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. 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~!
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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!
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. ORevisor
    Mar 29, 2018
    10
    Um dos melhores jogos, história perfeita e emocionante, sistema de combate empolgante, colecionar e evoluir familiares que te ajudam nos combates é maravilhoso, música e gráficos fantásticos.
  18. PaupiTLD
    May 21, 2018
    10
    Hermoso juego!! me engancho de principio a fin! una de las razones que la ame tanto fueron las escenas de cinemática hechas por uno de mis estudios favoritos de la vida :D , no me aburrió en ningún momento y tiene una historia hermosa
  19. Chara-Dreemurr
    May 24, 2018
    10
    I Love Ni No Kuni!I Love The Challenges And Art Style,Ooh!And Even The Amount Of Strategies You Can Use,I Know This Is My Opinion But, Ni No Kuni Is Great! 10 out of 10!
  20. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    A Masterpiece, loved everything about this game, it is definitely a must play!
  21. 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.
  22. Cafe_8bits
    Nov 11, 2019
    10
    Ni No Kuni its a perfect game for me. This game has so much polishing, so much content, so much love involved. Its a masterpiece of our age. NNK does not make anything new, but instead it collects many elements of classic JRPGs and use them in the rightest way possible. At the same time, NNK use all the modern resources it could to make the best experience possible, without fall into theNi No Kuni its a perfect game for me. This game has so much polishing, so much content, so much love involved. Its a masterpiece of our age. NNK does not make anything new, but instead it collects many elements of classic JRPGs and use them in the rightest way possible. At the same time, NNK use all the modern resources it could to make the best experience possible, without fall into the same old tropes of the genre.
    And, besides being a perfect blend of old and new, NNK excels well in his narrative, using the Studio Ghibli factor by his side.
    And to complement all of that, NNK have a fun and polished game play, in which we can be stuck by hours and hours.
    In fact, NNK is my most beloved game ever. And the only one i can easy give a 10 out of 10... It does everything i like in a RPG right, and i cant recommend it enough.    … Expand
  23. Narwhal
    Jan 27, 2020
    10
    This game is amazing with immersed game play. It is generally easy to get the hang of. Even the grinding feels good. I feel like this should be played by a lot of people. The best part is the battle system which is also easy to handle and play with. You can select every party member's action to either attack and defend. it is really engaging.
  24. chrisdan23
    Jun 9, 2022
    10
    Wenn es ein Spiel gibt, für das ich mir ein HD Remaster für die PS4 wünschen würde, dann wäre es sicherlich Ni No Kuni. Ich bin ein großer Fan der Ghibli Studios und ihrer Filme wie "Spirited Away", "Mononoke" oder "Das wandelnde Schloss". Dass Level 5, die Macher von PS2 Perlen wie Dark Chronicle und Dragon Quest 8, nun ein Spiel mit den Ghibli Studios zusammen entwickeln - das hat michWenn es ein Spiel gibt, für das ich mir ein HD Remaster für die PS4 wünschen würde, dann wäre es sicherlich Ni No Kuni. Ich bin ein großer Fan der Ghibli Studios und ihrer Filme wie "Spirited Away", "Mononoke" oder "Das wandelnde Schloss". Dass Level 5, die Macher von PS2 Perlen wie Dark Chronicle und Dragon Quest 8, nun ein Spiel mit den Ghibli Studios zusammen entwickeln - das hat mich natürlich schwer begeistert. Und was soll man sagen, die Zusammenarbeit hat sich wirklich gelohnt.

    So hat Ghibli nicht nur handgezeichnete Anime Sequenzen zum Spiel beigesteuert, sondern auch Charakterdesign und Storytelling maßgebend geprägt. So wird man viele Charaktere finden, wie beispielsweise die Königin von Ding Dong Dell, die einfach so hardcore Ghibli sind, dass es eine wahre Freude ist. Zudem lebt die Erzählung sehr von dem Moment der Phantastik, das auch Ghibli Filme seit jeher insbesondere prägt. Phantastik meint, dass reale und fiktionale Welt miteinander verwoben sind. Es ist ein Spiel mit den Ebenen, wo Wirklichkeit und Fantasie sich die Hand geben, sich verflechten und gegenseitig beeinflussen. Ghibli versteht es meisterhaft solche Geschichten zu erzählen. So bietet auch Ni No Kuni eine erzählerische Kost, die man sonst eher in Michael Ende Romanen findet, nicht aber in typischen JRPGs. Ganz großes Kino.

    Doch auch Level 5 hat ihren Beitrag zu diesem großartigen Spiel beigetragen, indem sie nämlich hervorragende Spielmechaniken entwickelt haben, die sich absolut motivierend und herausfordernd spielen. So ist eine wesentliche Mechanik des Spiels das Fangen und Aufziehen von Monstern. Jeder der drei Hauptcharaktere kann nun wiederum bis zu drei dieser Monster in einer Kampfsituation aufrufen. Doch damit ist das Thema noch nicht durch, denn als Spieler hat man die Möglichkeit, jederzeit zwischen den Charakteren, wie auch den verschiedenen aufgerufenen Monstern zu wechseln. Denn auch die Monster sind in ihren Aktionen komplett vom Spieler steuerbar. Dass heißt praktisch, man kann 3x3 Monster plus die speziellen Fertigkeiten der Charaktere komplett selbstgelenkt ins Spiel bringen.

    Dass es zusätzlich per Knopfdruck aktivierbare Meta Kommandos gibt wie "Alle greifen an" und "Alle verteidigen", macht das System nochmals komplexer. Worauf es am Ende ankommt, ist alle Monster und Spezialfertigkeiten der Charakteren taktisch geschickt einzusetzen, was ein ständiges Hin- und Her zwischen Charakteren und Monstern erfordert, ein schnelles situatives Umschalten, je nach dem, was auf dem Schlachtfeld gerade passiert. Gerade bei Bosskämpfen werden zudem die Metakommandos wichtig. Wenn beispielsweise zu einem Spezialangriff angesetzt wird, sollte man seine komplette Truppe möglichst schnell auch in Abwehrhaltung versetzen.

    Leider haben viele Tester das Kampfsystem von Ni No Kuni etwas verkannt. Anders kann ich mir ein Reden von Unübersichtlichkeit und Unfairness nicht erklären. Zugegeben, auf dem Schlachtfeld tummeln sich oftmals bis zu zehn Figuren. Das kann schon mal ein wenig unübersichtlich werden. Aber klassischerweise achtet man bei einem JRPG Kampfsystem vor allem auf die eigenen Werte und die Aktionen der Gegner, weniger auf die Inszenierung des Ganzen. Unfair ist Ni No Kuni so sicherlich nicht. Das System ist recht komplex und bietet verschiedenste Möglichkeiten der Bedienung. Das kann am Anfang etwas überfordernd wirken. Das Spiel setzt schon voraus, dass man sich mit den Fähigkeiten seiner Charaktere und Monster auseinandersetzt und selbstständig Taktiken entwickelt, wie man diese gut und effektiv einsetzen kann. Es wird einem hier recht wenig vorgekaut, sondern man bekommt ein sehr offenen System an die Hand, dass man auch sehr einfach spielen kann, aber eben auch sehr agil und effektiv. Es liegt letztlich am Spieler, was er aus den angebotenen Möglichkeiten macht.

    Neben dem fantasievollen Charakterdesign, der wunderschönen Zeichentrickoptik, der tiefgreifenden, niveauvollen Erzählung und nicht zu vergessen - des großartigen orchestralen Soundtracks, bietet Ni No Kuni so auch ein ungeheuer flexibles Kampfsystem, das zum Experimentieren und Optimieren einlädt und so zum eigentlichen Highlight des Spiels avanciert. Als Komplettpaket ist Ni No Kuni daher meines Erachtens bis heute das Beste was man im JRPG Genre finden kann.

    Leider hat der Nachfolger, nach dem Ausstieg der Ghibli Studios aus dem Franchise, das künstlerische Niveau des Vorgängers nicht halten können. Auch das grandiose Kampfsystem wurde durch ein spaßiges, aber deutlich weniger taktisches Echtzeitkampfsystem ersetzt. Schade. Gerade deshalb hoffe ich inständig weiter auf ein HD Remaster des Originals für die PS4. Für mich ist Ni No Kuni das beste JRPG das man sich wünschen kann. Es wäre schade, wenn diesem Kleinod der Sprung in die nächste Generation verwehrt bleiben sollte.    … Expand
  25. loadstone007
    Dec 8, 2013
    9
    For RPG fans this game is a must. Superb visuals and music, very charming and special. The characters are fun and the main character is just cute. Only drawback, like every RPG game, is the combat grinding. But that's the whole point, so get this game if you like games like Persona 4.
    Oh, and the British accent is weird but at least humorous.
  26. Veritas
    Feb 13, 2013
    9
    Bought this for my wife, and she seems to really like it. Aside from an annoying tutorial, if you love any classics like Princess Mononoke, or Howl's, you'll love the direction and story in this game.
  27. whiskeyknight
    Jan 27, 2013
    9
    Wonderful. I don't understand how any website could give this a bad review. This game is gorgeous, emotional, challenging, addictive, and satisfying. I think people have been pampered by easy games and don't understand the concept of a "real hardcore" RPG. If you have even the slightest interest in RPGs or Miyazaki, buy this now dude!
  28. Agarwel
    Feb 6, 2013
    9
    So far I really like this game. Im not a fan of a JRPG genre so I must agree with some complains here especially the repetitiveness or strange controls of the combats (three buttons to use defend? Come on...). But otherwise it is a great game. It has beautifull graphics with amazing atmosphere (just the 2D cutscenes could use bigger framerate). The story is heartwarming. And I love theSo far I really like this game. Im not a fan of a JRPG genre so I must agree with some complains here especially the repetitiveness or strange controls of the combats (three buttons to use defend? Come on...). But otherwise it is a great game. It has beautifull graphics with amazing atmosphere (just the 2D cutscenes could use bigger framerate). The story is heartwarming. And I love the attention of the details (Wizards Compantion book, etc). This game is like definition of a term "High production details". There is so much executed so well, you will gladly forgive few shortcomings.… Expand
  29. vahn
    Feb 14, 2013
    9
    Before saying anything bad about this game, I want to be perfectly clear: this is a good game, it's detailed, it's cured, it's a great JRPG, one of the fewest of this generation, and almost everything works perfectly. Almost, because there was one thing that really put me off during the entire game: the combat. While everything is fantastic in the game, it's probably the combat the partBefore saying anything bad about this game, I want to be perfectly clear: this is a good game, it's detailed, it's cured, it's a great JRPG, one of the fewest of this generation, and almost everything works perfectly. Almost, because there was one thing that really put me off during the entire game: the combat. While everything is fantastic in the game, it's probably the combat the part where it basically fails in some parts (and partially, also the story). Anyway, the best parts of this game, are the graphics which are godly and really reeks of the mark of Studio Ghibli (their movies are some of the best japan animations ever), and with also some fantastic cel-shaded graphics that literally destroys the photo-realistic graphics of the latest games. The music is also great and it really becomes remarkable unlike many other games, with bland music and forgettable tunes (and reminds of Studio Ghibli too). The story, while nothing special, is pretty good too...but some characters aren't that great and the last part of the game is obviously a needless filler (since this game was supposed to come from the Nintendo DS version...and it shows). Finally we also get a world map that's FULLY explorable, by sailing and by flying, after a long time of linear JRPGs and similar, and that alone is a great addition for the game since it basically brings back one of the most important detail of a roleplaying game: exploration. And like I said, this game is great, but it's the combat that's basically a bit of a disappointment: you click a command (attack, spells, etc) and during that time you see your monsters (or yourself) fighting for a period of time (you'll see a clock) and then you click again to do the same thing again, while your compagnions are lead by the (CRAPPY) AI...but you still have to give orders everytime and while you can move (and actually avoid damage) you'll still have to give constant orders whenever the clock runs out...again, this is one of those JRPGs that attempts to make an hybrid between a turn-based system and an action based system...and it fails hard., although it's still better than most of recent JRPGs...but after all this time from the nintendo DS release, where the game WAS turn-based,, we get a clearly rushed battle system that was supposed to be a turn-based one (and again, it shows!) and tried to make it more action...and while it doesn't have particular flaws, the AI is still bad and you'll basically do most of the skills and spell, while you'll let your compagnions do the most basic jobs (like healing). This just bothers me because they could've just gone for complete action based, with just one button to attack and such, but instead we still NEED to give orders and wait to give more. Just like a normal turn-based rpg...except it's not. Ok, the fights let you also control by having an all-out attack and all-out defense, since bosses can do attacks that can be dangerous, and the guard is strong. But it still begs the quest "why didn't it turn into a complete action-base combat"...and that's why I'll give it a 9, because everything else works greatly (with just the story having some "hiccups"), but it's the combat the part that highly disappointed me. But even that, it's a great JRPG after all and one of those who finally exploits the power of ps3 by giving us great graphics (and not necessarily realistic), a good story to follow, which seems more like a Studio Ghibli production indeed, and the possibility to explore the game again like old JRPGs used to. If you love JRPGs, you will love this one, and I highly suggest to give it a try.… Expand
  30. 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).
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. f_type
    Feb 18, 2013
    9
    Ni No Kuni combines the talents of Level 5 and Studio Ghibli to create one of the most interesting JRPGs in years. The story revolves around (our hero) Oliver who enters another world with his companion Mr. Drippy. The two worlds are connected, so if Oliver doesn't save the day in Mr. Drippy's world, then both worlds will parish. The gameplay is mostly standard JRPG fare, you'll meetNi No Kuni combines the talents of Level 5 and Studio Ghibli to create one of the most interesting JRPGs in years. The story revolves around (our hero) Oliver who enters another world with his companion Mr. Drippy. The two worlds are connected, so if Oliver doesn't save the day in Mr. Drippy's world, then both worlds will parish. The gameplay is mostly standard JRPG fare, you'll meet interesting people, gather allies, go to different places and resolve different problems. The game takes classic JRPG elements, adds in a touch of Pokemon-esque monster catching evolving. The combat is live action and relies on a combination of cool-down and MP for magic. Each character shares their HP and MP with their familiar. It's an interesting system and with over 250 familiars to catch, provides a lot of depth. There are a lot of small facets to the combat and the familiars that really add depth to the game. Visually, there's little to be said of the game. The game looks just like an animated film and the hand drawn scenes done by Studio Ghibli are simply stunning. Musical score (besides the battle theme) perfectly compliment the game and the voice work is amazing. The game is well done but is plagued by a number of poor decision on the developer's part. You only control one character while the other two are controlled by the AI, which is terrible. You have minimal options to dictate what the AI does but regardless of what you select, the AI is almost always irrational and often becomes a huge burden during most battles. The game also offers a huge world and lots of quest, but the slow travel rate make most of the quests very tedious. After 22 hours (just past the half-way point), you get a quick travel and flight ability back-to-back. ARG!! They should have given you quick travel much earlier (like after 10 hours)!! There are also parts of the story that feel tacked on... because they were. The PS3 version of this game added on a lot of story element's to the original (Japanese only) DS release of this game. These additions to the story definitely stick out and results in an really poor "real" ending. Post-game, you get a lot of additional quests but they're very tedious (back tracking, item farming), give lackluster rewards, and do not add anything to the story. These are just some of the more notable issues but the others are not as annoying. However... with all of that said, I couldn't help but enjoy the game for the most part. It will test you patience at times and irritate you, but Ni No Kuni is a visually stunning game and provides for a deep JPRG experience.… Expand
  34. Luke2758
    Feb 11, 2013
    9
    One of the most amazing and refreshing gaming experiences I've had in years, just such a joy to play.
  35. CalR
    Feb 6, 2013
    9
    FIRST IMPRESSIONS I shall return to review this upon completion. Well I'm 9 hours in have only two familiars and am thoroughly enjoying this impressive JRPG. I'm still currently having my hand held through gameplay with new spells, responsibilities and tools being unlocked as I go which really contributes to the depth on offer here. Ni No Kuni IS an important JRPG because it demonstratesFIRST IMPRESSIONS I shall return to review this upon completion. Well I'm 9 hours in have only two familiars and am thoroughly enjoying this impressive JRPG. I'm still currently having my hand held through gameplay with new spells, responsibilities and tools being unlocked as I go which really contributes to the depth on offer here. Ni No Kuni IS an important JRPG because it demonstrates to the Japanese what western players love about the genre and this is being shown in sales and acclaim (though some western critics still stubbornly dismiss the gameplay and combat as dull). Personally I have always loved turn-based combat, and whilst the FF series lost this when square soft merged to become square-enix through awful ATB, Level-5 bring it back via Pokemon and form something that's fast, fluid and not a chore. Battles come and go so quickly that there's no tsk when an enemy forces you to engage. What's even better is the fact that if you grind for a while enemy encounters will generally lessen because the enemies no longer attack and instead will attempt to flee from a confrontation. This is a much welcomed move which really refines the combat and any qualms modern gamers may have with it. In terms of story, Ghibli has not been watered down that much, providing a fantastic coming-of-age tale that comes off as touching and mature. The cutesy animation may put players off, but for those who have always enjoyed Ghibli's output (myself included) there is really no excuse not to pick this up. The characters of Oliver and Mr Drippy are fresh, vivid and more importantly relatable, and the dialogue exchanges are humorous as well as informative if you're getting overwhelmed with the gameplay information. You're even provided with a pokedex type journal which allows you to view all the creatures you'll come across in the game, which includes video animations and information which can aid you in defeating them. Couple this with side quests aplenty, a beautiful world map to explore, towns with talkative inhabitants and some the gorgeous animated cutscenes and you have the recipe for the finest JRPG since Disgaea (just my opinion).… Expand
  36. 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
  37. Drascoll
    Mar 15, 2013
    9
    I had become calloused and cold-hearted towards JRPG's over the years where the last time I remember enjoying the genre was FF6 and Chrono Trigger back on the SNES. Ni No Kuni is defiantly in my top five favorite JRPG's of all time and potentially takes the top spot in my heart. While the combat is real time turn basted it mixes up the formula in a way that makes combat fun so evenI had become calloused and cold-hearted towards JRPG's over the years where the last time I remember enjoying the genre was FF6 and Chrono Trigger back on the SNES. Ni No Kuni is defiantly in my top five favorite JRPG's of all time and potentially takes the top spot in my heart. While the combat is real time turn basted it mixes up the formula in a way that makes combat fun so even grinding never feels like a chore. The story is well written and the characters are lovable. Also while the game dose a fair bit of hand holding I found some of the puzzles to be actually engaging. I could go on, but if any part of you ever at any point enjoyed a JRPG then pick up Ni No Kuni because it's a classic and probably one of the best in years.… Expand
  38. 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.
  39. 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.
  40. 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.
  41. VelocityGamer
    Feb 4, 2013
    9
    Ni No Kuni has some faults, but its visual display, its actual child like sincerity, and unexpected quirks have a firm grip on my unexpecting heart. It’s a world where children can save the world, not everything necessarily needs to be stated, and magic is not only powerful but visually beautiful.

    Following the usual rounds of the hero’s path we find a young boy named Oliver sitting in    Ni No Kuni has some faults, but its visual display, its actual child like sincerity, and unexpected quirks have a firm grip on my unexpecting heart. It’s a world where children can save the world, not everything necessarily needs to be stated, and magic is not only powerful but visually beautiful.

    Following the usual rounds of the hero’s path we find a young boy named Oliver sitting in small city America acting all cute and adorable to everyone in town. He’ll pick up food for his mother, help his best friend mess around with strange secret contraptions in the hopes of achieving some simple childhood dream, and will find ways to not tell lies while still doing things he probably shouldn’t. Disaster strikes, Oliver almost dies, and his mother saves him at the cost of her own life. Oliver finds himself alone, miserable, close to broken hearted when his best friend Mr. Drippy a doll) is suddenly brought to life and exclaims that Oliver is a wizard. Only the pure hearted could have undone the curse that Mr. Drippy was apparently entrapped in, then asks Oliver to enter his world to hopefully save everyone because he is now the chosen one.”Ollie-boy” is then sent on a journey, a journey that if the cards are played right will save Mr. Drippy’s friends and hopefully save Oliver’s mother with magic to spare. With wand in hand Oliver casts a magic spell to enter a world filled with wonder and whimsy. The world of Ni No Kuni.

    Before I started my magical adventure I decided I would need an army or a really good team. With “Ken Grify Jr.“ in hand along with “Hulk“ I began scouring the Kingdom of Ding Dong Dell for any items or monsters that could help me attain my perfect magician destiny. Sadly I lacked the ability to capture any monster I fought, but a lemur was given to me before I entered the first dungeon… I decided to call him “Wesley Snipes”. So with Ken, Wes, and Hulk in hand I set about saving the world. Ding Dong Dell’s King, a delightfully over sized cat has sadly been cursed in a similar fashion to Mr. Drippy, he has become “broken hearted” as in a piece of his heart has been stolen by the great Dark Djinn Shadar. Ollie-boy whips out his wand with spell book in hand and does a quick spell to take the overabundance of heart in one of the kings subjects to repair the damage done to his holy meow-ness. The king then stands up immediately and decrees he has a gift for Oliver a wand, which was the reason as to why we came here to begin with) but will need to fight the Mouse King in order to obtain it.

    This is a game that was made for children, we are just lucky enough to enjoy the ride. The more complicated tones of any modern RPG have been confusing us all for years. We can never truly understand why any of it is going on or why it is that everyone is talking about lightness, darkness, or their overabundance of weird crystals. Ni No Kuni I think chose to skip all of that nonsense and decided to focus more on making sure that the game itself actually works. We travel the world, watch Ollie-boy heal some hearts, play a few fun hands of platoon, face some great evil that is harming the land, then hope everything will turn out alright for Oliver and his new found friends. While I wish some of these more subtle details had been further explained or stated because I guarantee they have them written down somewhere it is not a game breaker when compared to how much in this game Level 5 managed to do right. Ni No Kuni is an actual world filled with hilarious characters, memorable quests, and actual moments of excitement. Perhaps Studio Ghibli next time around should be given control over the story along with the animation, but none the less Ni No Kuni is the best Modern Day JRPG.

    For the full review check us out at :
    http://www.velocitygamer.com/ni-no-kuni-review-a-sincere-heart/    … Expand
  42. 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 !
  43. Abstractpurpose
    Jan 23, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a wonderfull game with only 1 glaring weakness so ill get that part out of the way first. I love the main character and his awesome sidekick. The cute childlike art to themand the townsfolk as well.HOWEVER tge enemies being cute and lovable looking steals from the concept of tge story. You are a young boy thrown into another world forced to fight evil in order to both save the world and hopefully your mother. With that in mind making him young with childlike art really drives home the idea that your doing something extreme for a young boy. But then you see these monsters thats supposed to illustrate just what leangths hes going to aths age to do something good and them being super happy and ultimately childish looking enemies steals away that feeling that your doing somethong amazing and brave and replaces it with all the tones of a disney junior show for toddlers. The enemies are often goify looking with big smiles and other features that make you wonder if there going to fight you or cuddle up to you at night and it kills the epic feeling of your journey and replaces it with the feeling that youre lost in a 5 year olds dream. This game coukd have easily kept the childlike art for everything else but made a darker more sinister look for the enemies trying to stop you.

    Now on to the good. Presentation- this game is beautiful. Fantastic traditional style anime cutscenes give life to the already wonderfull and colorfull world. The voice acting is never cheesy or overdone and the story gives you all the justification you need to play as a child desperately trying to fix something important to him. Gameplay-this is a true rpg that will make all fans of the rpg riddled 90 go crazy for. World map towns npcs items gear stores and a more traditional combat system reminding you a little of pokemon mixed with classics lije chrono trigger help turn this game into a dream come true for all those who where horribky dissapointed in what recent final fantasy titles did to remove rpg from there rpg title.Ni no kuni is an rpg with all the elements we loved from those games brought back in full glory. Story-not going to ruin it but its full of fantasy and good enough that noone should have a complaint Combat- you are in a time based attack system allowing you to run around cast spells on your turn or just attack but using your familier is the key. They are summonable creatures who fight for you. They lvl up gain new moves and so forth. Some are melee experts and somehave other usefull skills. All in all its a traditional combat system with a sprinkle of the pokemon aspect to add depth and it does so very well. Verdict- this is a must own for all those who love the traditional rpgs of the past. Wonderfull graphics great voice acting good story great combat system and all the rpg element the ff13 stole from you are all here and better than ever. Dont let the cute monsters hold you back its only 1 retarded aspect of an itherwise perfect return of jrpg to those of us who waited so long for a new one. Ni no kuni is a must own    … Expand
  44. 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.
  45. Vandral007
    Feb 1, 2013
    9
    After playing this game for what I feel a sufficient amount of time, I can say that while not perfect, Ni No Kuni is easily one of the best JRPG's to come out during this generation, and will likely stand as a classic in the same vein as the earlier Final Fantasy's or Dragon Quest games. I won't go into heavy detail about the graphics: in short they are beautiful. Anyone who looks at aAfter playing this game for what I feel a sufficient amount of time, I can say that while not perfect, Ni No Kuni is easily one of the best JRPG's to come out during this generation, and will likely stand as a classic in the same vein as the earlier Final Fantasy's or Dragon Quest games. I won't go into heavy detail about the graphics: in short they are beautiful. Anyone who looks at a screenshot can easily see that. For me the single greatest acheivement of Ni No Kuni is the story and the way it is presented. I'm the first to admit that I'm a heartless cynic, and I started this game with no small amount of eye rolling and groaning in regards to the dialogue and direction that this game seemed to be heading in. That changed very quickly however, and while this games story is presented in a similar way a childrens movie might be, it is done intellegently and so masterfully that my blackened heart had no choice but to care and sympathize with Oliver on his travels. I legitimately cared for the characters in this game, something that I rarely do. The gameplay may seem simple and repetitive to start, but once you allow the game to open up you will find a highly polished and refined battle system and find yourself intentionally getting into battles just to experience. The soundtrack is well produced, but fair warning: the battle theme will begin to grate on you after some time. Overall, this is truly a great game and fans of JRPG's or just good games in general should check it out.… Expand
  46. 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
  47. runningbackward
    Jan 23, 2013
    9
    Ni No Kuni Review (So Far) So, to start, I would like to say this game is pretty much a love letter to anyone who still has old school JRPGs in their heart somewhere hiding in there. The moment the game starts you are wowed by the detail in the art style and presentation. Instead of a cell shaded look, Level 5 went for more of a rounded edges look. This almost gave it that hand drawnNi No Kuni Review (So Far) So, to start, I would like to say this game is pretty much a love letter to anyone who still has old school JRPGs in their heart somewhere hiding in there. The moment the game starts you are wowed by the detail in the art style and presentation. Instead of a cell shaded look, Level 5 went for more of a rounded edges look. This almost gave it that hand drawn feel. This makes since because the art direction is inspired by the beloved Studio Ghibli. (Known for producing Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, and other favorites.) The story feels like is going to be like all other Studio Ghibli stories, … Expand
  48. Teh_Beavs
    Jan 25, 2013
    9
    This game is great if you loved Level 5's white knight chronicles there are a lot of similarities in side questing. However the art direction and character design is excellent very Ghibli. The story can best be described as heartwarming. I know what your thinking...lame but this is coming from someone who enjoyed prototype 2 and just throwing people off roofs TMI? If you miss the gloryThis game is great if you loved Level 5's white knight chronicles there are a lot of similarities in side questing. However the art direction and character design is excellent very Ghibli. The story can best be described as heartwarming. I know what your thinking...lame but this is coming from someone who enjoyed prototype 2 and just throwing people off roofs TMI? If you miss the glory days of RPG's checking this one out is a must.… Expand
  49. 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
  50. Rally187
    Jan 27, 2013
    9
    If you are a fan of JRPGs and the pokemon series then you will enjoy this game. I will admit I was hoping for a little more, you cannot customize a lot (visually) as I expected you would, it holds your hand quite a lot, and the story while very good is slow to pick up. The visuals are incredible as well as the music and voice over work. There's lots to explore and if you do all the sideIf you are a fan of JRPGs and the pokemon series then you will enjoy this game. I will admit I was hoping for a little more, you cannot customize a lot (visually) as I expected you would, it holds your hand quite a lot, and the story while very good is slow to pick up. The visuals are incredible as well as the music and voice over work. There's lots to explore and if you do all the side quests you will be at it for a while. Its a polished game with a lot to do an obvious choice for any jrpg fans. I do suggest turning off the "guide star" in the settings menu others wise u tend to just go from point a to point b with out really thinking about what you are doing and it becomes really linear.… Expand
  51. 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
  52. Caste
    Feb 5, 2013
    9
    I'll try to help to those gamers that are thinking about getting it. And excuse my english, please. All about graphics and atmosphere it's already said, but you really have to consider this game as a gift for the old school RPG players.
    The game starts slowly, even a little boring for me, but it increases the pace little by little the same way you take care about the characters and story    I'll try to help to those gamers that are thinking about getting it. And excuse my english, please. All about graphics and atmosphere it's already said, but you really have to consider this game as a gift for the old school RPG players.
    The game starts slowly, even a little boring for me, but it increases the pace little by little the same way you take care about the characters and story and fall in love with the world around you. The game proposes a lot of interesting bosses, secondary missions and some situations which aren't common nowadays. For example, how many years have passed since you play a game where in a new city you can't buy every new weapon and item from the shops. I even died a couple of times agains the same boss and I use to grind a lot, that was a nice surprise for someone who hates the actual tendency of game's difficulty, challenge-reward values.
    My point is, the game looks simple and easy due to its graphic style, but is an absolute masterpiece that can be enjoyable for a ton of hours, and you should!    … Expand
  53. Diabol1ko
    Feb 7, 2013
    9
    I Am not a big fan of Jrpg games, but DAMN this is awesome.
    Amazing story and amazing animation. Good Work Level 5.
    This game remember me when i was a child. Love it.
  54. CurtisClark
    Feb 8, 2013
    9
    I was strongly concerned that this game might dwell from its JRPG roots (endless grinding, ridiculous characters, annoying score). What a surprise! This game contains none of those characteristics. The main character, Oliver, is a treat and you actually want him to succeed. The graphics and the score are spectacular. The gameplay is essentially a PS3 version of pokemon which is highlyI was strongly concerned that this game might dwell from its JRPG roots (endless grinding, ridiculous characters, annoying score). What a surprise! This game contains none of those characteristics. The main character, Oliver, is a treat and you actually want him to succeed. The graphics and the score are spectacular. The gameplay is essentially a PS3 version of pokemon which is highly addictive.

    If you're a fan of casual rpgs, you'll love this game.    … Expand
  55. ohsayHUN
    Feb 9, 2013
    9
    One of the greatest J-RPGs for the PlayStation 3 in an era where RPGs seem non-existent compared to previous console generations. It follows a great story with equally eye-catching artwork and music to match! Studio Ghibli has done it again with their unique artistic works, which can somewhat be compared to The Legend of Zelda series. The game can become somewhat tedious, but will keep theOne of the greatest J-RPGs for the PlayStation 3 in an era where RPGs seem non-existent compared to previous console generations. It follows a great story with equally eye-catching artwork and music to match! Studio Ghibli has done it again with their unique artistic works, which can somewhat be compared to The Legend of Zelda series. The game can become somewhat tedious, but will keep the player busy and interested with the ability to capture 300+ different familiars, exciting side quests to pursue and exploration of a variety of regions.… Expand
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. 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
  59. 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
  60. 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
  61. funkmistress
    Mar 16, 2013
    9
    I bought this game and beat it in a total playtime of around 50 hours. It's one of those games that you cannot put down. I frequently found myself playing with the "Gotta catch em' all," mentality towards familiars, which keeps you grinding out quests.
    I wouldn't say it's an especially difficult game, but there are a few fights which pose challenge in normal mode. The controls are tight    I bought this game and beat it in a total playtime of around 50 hours. It's one of those games that you cannot put down. I frequently found myself playing with the "Gotta catch em' all," mentality towards familiars, which keeps you grinding out quests.
    I wouldn't say it's an especially difficult game, but there are a few fights which pose challenge in normal mode. The controls are tight and battles are very fun.
    It's a great game to play if you like RPG's.    … Expand
  62. 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
  63. 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
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. 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
  67. 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.
  68. 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
  69. 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.
  70. DRUsweatpants
    Jun 4, 2014
    9
    If you're into time consuming JRPGs this game is right up your alley. The world map is huge (although it takes a good amount of time to get the fast travel spell). There is so much to see and do, and the combat system is really unique. For PS3 owners who love a huge game to dig their teeth into, Ni No Kuni is a must-have.
  71. theecakee
    Jun 22, 2014
    9
    Despite the controversy with Namco and the wizards edition scandal, and having to wait two years for a proper English port of the game, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch arrives! The game came out early in 2013, finally got the time to actually sit down and put in 50 hours of time to beat the game, which is standard at this point for JRPGs. Ni No Kuni has a mixture of emotions fromDespite the controversy with Namco and the wizards edition scandal, and having to wait two years for a proper English port of the game, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch arrives! The game came out early in 2013, finally got the time to actually sit down and put in 50 hours of time to beat the game, which is standard at this point for JRPGs. Ni No Kuni has a mixture of emotions from gamers. Seems to vary between people loving the game naming it one of the best JRPGs they have ever played, or others just thinking it is an okay game. Haven’t come across anyone who passionately despises the game yet though.

    Ni No Kuni is based on a story where a young lad name Oliver comes across a pretty serious tragedy that changes his life. Oliver then goes to another world in which he hopes to reverse the tragedy that has happened in his world there, while also helping this other world with the perils it is going through. Pretty standard for JRPGs if you ask me, boy has to save the world from big bad evil and spoiler alert, he needs to have some big bad weapon to do it. However, there isn’t anything wrong with staying with the standards set of blueprints of typical JRPGs, and in fact Ni No Kuni’s story is one of thee best if not thee best part of the game. The story is a story we can all relate to, and may even give some nostalgic memories of childhood with dare I use the word “cute”. Despite Ni No Kuni being cute, it is no kids game. In fact, the story is actually rather dark and sinister. In addition, the story has some interesting twists, some that I didn’t really fully suspect until right before the end. The side stories of the various side characters “Drippy, Swaine, and Esther” are also very well written, and there are even more side stories than that! The voice acting dialog and writing of the game are top-notch, and at points funny with characters like Drippy and Swaine.

    So the story is good, it should be something you expect from a solid RPG honestly. How about the gameplay? It is very similar, if not an extensive rip off of Pokemon. You catch familiars “Pokemon” train them and evolve them with large amounts of sweets and then fight with them. It is quite surprising that all my familiars did not end up with type two diabetes by the end of the game, because holy **** eating 10 sundaes, chocolate bars, ice creams, pies, or cakes will never end well. Not to mention, the whole concept of leveling your characters with these damn sweets is awfully tedious and time-consuming to give them the treats one by one. Course, you could just give them the sweets that have more fullness, but I have other things to buy then just making these sweets to evolve them. It got to a point where I just stopped evolving them because the whole task just got so cumbersome and took forever. Despite barely evolving them, the game was very easy. I only had some troubles with about one to three of the regular bosses, and then had quite some trouble with the very last boss. Other than that, I played the entire game on normal and had no problems doing much of anything. About half way through the game, you get a spell called travel that makes matters only worst for the games difficulty. Essentially, travel is the fast travel of Ni No Kuni. Once I got travel, the game went so much faster, which was something it didn’t need because it was pretty damn easy already. Others have claimed they never had enough MP or always ran out, and for some reason caffeine must be scarce because Coffee costs a fortune at 1,000G or so eventually. I never really used the spells, and still had no problem. The one I did was Oliver’s healing touch, and that only took 3 MP per cast. There is a whole thought out system of weaknesses and strategy and all set for you, but didn’t use any of it as I didn’t need to. Many people I have seen complain about the battle system and the battle UI. I had no problem with it, and quite frankly liked the battle UI.

    The second complaint I had with the game was the whole concept of errands. All the errands and such are repetitive, to the point where they use the same characters. Most of them involve finding someone with a broken heart and then mending their heart. I don’t really want to explain the whole concept of the hearts, but essentially it is a “take this from this person to this person” type of situation. At first, they had some variety in Ding Dong Dell with errands, and then post-completion they had the variety they needed during the game all along! Errands however, are still worth doing despite being awfully linear and boring, as they remove the grind from the game “for the most part, I still did some grinding at the end”, give you the majority of your funds, and supply you with neat bonus attributes by turning in your merit cards you earn from doing errands for a reward of attributes that may boost the xp gained per battle to boost the loot of battles and much more.    … Expand
  72. Bedgypooks
    Jun 24, 2014
    9
    I picked up this game just on a hope that LEVEL 5 was back to making good games and that Studio Ghibli's involvement was a blessing. I was completely correct.

    As soon as I started playing and watching the cutscenes I noticed the Ghibli flare. Everything about it screamed Ghibli from the art style to the voice acting, but I didn't think that could keep up in the gameplay. Boy did it    I picked up this game just on a hope that LEVEL 5 was back to making good games and that Studio Ghibli's involvement was a blessing. I was completely correct.

    As soon as I started playing and watching the cutscenes I noticed the Ghibli flare. Everything about it screamed Ghibli from the art style to the voice acting, but I didn't think that could keep up in the gameplay. Boy did it ever, everything from the buildings to the ground to the sky looks hand drawn and onderful. Especially when you are exploring the hometown and cities throughout the game.

    Once I delved into gameplay I noticed it was similar to Pokemon, but an added twist. It was more complex to me in a way, but also very relaxing. I spent almost a hundred hours playing this game and not for one second did it feel repetitive or boring.

    The story is pretty unique, I mean the characters are very set and standard but the way it unfolds is entirely it's own. This game was never too hard either, there was only one time I felt a little baffled as to why I couldn't beat someone and that was one of the hardest enemies in the game.

    The game doesn't feel childish either, just like Ghibli films, it evokes a sense of wonder and awe. I really don't know what else to say about this game, the gameplay, style, atmosphere, art, story, characters are all just great! It reminds me of my childhood as well, which is extremely inviting because not many things can. Buy this if you are open to new concepts, but in at the same time familiar that are set in a wonderful world!    … Expand
  73. 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
  74. 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
  75. 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
  76. 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.
  77. 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.
  78. 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
  79. 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
  80. KratosKong
    Jun 16, 2019
    9
    Este Jrpg con la colaboración del estudio Ghibli supuso en su momento la vuelta a los Jrpgs clásicos de mapamundi. Posee una bonita banda sonora y una historia propia del estudio Ghibli
  81. JoKeR_AlexS
    Nov 21, 2020
    9
    Este comentário é universal nas minhas reviews. Apenas quero dar nota aos jogos e caso queiram saber mais alguma coisa sobre o jogo, aconselho a ver outras reviews ou até mesmo a experimentar o jogo.
  82. hector_bcn98
    Nov 9, 2022
    9
    Es el Pokémon de PlayStation que siempre quisimos y nunca tuvimos. El mejor videojuego de Studio Ghibli hasta la fecha.
  83. MeowCow1217
    Dec 11, 2021
    9
    If you like My Neighbour Totoro, Genshin Impact, Ni No Kuni (the studio Ghibi film), Harry Potter, then you will love this. It has wizards, witches, good, evil, strange creatures, (in a way it’s similar to Pokemon lol) and has a wide range of places. You can cast spells, tame creatures, battle enemies, and it’s just so fun. Definitely in my top 5 fav games
  84. 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.
  85. Blacksunsett
    Dec 7, 2022
    9
    This is the perfect JRPG. It combines elements of Pokémon and an interactive story. The game is close to 80 hours. The tutorial is long, but the time spent is worth it. The graphics are great for the style and time. Cut scenes are well made and voiced beautifully. It isn't a good game to introduce to a new player. The target audience is clearly experienced RPG enjoyers with ouds to classic RPGs.
  86. 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.
  87. Sceptic
    Feb 9, 2013
    8
    I usually stay well away from the JRPG genre,but since the beloved Studio Ghibli was heavily involved I gave this a chance.It turns out that Ni No Kuni is a truly wonderful game despite it's agonisingly slow start.It takes far too long to perform alchemy and fast travel as well as tapping through a large volume of fairly incidental text.The linear nature of the game is well hidden,butI usually stay well away from the JRPG genre,but since the beloved Studio Ghibli was heavily involved I gave this a chance.It turns out that Ni No Kuni is a truly wonderful game despite it's agonisingly slow start.It takes far too long to perform alchemy and fast travel as well as tapping through a large volume of fairly incidental text.The linear nature of the game is well hidden,but there nonetheless.However,It's beautiful and wonderous to behold.The familiars are varied and fun to use,but I would have liked them to involve more care.Simply equip them and feed them and they'll level up automatically even when not actually used in combat.The worst part of this game is the MP system.There are multiple ways to heal,but the only way to get MP is through coffee and leveling.Sometime you may drink 10 coffees is a single battle which is ridiculous.Though I'm quibbling a bit,I love it even though a JRPG can never match an open world RPG.… Expand
  88. 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
  89. 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
  90. 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
  91. 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
  92. 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.
  93. 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

  94. 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
  95. 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
  96. dkao12
    Jan 24, 2014
    8
    This is my honest review of Ni No Kuni. All my other reviews used to be really long but Metacritic's maximum text limits me. I haven't finished the game yet but I am roughly pass half of the game.

    Pros: - The gameplay has some depth to it( It's pokemon that is done right) - The visuals are great giving out that Level 5 feeling to it with Studio Ghibli's legendary animations. - The    This is my honest review of Ni No Kuni. All my other reviews used to be really long but Metacritic's maximum text limits me. I haven't finished the game yet but I am roughly pass half of the game.

    Pros:
    - The gameplay has some depth to it( It's pokemon that is done right)
    - The visuals are great giving out that Level 5 feeling to it with Studio Ghibli's legendary animations.
    - The music is absolutely fantastic. I expect no less from Joe Hisashi.
    - beautiful backgrounds and world. Each place is great and the music helped fuel the imagination.

    Cons:
    - The predictable and simple plot. I could tell what the was going to happen before anything happened.
    - The combat UI is not intuitive, It was quite frustrating even worse when you receive the next party member. The fact that you get party commands late in the game is unacceptable. Made boss fights frustrating because your A.I teammates were pretty dumb. Plus some monsters were missing abilities or out-of-place abilities like evade or block.
    - Metamorphosis lowers your monster to level 1, this is dumb and causes more grinding Text dialogue is fine to use but make it consistent and this case it was lazy. Text dialogue should only be used as when talking with locals or accepting quests, voiced should be only for story dialogues. Animated cut scenes are too short and cut off really abruptly making it look awkward.

    Okay I might have more Cons than Pros. You might think I hate this game but I don't. I really enjoyed playing it, and I am already use to the JRPG formula so I didn't have too much problem with grinding. If you hate JRPG then this won't really win you over unless you just want to see Studio Ghibli's animated works. But if you like both JRPG and Studio Ghibli then pick this up, the gameplay is pretty good. This is one of my favourite JRPG games with games like Persona 4 Golden, Final Fantasy X. It just has weird questionable design choices; it is visually appealing but mechanically unappealing .    … Expand
  97. 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.
  98. 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
  99. 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
  100. ptnull
    Feb 25, 2013
    8
    I am registering just to review this game, it's simply one of the best games I ever played. The graphics, sound, music, story, gameplay, learning curve... everything fits perfectly.
    I wasn't so addicted to a game for a long time, makes me feel the essence and joy of good JRPG gaming since I started play RPGs on old consoles. One advise: you will never know how good it is if you just try    I am registering just to review this game, it's simply one of the best games I ever played. The graphics, sound, music, story, gameplay, learning curve... everything fits perfectly.
    I wasn't so addicted to a game for a long time, makes me feel the essence and joy of good JRPG gaming since I started play RPGs on old consoles. One advise: you will never know how good it is if you just try the demo...    … 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.
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