Week 2: Research (Sky: Children of the Light)

Sky: Children of the Light by Jenova Chen

What is Sky: Children of the Light?

"Embark on an unforgettable social adventure in an ever-changing kingdom of compassion, community, and wonder." - Thatgamecompany

Sky: Children of the Light (2019) is an exploration-based game with 3D animation. The players can play as the children of light (with modifiable physical features) on a quest to "spreading hope through the desolate kingdom to return fallen Stars to their constellations," as described in the game's app store page. There are the total of 7 worlds in the game to explore, each with different features and tones. The game can be single player, but also has a multiplayer component, allowing players to interact with each other and explore the different levels together. Without any voice chat or text box, the game allows the player interact by mechanics like holding hands or giving gifts to each other.

The Design

The low-poly models of the characters and landscapes are reminiscent of Jenova Chen's previous game Journey. The color palette of the game differs throughout the different worlds, however, the presence of glowing lights from the spirits and the players' characters as well as the storytelling graphics reall tied together the game's aesthetic to its name Children of the Light. The overall movement of the player character is very smooth and pleasing to the eye, whether the character is running, gliding, or flying. Another big part of the design seems to be the sound and the music of the game, which sets the tone for each of the world. The music also makes the aesthetic of the game coherent, and even becomes meditative at times.

My thoughts

I think that Sky: Children of the Light is definitely an art game with its attention to the visuals and sounds. More importantly, the way that the player moves around, along with the music, the vast landscape, and the tiny-player-to-vast-landscape ratio really gives a sense of freedom to the game. It seems as if, within the wide world, the player can go and explore anywhere. In addition, I think that the idea of freedom is also present in the multiplayer mechanic, where players can choose to play as a group or break off anytime. The same goes for the communication system for the players. With no words, the actions provided by the game create a friendly atmosphere for the players, because there's no way to do anything harmful. What more, the multiplayer system without worlds allow strangers to play with each other on the same level as friends would, and even people who speak different languages could play together as well.