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- Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America
- Release Date: Jan 22, 2013
Generally favorable reviews- based on 842 Ratings
Positive: 735 out of 842
Mixed: 41 out of 842
Negative: 66 out of 842
Review this game
Nov 8, 2014This game has it all and gives it all to you! It has leveling, It has equipment. It has battles every few seconds, It has an amazing over-world, It has a desert, It has towns. It has an arena, It has a casino, It has summon magic, It has an airship, It has a DRAGON THAT YOU CAN RIDE!, It has side quests, It has bounty hunting, It has famous Japanese artists and musicians on the team, It has alchemy, If you can think of a common JRPG staple, here's Ni no Kuni. If you're a fan of classic, time-consuming, grinding role-playing experiences, you're not going to be disappointed in this game, its just too good!… Expand
Nov 6, 2014This is the best modern JRPG game i have ever played. It's like a mix of Pokemon, Zelda and Final Fantasy!
The story is touching, fantastic animation, matching music, and really fun combat system.
It's a big plus that this game have many different side quests, but some of them can be boring. These alchemy and Derwin quests took so much time, i don't understand why the team needed to do these quests so complicated...
But overall this game is fantastic and challenging on a great way!… Expand
Oct 10, 2014Se da un lato ci sono innumerevoli ragioni per considerare Ni no Kuni un'eccellente JRPG, dall'altro voglio segnalare piccoli ma incisivi "difetti" che non ho gradito. A partire dall'IA degli alleati che più volte si è mostrata inaffidabile e mi ha messo in difficoltà, costringendomi ad intervenire andando a comandare i compagni di Oliver che usavano improbabili e discutibili strategie offensive. Le missioni legate ai cuorinfranti sono ripetitive e noiose a lungo andare. Forse però la cosa che più mi ha dato fastidio è la mancata originalità che gli sviluppatori hanno dimostrato nel copiare il mondo Pokémon. Circa 8 anni fa giocavo con i classici Rosso e Blu su Game Boy. Forte di quei lontani ricordi, ho "odiato" vedere in Ni no Kuni le stesse idee che hanno portato al successo mondiale Satoshi Tajiri, creatore della serie di videogiochi Pokémon. Per questa serie di ragioni non valuto Ni no Kuni come meriterebbe per il lavoro svolto dallo Studio Ghibli, che mi ha sorpreso ed emozionato sino alla fine, con l'appassionante storia di Oliver.… Expand
Oct 6, 2014For fans of Studio Gibli or JRPG's overall this is a must-have title. If you get bored with any one aspect of the game there's always something else that will keep you going.
Gameplay: The gameplay of Ni No Kuni is great. The only real downside it has is the combat controles. These let you scroll through menu's in real-time combat with enemies at your heels. This feature can be frustrating, especially against bosses with devestating attacks. The AI on the other characters you're not controlling is simply horrible and the overall attack and overall defend commands can be clunky. Once you get used to this though, it's very workable and after a while I found I didn't notice it as much.
Graphics: Studio Gibli and Level 5 did a fantastic job on this. The game looks amazing in it's own cell-shaded like way. The cutscenes in between are a treat, even though they get rare after the start. The atmosphere is thick and sugary and fits perfectly. The characters in this world are exactly what you expect and range from overzealous to downright weird, mun. It's a perfect combination of character design, graphics and music.
Replayability: This game kept me going and going for around 60 hours and still there's plenty of stuff I could be doing. In this case I wouldn't call it "replayability" but this game has one long breath. I feel enticed to keep collecting familiar's, grind materials for making items (alchemy) and completing all other challenge grinds this game offers. Anyone trying to fully complete this game will most likely enjoy every step along the way (or live a life void of any kind of happiness).
Conclusion: This game is worth the price it was when it came out. For anything under 50 euro's/dollars I'd say this is well worth the money. Buy this if you don't mind mucking about for a couple of hours to get the combat system down for a great story and a great experience. The only reason you should leave this game is if you utterly hate JRPG's (mostly due to the farming).… Expand
Sep 9, 2014A really awesome game. It looks like it is made for children but it is not. The game deals with some sad and depressing issues. Overall the whole game / game world is created with a lot of love and care. The story is engaging and the characters are well written with clear and believable motivations. I wished that Square Enix put the same amount of care in their games. Also there are lot of side quests / optional activities which gave me a total playtime of 60 hours. It is slightly below 10/10 but it is a must have game for PS 3.… Expand
Jul 20, 2014I found this game remarkably tedious, even for a JRPG. Picture: running errands all day, only with Pokemon. Take my experience with a grain of salt, as I became too bored to finish the game. Many people love it, but I found the game lacking "wow" moments.
Jun 24, 2014I picked up this game just on a hope that LEVEL 5 was back to making good games and that Studio Ghibli's involvement was a blessing. I was completely correct.
As soon as I started playing and watching the cutscenes I noticed the Ghibli flare. Everything about it screamed Ghibli from the art style to the voice acting, but I didn't think that could keep up in the gameplay. Boy did it ever, everything from the buildings to the ground to the sky looks hand drawn and onderful. Especially when you are exploring the hometown and cities throughout the game.
Once I delved into gameplay I noticed it was similar to Pokemon, but an added twist. It was more complex to me in a way, but also very relaxing. I spent almost a hundred hours playing this game and not for one second did it feel repetitive or boring.
The story is pretty unique, I mean the characters are very set and standard but the way it unfolds is entirely it's own. This game was never too hard either, there was only one time I felt a little baffled as to why I couldn't beat someone and that was one of the hardest enemies in the game.
The game doesn't feel childish either, just like Ghibli films, it evokes a sense of wonder and awe. I really don't know what else to say about this game, the gameplay, style, atmosphere, art, story, characters are all just great! It reminds me of my childhood as well, which is extremely inviting because not many things can. Buy this if you are open to new concepts, but in at the same time familiar that are set in a wonderful world!… Expand
Jun 22, 2014Despite the controversy with Namco and the wizards edition scandal, and having to wait two years for a proper English port of the game, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch arrives! The game came out early in 2013, finally got the time to actually sit down and put in 50 hours of time to beat the game, which is standard at this point for JRPGs. Ni No Kuni has a mixture of emotions from gamers. Seems to vary between people loving the game naming it one of the best JRPGs they have ever played, or others just thinking it is an okay game. Haven't come across anyone who passionately despises the game yet though.
Ni No Kuni is based on a story where a young lad name Oliver comes across a pretty serious tragedy that changes his life. Oliver then goes to another world in which he hopes to reverse the tragedy that has happened in his world there, while also helping this other world with the perils it is going through. Pretty standard for JRPGs if you ask me, boy has to save the world from big bad evil and spoiler alert, he needs to have some big bad weapon to do it. However, there isn't anything wrong with staying with the standards set of blueprints of typical JRPGs, and in fact Ni No Kuni's story is one of thee best if not thee best part of the game. The story is a story we can all relate to, and may even give some nostalgic memories of childhood with dare I use the word "cute". Despite Ni No Kuni being cute, it is no kids game. In fact, the story is actually rather dark and sinister. In addition, the story has some interesting twists, some that I didn't really fully suspect until right before the end. The side stories of the various side characters "Drippy, Swaine, and Esther" are also very well written, and there are even more side stories than that! The voice acting dialog and writing of the game are top-notch, and at points funny with characters like Drippy and Swaine.
So the story is good, it should be something you expect from a solid RPG honestly. How about the gameplay? It is very similar, if not an extensive rip off of Pokemon. You catch familiars "Pokemon" train them and evolve them with large amounts of sweets and then fight with them. It is quite surprising that all my familiars did not end up with type two diabetes by the end of the game, because holy **** eating 10 sundaes, chocolate bars, ice creams, pies, or cakes will never end well. Not to mention, the whole concept of leveling your characters with these damn sweets is awfully tedious and time-consuming to give them the treats one by one. Course, you could just give them the sweets that have more fullness, but I have other things to buy then just making these sweets to evolve them. It got to a point where I just stopped evolving them because the whole task just got so cumbersome and took forever. Despite barely evolving them, the game was very easy. I only had some troubles with about one to three of the regular bosses, and then had quite some trouble with the very last boss. Other than that, I played the entire game on normal and had no problems doing much of anything. About half way through the game, you get a spell called travel that makes matters only worst for the games difficulty. Essentially, travel is the fast travel of Ni No Kuni. Once I got travel, the game went so much faster, which was something it didn't need because it was pretty damn easy already. Others have claimed they never had enough MP or always ran out, and for some reason caffeine must be scarce because Coffee costs a fortune at 1,000G or so eventually. I never really used the spells, and still had no problem. The one I did was Oliver's healing touch, and that only took 3 MP per cast. There is a whole thought out system of weaknesses and strategy and all set for you, but didn't use any of it as I didn't need to. Many people I have seen complain about the battle system and the battle UI. I had no problem with it, and quite frankly liked the battle UI.
The second complaint I had with the game was the whole concept of errands. All the errands and such are repetitive, to the point where they use the same characters. Most of them involve finding someone with a broken heart and then mending their heart. I don't really want to explain the whole concept of the hearts, but essentially it is a "take this from this person to this person" type of situation. At first, they had some variety in Ding Dong Dell with errands, and then post-completion they had the variety they needed during the game all along! Errands however, are still worth doing despite being awfully linear and boring, as they remove the grind from the game "for the most part, I still did some grinding at the end", give you the majority of your funds, and supply you with neat bonus attributes by turning in your merit cards you earn from doing errands for a reward of attributes that may boost the xp gained per battle to boost the loot of battles and much more.… Expand
Jun 13, 2014Ni no kuni es un buen RPG con unos valores altos de producción. Como en algunas películas del estudio Ghibli, peca de tener tramas sosas que son sólo un conducto para mostrar la belleza de la pincelada y el arte visual de este equipo. La trama se me antoja muy infantil, hasta el punto de perder el interés. Y lo mismo ocurre con los combates y los mini pokemons que usamos para pelear. Termina siendo todo un poco ñoño. Es una pena que el estudio no haya elegido un estilo más parecido al de la Princesa Mononoke por ejemplo, porque estaríamos hablando seguramente de un RPG épico.… Expand
Jun 4, 2014If you're into time consuming JRPGs this game is right up your alley. The world map is huge (although it takes a good amount of time to get the fast travel spell). There is so much to see and do, and the combat system is really unique. For PS3 owners who love a huge game to dig their teeth into, Ni No Kuni is a must-have.
Jun 4, 2014I can't give it a fair review because honestly I stopped playing very early(within 3 hours). However, there is nothing horrible about this game but EVERYTHING IS EXCELLENT!!!
1)Remember the RPGs of the 1990s? Chrono trigger, Secret of Mana, Shining Force? etc etc THIS GAME BRINGS LOVE AND PASSION BACK INTO THESE GAMES!!
2)Combining epic Movie studio + love for old school rpgs = 10/10 for me.
3)The bad Part that made me quit? The Theme was too childish.
I give it a 8/10 because the positive overshadows the negative.… Expand
May 27, 2014Played it for a long hours and I've finally realised what's the problem with this game. Two words: target audience. This game's themes can be a great story for a kid - you know - bright colours, soft language, possibility of raising your own pokemons. That's absolutely not a bad thing but I became tired of it eventually, the bad thing is a difficulty level/lots of difficult text which will be too challenging for a kid. Basically it's a family game - I'm sure I'll give it a go when I'll have kids so I can help it on difficulty spikes but if you've no kids and you're older than 12 years old I don't think there will be much to hold you in front of a screen for long. If you ask why I played for long if I don't like the game I can answer that I've forced myself to play to give it a chance. One day I'll update this review after playing with kids and we'll see if I've changed my mind.… Expand
May 4, 2014After beating the game i have mixed feelings - on one hand this game is classic jrpg with beautiful world and gorgeous music. On the other hand - the plot is so dumb, too childish and unoriginal there is no single point in the game where player may feel any intrigue - it is all clear what will happen next.
There is also a big problem in a gameplay balance. I've beaten final boss on lvl40 and it was not hard, actually every boss in the game wasn't hard to beat at all, even though i spent zero time grinding levels BUT, the regular mobs at the same time can drain all your mana in single battle, leaving you exausted for upcoming mobs in the dungeons. So, 90% of the time i've just ignored all the regular mobs and rushed through the bosses. And it is not very fun, if you are not willing to grind. On the other hand again, if you grind on regular mobs - the bosses become so damn easy to beat that it breaks all the fun even more.… Expand
May 2, 2014This game gets bonus points for not having every single character being a spiky haired whiny little b*tch. Kudos there, I guess. Starts off a bit slow as far as opening up the combat, but once it does it is a fun ride. The cartoon graphics are sharp and the writing is better and more touching than your standard cliche' and/or nonsensical sh*tty RPG affair. If you like RPGs, certainly give it a shot. 8.75 rounded up 9.… Expand
Apr 20, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's been a while since I've played game I've enjoyed so much. I put this in my gamefly just based on ratings. It wasn't even one of my higher rated games but they sent it to me anyways. I wasn't too happy when I first started playing it but as I progressed, I fell in love rather quickly.
The game play is phenomenal from the battles, to the errands, to capturing different familiars. Each area is varied with different familiars to collect and different bosses to fight. I can't really put to words how amazing this game is. The story makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside and the characters keep you entertained. Classic, old school JRPG. The game has a pokemon type feel to it where you can explore many different areas and capture different monsters.
There is one thing I found annoying, however, in this game. When you are in a battle and cast a spell, it can get canceled if an opponent or one of your teammates cast a quicker spell (spells with cutscenes). Very annoying when you are trying to steal items. Otherwise this game is as close to perfect and polished as any game you will play. PICK IT UP AND ENJOY!… Expand
Mar 24, 2014It's just so perfect, pretty much to PS3 what Dragon Quest VIII was to PS2. Exploration, catching monsters, gorgeous graphics, charming, brilliant story. Studio Ghibli makes awe inspiring films, I hope they'll make many more gems such as this game, as the line between movies and interactive games continues to blur.
Mar 23, 2014Really addictive JRPG. However the story and sidequests are really childish but everything else is top notch. The combat feels great and the monster capture will keep you playing for a while !
Mar 1, 2014By all appearances, I should love this game. It has an endearing personality, has elements of classic RPGs, and the combat is reminiscent of Pokemon. I really wanted to like this game. I rarely quit games, but after about 17 hours into the game, I cannot go further.
I'll begin with the obvious strength of Ni No Kuni. The overall presentation of the game is phenomenal. The menus are slick, the music is top-notch, and the writing is witty. The game does come off as childish, but I thought it added much to its own personality.
However, once the smoke clears and the reality sets in, I started to realize many of the games shortcomings. First, the beginning of the game is excruciatingly boring. The beginning is riddled with cutscenes, hand-holding gameplay, basic combat, etc. It isn't until about 6 hours in until the game begins to pick up.
The game has two glaring flaws, the story and the combat. The story begins as a heartwarming tale of a son trying to save his mother. Aside from that, there isn't much meat to the story. The characters aside from your trusty sidekick Drippy are extremely bland and one-dimensional. The combat borrows much from that of Pokemon, but lacks any of the fun strategy elements of the Pokemon games. There is a lot of just mashing the attack button during the wild battles. Many of the combat's problems are more noticeable during boss battles. While it's nice that not two boss battles are alike, about half of the boss battles are very difficult because the game randomly spikes the difficulty forcing you to level up your characters, which ruins much of the game's continuity. The combat has too many menus, so you'll find yourself getting pummeled while trying to find that one attack. Additionally, your party AI is unbelievably bad. They don't defend. They always waste their MP immediately even after changing Tactics. This can make the battles incredibly frustrating.
The game's fun comes from sidequests. It is fun to explore and their Merit System is one of the best sidequest systems I've played. You can use your sidequest successes to purchase helpful aids that will help in the main storyline. While the sidequests are fun, the main story is incredibly shallow. There is a ton of handholding and a lot of unnecessary dialogue.
Overall, I found its flaws too much to continue and Ni No Kuni is one of the most disappointing games I've played in awhile.… Expand
Feb 13, 2014First platinated game in my career, a stunning work, a piece of art, the only bad part is the IA, bad bad IA system, not only for foes. but the vote is still 10/10 for me.
Feb 12, 2014The worst AI to grace a video game in at least the past decade ruins what would otherwise be a fantastic story with memorable characters. The greatest challenge you'll face in this game involves getting your AI team-mates to co-operate and act according to the vague tactics you select for them. Boss battles come down to winning or losing based on your ability to outrun your own companions and get a golden orb before they can waste it.
The only thing worse than a genuinely bad game, is what could easily have been an incredible game ruined by one core aspect of the gameplay.… Expand
Feb 11, 2014I have just signed up to Metacritic to say my bit on this game. So i can watch most types of movies, play games etc and mostly ignore preconceptions based on others opinions, but i can honestly say, i feel like i was a child playing game. All the way from having my hand held through even the most simplest tasks, the awful linear way the gameplay is formulated to the boring, slightly (well, mostly) frustrating battle system. I read a fair amount of reviews from all you people and generally accepted that it's not for everyone and some are far more particular about what they are looking for in a game. I know, or even care, little for some of the things that piss people off in games. but i feel cheated by this one. Nothing was AMAZING to me. It looks good, the music is nice, the constant text boxes, the slow interactions got to me. I feel better about writing this now, haha. I'm going to delete this game from my memory and hard drive and go back to FFX.… Expand
Feb 8, 2014Ideal para jugar con un pequeño a tu lado, es como una pelicula de los estudios ghibli, no hace falta casi subir de nivel, farmear, que no lo soporto, todo radica en tu habilidad para combinar tus personajes, hechizos... Y bueno, es que es precioso, para llorar.
Feb 1, 2014I had never really been a fan of JRPG's until I played Ni No Kuni. I was interested in the game due to the affiliation with Studio Ghibli (who I am a massive fan of). From the moment the game loads up and the title screen appears accompanied by the magical soundtrack composed by Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi , you can tell this game is going to be special.
The story follows Oliver who along with his Fairy companion Mr Drippy (a creature with a lantern attached to his long nose and a Welsh accent) as they travel to Mr Drippy's world on a quest to save Oliver's Mother from the White Witch and her second in command Shadar. Along the way they meet a cast of colourful characters, allies and enemies across a massive world, towns and many challenging dungeons. The combat is tight and works perfectly. The battles are fun and at times extremely challenging. They play out kind of like Pokemon battles as you collect creatures called familiars who you can level up and use in battle. There are many to find and tame across the world.
The game has a terrific story quest which is exciting, funny and sometimes extremely moving. The end had me and my seven year old Daughter in tears. The bosses are imaginative and really fun to beat. And the cut scenes are beautifully drawn.
The biggest joy for me was wondering around a world straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. The graphics are absolutely beautiful. The attention to detail makes you feel as if you really are in another world. The soundtrack throughout is stunning. The game takes around 100 plus hours to complete and do all side quests and bounty hunts. By completing these you are heavily rewarded. And even after the main story is completed you still have tons to do.
I could go on and on about how genius this game is. Just play it, you will not be disappointed. I really hope there is a follow up or a re-release on the PS4. This game is truly magical. It is a great memory to share with my daughter and we still go back and play hunting for Toko Toko and levelling up familiars even though we have beaten the whole game.
A true masterpiece.… Expand
Jan 27, 2014Although I haven't played this game to the end, I must say that this is an extremely good game! So far I have played a little over seven hours, and that time has just passed by as if it was only an hour. Firstly, the graphics are perhaps not over the top, but the artistic value of this game makes everything worthwhile. Second, the story and the lore of the game is something that I fall deep into every time I open the in-game book and I can easily use 30 minutes in there. Thirdly, the gameplay in itself is perhaps not as original as one could hope for. But, if you like Pokemon and Spirited Away you're gonna love this game.
All this together makes an experience that is so extremely refreshing and entertaining. I can't stop playing this game and I actually have to set an alarm for when I need to stop playing (sic!). I would recommend this game to everyone; kids as well as adults!!!… Expand
Jan 27, 2014Okay, to start off, Ni No Kuni is an amazing game...for the genre. It's one of those games that is really hit or miss depending on your gameplay preference. For a JRPG, it's visually stunning and truly brings what. Studio Ghibli has generously offered for years, which is a little special attachment you feel with the characters . The story is well written, though some aspects of it are childish and the game seems childish . For example, your main partner pretty much walks you through the same things (only some things ) endlessly. As for some who say they don't like the gameplay, it is not a fast paced action FPS. It's a JRPG, like FF. If you liked Final Fantasy or still do, this games play style will really speak to you. On to the actual game play review : It's an enclosed area that throws you and an opponent into a fight and it really has no super hard tactics. You can have up to three Familiars, which are beasts who you can eventually collect. Your human partners are not the brightest and as stated before, do not defend. Your MP ( magic or mana points and HP (health points) are critically the heart of all battle systems. If you play as the main character and run out of MP against a hard boss and you're done. But I think this adds to the difficulty and satisfaction of finally beating that one boss you're stuck on. Most games today are missing that feeling of childhood innocence and some difficulty. The music and monsters alone are enough for anyone to fall in love , and with anime cutscenes you can't really get much more Ghibli in a game. All in all , this may seem like a game for around ten and under, but it really can be enjoyed by anyone. With some minor profanity in the Japanese subtitles, it may seem offensive to some parents. It isn't bad though, and I doubt the English dubbed version has swearing . But this game doesn't need blood or swearing to make it fun, and I love it . So for any. JRpG fans or newcomers, I highly recommend this and for its in depth story, soundtrack , traditional gameplay , and moving characters .… Expand
Jan 24, 2014This is my honest review of Ni No Kuni. All my other reviews used to be really long but Metacritic's maximum text limits me. I haven't finished the game yet but I am roughly pass half of the game. Pros: - The gameplay has some depth to it( It's pokemon that is done right) - The visuals are great giving out that Level 5 feeling to it with Studio Ghibli's legendary animations. - The music is absolutely fantastic. I expect no less from Joe Hisashi.
- beautiful backgrounds and world. Each place is great and the music helped fuel the imagination.
- The predictable and simple plot. I could tell what the was going to happen before anything happened.
- The combat UI is not intuitive, It was quite frustrating even worse when you receive the next party member. The fact that you get party commands late in the game is unacceptable. Made boss fights frustrating because your A.I teammates were pretty dumb. Plus some monsters were missing abilities or out-of-place abilities like evade or block.
- Metamorphosis lowers your monster to level 1, this is dumb and causes more grinding Text dialogue is fine to use but make it consistent and this case it was lazy. Text dialogue should only be used as when talking with locals or accepting quests, voiced should be only for story dialogues. Animated cut scenes are too short and cut off really abruptly making it look awkward.
Okay I might have more Cons than Pros. You might think I hate this game but I don't. I really enjoyed playing it, and I am already use to the JRPG formula so I didn't have too much problem with grinding. If you hate JRPG then this won't really win you over unless you just want to see Studio Ghibli's animated works. But if you like both JRPG and Studio Ghibli then pick this up, the gameplay is pretty good. This is one of my favourite JRPG games with games like Persona 4 Golden, Final Fantasy X. It just has weird questionable design choices; it is visually appealing but mechanically unappealing .… Expand
Jan 22, 2014Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch brings back the old and familiar elements of the RPG genre and puts a coat of new and refreshing paint on it. The story of Oliver going to another world to find a way to bring his mom back to life is a touching and inspiring story for the game. You meet a lot of interesting characters on the way, but the most interesting of the bunch is the first one you meet in the game, Drippy. The game play is 100% a turned-based RPG with a little Pokemon mixed in. You go around the world doing missions, fighting enemies, and collecting familiars to fight along side you on your journey. The game might seem easy at first, but you might need to level grind every once in a while. The game is also really long, if you want to see everything the game has to offer, it is around 60 hours of RPG goodness. The graphics and art style of the game are its unique qualities and stand out against the other RPGs that come out today. Especially the animated cut scenes are beautiful and I wish there were more in the game. Ni No Kuni brought me back to my younger self when I played games and all the joys of just exploring a wonderfully crafted world and having fun.… Expand
Jan 15, 2014The only thing keeping this game from being a perfect 10 is the fact that your party AI is atrocious, and will get you killed through means outside of your control. That's the most frustrating experience in the game, but fortunately, you can usually solo your way through tough fights if you're good enough, making the problem negligible in the grand scheme of things.
Otherwise, it's a modern masterpiece. Far superior to the Final Fantasies of today--it's as though the torch has been passed, and all it took was a fresh set of eyes and hands to produce the kinds of games that we thought could never be again.… Expand
Jan 2, 2014I'd give this a 9 but thought I should balance out the 0's. The game is great. Like many have stated, the main downside is the terrible human companion AI, but really, it only bothered me slightly.
Love the story, the art style, and the gameplay. Easily in my top 5 JRPG's.
Dec 30, 2013Game: Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch Genre: RPG Developer: Level 5/Studio Ghibli System: Playstation 3 (PS3) Total Score: 85/100 Value Score: 8.5/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 7/10 • GamePlay: 6/10 • Graphics: 10/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 5/10 • Player Value: 7/10 Pros +Great well made story with a lot of cliches that were actually well done and werent awkward
+Colorful cast of main characters
+A lot of different gameplay mechanics not often seen in RPGs. Magical system is one of the best seen in RPGs.
+A lot of additional non-story things to do such as the casino, the coliseum, etc.
+Studio Ghibli making the art style and design makes this game a beautiful masterpiece
+Voice acting was well made along with the sound effects well done
+Musical score is as amazing as the art style and design
+Lengthy storyline
-AI is terrible, they dont even defend and sometimes they stop using their familiars even if they have a reserve.
-Strategy Tactics are pretty much useless, you'll be focusing more on All Out Attack or All Out Defense.
-Familiar choices are limited, stale and repetitive
-Too many fetch quests and walking back and forth
- Unsure whether it was intentional or not but there are horrible delays when using items and sometimes the characters and their familiars stop (uncommon though).
-A Common issue seen in most RPGs that use action RPG elements is the fact that sometimes familiars/characters attack or use a item but it sometimes do not go through or miss completely.… Expand
Dec 28, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played it for about 6-8hours, something like that, and I must say, this is one great RPG. I have a few issues with it though: The respawning of enemies will end up sending you into a lot of fights you would rather not have, especially in the beginning, and it can be quite tedious, they should either remove the respawn or lengthen it considerably, for my taste. The abilities you use in the world, outside combat, are all cool and I like the ideas behind the spells and abilities, but, at this point, it feels like they are too coincidental (oh this dude needs some enthusiasm, oh look there is someone right next to the person with alot of it), and that kind of diminish the feel of it a bit.
Also the Gateway spell seems weird, in the beginning it is stated that it needs a lot of space to be cast, but after the first time you can pretty much cast it anywhere you want (haven't cast it anywhere yet where I was told it wouldn't work).
Could do with some more voice acting, the ticking sound of the letters being typed in accordance with the characters mimicking the words is annoying, would be preferrable if it all was voice acted. The voice acting when it is there, is excellent.
The graphics are good technically, it is definitely not an ugly gem, but the true pleasure comes from the games aesthetics. If you miss the old hand drawn cartoons and would like to play a game that look hand drawn, this is it. I for one find this very charming, and very different.
I hear that it is very long, and I dont think im even 10% through it yet, so you will definitely get your moneys worth of entertainment. Story wise it seems, so far, to be a pearl, so that will keep you entertained throughout.… Expand
Dec 27, 2013Amazing game! Beautiful graphics, great music and interesting storyline. I'm really happy that you can choose original voice acting in japanese. Love it~!
Dec 25, 2013I'm a mid-twenties man who just emerged from forty hours in Ni No Kuni. If I was ten years younger and it was my first JRPG, it might well have been the best game ever. But there is so much grinding, so many elements I've seen exactly like this before. The first two hours introduced the story magically, touchingly, worthwhile-y, but were also way too easy. The battles became hard during the game, and even on the easiest difficulty, I had plenty of challenge. The 'Pokemon' aspect seems like a gimmick for much of the game, but when you play quests that ask you to find specific monsters, it makes a whole lotta sense. The environments are not very lively, since apparently they were designed to fit on a Nintendo 3DS cartridge or something. So it's definitely not a system-stretcher. But I loved the story, I loved how it taught morales every few hours and contained a lot of (common) wisdom in the greater theme. I loved the translation work, where especially "flipping" has become my new favorite alternative to 'freaking', or 'f***ing'... The meow-ifications of the cats' vocabulary, and the extreme amount of puns (the skeletons that say "having the time of my death" etc) were absolutely wonderful. Scenery and places and characters are all Ghibli magic. The only thing that weighs the title down is the triviality of the grinding/travelling, and how many elements are lifted from earlier titles of the genre. Still, what a wonderful game, at places! It's a true adventure of rich imagination. Too bad the game mechanics aren't as imaginative.… Expand
Dec 20, 2013One of the best RPGs that I have ever played. Ni no Kuni is a beautiful mixture of the traditional JRPG combined with gorgeous graphics, a wonderful story, interesting cast of characters and thoughtful gameplay.
Dec 8, 2013For RPG fans this game is a must. Superb visuals and music, very charming and special. The characters are fun and the main character is just cute. Only drawback, like every RPG game, is the combat grinding. But that's the whole point, so get this game if you like games like Persona 4.
Oh, and the British accent is weird but at least humorous.
Dec 7, 2013A masterpiece of story telling. It provides a dash of unique gameplay with a solid base rpg we all know and love. When i started playing this my mind went wild as if i was a kid again exploring a new land with new people. The only things I can see them improving is adding a skip battle scenes and victory dances because it can be annoying if you just like to kill stuff. All that aside it still is better than any game i've played this year... The artwork/graphics is just simply amazing and such a pleasure to watch I do not know how many people have walked by and are like what are you watching. It's very hard to bring cartoons into gaming but Ni no kuni seems to do it flawlessly and to that it deserves a perfect score.… Expand
Dec 5, 2013When you pick up ni no kuni for the first time you don't know what to expect, a childish pokemon remake?, a repetitive Jrpg?, Or a generation defining game with depth and beauty to spare?
Well if you haven't already played it, it's the latter.
I Loved this game, I wish i could give it a higher rating then 10 to set it apart from the other tens I've given.
Prepare yourself to be immersed In ni no kuni's rich story and game play, as this game takes you to worlds you could never imagine.
The length of this game is nothing to scoff at with the main story easily taken upward of 40 hours and with side quests bringing that upwards of 100.
If you have patience and appreciate story and artistic design ni no kuni is a game that you'll regret to miss.
And now only $10 Usd on the psn store you have no excuse to delay playing this wonderful game!… Expand
Nov 22, 2013So amazing in so many ways. First of all, the soundtrack is divine, the best one I've ever listened to in a game. Also, the art direction is mind blowing, the Gibli's work is phenomenal. The gameplay is also very enjoyable and in certain aspects very original with the monster taming and evolving mechanics. At last, the storytelling, althought very simple and childish, kept me deeply interested in the plot and also the memorable characters. Playing this game was a heart-mending experience which I will carry in my thoughts for years to come.… Expand
Nov 20, 2013Un grandísimo juego, el mejor de rol, duradero, divertido y entusiasmante. Engancha de principio a fin y es el único juego de rol wue recomendaría. Como todos los juegos también tiene fallos y errores, entre ellos: se vuelve repetitivo estar siempre luchando. La trama esta muy bien ambientada, pero como dije, a lo largo del juego te aburre estar siempre luchando.
Nov 10, 2013I just bought this game from psn, and played a few hours, but i can certainly tell you that this is the best jrpg, of this gen, magical and emotional history, super graphic quality, and you always want to play more and more, not like other new games that if you finish a chapter wanna go to sleep, the sense of magic with the magisterial music of japan symphony, if you love the true feeling of games this is your true election… Expand
Nov 8, 2013The beauty of Ni No Kuni isn't that it does anything new or original, but the charm it gives off as you play. This game is based on the art style and story telling of a brilliant Anime company who can do no wrong.
The result is a game which has quite a deep and emotional storyline as a young child tries to cope with the death of his mother. But all this is surrounded by amazing visuals, easy controls, a fun (but challenging) fighting mechanism and a game full of content.
The best way to describe the game is like a living, breathing anime film which plays very much like Pokemon. The key to the game is the idea of using familiars to fight a long side you and you're two companions, and you can capture and train them up.
This game is essentially what Pokemon SHOULD be now!
The game can take a while to truly dig everything out; it can be a good few hours before you actually unlock some very useful abilities and a good few more hours before you get a boat and a dragon to fly around on (which make life a lot easier).
But outside of that small issue, this game is just so much fun and refreshing. A game which isn't all violence and swearing and aggression and has a real, emotional story behind it.… Expand
Nov 4, 2013A strong heart felt introduction that wanes over time with it's repetitious gameplay, lack of any challenge, and weak story telling left me dissatisfied.
I came in excited about collecting, and creating a perfect monster team to battle my foes. I understood that there wasn't any multiplayer, so I expected the real challenge to appear in the single player, that never came. I ended up putting little thought to my team as it was ridiculously easy to over level and wipe out anything in my path by sitting on my couch continuously hitting a single button while surfing on my iPhone.
Well what about the story, it was co-developed by Studio Ghibli, the studio that delivered Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away just to name a couple. The start of the game kept me hooked with it's heart-felt story telling. As the game progressed, there was a noticeable difference in the drop of production quality. The animation cut scenes went from fully developed story telling, to character introductions with grunts. Most of the games story is dialogue read while characters perform poor animations.
Throwing in a difficulty setting choice, having the story telling production quality consistent throughout the game would've made Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch a memorable experience.… Expand
Oct 20, 2013Ni no Kuni is an example of fine art, there a lot of things to do in the vast universe of this game. 80 hours of adventures, with amazing music and sensibility. Presentation: A amazing story, full of emotive moments, excellent interface and a great menu. Graphics: Stunning, the art is incredible, highly detailed landscapes, cities and characters well designed. Gameplay: the great feature is the liberty of the combats with a tons of customization and options, however there are some little problems with the allies, but nothing important.
Sound: Nice music form Tokyo's philharmonic orchestra, great voices and sound effects
Endless appeal: A true masterpiece, this game is amazing, You don't get wrong, this game is not only for youngest people, is for adults too. I have 29 and I enjoy the game.
Ni No Kuni is a masterpiece with 80+ hours of gameplay and at the PSN store is available only 20 bucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you have a PS3, then you must play it, What are you waiting for?… Expand
Oct 20, 2013The best RPG I've played in a long time. Really well done, storyline was excellent. Worth a try. Never get bored with so much to do in the game with sidequests etc.
Oct 19, 2013Level 5 outdid itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oct 14, 2013In the wise words of Yukko, "Super ultra great delicious wonderful." Is everything that describes this game. The amount of detail put into the animation can be seen from every aspect. Running to walking up and down stairs. The hidden codes in the games own lettering system. The incredible story that had me crying 30 minutes in already. Studio Ghibli is beyond incredible. Best 20$ I have ever spent. An extraordinary battling system. Amazing voice acting. This game is a great reason for owning a PS3.… Expand
Oct 13, 2013Best game I ever played. WONDERFUL Sound, awesome fight system, the story ist just great. And the charakters are just funny and awesome. As a fazit i want to say NI NO KUNI is the best game ever made
Sep 7, 2013As a big Ghibli and old Final Fantasy fan I thought this game was something I needed in my life. The visuals are really well done from a technical point of view, but beyond that everything starts to fall apart. Perhaps I'm just old and jaded, but I thought the story was horribly clichéd, and a lot of the plot points seem to be loosely veiled game mechanics. The combat starts of fun, but quickly became repetitive. Some battles were difficult, but only as the game requires the player to try and navigate menus at speed to attack and block at the correct times. I made it to the sand world and then ran out of steam. Not for me.… Expand
Aug 30, 2013I got the collector's edition with the Drippy plushie. This is a really good game, it's like Pokemon mixed with one of the "Tales of" games. Combat is fun, the collecting aspect will drive many completionists. My only issue with the game is that the story is somewhat predictable (though still enjoyable).
Aug 25, 2013Ni No Kuni...Where were you when I needed you most?
It's months after months of nothing but a mindless now-unbalanced glitchy Battlefield 3 syndrome ruining my health both physically and mentally.
Always been waiting for a game to widen my gaming perspective than just Shooters and fast cars then here comes Ni No Kuni to the rescue 7 months after the release i finally found you...
I'll get to point then...NI No Kuni is an awesome JRPG game that is beautiful,compelling,fun,touching,super lengthy (as any JRPG should be) surprisingly accessible yes it not what you call no-brainer from the get-go but it's accessible enough for anyone new to the genre that willing to try something new and out of their comfort zone.
And yes i'm completely new to Role playing genre let alone a sacred JRPG genre so i'm not gonna comment on the gameplay turn based RPG stuff but i can tell you i thought i'm gonna get bored but i wasn't i just want to keep playing it!
Soundtrack is simply epic and beautiful goes nothing dull nothing over dramatic.
I'm not gonna spoil you with any characters or story i'll just say that if you're into something that is simple,effective and down right cute then this is game is for you!
I can go on and on how good this game is despite it's my first JRPG game let's just say this game simply "Give Heart" to me and the hope to the Japanese gaming scene and even give the faith in the hope of a brighter future of gaming without too much "guns in your face"… Expand
Aug 10, 2013Nothing quite like it. An incredibly endearing and beautiful game with a rich universe to explore and a compelling story to tell. The graphics fit perfectly into Level-5's aesthetics, the music soars and the gameplay always leaves you wanting more. It will never be able to compete against more mainstream titles for the game of the year awards, such as Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite. But for my money, Ni No Kuni is a superior game, just not as accessible. Still, give in to Ni No Kuni's five hour introduction and you'll find immersed into it's amazing world. You will not regret playing this game, I can assure you of that.… Expand
Aug 6, 2013Infantile is the best word to describe this game. I used to call myself a fan of the jRPG genre, but the last few games I played let me down (I'm looking at you FF XIII), so I was hoping for a great adventure when I picked up this title. Unfortunately it failed as well. The graphics may be nice, caring for your "Pokemons" is interesting, combat is also OK, but the rest.. The most important aspects of any RPG for me the story, the dialog, the characters they are all dull and bland. Ni No Kuni also has the Most. Infantile. Dialogs. Ever. This is a good game for kids, I am so disappointed. … Expand
Jul 23, 2013This is a great game that's half a Studio Ghibli movie and half of an oldschool JRPG.
The aesthetics and the music are of course amazing and they really make it feel like you're playing in a Ghibli movie.
The story is fantastic as well and there are some interesting/unexpected twists. Surprisingly, I really liked the English voice acting. I typically prefer the native voice track, but they did a really good job with the dub this time. Also worth mentioning is the Wizard's Companion. I was really surprised at how in-depth and detailed it was. It was really fun to read the side stories and the lore scattered throughout. Other things I liked... lots of hidden items/areas to discover, tons of sidequests, and a worth-while crafting system.
As far as actual gameplay is concerned, I only have two gripes... first of which is the combat. I don't mind the overall combat system itself, but I always felt like half my familiars were just filler and were relatively weak. This lasted all the way up until the end of the game. The party AI was also offensively bad. There were a number of occasions where they would just walk right through some dangerous ground effects and instantly die... especially toward the end of the game. My other complaint is that I felt like the game held my hand for too long. It wasn't a huge deal to me, but I could have done with fewer tutorials.
In conclusion, this is a very good JRPG and is worth playing if you're looking for a more laid-back game with a great story, amazing visuals/music, and entertaining gameplay.… Expand
Jul 15, 2013One of the best games I've played in a long time. Excellent story, dynamic battle mechanics, AMAZING art style, and PLENTY to do. I'm 65 hours in and the time has flown by. Only reason it doesn't get a 10 from me is because of the grinding that is often necessary to advance through some parts of the story. Aside from that though, it's by far my favorite game of 2013.
Jul 8, 2013Having played this game through and being an enormous fan of the genre, I rate this game a 10 because it is a marvel. I'm an enormous fan of Studio Ghibli, and the artwork was spectacular. The story was definitely fun, and all of the tasks were rather enjoyable. However, the reason I give this game a 10 is because it REALLY gets going once you finish the main story-line. I absolutely love it when games have fulfilling "after-game" aspects, and Ni No Kuni really did a good job here. I won't give anything away, but what I can say is it is very worth it to play this game out, I enjoyed every single minute of it.… Expand
Jul 2, 2013After reading some reviews I was expecting an all new classic J-RPG in the vein of old Final Fantasy titles. At first it seemed that I was getting exactly that, but pretty soon the excitement faded away and left me disappointed.
Music, world design, graphics etc. are all top notch Studio Ghibli quality. The battle system is pretty decent, although like with so many other RPGs, you hardly ever have to do anything else than press X repeatedly (even in boss battles, but that might be just because I like level grinding a bit too much). Also the fact that you are able to catch practically every enemy in the game as your "familiar" (and then use them in battles) was too much for a perfectionist like me. There's simply way too much work in "catching them all".
The main drawbacks for me were the story and the characters. Of course, with Studio Ghibli you are expected to dwell into the world of a child, but the childishness in this game just goes too far and doesn't offer any emotional depth back. The story is like a bad caricature of a typical RPG story, a boring stereotype at best. We have the young boy learning his magic, the evil wizard trying to destroy the world and even the collecting of crystals (this theme got old, if not with 1987's Final Fantasy I, at least with 1991's Final Fantasy IV). For me the story did not feel engaging, immersive or epic at all.
The characters are also nothing but worn out stereotypes and as such, most of the time extremely irritating. The most annoying dude is this little fairy guy Drippy, whose job is to hang out with you throughout the game and give you the most basic, elementary advice that you can think of in situations where even a 5-year old child could easily figure out what to do without any fairy advice. I'm not sure if the game was designed for children who have never played an RPG before (that would explain it all), but I somehow doubt it, since I don't really see most of Studio Ghibli's products as something created for children, even if on the surface they seem childish.
The whole game felt like one giant tutorial, where everything is constantly explained to me as if I was five.
The game is also unnecessarily structured, lacking any "chaos". I might say that it's too player-friendly. This is obvious in regards to sidequests, which have been organized so that the player won't have any problems locating new sidequests. Every town has a board where the currently available sidequests are neatly listed. The sidequests themselves are too easy and linear and usually don't take any effort from the player. As a result, the world lacks mystery, when everything is laid out in front of you like this.
In the end it's down to expectations, and in this case, mine didn't meet up with the game. A die-hard RPG fan will most certainly find this game enjoyable. A more casual player like me will have at best mixed feelings. The game is enjoyable, even very enjoyable, to some extent, but the dull story, the frustrating characters and dialogue, the never-ending tutorial-esque feeling and the fact that the game treats you like a five-year-old who has never played a video game or solved even the world's most obvious puzzle in his life are the big setbacks that turn this beautiful game into something very ordinary.
I know some people have turned to Ni No Kuni expecting a comeback of the classic J-RPG. As such the game didn't work out for me at all, as the story lacked emotional depth that has been the best part of any J-RPG experience for me.
Thumbs up to Studio Ghibli for a brace experiment, but Ni No Kuni is just too much of a stereotype to be truly enjoyable.… Expand
Jun 29, 2013Good game but I prefer mature games but over all it was quite good.Its one of those repetitive games so if your ok with that then your surely will love this game.
Jun 21, 2013Sadly, very disappointed by this game. It's just not the fusion between DQ VIII and Miyazaki that I thought it would be. The music and art are phenomenal, but the gameplay is bland and repetitive. It becomes extremely predictable go to a major city to do something, find out that ruler of city has issues, do some chores, fix his issues, move on to the next city. It's the same thing over, and over, and over again. Horrible design. The combat also gets old with the horrific UI and ability to only control one character. It didn't work well in Rogue Galaxy (despite how much I loved that game) and it was even worse here. I just couldn't push myself to finish the game, even though the plot was cute and interesting.… Expand
Jun 15, 2013I am really enjoying it as far as the nostalgia of playing a tradtional RPG goes. I honestly don't care much for the characters or the storyline but it is overall an enjoyable game if you like the genre. It's fairly basic and spamming attack on about 95% of fights seems to work. It's not overly complicated nor deep. A light rpg that's pretty much good for everyone, young or old, experienced or not. It does do a fair share of hand holding but that's nothing too terrible to discourage you from playing it but it does make you question at times if you are playing a game suitable for an adult...no joke. All that being said though, it is a great game to just have fun with and take some time off of intense gaming.… Expand
Jun 14, 2013Absolutely amazing game. I have never played a jrpg before but this game was amazing. Great story and lots of stuff to do after u beat the game. Easily got overt 100 hours in it.
Jun 13, 2013the game is great! music is great! and the gameplay is great! since this game is more for everyone, if you're looking for a more mature story, dont get this game. this game is made to be cute and emotional, i even cried at times.
Jun 12, 2013Good: Wonderful art style, animation and cute voice acting, with tons to see and do. Ni No Kuni is a wonderfully epic old-school JRPG that revives the overworld and elements of exploration that franchises like Final Fantasy have cast away. The story is simple, but heartfelt and the characters equally simple yet colourful. A wonderful game for children or anyone who's looking for a cutesy adventure devoid of cynicism and violence.
Bad: However, Ni No Kuni is let down by a poorly designed combat system where party and enemy combat animations cancel each other out creating some very unfair battles; and a frustrating pokemon-like taming mechanic which cannot be actively influenced and so requires nothing but mindless grinding. In addition to these flaws, side quest design is underwhelming and requires an awful lot of tedious NPC hunting and party AI during battle is at times atrocious, artificially increasing the difficulty of the game.… Expand
Jun 11, 2013Ni No Kuni made up for the latest surge of nasty final fantasy games i usually prefer turn based rpg like FF9 and FF7 however this game manage to make real time strategy work for me and to put the game into terms for people wondering what it is welsh guy pokemon good story replayability def worth 10 and tbh more if i could
Jun 5, 2013Story: In typical Miyazaki fashion, this game has an incredibly good story. It is based off of an anime, which may not appeal to everyone, but the story is emotionally riveting in the sense that it tugs at your heartstrings without being melodramatic. The characters are beaming with positivity and sentiment, and you can't help but feel even for the villains. (10/10)
Voice acting: The English dub for this game is great. All characters are executed well and are very believable. Some may say the voices are childish, but the characters are in fact children, so I think it completely appropriate. I wish that the entire game was voiced, but unfortunately only main story segments are, which leaves some exposition feeling a bit flat. (9/10)
Characters/World: The cast, while small, is great. They compliment each other well and each has a fully fleshed out story with unique personalities and personal tribulations. Even the support characters are excellently executed. The world is large and ripe for exploration with very few areas being inaccessible once you get the necessary means of transportation. The landscapes and environments are incredibly varied and I found myself returning to places just to take a second look. (10/10)
Graphics: This is an anime game, and it looks amazing. The character and enemy designs all look hand drawn and burst with color and character. Everything in this game looks amazing and it draws you into the world. (10/10)
Game length/Replayability: The game is quite lengthy; I put in over 60 hours and still didn't finish everything that could be done. There are tons of side quests, bounties, and optional enemies to fight, and the game has considerable length if you want to capture and train the 300 familiars available. There is also plenty of replayability. After beating the game, you are dropped back off into the world where you can explore further, hunt additional bosses, and do post-game quests. (10/10)
Gameplay/Optimization: The gameplay has a robust alchemy system, myriad gear to equip your characters, unique skills you learn from completing quests, and dozens of spells and summons to learn. Each of the four main characters play differently and have unique affinities for different familiars, which adds tactical depth. (10/10)
Verdict: I have no qualms saying this game is amazing. It is one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and I'm an RPG connoisseur, and it has a distinct feel that is uniquely its own despite its anime inspired world akin to the Tales games. Bottom line, if you enjoy RPGs, anime, good stories, and fun collect-them-all gameplay, this game is a must! (Overall: 9.8/10)… Expand
May 18, 2013The game really sinks you into its world in the first 4-5 hours, but then there are certain aspects of the game that start to get exposed. PROS: Art/World: It's beautiful. Ghibli did a great job of designing the parallel worlds and getting you immersed into each unique environment. Soundtrack: The scores in this game are top notch, really catchy. Story: Touching, at times mature, but trying to keep it on the kiddie level. You are motivated go on this journey to save Oliver's mom.
1. Familiar leveling/zeroing. You are given familiars(pokemon) to be part of your party system, and I like the fact they have their unique abilities, but I don't understand why every familiar you catch has to start at level 1. It would save a lot of time and grinding for it to just to be scaled up to your level. Also, when you want to do metamorphosis on one of your fav. familiar, it also goes back to level 1 and work its way up again. I just find this mechanic unnecessary and wasting the gamer's time. You could be at level 50, and then you have to sideline your familiar for 40 something levels until it finally reaches your range again.
2. Too linear. The game is beautiful, but it is suffering from the same aspect that Final Fantasy XIII suffered from, and that's the linearity of the levels. You just walk down one path in the dungeon, apart from chests on short sidepaths, and just run into monster after monster until you face the final boss of the dungeon. You want to explore this lush, huge world but most of the levels are railed.
3. MP/HP conservation. Basically, this isn't xenoblade or FF where you can have health/magic regenerate after every fight. You need to conserve your health/magic points because there are quite a number of enemies to defeat before you reach a checkpoint that restores all your health/magic. Some may find this mechanic more fun, but I found it crippling in making me enjoy the combat. Too often I would just attack/defend/healing touch throughout the dungeon and not use the cool abilities of my familiars because they cost too much magic. The combat would have a lot more flow if you didn't have to worry about conserving your magic between enemies.
4. Clunky ai. My partners stunk. You can arrange the familiars to their strengths, and you can change the tactics, but too often my partners would run out of magic too fast or use the wrong familiar for the situation. More often than not, they would drop mid-fight and it would just be up to Oliver. You can control the partner, but then Oliver would start stinking it up.
I can see why this game received a lot of love, and I did give it a really fair shot, but the game designing choices just didn't agree with me.… Expand
May 12, 2013This is the experience that I had been waiting years for. I played countless JRPG's on my SNES and Playstation during my teenage years. There was a magic about the games from this era. I adored games like Chrono Trigger. Unfortunately, during my 20's, I had a falling out with the genre. I played many JRPG's that come out in the past decade, but nothing reached the heights achieved by those classic games of my childhood, and nothing held my interest more than a few hours. Well, I have finally found another game that I can add to the list of JRPG's that have captivated my imagination.
Ni No Kuni is not perfect by any means, but it is magical. It's story, visuals and game play combine to create an experience that I have been seeking for years. Level 5 has moved away from the generic, emo, protagonist that has taken over the JRPG landscape in recent years and created Oliver, a young boy with a sense of wonder that I was able to connect with. The progression of his story is somewhat predictable, but Oliver's character kept me engaged throughout his 40+ hour story. Using Drippy, Oliver's fairy sidekick, to balance the innocence of the main character, was a smart decision. Giving Drippy a Welsh accent was perfect. It added humour to the game, and it never seemed forced. The other party members that travel with Oliver fit into the overall story very well, as do the many side characters encountered throughout. My one complaint with the characters, is you encounter many of the same ones in each town, always with a similar problem. These side missions can be easily skipped, but anybody playing will probably want to take the time to complete some of these errands. The voice acting in the game does a nice job but there just isn't as much as I was hoping for. For those purists out there, it can be played with subtitles and the original Japanese voice acting.
As much as I enjoyed the story, the graphics is where Ni No Kuni really shines. I've heard people say "It feels like you are playing a cartoon," and this description is completely accurate. Designed and animated by Studio Ghibli, the characters and environments in the game are stunning. There were numerous times I would enter an area and think it was one of the most amazing scenes I have even seen on my PS3, only to be blown away every time I entered a new area. The environments vary widely, hitting all the traditional game locales. The highlights for me were the towns, as they each seemed to have contain it's own personality that I could feel as walked about. Hamlin is closed in and cold, while Castaway Cove felt much more relaxed and carefree. Even the darker areas, such as Miasma Swamp, were amazingly animated, and feel dark and dreary.
The score, performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, complimented the entire experience. The music fit the game really well, and other than the title theme, I have no complaints. The title theme was a little boisterous, and the first four seconds of it have become stuck in a continuous loop in my head countless times.
The story and game play of Ni No Kuni has found a nice balance between being accessible to a wider audience and still capturing that unique charm of a JRPG. The story, while very predictable, is charming, and it is the characters that kept me wanting to play. There were no shades of grey here, Oliver was a good guy and as the story progressed he was trying to do the right thing. Throughout, characters are (literally) missing pieces of their heart, and Oliver takes it upon himself to restore the missing pieces. The story does tend to drag in a couple places, especially when you can see exactly what is going to happen, yet still have to go through the multiple steps to get there.
Ni No Kuni also has a Monster Hunter/Pokemon aspect of catching creatures which the game calls familiars. I didn't really get into this aspect of the game, but I do see how players could spend hours trying to get them all. The side quests, in the form of errands and bounty hunts, are numerous in the game, and also add hours of gameplay. Many of the games best weapons and rewards can only earned through these missions. There is also an alchemy section, using items to create new weapons and supplies. The game has more than enough to keep collectors and RPG lovers happy, and very busy.
I love that this game was able to recapture some of that magic I felt when I played games back on the SNES and PS1. The story never really shines, but was always good enough that it never mattered. The characters and their personalities kept me engaged, and the Welsh accent of Drippy is brilliant. I was drawn in by the visuals, which are among the best on the PS3. Everything about how this game looks, is breathtaking.
http://controlerinhand.blogspot.ca/… Expand
May 6, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Horrible, horrible jrpg, really. Read Ironsheik and and Nugs187 reviews, they say almost everything it should be said about this game. There are other issues though, like for example how useless and boring is all the "familiar capture thing" (there are hundreds of them and levelling up a familiar takes ages and almost all of them start at a very low level and they are useless anyway since you can beat the game by using always the same couple of familiars over and over, like I did), how cliched the game is (ie. first you explore the overworld on foot, then you can use a ship and finally you can fly on a dragon...how original, isn't it?), how the environments are really bad (fully decorated rooms in jrpgs are a standard since the snes era I think...try to enter a "castle" in ni no kuni, do you know what you'll find? A big empty room with a throne in the middle, I'm not kidding) and I could go on for hours but honestly this game doesn't deserve the effort. Shame on the developers that just took advantage of Studio Ghibli's collaboration trying (and succeeding) to sell a sub-standard game disguised as a "work of art".
P.S. All the above is valid if you are older than 10, while for little children, played with their parents, the game could be great.… Expand
May 5, 2013I tend to avoid JRPGs nowadays because they tend to be boring and very tedious. This wonderful game changes that completely. Very solid writing, the best graphics this generation and great gameplay does all the difference.
May 4, 2013This is a great jrpg. Took me 55hrs to complete. This is a Pokemon style game. Don't play if you don't like jrpg or Pokemon. But if you do this is worth any amount you pay for. Don't let the childish art fool you. This is a hard core jrpg. Fair warning you need 40+ 70mp pots before you enter the Ivory Tower or you will not beat the game.
May 3, 2013Back to my childhood games, where the games were magical, for all ages, I never felt that feeling since many years ago. Now Ni no Kuni has captured that feeling.
May 2, 2013I feel like this game has been grossly overrated by both fans and professionals alike. 100% of the game is hand-holding and unchallenging. Grind 4 or 5 levels at the start of the game and you'll breeze on through. Equipment is available, but the stat changes are so insignificant you can go without.
Admittedly I haven't completed the game yet, but I've sunk about 20 hours into it, about 14 of those hours being dull, repetitive fetch quests.
Wouldn't recommend except to die-hard Studio Ghibli fans, the storyline is alright if you can deal with the boring gameplay.… Expand
Apr 27, 2013An amazingly beautiful art style with a very compelling story, Ni No Kuni is a must buy if you want to purchase an earthbound style next generation rpg.
Apr 27, 2013Not just a good JRPG, a great RPG. Even though the game's combat system take a bit of work to get used to it's fairly simple (like a more slightly complex Pokemon game). I'm about 10.5 hours into the game and I have enjoyed 95% of it. PROS: The story is great (not my favorite). The English voice acting is well done (could be a little better). Graphics are good. SO much to do. CONS: The translation for the text seems a little off (not sure if done on purpose or not). I don't know why/when it decides to be text that you have to read, them speaking but in gameplay mode, or a just a smooth, well put together cutscene. These cons are very minor and should NOT prevent you from getting this game. If you have a PS3 and love JRPGs (or RPGs in general) GET THIS GAME!… Expand
Apr 25, 2013I picked up this game so that I could play it with my 5 year old boy. He generally does the walking around and enjoys all the different creatures we meet and "collect", and I do the fights.
Being brought up on Final Fantasy and games like that, this game was easy to pick up and start playing. Even after beating the game, you actually open up a whole new world of things to do and the game has many more hours of life in it.
We are over 100 hours in and it has been an enjoyable journey and we still haven't finished all the quests. The World is not too big to be overwhelming. The battles can sometimes be tough, but with the right items in your backpack or your familiars levelled to a good level, you should be ok.
Sometimes you have to do a little grinding to level up your team, but it is very minimal, or you do it around some of the quests.
Also some quests you might get stuck on when you are looking for a item, or a hidden forest, but that is where the internet helps because sometimes it is pretty obscure. I also recommend looking on the internet how to learn to play one of the card games to get lots of casino money it comes in handy.
Definitely recommended, but remember to warn your child that the mother in the game is going to die and that you are going to try and do what you can to help her (no spoiler required as it is in the games description).
So overall, the best game I have played this year and my son has enjoyed it too. "Is it the weekend Daddy? Can we play Ni No Kuni?" "Ask your mother if we are allowed" :)
Looking forward to a sequel which might be in the pipeline.… Expand
Apr 21, 2013At first I was so hesitate as to whether I should buy this or not. I saw the reviews and most of the reviews gave it an 8 or above, so that's not something you see often. I decided to buy it and I honestly don't regret buying it. It has a feeling of Final Fantasy and Pokemon combined, two of my favourite JRPG games. The story and game play may seem slow at first, but as you progress, you'll soon realise that the game's worth it, and the story would indulge you to play nonstop.… Expand
Apr 18, 2013A solid, but not outstanding game. Based on all of the reviews I had heard, I was expecting a lot when I picked this game up. Unfortunately, Ni no Kuni fails to compare favorably to any of the games referenced in other reviews like Final Fantasy, Pokemon, and Chrono Trigger. In fact, Ni no Kuni probably has more in common with RPG-lite games like Kingdom Hearts than it does with the JRPG genre that I've seen this game compared to, and that's been a major disappointment for me. I want to re-emphasize this point; THIS GAME IS NOT REALLY A JRPG. If you buy the game thinking it is, you WILL be disappointed. If you want a game that has a similar amount of charm, a better story, and just flat-out superior gameplay, I would recommend that you check out the oft-overlooked Skies of Arcadia. On the other hand, if you couldn't get enough of Kingdom Hearts, then I would say that you have to pick up this game.
Here's what it all comes down to: if you thought Kingdom Hearts was the greatest thing since sliced bread, you're going to love this game. If real JRPG's like Final Fantasy, Skies of Arcadia, and Chrono Trigger are more your style, I would pass on this title.… Expand
Apr 11, 2013As soon as I found out that this was a collaboration between Level 5 and Studio Ghibili, two of the greatest designers in their respective fields, I assumed this would be a fantastic game, and I was not wrong. I only have two minor gripes with this game. The first is that this game is basically Dragon Quest. I genuinely don't see any major differences whatsoever between Ni No Kuni and Dragon Quest. Ni No Kuni is simply a better version of Dragon Quest. My other gripe is that the English-speaking voice actors are UNBEARABLE. I had to play the game in Japanese with English subtitles it was that bad. But aside from those minor issues, this game has wonderful soundtracks, overworld designs, cutscenes and I quite enjoyed the battle system in this game, despite what most other people seem to be saying. An easy 9/10.… Expand
Apr 10, 2013I just flat out did not have fun playing this game. I couldn't identify with the characters and I found them to ineffectual and actively annoying. The cutscenes couldn't decide if they wanted to be anime, rendered, or little text boxes that you can't skip. The game felt like it needed to hold my hand and keep key gameplay mechanics away from me. Combat was menu driven and real time. There is no attack button, no defend button, just running and menus. Minions don't tank for you. While the music was well done, nothing else was. For an hour of gameplay, I was interrupted with 3 hours of cutscenes and drivel. The constant interruptions just caused me to take the game out and return it.… Expand
Apr 7, 2013Well, I finally played it, and it is hands down my favorite game I've played this year. I thought Bioshock Infinite would be the high wtarer mark of the year, but NNK just became my favorite. Really takes me back to that sense of wonder and discovery that I havent experienced in many, many years. Wonderful, simple, complex, beautiful, deep, fulfilling.
Apr 5, 2013
JRPG's are in a weird place right now. They haven't been forgotten but they exist on the periphery of gaming. There was a time when the next Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest was an event and people clamoured for it. Nowadays the majority of JRPG's see smaller releases and are relegated to iOS, Android and downloadable games. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it makes a traditionalconsole release of an JRPG a rare event that is exciting and long overdue. Queue the release of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level 5's newest RPG exclusively for the PS3.
Story: The game follows a young boy named Oliver. It starts out in Motortown, a place that reminded be a little bit of a 3D Earthbound. Oliver is living the normal life of a boy when disaster strikes and leads him into an alternate world. Without spoiling anything, the Alternate world is connected with his own world and in peril, it's up to him to save it.
Overall the story is interesting and takes some turns here and there, never anything super original or imaginative but it does a good job of pushing the story. It suffers from the "you are the chosen one" syndrome that plagues many RPG's, this made it seem a little bit cliche at times.
Luckily the characters that follow Oliver on his journey are a memorable bunch that grow through the adventure as characters which helps the player identify with the party and their goals. One character in particular named Swaine has an interesting backstory.
Gameplay: Combining elements of traditional turn based RPG's and a monster collecting/raising similar to Pokemon gives Ni No Kuni a unique combat system that is highly engaging. The user selects one of the creatures to fight for them, they can have up to three. Their creature fighting has a time meter and when it runs out the player needs to switch to another creature or the character who can attack and use magic. Luckily XP is shared with everyone evenly at the end of a fight. This makes the leveling process efficient.
The rest of the game plays out very much like RPG's of old. There is an overworld with cities and caves and forests to explore. Enemies appear on screen so there are no random encounters. The game can be saved at any time in the overworld and cities meanwhile in the dungeons it uses save points. The dungeons have all been designed to be quick which I felt really helped the pacing of the game.
Aside from the main storyline the game has lots of extra side quests. They can be found on errand boards in the cities. Usually these are quick tasks to help a denizen of the game. There are also hunts that assign a challenging enemy for the player to fight. The great thing about the optional content in this game is collecting stamps. Each side-quest or hunt gets Oliver stamps for his booklet, when enough pages have been filled out he can use it to buy an upgrade for the party. The upgrades range from extra experience in battle to finding more loot after a fight. I really liked this element of the game, rewarding players for doing optional quests was great incentive to follow through.
The music is done well, the upbeat tunes fit the mood of the game perfectly. On the sound front it seemed odd to me that the game wasn't fully voice acted. Some cut scenes have it some don't. In game scenes usually have no dialogue but occasionally they did, it was bizarre the way it was implemented. When there is voice acting though it's very solid.
Graphics: Straight away the visuals will jump out as beautiful, Studio Ghibli had a hand in this and it really shows. The animation is fluid and the presentation is slick and charming. My only real quarry with the visuals is there seems to be a few different styles of cut scenes, some with dialogue some without, some anime, some in game and it can feel a little bit disjointed. However jarring though they are always great looking.
The cities of Ni No Kuni really stand out, they are all unique looking with a sense of personality. From the carefree city of Ding Dong Dell (Yes, thats the name) to the industrial city of Hamelin I always felt like I was somewhere new and different. This is a great quality that not all RPG's have (I'm looking at you Dragon Age Origins)
Overall: I really enjoyed Ni No Kuni, The world that Level 5 created is fun and alive with all sorts of bizarre inhabitants that really gave the game it's own identity. The environments are bright and colourful with a story that never bogs down the upbeat nature of the main protagonist. Throughout the 40+ hour adventure players will encounter plenty of bizarre characters and delve through some nice looking scenery. The only real issue I had with the game was the story can sometimes be a bit on the cliche side. Anyone who has been waiting for a great JRPG needs look no further than Ni No Kuni.
… Expand
Mar 30, 2013Wish there was a 9.5 rating. This game is just like one of hayao mits movies. Its like playing one of his movies. This game doesnt sell out with a season pass or little micro transactions. No. This game stays true to jrpg criteria. They keep the action there, it really never gets slow, the story is amazing and the music /backgrounds are breath taking. They found a way to inadvertently put Pokemon into this game and it was fun as hell till the end. This game deserves the credit for the amount of work put into this game. A definite buy to all lovers of his movies and a amazing experience for someone who loves a traditional jrpg.… Expand
Mar 28, 2013Level-5 has created a awesome game that has amazing art design inspired by Studio Ghibli. It's great to see that there are still good jrpg's out there.
Mar 26, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ni no kuni is the best J-RPG that I have ever played on PS3, great storyline-perfect gameplay-Amazing graphics. I recommend everyone who like J-RPG to get this game.… Expand
Mar 25, 201310 hours into the game and I must admit I am hooked. As most people will agree the graphics and sound are great. Story is good too so far. I do find that the dialogue can be a little long winded at times but you do have the option to skip if you want. Most of the negative comments for this game come from the combat system. Well I have found this to be one of the best parts about it. The real time aspect gives a more urgent feel to whats going on. The AI of your alies is not perfect but not as bad as some people are making out. The best part for me is the collecting of monster (familiers). This is a seriously addictive side to the game. So many to collect and level up. I can see a massive amount of play time with this game.… Expand
Mar 23, 2013Very poorly made game. For those of us who enjoy playing for the story and on easy setting, you will be disappointed. It is very possible to end up in a boss battle with totally the wrong team and no way forward or back. This has happened to me twice, the first time on fairy island and I spent my last pennys feeding my buddies up to level them and outfitting them as best as I could them grinding on the limited selection there. Got through that mess, next problem, Hamlem and the big machine at the palace. Apparently you need a buddy with lightening skills to defeat this monster. I had never got one of them, I elected to play on 'easy' which stated I was 'playing for the story'. I didnt think I had to do my google research to such a deep degree for easy mode and for this mistake got a boss I could not defeat and no way forward. At this point my character or his healer still does not have teleport or resurrection skills. How is it a game can operate this far without your main having access to those parts of the map previously visited? I seriously regret buying this ill thought out piece of crap. How are people so amazed by such a trite story is beyond me, this place is filled with paid reviewers Im sure. Interested in buying this game? Okay make sure you like really complicated battle systems and MAKE sure to do your research before leaving an area. Easy DOES NOT mean easy. Prepare for cut scene type battles with lots of little cut scene interruptions. Oh and LOTS of pointless and meaningless little monster type things to battle. A lot of GRINDING!! There is some humour in this when you are not swearing at the stupid and many pointless boss battles that pop up all the time. Again rewards are chicken feed, helloooo whats in it for me??? There is no meaningful character customisation as you cannot control what your charater wears or looks like. I had the same wand for the last three days. Money is hard won and too easily spend on the huge party you end up having to try and manage. This is so overkill and on aspects I have no enjoyment in fixing. I believe the developers are fully exploiting peoples 'thats cute' meters to try and win themselves some points with the story and the characters but once involved in the game and seeing the very many flaws the 'cuteness' soon wears off. My warning...THINK twice or even three times before paying out for this game, be a very serious gamer with access to the internet to prepare yourself and your characters for the prolific annoying battles.… Expand
Mar 22, 2013An excellent game only marred by some minor flaws connected to its genre. Charming and beatiful visual-aural design, detailed game mechanics, emotional and original story. This is a game you would definitely want to play if you have problems with the current state of mainstream games (sequelitis, cliched and generic stories, loose,shallow and easy gameplay). A little too long for busy people (above 40 hours), needs some patience due to difficulty, pacing might have been better but if you put your valuable time to this experience, you will remember it for a long time.… Expand
Mar 21, 2013Must get this game, it is kewllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Mar 20, 2013"Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a masterpiece of art, music & story. It beautifully flows with stellar production values, terrific voice acting & one of the most addictive gameplay structures I've had in recent years.
The characters are memorable, the villains are flawed & relatable but best of all is this is an adventure that celebrates the JRPG genre unlike anything this HD Generation. It's the perfect storm of a game, I haven't had this much fun with a JRPG since the golden years of Final Fantasy VII, IX & IV. If you're looking for an adventure in gaming, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is for you.
It's perfect in almost every way, I adore it."
Read my full review: http://tmblr.co/ZOA6EydQofD_… Expand
Mar 18, 2013Arguably the best JRPG this generation. The inventive mix of real-time and turb-based battle is engaging enough to keep you going through the 50+ hour story (which is surprisingly tragic but very well executed). The soundtrack is amazing, the art style is on par with classics like Wind Waker, and the locales are beautiful. The biggest fault I have with Ni no Kuni is the slow trickle of gameplay mechanics it introduces. Expect at least 10 hours before you're given full freedom. Otherwise, it's hard to pinpoint many flaws with the game.… Expand
Mar 16, 2013This is the RPG I've been waiting ages to sink my teeth into. Great story, gorgeously rendered landscape with a fully explorable world map, and fun things for you to go back to once you've finished up the main story. The characters in this game are all memorable, even if one of two of them run the risk of being slightly two dimensional. You capture monsters and evolve them to assist you in battle, and there is a HUGE variety of them. Sick of other games that give you auto-combat, and maybe 10 total items per game? Yes, this will remind you of 'the good old days'. I would easily call this the best console RPG in years.… Expand
Mar 16, 2013I bought this game and beat it in a total playtime of around 50 hours. It's one of those games that you cannot put down. I frequently found myself playing with the "Gotta catch em' all," mentality towards familiars, which keeps you grinding out quests.
I wouldn't say it's an especially difficult game, but there are a few fights which pose challenge in normal mode. The controls are tight and battles are very fun.
It's a great game to play if you like RPG's.… Expand
Mar 15, 2013I had become calloused and cold-hearted towards JRPG's over the years where the last time I remember enjoying the genre was FF6 and Chrono Trigger back on the SNES. Ni No Kuni is defiantly in my top five favorite JRPG's of all time and potentially takes the top spot in my heart. While the combat is real time turn basted it mixes up the formula in a way that makes combat fun so even grinding never feels like a chore. The story is well written and the characters are lovable. Also while the game dose a fair bit of hand holding I found some of the puzzles to be actually engaging. I could go on, but if any part of you ever at any point enjoyed a JRPG then pick up Ni No Kuni because it's a classic and probably one of the best in years.… Expand
Mar 12, 2013One of the best games this year! If you own a Ps3 and you don't have this game you are seriously crazy, let me tell you why. This game has it all, amazing game, extremely long, great battle system, amazingly long, an open world, and after you beat the main quest there are a ton of side quests just waiting for you. The story is about a sad boy who finds his way. The games visuals are outstanding. This game has everything, I can't think of a flaw in the game. there isn't a hard mode but the normal mode has its challenges, plus the game will have sucked away about 70 hours of your time...without all the side quest. the game is a J-RPG. There is so much to explore...I can't even put into words how amazing this game is. All im saying is that you need to get this game if you own a Ps3 and enjoy good adventures.… Expand
Mar 11, 2013This is one of the best JRPG in PS3 for my opinion, it has some components from pokemon where you can tame monsters to fight with you, great graphics, and exploration. But it's lacking some pacing where you can start capturing monsters after an hour or so into the game, and the evolution is only different by their colors and some additional accesories, my expectation is that it will be like pokemon. But overall it's still a great game… Expand
Mar 10, 2013A magnificent game without a doubt, but with flaws. You can take my 50 hours into the game as some credibility. The game starts off very nicely and the combat is fun. Lots of items, equipments and familars essential for a great RPG are present here. The music is great, animation is amazing, and a huge and vast world is out there for exploration goodness to give that great old-school RPG feeling. So then what are the flaws? The first noticeable and consistent flaw is perhaps the linearity of the dungeons and areas. It is masked well by chests and other rewards that are placed in all kinds of spots but *essentially* it is a one-way road to get through most areas. The only exception to the linearity is the world map. The second noticeable flaw becomes more apparent later on in the game and also becomes possibly the worst flaw in the game. The AI in this game for controlling your party is simply put, dreadful. The AI will, at times, not listen to what it is ordered to do, and it will also make some odd decisions that can easily put the whole party to death. It is very hard to control them since you are only allowed to control one character at a time and it is intended for the player to rely on the AI for the actions of the other party members. The AI is extremely picky in a sense that it works better with particular familiar combinations than others. You could say that the AI alone drags this game from a 10 to a 8.5, it really is that terrible.… Expand
Mar 6, 2013We are 15 again (well, us 30 year olds), we are playing a game which lets us JUST PLAY. Thats it. I hit buttons, my chars develop. I look at a great bid land ahead of me and just walk. KNowing a simple something is there. I am young again.
Mar 6, 2013Ni No Kuni is one of the finest RPGs I've played in some time it's fun and challenging and really draws you into its big, beautiful world. The story is simple and moving and the artwork, from Studio Ghibli, is breathtaking. The real-time combat is reminiscent of the Star Ocean series, while the exploration reminds of of Dragon Quest or vintage Final Fantasy. There haven't been a lot of great console RPGs this generation Eternal Sonata is the only one that comes to mind and Ni No Kuni is just the game I've been waiting for. Much like Chrono Trigger, I can see myself coming back to this game every year or two and playing it through again just for the sheer pleasure of it.… Expand
Mar 6, 2013This game is real tidy like, flippen heck mun anyone who eint like it must be broken hearted. Don't worry Ollie-boy will sort em out, but not without the help of the lord high lord of the fairies o' course.
Mar 5, 2013An exclusive PS3, I thought this is going to be great, I got it and I finished it and these are my conclussions: Sublime design with anime style, excellent story where you really get involved and a magic world to explore, the problems are the gameplay is repetitive after a while and there isnt much to do only those side quest that are the same only in different places example: find the journal in a volcano-passed and after that you must find a jpournal for the same man but now in a forest or a coast, the pokemon style is great but Level 5 could include morre variety in monsters, if you want to give it a try buy it at discount or used because Ni No Kuni isnt very replayable… Expand
Mar 4, 2013One of the best RPG's this generation only beaten by Xenoblade Chronicles (in my opinion of course). I loved this game so much I actually decided to write a massive review about it on my new gaming reviews website (which I hadn't got online but this game inspired me to actually finish my website just so I could review the game!). The story is very simple but that actually works in it's favour and I loved every minute of it. I couldn't help but find myself doing all the extras in the game too. I refused to leave an area until I had done all of the errands and bounties! I've never wanted to do the side quests in a game so much as I have in this one. It was a very nice return to how RPG's used to feel. Overall it reminded me of the good days on the PS1 and PS2, back when Final Fantasy was the king of RPG's. It made me feel like a kid again and had that special touch that older games used to have. It made me feel nostalgic but at the same time a fresh feeling. Sometimes I found myself dying because I was too amazed by the visuals.
It's still not as good as the PS1 RPG's but it's a step in the right direction and I hope it makes other developers open their eyes and see that we still want our games like we have always wanted them...an actual RPG and not some western version of an RPG.… Expand
Feb 3, 2013I gotta say, this game had me fooled. After reading all the wonderful reviews, I felt like it was a no brainer for me to purchase. After playing it for awhile, I can't help but feel like this is Dora the Explorer in a fantasy world. Everything is far too cute and cuddly for me. I feel like this game's setting is meant for children and I've got zero interest in pretty much everything going on in the game. The battle system is decent but I was hoping for something more engaging seeing as how it was compared to the Tales series in the reviews. In the end I just feel like this game was meant more for children than adult gamers. It's not the JRPG revolution that people made it seem like and I'm actually very disappointed that a game with this kind of content matter is being seen as a serious, mature game meant for the real gamers out there. Goes to show that people are so desperate for another classic JRPG that they will say anything is the next FF VII.… Collapse
May 6, 2013Ni No Kuni offers players an experience unlike almost any other RPG. At once, you are transported back to the innocence of a childhood filled with monsters, magic, and mysticism; but at the same time you find yourself immersed in an emotional story about a protagonist dealing with his innermost emotions.
Apr 11, 2013The entertaining battles and the resolutions of plot threads as the game progressed toward the final credits were worth paying the cost of a slow start to the gameplay. This is a game that we'll be talking about for years to come, and I'm happy to have played it.
Apr 1, 2013Despite the delayed journey to the West, Ni No Kuni is definitely a title you should at least give a chance. There is a demo up on PSN that you can go ahead and download, and once you get used to the combat system and mechanics of the game, you'll be treated to an adventure like no other.