Children of the Sun
Review
A Bloody Puzzler
by Quinn Levandoski
reviewed on PC
A Bloody Puzzler
If you enjoy puzzle games but have always felt that they just aren't violent enough, Children of the Sun is here to fill a void in your gaming library. Publisher Devolver Digital is known for ultra-violent titles like Hotline Miami but developer René Rother's new puzzle shooter is equal parts challenging, disturbing, abstract, and beautiful. The subject matter - a woman whose life was torn apart by a cult and its abusive leader seeks bloody revenge on the whole group - will likely and understandably put some people off, but those tempted to pass should at least consider ignoring the wrapping and enjoying the gift within.
Thirsty For Revenge
Children of the Sun is absolutely drenched in an edgy, Hot Topic aesthetic that's augmented by intentionally simple and - in a way - retro graphics that seem to come straight out of the early 2000s. It's a vibe, and it's matched by The Girl (she isn't given a name), who dons a creepy mask and a massive sniper rifle on her quest to kill The Leader (he also isn't given a name). The story is slim in Children of the Sun, but the gist is that The Girl grew up in a very nasty cult full of very nasty people, which led to the death of her mother and the suicide of her father. Instead of sulking, The Girl decides that revenge is a dish best served one big bullet at a time.
However, the story is never really more specific than that. The basic narrative is laid out in some short, still-frame cutscenes, occasional dialogue via text, and whatever basics can be pieced together from the diverse menagerie of locations present throughout the game. I'd have liked perhaps a pinch more story as the game progresses, but at the end of the day, it's not really needed. As I said before, it's a vibe, and if nothing else, the dark, gritty aesthetic is a unique framework for what ultimately boils down to what could have been a much more standard puzzle game in look and feel.
Every Bullet Counts
Children of the Sun may look like a more traditional third-person shooter in screen-shots, but that couldn't really be further from the truth. The game progresses through a series of isolated locations - ranging from motels to forests to industrial complexes and plenty more. The objective is always simple, and it's always the same: kill all of the cultists. Missions start with The Girl outside the action and given some room to manoeuvre - sometimes, it's only a few yards, and sometimes she can fully circle the environment. The first step is to ping all of the cultists to keep track of targets. Then death comes. The catch? The Girl can only use one bullet in each puzzle.
Of course, that would be nearly impossible with traditional shooter mechanics. Fortunately, The Girl packs a few telekinetic abilities that make her sniper rifle shots capable of clearing out anyone standing in her way. There are three - each simple enough on their own but satisfyingly challenging to use in tandem. The Girl can slightly bend the flight path of bullets (usable at any time), completely redirect bullets mid-air (earned by hitting enemies in glowing weak spots), and speed up bullets to break through armour (which takes space to accelerate). On top of that, every time an enemy dies, the bullet's impact location becomes a new stationary hub from which to "re-fire" the projectile.
There isn't a great amount of enemy diversity, but a few variations on the standard grunts, like cultists with riot shields or heavy armour, do necessitate some careful planning. It's the armoured enemies that cause the most frustration, as the only way to take them out is to fire from a reasonable distance and accelerate the bullet to an armour-piercing threshold. It's really the only thing that isn't black in white in the game, and I did find myself a little frustrated a few times when I thought I was far enough away to hit the required speed but ended up just a hair too short.
Puzzle Quality And Replayability
It's no bold statement to say that puzzle games live or die on the quality of their puzzles, and I'm pretty happy with what Children of the Sun has to offer. Each encounter is a satisfying mix of preparation, scouting, execution, and experimentation is a must to nail just the right combination. Moreover, the focus on leaderboards or each encounter gives people two ways to approach the game. For those simply looking to treat puzzle completion as its own challenge, each encounter is fun enough. However, killing everyone is really only the first step in climbing the online rankings. Points are given for time spent in a map, headshots, extra long shots, using few shots, etc., so it's tempting to keep trying to figure out a better solution once one has been tackled.
How fun that sounds will vary from person to person, though. Scores aren't good for anything but internal bragging rights, as there's no progression system in Children of the Sun and no inherent difference between nailing an absolutely perfect set of shots and being as inefficient as possible. I wouldn't have hated some kind of progression, but I'm also a proponent that a fun game should be its own reward.
Children of the Sun is a game that's probably going to appeal to a different general audience than its visuals may imply, but whether the grungy, ultra-violent visuals seem tempting or it's the unique puzzle mechanics, there's a lot to love. However, it's worth noting that what a player wants out of the game will affect the dollar value of the package. It's possible to plow through the whole thing in a long afternoon, and it's the pursuit of better scores and a higher ranking on each level's leaderboard that adds true longevity.
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8.5
fun score
Pros
Satisfying puzzles, a unique aesthetic, ample replayability
Cons
Armoured enemies can be a bit frustrating, the came could have benefitted from a bit more meat to its narrative.
