Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1174 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,000 out of 1174
  2. Mixed: 99 out of 1174
  3. Negative: 75 out of 1174
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  1. Kai82
    Sep 9, 2014
    9
    A 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 ofA 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
  2. awdrifter
    Feb 16, 2013
    8
    I just beat the main story. It took me about 40 hours. The music is great, the art style is beautiful. The story is simple but it's charming in a way. It's refreshing to see an epic save the world journey without all the convoluted storyline. Now that is not to say the game doesn't have it's problems, I have three major problems that really bothered me during my time with the game. TheI just beat the main story. It took me about 40 hours. The music is great, the art style is beautiful. The story is simple but it's charming in a way. It's refreshing to see an epic save the world journey without all the convoluted storyline. Now that is not to say the game doesn't have it's problems, I have three major problems that really bothered me during my time with the game. The combat doesn't pause while you're selecting an action using the D-pad. It causes you to take damage during action selection. You can get around this by using your right hand to select stuff on the D-pad while dodging enemy attacks with your left thumb, I eventually got used to this. Second issue is the grinding required to get through the main story. I was playing this blind but I had to grind 2-3 hours on the overworld to advance the story after each major boss battle. So I really suggest googling "how to grind toko in Ni No Kuni", it'll cut the grinding time in half, it makes the game much more enjoyable. The last complain is a design issue. For most of the game, they designed the save points in the dungeons very well, and after each boss fight you can go to your town of choice to resupply, but after a certain very difficult boss fight near the end, you aren't given a chance to resupply anywhere else but Ding Dong Dell (your starting city with crap supplies), it made the next three boss fights much more difficult that it has to be. Now that might makes the game sound like it's bad, but it's really not. If you take these archaic design choices in mind when playing, and avoid these pitfalls, this game could easily be 8.5 or higher for you. I would definitely recommend this game for JRPG fans.… Expand
  3. DDayGold
    Feb 5, 2013
    8
    The story is good even tho childish and the game play works well. The difficulty rises as you get near the end of the game. My only beef is the makers seem to change focus near the end of the game.
  4. vileguy
    Feb 6, 2013
    8
    Anyone who would give this a 10 is ignoring some serious flaws. The game has great audio and visuals, the story is okay, and it's a lot of fun, but some of the gameplay elements are seriously lacking in fun, and some of the stages of the game suffer from lack of consideration. Side quests in the game are more of an optional chore than anything else and never add anything meaningful to theAnyone who would give this a 10 is ignoring some serious flaws. The game has great audio and visuals, the story is okay, and it's a lot of fun, but some of the gameplay elements are seriously lacking in fun, and some of the stages of the game suffer from lack of consideration. Side quests in the game are more of an optional chore than anything else and never add anything meaningful to the game. The primary story quests are mostly fine, though some don't make a whole lot of sense; however, many are mundane tasks that would be more enjoyable to watch then to actually do yourself.

    Imagine a game where you raid a castle full of enemies, but every room is separated by a locked door, and to open the door you have to go back to one of the rooms you previously cleared to grab the key. You don't have to search for it, you're told exactly where it is, but you have to manually walk over there, pick it up, and bring it back. Now imagine that every time to go between rooms you've already cleared, you have to open the door separating them, slowly walk through it, and then close it behind you even though you know you'll be coming back this way in a few minutes. This is how the story quests in Ni No Kuni feel. I understand for the sake of the plot the main character has to do some less than interesting things, but why did the game designers think it was a good idea to make the players experience these things, and even hold the player's hand while they do them. The game also feels like you never quite completed the tutorial part of the game. Part of it is that they continue to slowly introduce you to new features as the game progresses, but sometimes they slowly walk you through a process you've already done 20 times and it makes absolutely no sense.

    The biggest flaw with the game is the combat system. It's very similar to Final Fantasy 12's combat system where you control 1 of 3 party members at a time and can switch control to perform important tasks. The big difference is that FFXII had a deep system of customizable AI called gambits that let the players control how the other members acted without your assistance, and even that system left mature players wanting more control. The Ni No Kuni system gives you a handful and a half of vague commands such as "keep us healthy" and "go all out" which all seem to disappoint in some way other than "do whatever you want" and "do nothing" which work as you'd expect, unless you were expecting the AI to be smart that is. Since most of the bosses in the game revolve entirely around protecting yourself from charged up attacks, a big part of combat is hitting the defend or evade button to protect yourself at the right time. Now when you only have 1 character this is fine: all you do is cancel your attack, scroll through the clumsy console AI to defend or evade, and press X(cross) at the right time. It's a shame the developers didn't choose to use any of the many unused buttons to defend, but this could be due to some familiars not having either defend or evade or the ability to make all your characters defend with a different button. The strange thing is, they don't give you the ability to make all your characters defend until after you have all 3, so there's this awkward time where you have 2 characters and a boss is about to go nuts on you, but all you can do is protect one of you people. It's actually easier to kill some of the bosses by letting your partner die and then proceeding to outplay the boss according to his mechanics with the character you control.

    Despite the incredibly flawed combat system, the game is really fun. Even on normal difficulty and with the AI problems, none of the boss fights are more unacceptably challenging. Even if you do find something overly difficult, you can just grind a few levels or buy some more items to make up the difference. It would be nice if the game had more readily available information on the different choices of familiars and the tricks available to their various forms as well as stat values, but since you can beat the game with any randomly thrown together crew, it's hardly an issue. The game is certainly more appropriate for a younger, more casual demographic of gamer than myself, but there's plenty there for more mature gamers and powergamers to enjoy as well.

    +Amazing graphics
    +Good (Japanese) voiceovers. Have not listened to English.
    +Simple and trite but well executed story
    +Plenty of content
    +Noob friendly and kid friendly
    +Visually impressive, engaging, and fun boss battles
    -Awful AI foundation for core combat system
    -Too childish for some, and too easy outside of the artificial difficulty that comes from the poor AI
    -Lack of depth to combat and training system.    … Expand
  5. SilverGriever
    Sep 6, 2019
    10
    Not many games like it. The combat system feels unique. Even tho it borrows monster collecting and training from series like Pokemon, the combat is real time and more action based. The art style, animations and soundtrack are also all amazing.
  6. AbhinavDasiga
    Mar 31, 2020
    8
    A JRPG straight out of a fairy tale book, Ni No Kuni impresses with its scope and characters. There are dull moments in between but they don't detract too much from this charming and whimsical adventure.
  7. PaulaTLD
    Aug 23, 2022
    9
    Ame este juego, es hermoso de todas las maneras posibles, aunque el sistema de juego no me gusto mucho realmente, el diseño de las peliculas de Ghibli es maravilloso.
  8. rodericrinehart
    Mar 27, 2015
    10
    Absolutely gorgeous game from one of the best animation studios int he world. Story is long and great in true JRPG fashion. You won't ever forget this game. RPG at its finest!
  9. bobbsyw
    Feb 1, 2015
    8
    It's not the best game that I've ever played, but it's possibly the most beautiful and engaging. The battles get pretty tedious after a while, but it was a nice touch that "low level" enemies tried to avoid encountering you. You're basically playing a Ghibli film, so as you'd expect, the story is great and the visuals are stunning.
  10. masterplan
    Feb 21, 2016
    10
    A superb game that;s reminded me why I loved games in the first place.

    Genuinely wonderful JRPG that I borrowed a PS3 to play - and I was not disappointed :)
  11. tallanx
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    I 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).
  12. GrumpyReviewer
    Feb 28, 2013
    9
    Ni No Kuni is a gorgeous, warmhearted tale about a boy who departs on a great adventure with the sole purpose of saving his Mom and finds himself engulfed in a mission to save a kingdom. The graphics are beautiful, the characters very lovable and it plays like a (old school) Final Fantasy meets Pokémon (in a good way). You need to kind animals (called "familiars"), tame them, train themNi No Kuni is a gorgeous, warmhearted tale about a boy who departs on a great adventure with the sole purpose of saving his Mom and finds himself engulfed in a mission to save a kingdom. The graphics are beautiful, the characters very lovable and it plays like a (old school) Final Fantasy meets Pokémon (in a good way). You need to kind animals (called "familiars"), tame them, train them and equip them so that they are your champions in the field (but you get to battle, as well, like a wizard-puppeteer of some sort). The map is expanding and, although clearly a game that a younger audience could relate to, this does not mean the game is easy; it can be quite challenging sometimes, requiring some though and strategy as you progress. Throw in a lot of side-quests, funny dialogue and you get yourself a solid jRPG to keep you hook for weeks. I totally recommend it.… Expand
  13. Mystril
    Dec 28, 2013
    9
    This 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
  14. JudgmentJay
    Jul 23, 2013
    8
    This 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,    This 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
  15. BasilZero
    Dec 30, 2013
    8
    Game: 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    Game: 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

    Cons
    -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
  16. Good-Smurf
    Aug 25, 2013
    10
    Ni 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    Ni 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
  17. vixvicco
    Oct 20, 2013
    10
    The 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.
  18. adamhw
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    This 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 beThis 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
  19. Lycanthropunk
    Jan 1, 2017
    10
    This game is as close to perfect as any game I have played. Full of charm and humour, with graphics which put most current gen titles to shame and with surprisingly deep gameplay too. An absolute masterpiece.
  20. sityoazzdown
    Aug 3, 2015
    9
    Amazing game, easily in my top 10 games of last gen. It's basically a hybrid Pokemon game, and a pretty good one at that. The grinding/looting/ capturing was crazy addicting and also crazy rewarding. When you go the extra mile in this game you know you'll be rewarded, (which some games don't). The overall gameplay was fun, challenging, and refreshing. The hybrid real time battle system isAmazing game, easily in my top 10 games of last gen. It's basically a hybrid Pokemon game, and a pretty good one at that. The grinding/looting/ capturing was crazy addicting and also crazy rewarding. When you go the extra mile in this game you know you'll be rewarded, (which some games don't). The overall gameplay was fun, challenging, and refreshing. The hybrid real time battle system is perfect in this game imo, it is strategic and feels awesome when you finally beat a boss or a bounty hunt. The story was good and i enjoyed the characters and story missions, but must say i wasn't wowed by the ending. The open world element of this game was a cherry on top, looting for ingredients , grinding and trying to find strong familiars, etc. all added to the adventure and amazing variety of this game. The only negatives were the annoying reappearing monsters during story missions and the lack of feel of whether or not a familiar is any good when you start, the revelation in the story was kind of meh to me, but thats imo. To end, this is basically Pokemon for ps3, whaddya waiting for!… Expand
  21. Artanisx
    Mar 2, 2013
    10
    A real masterpiece. I love JRPGs, but this one is truly a gem. The story is wonderful, touching, masterfully written and beautifully told. The game is great, ever changing, with a fantastic world to live in. If you love JRPGs or manga/anime you really can't lose this gem. I bought the PS3 only for this. It's gorgeous, it's poetic, it's an unforgettable masterpiece. Thanks Level 5.
  22. Jouna92
    Dec 20, 2013
    9
    One 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.
  23. MrRPG
    Dec 5, 2013
    10
    When 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    When 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
  24. Jacer200
    May 4, 2013
    9
    This 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.
  25. ihatecheez
    Jun 13, 2013
    8
    the 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.
  26. travismarshall
    May 3, 2013
    9
    Back 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.
  27. alexaxa
    Mar 23, 2014
    9
    Really 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 !
  28. creath
    Jul 15, 2013
    9
    One 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.
  29. KillerShadow
    Mar 21, 2013
    10
    Must get this game, it is kewllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
  30. Dave_Goose
    Apr 5, 2013
    8

    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 traditional

    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 traditional console 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.



    8.5/10… Expand

  31. Vanpire73
    May 2, 2014
    9
    This 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, certainlyThis 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
  32. Skals
    Feb 24, 2013
    8
    It's a great game! The character and enemy design is great, the game all looks very appealing. The only downside would probably be combat; it's not great. The game is not very challenging, it's a grind fest. The game has almost no strategic elements and stats are everything, there weren't many challenging fights, in fact some boss battles were so easy I could have 75% of the party deadIt's a great game! The character and enemy design is great, the game all looks very appealing. The only downside would probably be combat; it's not great. The game is not very challenging, it's a grind fest. The game has almost no strategic elements and stats are everything, there weren't many challenging fights, in fact some boss battles were so easy I could have 75% of the party dead with more than half the bosses health left, and still take him down without problem.
    The game is great in many ways, but combat is important to me, and the combat in this game just felt like a huge grind fest, where metrics are more important than skill.    … Expand
  33. Punkinki
    Jun 15, 2013
    8
    I 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,I 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
  34. Anebriate
    Jan 15, 2014
    9
    The 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    The 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
  35. turo999
    Aug 10, 2013
    10
    Nothing 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. ButNothing 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
  36. mose14
    Jan 22, 2014
    9
    Ni 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 oneNi 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
  37. sweetu2004
    Feb 15, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. must say it is a wonderful storytelling with a nice gameplay never seen in a J-RPG from playstation 3.I am really enjoying something that square enix forgot about it.New gen RPGS are just hallways or sandbox games.… Expand
  38. PlaySphereDE
    Feb 21, 2013
    9
    You know that feeling when you listen to the intro theme and you think „Let's get it on!!“?! So I felt playing Ni No Kuni. Ni No Kuni is a superb RPG and even the best one of the PS3 era. The game's world is harmonious, the music wonderful, the game is designed lovely, the characters make you smile and the dialogues couldn't have been more cuddly (Examble: „If the brain sleeps, the legsYou know that feeling when you listen to the intro theme and you think „Let's get it on!!“?! So I felt playing Ni No Kuni. Ni No Kuni is a superb RPG and even the best one of the PS3 era. The game's world is harmonious, the music wonderful, the game is designed lovely, the characters make you smile and the dialogues couldn't have been more cuddly (Examble: „If the brain sleeps, the legs gotta work“) and there is even a lot to explore. You simply see the influence of former „Level 5“ Games, such as Dark Cloud Chronicles, Rogue Galaxy and Dragon Quest VIII. It has some flaws though, the NPCs could've been a bit deeper and the Quests are somewhat repetetive. But after all Ni No Kuni is the last year's best J-RPG and was just a joy!… Expand
  39. JasonWoods69
    Apr 11, 2013
    9
    As 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 andAs 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
  40. adamSv94
    Feb 25, 2013
    9
    An awesome JRPG that gets its inspiration from old classics like the "Pokemon"-series and the "Final Fantasy"-series. The Game is about a boy named Oliver whose mother dies, leaving Oliver all alone. As he grievs over his mother's death, a fairy named Drippy is awakened after having lived with Oliver for several years as a stuffed toy. Drippy is from another world where everybody fromAn awesome JRPG that gets its inspiration from old classics like the "Pokemon"-series and the "Final Fantasy"-series. The Game is about a boy named Oliver whose mother dies, leaving Oliver all alone. As he grievs over his mother's death, a fairy named Drippy is awakened after having lived with Oliver for several years as a stuffed toy. Drippy is from another world where everybody from Oliver's world has a person that they are connected to, som sort of soulmate. Drippy tells Oliver that he might be able to resurrect his mother by rescuing her soulmate, a Great Sage known as Alicia, from the Dark Djinn Shadar over in the other world. They set out on a marvelous quest that takes Oliver from one magical place to another. I can start by that this is a game of really high quality. I have to say that I had really low expectations of this game at first, but after having played it for a couple of hours I could not let it go. The story, the characters and the gameplay in the game is very well-developed and likeable. Its beautifully animated graphics also deserves to be mentioned and praised. If you enjoy RPGs, this is a game that you should not miss out on.… Expand
  41. Maffa2099
    Mar 2, 2013
    8
    First of all I'm a JPRG sucker and Ghibli fanboy. This game had me salivating for months before release. So I was willing it to be great. But after playing about 20 hours I'm able to be fairly honest and open about my experiences with the game and have found it is far from perfect. It is utterly charming and looks awesome can't deny either of those things, but it does feel like it takesFirst of all I'm a JPRG sucker and Ghibli fanboy. This game had me salivating for months before release. So I was willing it to be great. But after playing about 20 hours I'm able to be fairly honest and open about my experiences with the game and have found it is far from perfect. It is utterly charming and looks awesome can't deny either of those things, but it does feel like it takes an age for the world to open up and allow you to explore more freely. The battles over the first few hours pose little to no challenge which makes a cool battle system get a bit old before it finally starts to open up several hours in. The story isn't amazing, although it is fun enough. Drippy is the star of the show here really cool, funny character.
    I've gone with an 8 out of 10 as I'm having fun with the game and it's game porn to look at, but I can't help but feel it's not quite as amazing as we were all hoping it would be.    … Expand
  42. gamecatchup
    Mar 4, 2013
    9
    One 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'sOne 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
  43. Magisan
    Mar 10, 2013
    8
    A 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 RPGA 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
  44. Kingman1359
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    One 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 areOne 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
  45. houyi111
    Aug 2, 2016
    9
    Ni no Kuni is an amazing game. I am not into JRPG at all, in fact the only JRPG I played is dark souls which is not a traditional slow-paced, turn-based and lengthy JRPG. At the beginning I find the game is kinda of boring, i.e, every encounter is just to spam attack button.. but maybe 10 hours into the game, I realized that the fighting system is rather complicated and elegant. You haveNi no Kuni is an amazing game. I am not into JRPG at all, in fact the only JRPG I played is dark souls which is not a traditional slow-paced, turn-based and lengthy JRPG. At the beginning I find the game is kinda of boring, i.e, every encounter is just to spam attack button.. but maybe 10 hours into the game, I realized that the fighting system is rather complicated and elegant. You have minions with one of star, moon, and sun elements, they have pros and cons against each other, e.g, sun element deals more damage to moon, but less damage to star, etc. I maxed level dozens of minions, they are all fun to use and feels different.
    The story is quite enjoyable and cheering. Everyone has a heart even the bad guys. In the end, I just love every parts of the game. I cannot wait for ni no kuni 2.    … Expand
  46. pizzaday
    Mar 18, 2013
    9
    Arguably 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 ofArguably 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
  47. Brav
    Mar 25, 2013
    9
    10 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. The10 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
  48. RuinedGlory
    Mar 20, 2013
    10
    "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    "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
  49. thepatient613
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    I bought this game and only because I had to see what all the hype was about. It litterally blew my mind. There could be 10 in the series and it would still be a gem. Best part? Litterally everything! Just make sure to check that you still have a life once in a while because you might get deep into it.
  50. Ajantis
    Mar 22, 2013
    9
    An 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 busyAn 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
  51. ErzaScarlet
    Mar 26, 2013
    10
    This 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
  52. reviewer1337
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    Level-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.
  53. Wawacoffee89
    Mar 30, 2013
    9
    Wish 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 putWish 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
  54. mazonik
    Nov 10, 2013
    10
    I 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 feelingI 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
  55. oneandonlywm3
    Apr 21, 2013
    8
    At 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,At 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
  56. thelocolocal
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    Not 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: TheNot 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
  57. babble
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    An 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.
  58. ControllerInHan
    May 12, 2013
    9
    This 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 byThis 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
  59. enkidu_clay
    Jun 5, 2013
    10
    Story: 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    Story: 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
  60. Turion17
    Feb 13, 2014
    10
    First 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.
  61. kowon
    Jun 11, 2013
    10
    Ni 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
  62. Dastrados
    Jun 14, 2013
    10
    Absolutely 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.
  63. M9ki
    Jun 29, 2013
    8
    Good 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.
  64. zanella_marco
    Oct 10, 2014
    8
    Se 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 strategieSe 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
  65. FantasyGameFan
    Jul 8, 2013
    10
    Having 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 loveHaving 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
  66. Ingolicious
    Jan 27, 2014
    10
    Although 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 fallAlthough 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
  67. KreativerKaktus
    Oct 13, 2013
    10
    Best 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
  68. Rupeestyle
    Oct 14, 2013
    10
    In 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 haveIn 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
  69. popeyetyty
    Oct 19, 2013
    10
    Level 5 outdid itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  70. SNS
    Nov 8, 2013
    10
    The 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,    The 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
  71. Krizuwe
    Nov 20, 2013
    8
    Un 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.
  72. PalomarBr
    Nov 22, 2013
    10
    So 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 deeplySo 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
  73. MarcinOS
    Dec 27, 2013
    10
    Amazing game! Beautiful graphics, great music and interesting storyline. I'm really happy that you can choose original voice acting in japanese. Love it~!
  74. smerickson89
    Jan 2, 2014
    10
    I'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.
  75. Turbodowg
    Feb 1, 2014
    10
    I 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    I 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
  76. JRPGReviewer
    Jan 27, 2014
    10
    Okay, 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 areOkay, 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
  77. carlost
    Feb 8, 2014
    9
    Ideal 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.
  78. archonome
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    I 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 =    I 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
  79. Wolfie1987
    Mar 24, 2014
    10
    It'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.
  80. Hi_Im_Game
    Apr 20, 2014
    10
    This 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
  81. Hoso
    Apr 10, 2017
    10
    After more than a hundred hours to get my platinum trophy, I must say this is a «Masterpiece». It is like playing in a Studio Ghibli movie with a fun fighting system. It is like Pokemon and Tales of had a baby. The story is well written and all the characters are fun to discover. The soundtracks are feeling just like a Studio Ghibli movie. Seriously, this game has nothing missing for aAfter more than a hundred hours to get my platinum trophy, I must say this is a «Masterpiece». It is like playing in a Studio Ghibli movie with a fun fighting system. It is like Pokemon and Tales of had a baby. The story is well written and all the characters are fun to discover. The soundtracks are feeling just like a Studio Ghibli movie. Seriously, this game has nothing missing for a Single player JRPG.

    A must for JRPG and Studio Ghibli fans.    … Expand
  82. Perxoda
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    For 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    For 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
  83. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 25, 2018
    9
    Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
    Playstation pokemon
    Ni No Kuni Wrath of The white witch is a pokemon like action jrpg where you play as a boy named oliver who sets out to save his mom. This is a really heart breaking and heart fixing story and adventure.. The game opens in a 1950s and 60s feeling town known as motoville.. there are tons of cutscenes and voice acting here.. though    Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
    Playstation pokemon
    Ni No Kuni Wrath of The white witch is a pokemon like action jrpg where you play as a boy named oliver who sets out to save his mom.
    This is a really heart breaking and heart fixing story and adventure..
    The game opens in a 1950s and 60s feeling town known as motoville.. there are tons of cutscenes and voice acting here.. though sadly this gets rarer the deeper you get into this game.. its mostly reading which holds this game back a bit, but youre just s typical school boy getting into all kinds of shenanigans with your best friends.. and then things happen.. you cry, and your tears free a fairy that’s been trapped in your world and takes you to his world to help you save your mom..
    Cause this game is all about soulmates.. there are 2 versions of everyone..
    Characters that live in motorville live in this other world as other characters and youll be going back and forth occasionally to take care of their issues to help them in the other world and get one step closer to saving your mom
    To do this youll be mending the broken hearts of this worlds characters.. youll have to borrow love and enthusiasm, and belief from characters that have plenty and give it to people with broken hearts using your spell book..
    Did I forget to mention youre a wizard, cause youre a wizard.. youre the hero this world has been waiting on to save them.. as you progress the game youll learn new spells to cast in world as well as in combat..
    The meat of this game..
    This is a very pokemon heavy styled game..
    At least for the majority.. you have to get a few hours in until a character joins you that allows you to capture familiars throughout the world..
    To capture them you have to impress them by weakening them in battle, and esther can then serenade them to make them your own..
    you then throw them in your party or store them..
    Your party will eventuially have 3 main characters, and each can hold 3 familairs at a time, all equally gaining xp from battles.. once leveled up high enough you can evolve them into their next form which starts them back to level 1, but their stats will greatly improve throughout their 3 different forms..
    Characters do have weaknesses, and will learn new elemental moves, and they all have different sub classes like fighter, tank, caster, healer… all of which are important to have in your party.. at least for the members you don’t use that often..
    I was very olivery heavy and I stuck with my beginning familiar throughout..
    But I made sure to give the rest of my party tanks so they wouldn’t die as quickly as well as healers to make sure the team stayed healthy, and fighters to do a bit of damage
    And both of my party members did a great job of doing damage using magic and healing
    Though youre able to freely switch through all 12 characters at any time during a battle as its all happening real time with a mix of turn based timers going on.. attacking and defending has to cool down and your special attacks are tied to magic points
    The combat here can really get intense.. i was active in most battles, even simple encounters with regular enemies…
    I feel like this is mostly thanks to how much magic points moves take..
    I hardly ever did any special moves because of how costly they were,, I would save my magic to heal my part to make sure I wasn’t sent back to the start of an area at a save point, which will refull your health and magic..
    I do feel that these moves are just a little too expensive though..
    It feels like a waste to have them there and again.. never really get to use them
    Though this isn’t the case during boss battles..
    Easily the highlight moments of this game.. where all of your grinding and leveling and party building with different weapons and armours pay off…
    Youll be timing attacks and defenses to get the poss to drop health and magic so you can pull off awesome moves and towards the end of the game youll even get to call in the bosses you’ve defeated as champions to pull off element based moves for massive damage…
    And occasionally bosses will drop a gold orb for you to do a super move and fill up your health..
    Every boss battle felt just the right amount of challenging, excluding a certain moment in the game where you get to choose the order you take down these 3 different bosses.. for obvious reasons after you defeat one of the 3, the other 2 are a breaze.. but the rest of this games bosses are insane and are such a great pay off for crawling through the maze like dungeons..
    Ni NO Kuni is a really special game..
    its addictive with a heart warming story.. the grinding never feels like a grind.. the 30 hours fly by and its just the right amount of challenging the whole way through
    It would be great to see it come to ps4, but its worth dusting off the ps3 for
    I give Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
    an 8.5/10    … Expand
  84. Sephiroth_X
    Jun 20, 2015
    10
    Im biased because this game represents something i always wanted in my life, an RPG that strongly resembled a cartoon! The artstyle this game deliver has to be yet surpassed is simply a joy to watch everything and wander around, through the whole game the visual quality never lets down.

    Also is not completely linear and encourages exploration, lots of monsters to aid you in your quest,    Im biased because this game represents something i always wanted in my life, an RPG that strongly resembled a cartoon! The artstyle this game deliver has to be yet surpassed is simply a joy to watch everything and wander around, through the whole game the visual quality never lets down.

    Also is not completely linear and encourages exploration, lots of monsters to aid you in your quest, nice orchestral soundtrack and a nice story makes this a must have and probably future classic.    … Expand
  85. Andjelico
    Nov 6, 2014
    8
    This 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    This 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
  86. cwinters710
    Nov 8, 2014
    10
    This 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, ItThis 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
  87. IreneGR
    Feb 22, 2015
    10
    one of the BEST games I have ever played! if you are a pokemon lover you will love it! if you are a fantasy lover you will love it! it will drive you through amazing places you will enjoy it for sure! grab it though is over 70 hourse gameplay!
  88. danieltule
    Feb 24, 2015
    10
    Ni No Kuni is one of my all time favorite games. It has great battle system. Great story, and you always have something to do from side quests casino or the story. The graphics are great. This is a game you can easily get into.
  89. Rustedtruck
    Apr 5, 2015
    9
    I loved this game so much! It still reminiscing very lively in my heart and I will never forget how its story, gameplay, and characters touched me heart. This RPG deserves to be experienced by every fan and it will have enough memorable content in it to last a lifetime.
  90. Colaflare
    May 25, 2016
    10
    A truly fantastic journey and narrative with a new take on JRPG elements. Ni No Kuni takes the key fun and impactful elements of games like Pokemon, Fire Emblem, Dragon Quest etc and pours them into a game that is simply stunning. Buy this if you can and experience what more JRPGs should be like in this day and age. I'll be picking this up the moment it comes to PS4 if it ever does
  91. SpenserReynolds
    Jun 2, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was a very surprisingly pleasant little RPG. I went in not expecting this from it.

    "Pokemon". OK people. We act like pokemon is the only thing ever to take the concept of having creatures be your friends and help you fight. Chill out. Yes, I can see that this is reminiscent of pokemon, certainly. But many games use this; it is not a ripe-off. Calm down. I really enjoyed the familiars-based combat (but holy your AI party members will be really stupid with theirs sometimes, like dang, hope you're ready to baby sit during combat). Leveling familiars can be a little annoying sometimes, but later in the game there is an easy creature that dishes out a lot of EXP so the grind becomes not so bad.

    POSITIVE:
    The sort of dual plot is where I was surprised- the ambiguity of this make believe world, for me, was stunning. There is the surface level little-boy-saves-fantasy-world part to it, which was honestly quite cute (against my usual opinions). Then on another level, there was the implication that the world didn't really exist at all and was really just a coping method for the little boy's loss of his mother.

    The graphics are very cute, and the occasional Ghibli animated parts were truly a treat.

    The universe was pleasant. And the throwback to a world map based game (I am referring to FF7 style) was refreshing, but also very nice that the battles were not random encounter- you see the enemies and it takes you into another screen. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED that lower level enemies run from me. Like, how realistic, right? Wouldn't they though? But anyway. I was also excited by each new location (and also how not terribly painful they were. dungeons are brief and to-the-point).

    The sidequests were pleasant (some repetitive, but hey, they're 100% optional). They often send you back to previous locations, but you obtain a fast travel and THE LOWER LEVEL ENEMIES DON'T INSIST ON WASTING YOUR TIME. WHICH IS GREAT. So you can come and go to low level areas without wanting to shoot yourself as you please.

    After-game content is not pure grinding! Which is cool! (the after game, unfortunately, is not chronologically after you save the world. this is still a rare thing in games. it takes you back to before you won. but that is fine).

    MEH:
    Nothing is perfect, of course.

    The music was ok. Just your standard adventure game music, about what you would expect.

    The characters and their relationships. The duality of the plot was great, but the surface level plot was about what you would expect tbqh. The characters didn't really do much to surprise you with their behavior (the grumpy one was grumpy, the two who always bickered still always bickered, the jokes were silly at best, etc.) This is easily excused, for me, by it being the creation of a little boy struggling with grief.    … Expand
  92. Sammy680
    Jul 16, 2015
    8
    Nowhere near as great as it's made out to be- and far from perfect. It's a good game but has severe flaws and the story can be quite dull at times and nonsensical at others.

    It personally took me a loooong time to get into the story; the intro was rather bland and aside from the legendary Mr. Drippy, the characters in the beginning aren't especially exciting. Oliver is your typical    Nowhere near as great as it's made out to be- and far from perfect. It's a good game but has severe flaws and the story can be quite dull at times and nonsensical at others.

    It personally took me a loooong time to get into the story; the intro was rather bland and aside from the legendary Mr. Drippy, the characters in the beginning aren't especially exciting. Oliver is your typical do-gooder-no-personality-whatsoever hero, and remains uninspiring throughout the game.

    Graphics-wise, the game is gorgeous, and I often found myself taking time out to simply look around. The cut scenes by Studio Ghibli are the typical fare you'd expect from them.

    The soundtrack is brilliant, not much else to say on that point!

    Apart from the story, the biggest flaw is the AI of your comrades. This makes later battles incredibly annoying at times- for example, I've set them to heal before and they do anything but that- and the game could've benefited greatly from a FF12 style gambit system or something similar, giving greater control over the party members.

    The familiars are a fun aspect of the game and will appeal to most Pokemon fans.

    The Wizard's Companion is actually one of my favourite aspects of the game, but for anyone who hates large amounts of reading it may seem choresome trawling through it for certain side quests- thankfully there is always Google!

    I think they also missed a trick by not utilising all of the spells you acquire over the game; some spells you don't have the opportunity to use at all. Many spells are just fillers and I found that disappointing.

    Overall this a game worth playing, but it's far from the best JRPG ever.    … Expand
  93. madmats
    Aug 25, 2015
    9
    Best RPG i played on PS3.

    Really good story and studio Ghibli is great as usual.
    Great music, soundtrack and voice acting.
    I was afraid it would be too childish for me but I really enjoyed it.

    I hope they make a sequel.
  94. gq_foine
    Dec 3, 2016
    10
    This is in my TOP 5 best JRPG ever made! Best RPG on PS3.. It brought back my love for RPGs, since everything has been god awful - Skyrim, and all these other games that people are playing.

    This is how I broke down my rating: Story - 10 Graphics 10 Gameplay 10 Sound - 10 Overall - 10 *Absolute masterpiece! Ni No Kuni 2 is coming out next year and looking forward to it! This    This is in my TOP 5 best JRPG ever made! Best RPG on PS3.. It brought back my love for RPGs, since everything has been god awful - Skyrim, and all these other games that people are playing.

    This is how I broke down my rating:

    Story - 10
    Graphics 10
    Gameplay 10
    Sound - 10
    Overall - 10

    *Absolute masterpiece! Ni No Kuni 2 is coming out next year and looking forward to it! This is absolutely amazing and is a must play for PS3 owners!    … Expand
  95. NexusTsunami
    Mar 9, 2016
    9
    Ni no Kuni. Ein Spiel welches es vermag einen vollkommen in seine Welt eintauchen zu lassen. Zum ersten liegt das an der liebevoll, bis zum Rand mit Details, gefüllten und im passenden Anime-Look gehaltenen Spielewelt. Zum zweiten an dem süchtig machenden Zähmen und Entwickeln von Monstern/Vertrauten. Und zum Dritten an dem interessanten Kampfsystem, welches mich persönlich, an eineNi no Kuni. Ein Spiel welches es vermag einen vollkommen in seine Welt eintauchen zu lassen. Zum ersten liegt das an der liebevoll, bis zum Rand mit Details, gefüllten und im passenden Anime-Look gehaltenen Spielewelt. Zum zweiten an dem süchtig machenden Zähmen und Entwickeln von Monstern/Vertrauten. Und zum Dritten an dem interessanten Kampfsystem, welches mich persönlich, an eine Mischung aus "Tales of" und der "FF13" Reihe erinnert.

    Alle die etwas mit der Optik und dem Kampfsystem der "Tales of" Reihe, dem Sammelwahn von "Pokemon" und vergleichbaren, dem Kampfsystem der "FF13" Trilogie, einem epischen orchestralem Soundtrack und allgemein etwas mit Anime bzw. Cell Shading anfangen können, sei dieses Spiel ans Herz gelegt.

    9*    … Expand
  96. Empyrea
    Jan 24, 2019
    8
    I've just beaten the game so here goes my impressions: my first 6 hours were really great because everything was new. Graphics are really great, it's like an anime. It reminds me a bit Dragon Quest VIII. Soundtrack is really good as well, although the music in the battles can be repetitive as it can be these battles. About gameplay, is a mix of both turn based and real time based andI've just beaten the game so here goes my impressions: my first 6 hours were really great because everything was new. Graphics are really great, it's like an anime. It reminds me a bit Dragon Quest VIII. Soundtrack is really good as well, although the music in the battles can be repetitive as it can be these battles. About gameplay, is a mix of both turn based and real time based and reminds the Pokemon games. About plot is interesting at first. I think this game would have been better if it was shorter and with a more entertaining battle system. I think this is a really good game for children and young people but even if you're an adult and you are not only focused in bloody games with insults you're gonna enjoy this game. About difficulty, I didn't have much problems in easy mode until the end. Just make sure to save this game from time to time an especially when you are close to the "star" in the map (which is the main mission) because sometimes you can find a boss without having saved your game and save when you are a little far from the star cause sometimes you don't even reach the star and a scene triggers and sometimes is a boss. About bosses, if you have problems don't bother in leveling up your team. You only need to change your strategy, use the right attacks and have some potions in your bag. Doing this will be enough until you are finishing the game were enemies will be hard. My advice: do all the Horace riddles when you are close to the end. He will give you very good spells such Veil (with this you can avoid battles) and other strong spells. That's all. So yes, this is a good game. There should be more anime games like this in ps3 and ps4. It took me 39 hours to beat the game and a total of 44 hours and half to reach the real final. I beat the real final bosses at level 50 but with many PM potions (more than 20 and I used them all but 1). The worst of the final enemies is that your strongest spells are very slow to shoot and you can't cancel them to protect yourself when they send you a strong spell. This is the main gap I think.… Expand
  97. HTGamer
    Nov 27, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is probably the best modern JRPG of the PS3 console generation, and deservedly so. It's a significantly expanded version of the original Nintendo DS game (Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn), and since it has been freed from the constraints of the ancient portable, the game really shines on PS3.

    The story is about a child named Oliver who early in the game loses his mother. His beloved toy (an Irish-speaking doll named Drippy) animates and tells Oliver about a parallel world where a "soulmate" of everybody exists there. Oliver travels to the other world and learns to use magic, hoping to save his mother in his world. From that point on, the story progresses and becomes a blend of epic and drama, as Oliver travels the world to accomplish his quest, making new friends along the way.

    Gameplay is about traveling in a world map and entering towns to explore further, and fighting monsters in order to level-up. The main story events are accompanied by numerous side activities (bounties, errands, side quests, mini games). The combat system is a classic JRPG with active time based moves (no turn-based), and the player can use either Oliver or a minion (known as "familiar") to fight enemies. The player can defeat monsters and recruit them to use as familiars, which can also level up through combat and evolve to become even more powerful. You can also issue commands to the other AI-controlled party members. After completing the main story quest, there is plenty of high-level enemies to fight in the post-game, and many more familiars to catch, just like on Pokemon. The only negative aspect of the gameplay is the classic JRPG issue of having to grind for hours and level up in order to progress the story (there is no prerequisite player level to progress through the story missions, but sometimes you realise you have to gain 5 levels in order to beat a boss and progress, which may mean you previously rushed through the campaign and didn't do other side activities to gain XP), but if you mix story progression with side quests, you will have more variety and it won't bog you down as much. Still, the combat system is so great that grinding isn't frustrating, other than time-consuming.

    Thanks to the collaboration of the developers with the acclaimed Studio Ghibli, graphics are beautiful. Cut-scenes are hand-drawn anime, and the in-game graphics are cel-shaded to look like a 3D anime. The soundtrack is great, and the voice over is surprisingly good.

    Overall, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a wonderful game. It was a surprise hit back in 2013, and it was so successful that a sequel was announced in 2015 to be in the works (Revenant Kingdom). I can't wait to hear more about it. In the meantime, if you read this review, be assured that Ni No Kuni is a good reason to return to the old PS3 console and play one of its best exclusives.    … Expand
  98. artificeprime
    Apr 14, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A perfect example of a family friendly game that is deep and complex while still being accessible.

    Ni no Kuni is a very innocent and childish game on the surface but just like a good Disney or Ghibli movie it has just as much appeal for adults as it does for kids. It has a well thought out world with a deep history and the more I played the more I found I wanted to learn. The games' magic was also quite well thought out and made sense within the story as well as gameplay. The characters weren't as complex as RPGs like Persona or Final Fantasy, but they felt believable enough and each one had meaningful development throughout. By the end I truly cared about the cast and felt like they had grown immensely. On a technical level it looks and sounds great while offering very unique gameplay that is fun and rewarding. The more you play the better the game gets. I recommend it to all fans of JRPGs regardless of age.

    In terms of gameplay. There are many ways that it is exceptional. The menu system is one of the most intuitive and well thought out of any game I have ever played. Basically the whole menu system is part of a book called the Magician's companion. It includes everything you need to know about monsters you have enountered, your familiars, your characters, items, and spells. It is like an interactive book and it is so easy to use and enjoyable to look through. It is so good I really wish that more games had a menu system that is so robust while being easy to navigate. So many elements of the game are just really well thought out. For example as you get further in the story and reveal more of the map you progressively get better vehicles and abilities that make traveling long distances easier. It happens in a very natural way so that traveling to knew places always felt like a fresh experience but rarely felt like a chore. All of the methods of travel also made perfect sense within the context of the story. The combat system starts out very basic but as you learn new spells and tame more familiars, it progressively gets more interesting. By the end of the game I had so many spells and familiars that I genuinely felt very powerful. The way that new spells get unlocked also fits perfectly into the story making it all the more satisfying. There are a huge variety of familiars so I always felt motivated to discover new ones. Combat can be challenging but was never frustratingly difficult. The only major downsides of the gameplay is that exploration is pretty boring, on the field and in dungeons there isn't a lot that Oliver can do. There are a few field spells but those don't really do much to enhance the gameplay experience. Aside from that minor weakness though the gameplay is well above most JRPGs.

    The Story is surprisingly very deep. It is a great blend of intimate and epic. At first it seems like a simple journey for Oliver to save his mother but the further you go the grander the conflict becomes. I was genuinely surprised by just how deep the story went in the end and the plot was for the most part very well crafted. Each area you travel to reveals more about the world, its history and its problems. It is delivered in a way that is simple enough for a child to appreciate but it is deeper than most games targeted at a mature audience. It is clear that a lot of thought was put into the story and by the end almost everything is clearly explained. My only major complaint about the story is that I thought the final arc was a little bit disappointing, it isn't bad and it actually came as a surprise but I thought there was just so much potential for it to be far more than it was. The reveal of Shadar's identity to me was very satisfying and then the reveal of the White Witch was also very satisfying. Their connection to each other and Oliver made a lot of sense. What disappointed me though was the reveal of the final reveal of the identity of the zodiarchs and the explanation behind their downfall. There was just so much potential to make the zodiarch and the White Witch more complex. I also thought the explanation behind the collapse of the ancient kingdom to be a bit too simple considering the deep history surrounding it. The way that the White Witch is defeated was also a missed opportunity to me it would have been so amazing if Oliver had to complete her heart by gathering every type of emotion from across the kingdom. They had all the mechanics and world building for it to make perfect sense. None the less, the story is amazing and full of surprises.

    Visually the game speaks for itself. I think it is one of the best looking games on the PS3. The cartoony style won't be for everyone but I think it will age exceptionally well. I think it still looks better than most JRPGs on the PS4. There is care and detail put into every design. Each location is memorable and each spell looks interesting. Bosses look great some of the familiars look stupid but there are so many.

    I give it 86%    … Expand
  99. GreenSkullRider
    Jan 30, 2017
    10
    Con la llegada confirmada de la secuela se deben tomar las molestias para jugar o rejugar este juego japonés, vaya que belleza de juego con los estudios ghibli en la parte visual y un trasfondo del mas puro y clásico rpg, esta es la historia de un niño, magia, 2 mundos y una madre perdida (o muerta). de ahí solo se abre un libro que te enviara a los mas grandes y peculiares sueños. unCon la llegada confirmada de la secuela se deben tomar las molestias para jugar o rejugar este juego japonés, vaya que belleza de juego con los estudios ghibli en la parte visual y un trasfondo del mas puro y clásico rpg, esta es la historia de un niño, magia, 2 mundos y una madre perdida (o muerta). de ahí solo se abre un libro que te enviara a los mas grandes y peculiares sueños. un juego perfecto… Expand
  100. Pariable
    Mar 23, 2017
    10
    This is another on the list of masterpiece RPGs you must play in your lifetime. The plot from beginning to end will keep your pressing through each save unto the early hours of the morning. Not many RPGs in recent years have struck me the way Ni No Kuni has. My first qualification for such a positive rating is the holy trinity: challenging, rewarding, and emotionally impacting. InThis is another on the list of masterpiece RPGs you must play in your lifetime. The plot from beginning to end will keep your pressing through each save unto the early hours of the morning. Not many RPGs in recent years have struck me the way Ni No Kuni has. My first qualification for such a positive rating is the holy trinity: challenging, rewarding, and emotionally impacting. In RPGs which tell a linear story it MUST be compelling. Trust me when I say, this game will pull at you emotionally. The combat system is unique and impressively intense at times. The final showdown in the game will have you enjoying every aspect of the combat you experience throughout. A perfect climax in terms of the system they used. All other bells and whistles of the game were otherwise perfect. If it didn't have so digital downloads, copies of this game would be worth 80-100 dollars in appreciation, years from now. Go play this game!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PS3 Game of 2013
8
#8 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
4
#4 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Post Arcade (National Post)
    May 6, 2013
    80
    Ni 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.
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  2. RPG Fan
    Apr 11, 2013
    92
    The 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.
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  3. Armchair Empire
    Apr 1, 2013
    85
    Despite 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.
    Read full review
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