Support NeoGAF

[ViviOggi]

Sounds decent but after FC3 I'm very cautious about anything written by Yohalem.

So what difficulty is recommended for the game?

Eurogamer recommends Hard, so I'd go with the highest difficulty availabe.

 

[marrec]

Nothing to do with their criticism. At all.

That's true, though I'm trying to parse their criticism and it's hard to understand what elicited their score. The criticism seems to be "It's too easy" and "It's too complicated" at the same time.

 

[Raven77]

10 hour length sounds perfect. I'm all in on this one.

 

[sflufan]

In short, I give Polygon’s review of Child of Light a 3.5/10. They broke the review embargo (only by an hour or two but still), they complained about problems (lack of depth) that were their own fault (for playing on the easiest mode & not really delving into the game’s systems) and not the game’s, but to their credit, their site is pretty so it wasn’t a complete wash.

Oh my goodness..hahahahha!

 

[illmatic22]

Sounds decent but after FC3 I'm very cautious about anything written by Yohalem.

Eurogamer recommends Hard, so I'd go with the highest difficulty availabe.

Thanks very much.

It's getting reviewed well enough, time to go pre-order

 

[Confused Cheeseburger]

Eurogamer review was really well written. Sold me, but I'm still a little confused about the combat system.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Hmm. Some varied reviews there. My opinion often falls into sync with harsher sites like Edge and Gamecentral, so I will definitely wait and see with this one. Hopefully there will be a demo on PS3.

 

[RoboPlato]

In short, I give Polygon’s review of Child of Light a 3.5/10. They broke the review embargo (only by an hour or two but still), they complained about problems (lack of depth) that were their own fault (for playing on the easiest mode & not really delving into the game’s systems) and not the game’s, but to their credit, their site is pretty so it wasn’t a complete wash.

Oh my goodness..hahahahha!

He hits on a lot of the points that sum up why I usually disagree with Polygon's reviews. It's not so much the scores, but the fact that the justifications for them tend to reflect the reviewers expectations and not the actual content of the game.

 

[Neuromancer]

Robert from Zeboyd Games wrote a review of Polygon's review.

Damn, Gies made to look like an ass yet again.

 

[Ridley327]

Hmm now do I pick it up on PS4 or Wii U...reviews seem generally solid and 10-12 hours sounds just about right.

I'd be surprised if there were any big differences beyond trophies. UbiArt is nothing if not a shining example of platform parity.

 

[bombshell]

None of the review links in the OP works for me.

 

[Beast780]

I preordered this on PS4 a couple days ago. I can't wait to play it.

As for Polygon, their reviews usually suck, but I generally like the other site content they have.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

That Zeboyd review is excellent.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Gameblog: 4.5/5

http://www.gameblog.fr/tests/1919-child-of-light-360-ps3-wii-u-xbox-one-ps4

 

[Banjo-Kazooie]

Damn, Gies made to look like an ass yet again.

$10 says Gies just informed the staff he will be reviewing Cosmic Star Heroine

 

[midasmulligan]

Game length on hard?

 

[Quote]

I preordered this last night. I can't wait to try it for myself. I haven't been following along or know much about it so I hope that helps my experience. I will definitely play it on hard thanks to this thread.

Robert from Zeboyd Games wrote a review of Polygon's review.

 

[BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO]

I thought Gies hated Japanese games. This isn't Japanese but it's inspired by JRPGS(a genre he said he doesn't like).

 

[Instro]

That's true, though I'm trying to parse their criticism and it's hard to understand what elicited their score. The criticism seems to be "It's too easy" and "It's too complicated" at the same time.

There's really a general lack of substance to that review. It mentions some issues that I am concerned about with the game, but it really just glosses over everything and ends abruptly. Disappointing.

 

[Kandinsky]

I'd be surprised if there were any big differences beyond trophies. UbiArt is nothing if not a shining example of platform parity.

1080 Vs 720

 

[breakfuss]

Here's mine --> http://www.rpgsite.net/review/3512-child-of-light-review

I cannot stress this enough. Play on Hard. Normal mode is boring as the game puts too many conveniences in place that remove any semblance of challenge or difficulty. Hard mode is is much better.

Nice review. Thanks for the heads up on the difficulty. I typically don't play on 'hard', but I will give it a go.

 

[ComputerMKII]

These reviews don't talk about the story enough.

Edit:

You won’t find nuanced characters or complex plot developments here. Worst of all, the dialogue is written in rhyme, which is probably supposed to enhance the storybook vibe. The novelty is gone within minutes, but the pattern only gets more annoying during the 10-hour journey. Imagine if, when writing this review, I was more concerned with making my sentences rhyme than articulating my thoughts about the game. The points and intent would get muddy, and that’s the sacrifice Child of Light makes. The overabundance of awkward phrasing and interjections maintains rhyme and rhythm, but at the expense of developing the world and characters

Well, fuck.

 

[Jomjom]

So Gies's defense is that playing on normal is normal so that's why he shouldn't have tried to experience as much as he could to make a more informed review?

 

[breakfuss]

GOD. Really? Why do people give Polygon so much shit? They are one outlet. I am absolutely stoked for this game but don't feel the need to discredit anyone who doesn't feel the same. A 6.5 isn't all that bad (on their scale), anyway.

 

[antitrop]

All over the place! Day 1 and I'll be playing on Hard.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Polygon docking points because reviewer has a shit memory?

I've intentionally kept myself in the dark on this but glad the reviews seem solid. Looking forward to it.

 

[Tripon]

Robert from Zeboyd Games wrote a review of Polygon's review.

This is hilarious, especially since Goes was the one who refused to break embargo for Trials Fusion despite the game coming out a day early.

 

[Ridley327]

1080 Vs 720

Rayman Legends was 1080p on every console it came out on, though.

 

[Resident_UA]

GOD. Really? Why do people give Polygon so much shit? They are one outlet. I am absolutely stoked for this game but don't feel the need to discredit anyone who doesn't feel the same. A 6.5 isn't all that bad (on their scale), anyway.

Because there's no editorial consistency to Polygon reviews. Notice how Eurogamer, Edge, or even Detructoid reviews don't get this response.

 

[Pimpwerx]

I preordered already. Putting that Polygon review at the top is wrong. Looks like they're the exception. That review excerpt also reads like buddy is trying too hard. PEACE.

 

[Maxrunner]

1080 Vs 720

link?

 

[outunderthestars]

In short, I give Polygon’s review of Child of Light a 3.5/10. They broke the review embargo (only by an hour or two but still), they complained about problems (lack of depth) that were their own fault (for playing on the easiest mode & not really delving into the game’s systems) and not the game’s, but to their credit, their site is pretty so it wasn’t a complete wash.

Oh my goodness..hahahahha!

Seriously, at some point we just need to all agree to ignore Gies until he goes away.

 

[Begaria]

Hmm, this difficulty talk reminds me of what happened with TLOU last year when people swore that the game needed to be played on Survival difficulty to truly get the most out of the game. Or with Dust: An Elysian Tail where the game is a breeze on Normal but a bit more intriguing on harder difficulties.

At the very least, Gies should've checked out Hard difficulty. This goes for any reviewer really. You're supposed to be reviewing the game in its entirety to give an informed opinion. If you haven't even checked out how the game performs on various difficulties, how can we take your opinion as completely formed and informative? Ridiculous.

 

[iNvid02]

knowing that you can change the difficulty on the fly certainly changes things, guess getting the review out before the embargo ended was more important.

 

[ReignofSparrows]

I get that reviews are opinions, so I won't say one is "wrong." But sometimes what you based that opinion on can be wrong. The only gaming site I regularly visit is Giant Bomb, and there have been times where one of the guys - usually Brad - will complain about a game not telling the player where to go or something along those lines, when the game did do so right in front of his face. One salient example I can think of was the Puppeteer QL where Brad leaned into the fairy character 'mispronouncing' the main character's name and clung to the idea that it was not intentional because the developers lacked any self-awareness. He refused to believe it could be an intentional joke when it was obvious to everyone, including the others in the QL that he was wrong. Another non-GB example I can think of was Tara Long's (who I think is a great reviewer) Metro review where she thought her flashlight (or something similar, I forget exactly) was bugged rather than not knowing how to charge it.

With Gies, it seems clear he was wrong about the party switching 'in media res,' which regardless of difficulty, would have added depth. I would like to see a world where reviewers acknowledge that they can't always get these things right when they have to review under a time crunch. Related to that, I don't think it's any response to say it's always on the game maker, which is something Mitch Dyer has already started putting forth as a defense of Gies. Games would be neutered if developers had to hand-hold players through every aspect of their games just to avoid reviewers, who are short on time, missing something that could be used as ammunition in a critical review. If anything, blame the review process, but don't put your mistake on the developers as a default.

Last, and unrelated, what is with saying 'in media res' in the first place. I've heard Arthur talk at length about writing with the reader in mind and that kind of terminology is purely masturbatory from that perspective. I hope this phrase doesn't become the new 'ludo-narrative dissonance.'

 

[bombshell]

No surprise he completely missed the point in that Zeboyd dude's critique.

 

[Poetic.Injustice]

None of the review links in the OP works for me.

Fixed that.

 

[Kandinsky]

Rayman Legends was 1080p on every console it came out on, though.

Yeah so?

link?

From the OT.

 

[RMI]

In short, I give Polygon’s review of Child of Light a 3.5/10. They broke the review embargo (only by an hour or two but still), they complained about problems (lack of depth) that were their own fault (for playing on the easiest mode & not really delving into the game’s systems) and not the game’s, but to their credit, their site is pretty so it wasn’t a complete wash.

Oh my goodness..hahahahha!

brutal. Glad Robert called Gies out on his BS. He's such a hack.

 

[Doran902]

Man you guys have a hate on for Polygon. Just read his review and I have no issues with it. He found the combat got boring over time and not having gear or loot made fighting and leveling a chore and unrewarding. Praised the gorgeous art and said the story was cool but could have gone deeper with the characters. Big Whoop. Nothing wrong with those opinions. Not everyone likes the same shit so get over it.

 

[littlegrasshopper]

This is going to be a great week for me. Daylight, Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Child of Light. Knowing me and my love for RPGs ill be playing CoL first. Cant freaking wait!

 

[Ridley327]

Yeah so?

From the OT.

This makes no sense. What is the game doing that the Rayman games aren't that would require a resolution drop?

 

[Einbroch]

While I think Gies has some questionable taste, to call him a hack is quite harsh, unless you actually think he's misleading people.

It's just another review, and after reading it, it makes sense why he didn't like it. If you want to disagree with what he said, that's fine, but read it. He makes valid points that matter to him.

 

[Bronetta]

If you think a game is too easy, why wouldn't you switch to a harder difficulty? Especially when the game gives you the option to do so anytime.

 

[chickdigger802]

idk, i think gies reviewing a game on normal is valid. I pretty much exclusively play games on normal unless reviews or impressions or the devs specifically tell me to play on hard. Games tend to be designed and balanced towards normal and is usually frustratingly hard or easy on other difficulties for me.

 

[notworksafe]

If you think a game is too easy, why wouldn't you switch to a harder difficulty? Especially when the game gives you the option to do so anytime.

Cause then you wouldn't have a reason to bitch and moan. Dude should have tried it out on all available difficulties imo.

 

[iNvid02]

This makes no sense. What is the game doing that the Rayman games aren't that would require a resolution drop?

But Child of Light's real visual prowess lies in the details. "One of the things that cost a lot in CPU is the fluid simulation that we made especially for Aurora's hair," says Plourde.

"We had to manage the overdraw with the textures, but otherwise the game runs at 60fps on all platforms. On the new consoles the resolution is 1080p while its 720p on PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U."

That might not sound like good news for Wii U owners but Plourde believes Nintendo's console will actually be getting the most natural Child of Light experience.
"I think it is best suited for the Wii U because of the GamePad actually," he says. "We are using the touchscreen to control the second character, plus you can play in off-TV mode".

so aurora has tressfx

 

[Aeana]

idk, i think gies reviewing a game on normal is valid. I pretty much exclusively play games on normal unless reviews or impressions or the devs specifically tell me to play on hard.

It's completely valid to review a game on normal. I don't think anybody should object to that. It's called normal for a reason, and it's what most gamers choose in any game.

 

[Noogy]

Hmm, this difficulty talk reminds me of what happened with TLOU last year when people swore that the game needed to be played on Survival difficulty to truly get the most out of the game. Or with Dust: An Elysian Tail where the game is a breeze on Normal but a bit more intriguing on harder difficulties.

Hehe, interesting you bring that up, I had a number of reviews saying Dust was too easy, and later checked to see they were playing on Normal or worst, Casual (where you can't even die).

Super excited for Child of Light. I don't have time for super long or difficult games these days anyway, so it sounds right up my alley. That and it looks lovely.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

Man you guys have a hate on for Polygon. Just read his review and I have no issues with it. He found the combat got boring over time and not having gear or loot made fighting and leveling a chore and unrewarding. Praised the gorgeous art and said the story was cool but could have gone deeper with the characters. Big Whoop. Nothing wrong with those opinions. Not everyone likes the same shit so get over it.

Except one of those opinions is downright factually wrong - there is gear in the game. It's called oculi - they're these gems that you get that can be combined to form new & more powerful gems via the game's crafting system. It's actually a pretty cool system.

Not only that, but there's pseudo-gear in all the stat-up items the game throws at you.

Oh and RPGamer gave it a 5/5 to add to the list: http://rpgamer.com/games/childoflight/childoflight/reviews/childoflightstrev1.html