Patrick Plourde revealed Child of Light to the world just about a month ago at GDC Europe. Everyone was captivated by what little they saw because of Plourde’s inspirations, as well as the game’s unique artistic style.
Ubisoft officially announced Child of Light this morning, giving us more than a tease and a few tidbits. We’ve been offered a small window into the world of Aurora, a little girl with a sword too big to carry, and likely an equal burden to bear. She is the child of the duke of Austria. She somehow finds herself in the land of Lemuria, enjoying the company of a flame-creature of sorts dubbed Igniculus. Her goal is to defeat the Black Queen and find her way home—and the journey she must undergo to do so seems absolutely captivating, to say the least.
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Child of Light has been built with the same engine that powers Ubisoft’s latest Rayman games (UbiArt Framework)—which is to say, the artwork is all hand-drawn and high-definition. The developers have looked to many sources for inspiration regarding the game’s visuals, including opera.
Aurora and Igniculus are but two characters in world inspired by Japanese RPGs, but the text is all in rhyme, so the dialogue will probably be a treat to those with poetic senses. Plenty of puzzles and charming populace no doubt await the game’s heroine. Battle is turn-based and borrows (as well as evolves) conventional Japanese RPG tropes.
Battle seems to be a game of predicting and playing on elemental weaknesses so that Igniculus can aid Aurora. Igniculus himself seems to be a way for a second player to join in on the fun, offering a cooperative mode both in and out of battle.
Child of Light seems built for those heavily inspired by JRPGs, or those looking to embrace this type of game for the very first time. Between elements of poetry and some degree of cooperative play, it seems like something built for all ages and all skill levels.
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But how do you feel about Child of Light? Watch the game’s debut trailer below, and tell us your thoughts. Child of Light will be released for PS3 and XBOX360, as well as PS4, XBOX One, and Wii U in 2014.
