Child of Light has been developed on Ubisoft's UbiArt Framework, a powerful engine that lets programmers and artists bring their art to life by allowing original concept art to be inserted unedited into the game world. In Child of Light, the effect is that playing becomes akin to stepping into an interactive painting.

Players will uncover mysteries, participate in turn-by-turn combat inspired by classic JRPGs, and explore a mystical kingdom. The game puts players in the shoes of Aurora, a child stolen from her home, who, in her quest to return, must bring back the sun, the moon and the stars held captive by the mysterious Queen of the Night. Helped by her companion Igniculus the firefly and several unlikely allies, Aurora will face her darkest fears, including dragons and other mystical creatures in this modern take on a coming-of-age story.

To help tell the story of Aurora and Lemuria, the Child of Light team enlisted the help of talented Canadian artists Coeur de Pirate to produce the game’s original soundtrack, and le Cirque du Soleil Media, to enhance the sense of theatricality in the game.

To fit the mystical atmosphere of Lemuria, Coeur de Pirate composed an intimate and nostalgic soundtrack that becomes magical with each of Aurora’s adventures. With the support of The Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal-based artist was able to recreate the epic and operatic ambiance of in-game fight sequences.

“Music is one of the most important ways to communicate emotion to players,” said Patrick Plourde, Creative Director, Ubisoft. “The music of Coeur de Pirate is fresh, romantic and optimistic, a perfect match for what we wanted to express with Child of Light. I am extremely honored that she wanted to join us on this adventure.”

By collaborating with Cirque du Soleil Media, the Ubisoft Montreal team benefited from a world-class experience in theatrical realization and costume design, adding an authentic stage direction point of view to the game’s creation. It was the perfect match to expand Child of Light’s extravagant and exotic universe and design.

“Videogames invites players to be immersed in virtual worlds and no one is better to create immersive and magical experiences than the artists of the Cirque du Soleil,” said Patrick Plourde. “So to be able to collaborate with them to achieve Child of Light’s ambition to create a playable poem was a dream come true.”