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Aurora from 'Child of Light' is the latest playable character in 'Bloodstained'
The crossover brings Ubisoft's colorful heroine to ArtPlay's gothic universe.
Best of the Rest: Sinan's picks of 2014
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. Dark Souls 2 I've been known to perch on treetops with many a RPG, but even by my standards this was a makeout-heavy year. Four of my five picks are of the role-playing variety, and I've put more than 250 hours into that quartet alone. 2014 was a super-solid time for the genre, and that's evidenced by the sheer range of RPGs in my Best of the Rest. The only place to start this round-up is Drangleic. It was always going to take something truly special for Dark Souls 2 to stay out of its predecessor's shadow, at least for me. We are, after all, talking about following on from my game of the last decade. That proves a challenge too far for From's sequel, despite the many tweaks and additions it brings to the table. Crucially, Dark Souls 2 diminishes that sinking-into-quicksand helplessness, that sense of being lost, in every sense of the word. It is still there, but just that significant bit less so. Yet Dark Souls 2 remains an all-encompassing adventure like few others this year. It draws from both Dark and Demon's Souls to juxtapose a deep, foreboding world against an elegant simplicity of swords, shields, dungeons and big bad monsters. There are more pretenders to the throne now, but Dark Souls 2 still stands out as an idiosyncratic, unpredictable experience. For all my criticisms I plowed at least 100 hours into the world of Drangleic, and I'll be back on the plow when Dark Souls 2 hits PS4 and Xbox One in April.
Ubisoft reports first-quarter growth of 374%, bolstered by Watch Dogs
Ubisoft announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ending on June 30, revealing that it has shipped more than 8 million copies of its hacking-themed sandbox action game Watch Dogs to date. Reporting €360 million (approximately $490 million) in sales for the first quarter of 2014-2015, Ubisoft notes a year-on-year improvement of 374 percent compared to the €76 million recorded for the same quarter last year. The publisher attributes its growth to the release of Watch Dogs and a strong showing in its digital segment with recent games like Valiant Hearts, Child of Light, and Trials Fusion. Ubisoft previously reported a 32 percent jump in year-on-year digital sales for the 2014 fiscal year. More details regarding Ubisoft's first-quarter financial performance will be available soon. [Image: Ubisoft]
Xbox Live discounts Child of Light, Thief this week
Microsoft's Deals with Gold discounts Thief by 40 percent ($35.99) on Xbox One this week. Additionally, both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members can enjoy discounts on Assassin's Creed 4 add-ons on both Xbox One and Xbox 360, getting the game's season pass, Blackbeard's Wrath, Guild of Rogues, Freedom Cry and Illustrious Pirates DLC for 30 percent off each. As for the Xbox 360-specific deals, Gold subscribers can pick up Child of Light at 33 percent off this week ($10.04) as well as Flashback and Cloudberry Kingdom for 67 percent off ($3.29 each). Four games are slashed by 75 percent this week: I Am Alive, From Dust and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger are $3.74 each while Freefall Racers is $2.49. Lastly, both Gold and Silver subscribers can pick up Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 at 67 percent off ($19.79) as well as its World Challenge DLC at half-off ($2.49). All deals are good through next Monday, July 7. [Image: Square Enix]
Shine a Child of Light on Vita this summer
Gorgeous platforming RPG Child of Light is coming to Vita on July 2 in Europe. While there's no word yet from North America, PSN tradition suggests it might hit on July 1. [Update: Sure enough, it's July 1 in North America and digital-only, and the asking price is $15] In the UK the Vita port costs £12 on PSN, and it's also getting a boxed copy that includes all additional content including a bonus quest, a new character, and a collectibles pack. We've confirmed with Ubisoft UK there is no cross-buy or cross-save functionality between the existing PS3 and PS4 versions and the new Vita release. [Image: Ubisoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Child Of Light, Xbox Originals and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. We'll be able to get a social-oriented sci-fi fix in Destiny later this year, complete with flashy superpowers and an arsenal of weaponry that further convinces us of how awesome the future will be. And with Mass Effect undoubtedly coming along and the whole Star Wars thing, it feels like a pretty great time to be a sci-fi fan. Whether you want to watch a saga play out or guide its progression, you'll probably have some great choices consuming your life in the near future. Of course, it's possible that the collective sci-fi genre bores you, which is why we brought you this fresh edition of the Joystiq Weekly. Yes, there's a slew of Destiny-flavored video content, but there's also a glimpse of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, reviews for Child of Light and Mario Golf: World Tour, and an exploration of Microsoft's original content plans for Xbox. You can read up on these stories and more after the break!
Child of Light patch will change difficulty to 'casual,' 'expert'
The difficulty modes in Child of Light will change from "normal" and "hard" to "casual" and "expert" in a coming patch, Writer Jeffrey Yohalem told Joystiq during a livestream. "In a patch that's coming up, we're changing the names to 'casual' and 'expert,'" Yohalem said. "This has been an issue, obviously, that some people have had, and I think that the word 'normal' is a misrepresentation .... Or, rather, implying that there's one way to play that's normal is, I think, too strong."
Joystiq Streams: Child of Light creators talk RPGs [UPDATE: Relive the Stream!]
Jeffrey Yohalem took a big risk with Child of Light. This passion project, told in verse and presented in soft, painterly tones was crafted by a team whose last gig was Far Cry 3. The grand adventure of an Austrian princess trying to get back to her family is a whole lot different than a hallucinatory orgy of violence fighting against tropical island pirates. Hence why we asked Yohalem to come on Joystiq Streams to talk about Child of Light while we play an early chunk of the game. He's also brought some copies of the game to give away to the crowd. Joystiq Streams is playing Child of Light at 4PM EST on Twitch.tv/Joystiq and right here in this post. Come on down to talk to the crew and ask the development team your burning questions about how to get a classical role-playing game made at one of the three biggest game publishers on Earth. Joystiq Streams broadcasts at 4PM EST every Tuesday and Thursday on the Joystiq Twitch channel and right here at Joystiq.com. [Images: Ubisoft]
Child of Light review: Roses are red, violets are blue, this game is okay
It took me several hours to realize what was troubling me about Child of Light. It's a stunning game, with lovely music, endearing characters and complex combat mechanics - in short, a laundry list of RPG aspects that I adore. And yet something was off. I flew, I slew, searched the landscape through and through, and even while I went right on appreciating every aspect of Child of Light's design, I was forced to admit that I wasn't actually enjoying it all that much. At last, somewhere between crafting my umpteenth oculi and listening to yet more awkward rhyming, I figured it out: I didn't care about any of it. Child of Light has a nearly perfect exterior, but it has absolutely no soul.
Peek behind the curtain at Child of Light
Ubisoft's upcoming gorgeous RPG Child of Light launches on April 30 for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. In a new video released by Ubisoft Montreal, the developer allows us to peek behind the curtain and see how the game is progressing. Did we mention it's gorgeous? [Image: Ubisoft]
New Nintendo eShop releases: NES Remix 2, Child of Light, Yoshi's Island GBA
This week's eShop update is a big tease. NES Remix 2? Not out 'til tomorrow. Child of Light? Next week, on April 29. At least you can play Mario Golf: World Tour today - in a demo. As for what's launching today, there's the last of April's Game Boy Advance games in Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, and a few other bits and bobs too - as ever, we've got the full list of new releases after the break. Finally, there's also a new two-week sale on Joindots' games, including Secret Agent Files: Miami and 3D MahJongg. [Image: Ubisoft]
Tour the alluring world of Lemuria in this Child of Light trailer
It's not often we see a video game trailer best described as "enchanting," but if you can come up with a better descriptor for this Child of Light footage without resorting to made up adjectives and giddy swears, we'd like to hear it. [Image: Ubisoft]
Check out the sounds and sights in Ubisoft's upcoming Child of Light
Have you seen Child of Light Ubisoft's platforming RPG? It's coming on April 30 For consoles and PC. If you hadn't already guessed The whole story's told in rhyme Luckily Ubisoft has better poets Than Joystiq does. Check out our preview. [Image: Ubisoft]
Child of Light rhymes fairy tale charms with JRPG arms
Woods darker than night Shadows lost of light. Like its watercolor visuals that flow between foreground shadows, etched lines and background shades, Child of Light is a game of several layers. The first is the painting-like look, rendered by the UbiArt engine that powered Rayman Legends, but peel that back and there's the fairy tale story told comprehensively in rhyme, even down to the most incidental bits of dialogue. Peel another layer and there's the distinct turn-based combat inspired by Japanese role-playing games, and behind that, fairly deep crafting and leveling systems, and even co-op play. I kept peeling through all these layers when I played the first three hours last month, and while a cursory glance might suggest Child of Light is another pretty platformer, the least of the truth is that there's more to it than that. [Images: Ubisoft]
Child of Light behind the scenes
Artistically lush RPG Child of Light is getting ready to glide on in to PC and consoles on April 30. Ubisoft has posted a little behind-the-scenes trailer featuring the game's visual inspiration.
Ubisoft details European exclusive Child of Light Deluxe Edition
When Child of Light, a game that Ubisoft boldly describes as a "poetic turn-based RPG," debuts on April 30 it will be available in two flavors: a digital standard edition and, for those in select regions, the newly-revealed, retail Deluxe Edition. Included in the Deluxe Edition of Child of Light is a poster designed by former Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano, a 24-page art book featuring imagery from the development of Child of Light and a key ring modelled after Igniculus, the game's adorable support character. On the digital side of things, the Deluxe Edition also offers players a new in-game character, an additional quest and "a pack of collectibles." Unfortunately, this attractive promotion includes a number of caveats. First, not all incarnations of Child of Light will receive the Deluxe Edition treatment. Though the digital version of the game will appear on the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, the Deluxe Edition is only available in PC, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 incarnations. Further, the Deluxe Edition will not be released globally, and instead will be available exclusively in European territories. If you're located elsewhere, don't feel too bad. Alongside this announcement, Ubisoft also included the cooperative gameplay trailer you see above as consolation. [Image: Ubisoft]
Watercolor JRPG Child of Light tells its story on April 30
The whimsical Child of Light, inspired by Japanese role-playing games, will launch on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U and PC through Steam on April 30, Ubisoft has announced. The game will be a $15 download across all systems. Child of Light is the product of a small internal team at Ubisoft Montreal headed up by Far Cry 3 Creative Director Patrick Plourde. The story follows a young princess named Aurora who is mysteriously whisked away to the land of Lemuria, where all of its citizens have been turned into crows. Aurora, along with her magical blue orb companion Igniculus, must not only discover what caused this, but find a way to reverse it. Plourde's Child of Light is built entirely in UbiArt Framework, the same engine powering Rayman: Origins and Rayman: Legends. Combat in Child of Light is turn-based and employs a set-up not unlike the Active Time Battle system seen in the Final Fantasy series. There is also a co-op element where a second player can jump in at any time and control Igniculus. [Image: Ubisoft]
Child of Light walkthrough showcases RPG battles, puzzley platforming
Ubisoft shares its first Child of Light gameplay details in the walkthrough video above, giving players an early look at what its creators call a JRPG-inspired "playable poem." Lead programmer Brianna Code notes that Child of Light stands out from other side-scrollers by giving players the ability to fly, leading to new and unique gameplay possibilities. Child of Light's narrative revolves around player choice, and story elements in later chapters are impacted by player decisions in previous scenes. Battles take place as a series of turn-based battles, and players will be able to leave written hints throughout the game for online friends to see, a la Dark Souls. Child of Light is due for release in 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC platforms.
Child of Light is Ubisoft's whimsical ode to JRPGs
Child of Light has its roots in Japanese role-playing games, which creative director Patrick Plourde hopes to honor in his whimsical dream come true. Coming to Xbox 360, Wii U, PS3, PC, Xbox One and PS4, Child of Light focuses on a young princess named Aurora who is whisked away to the kingdom of Lemuria, only to find its inhabitants turned into crows. The girl, along with her mystical blue orb companion, called Igniculus , must discover what has taken the land down a strange path.
Far Cry 3 creative director discusses JRPG-inspired Child of Light
As expected, Far Cry 3 Creative Director Patrick Plourde revealed a few details on his JRPG project Child of Light at GDC Europe. Described as a mix between Limbo and Final Fantasy 6, the game will feature both turn-based combat and side-scrolling gameplay. The Ubi Art Framework will be the foundation of Child of Light, the same engine used for Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. Child of Light will explore a woman's "coming of age" story, using fairy tale-like art inspired by artists such as Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac. While he didn't list which platforms the game will arrive on, Plourde noted it will be downloadable and will not be on mobile devices, nor will it be free to play.
