how unique Ubisoft tried to make it, it crosses a line into being just cringe-worthy enough that I would never be able to look beyond how awkward every conversation and bit of dialogue sounds.

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

I imagine a lot of other people did as well, considering the average reception it appears to have gathered. In fact, it currently has a slightly higher Metacritic user score than critic score, and Metacritic users are rather notorious for review bombing games over the pettiest, stupidest reasons.

Personally, I watched a few videos of the game and determined that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because of the stilted, forced rhyming. The combat system seemed like it had the potential to get very frustrating, as well. The world and visual aesthetic were fantastic, but it's very rare that that's good enough to pull me through a game.

If it didn't have the artstyle and approach to telling the narrative, I'm certain I wouldn't of enjoyed it.

I know that's kind of like saying, IF HALF GAME WASN'T THERE ME NO LIKEY, but I think they were key in me enjoying this game. It also fitted into my enjoyment of somewhat generally depressing games.

Well, yes, that's where opinions start to come in to play. Some people are going to love the novel approach to storytelling, others aren't.

I can't speak for everyone in a situation like my own, but as a person with an intense interest in writing and making a career out of it, I hold similar views as Yahtzee does - The rhyming was a cute idea, but was too poorly executed. Honestly, in most cases that wouldn't even bother me, I like plenty of games that have terrible writing. But specifically because of how unique Ubisoft tried to make it, it crosses a line into being just cringe-worthy enough that I would never be able to look beyond how awkward every conversation and bit of dialogue sounds.

Well one of the story-telling devices they used was a slightly different take on the 'random lore note' that seems to be making its way in to lots of games now. Like Deadspace information pads you find or Diablo 3 or Bioshock small sound files you find. These kinds of small notes of extra lore and information.

But in Child of Light they are called 'confessions' and you find them floating in the clouds. They are just a single page, but all they contain is a poem. I thought this was a really nice take on it to make it fit into the World they had created. Because it kept to the way people interact in this World, by rhyming, and gave an innovative way to convey extra information around the story.

I really liked that aspect.

I think I justified the bad writing as the whole aesthetic and feel of the game was that it was very childlike, almost like a fairy tale, so it felt like it fit in with that. If it was too clever, it wouldn't of made sense to me. Perhaps this is too easy a get-out clause for less effort in writing, but that's the way I saw it at least. Probably cause I enjoyed it and am making up excuses.

 

[shrekfan246]

Probably cause I enjoyed it and am making up excuses.

Hey, it's fine to like it. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just one guy with another opinion, just like Yahtzee, just like TotalBiscuit, just like Jesse Cox. Plenty of people liked the game just fine, because they didn't have the same problems that we may have had with the presentation or gameplay or whatever else.

I certainly wouldn't say it's a bad game. In fact, I feel I should congratulate Ubisoft on making a game which finally had something that actually made the writer in my head twitch uncontrollably; I can control it pretty well for most games.

 

[Church185]

I enjoyed the game, and I'm pretty sure it's been getting praise from almost everyone...

Yahtzee didn't seem to like it, but that really doesn't say much. He doesn't like anything.

 

[Andy Shandy]

I enjoyed it. The rhyming could switch between endearing and annoying, but it was certainly a very pretty game to look at.

Ending was kinda abrupt though.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It was just completely uneventful to me. I wouldn't say the game is bad, it was just so boring that it absolutely drained me within the first 20 minutes.

It has two very big problems...

1) It's introduced to you as a 2D platformer, but then presents you with turn-based battles. I'm not too kean on turn-based combat (Valkyria Chronicles being the exception), but as long as the characters and the world compensate for it, it's fine. And the world and characters of Child of Light felt very constructed and flat to me. Making the gameplay the only thing that could've given this game some character. But turn-based combat is as dull as it gets.

2) The rhyming was dreadful. I don't mind rhymes or poetry, but this game's writing was just cranked through a rusty rhyme-o-matic with no regard for flow or melody. And worse of all, I had to read it - My brain was bending itself backwards trying to find rhyme or reason within these apparent rhymes.

As for the reception, apart from Zero Punctuation I've only seen reviews tip toe around it, like they weren't allowed to bad mouth it because of its whimsical innocence.

 

[Kricketz]

I think Child of Light is a solid game all-around.

I have read some of the more critical reviews claiming that the constant rhyming tends to get annoying, which I tend to agree with somewhat. I believe it would have been much more effective if only a few of the characters spoke in that manner.

I'm enjoying the turn-based combat with the ability to interrupt enemy attacks. Also the use of Ignatious in combat is a nice touch as well. I've been playing through on expert and I gotta admit combat can be a bit challenging at times, especially since it isn't always obvious what element/type an enemy is at first glace.

The battle theme music is also engaging and catchy. I find myself humming it from time to time.

 

[Eve Charm]

hmm the only other thing I heard which at least when I played it about 2 days after release were the difficulty was badly done. Normal was so easy a baby could do it and hard was at least what I was referred to as RPG hard where get out your grinding bootsor your not going to progress.

Oh and buying gems with rl money, Always a great thing to put in games targeted at kids.

 

[dyre]

Err, what? Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive for the game.

Personally, I loved it. It was aesthetically charming and had a lovely soundtrack and a surprisingly excellent combat system. The rhyming was often ridiculous but I found it easy to forgive that problem simply because the game was so sweet and good-natured. This game has made me realize that it's so much easier to forgive a game's imperfect attempts to make me smile, than to forgive a game's imperfect attempts to be badass or edgy.

captcha: seems legit
Yup, damn right it does.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Is disliking Child of Light a thing?

I mean, it's not like the game is Sonic 06.

I don't see why liking that game would be a strange stance.

 

[Sould1n]

I personally love Child of Light. Admittedly I've yet to finish it, I assume I'm at least past half way given the event that has occurred though I've heard it's a short game so it might be even longer, but Child of Light is easily one of my top 15 favourite video games of all time.

The combat, art style, characters, setting, mechanics; all of it is just amazing. My only real negative concerning the game is it's reliance on auto-save with no decision based save feature. So yeah, I also really like Child of Light, I'm glad to see others do to.