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. Turion17
    Feb 13, 2014
    10
    First platinated game in my career, a stunning work, a piece of art, the only bad part is the IA, bad bad IA system, not only for foes. but the vote is still 10/10 for me.
  2. kowon
    Jun 11, 2013
    10
    Ni No Kuni made up for the latest surge of nasty final fantasy games i usually prefer turn based rpg like FF9 and FF7 however this game manage to make real time strategy work for me and to put the game into terms for people wondering what it is welsh guy pokemon good story replayability def worth 10 and tbh more if i could
  3. Dastrados
    Jun 14, 2013
    10
    Absolutely amazing game. I have never played a jrpg before but this game was amazing. Great story and lots of stuff to do after u beat the game. Easily got overt 100 hours in it.
  4. M9ki
    Jun 29, 2013
    8
    Good game but I prefer mature games but over all it was quite good.Its one of those repetitive games so if your ok with that then your surely will love this game.
  5. barbaari
    Jul 2, 2013
    5
    After reading some reviews I was expecting an all new classic J-RPG in the vein of old Final Fantasy titles. At first it seemed that I was getting exactly that, but pretty soon the excitement faded away and left me disappointed.

    Music, world design, graphics etc. are all top notch Studio Ghibli quality. The battle system is pretty decent, although like with so many other RPGs, you    After reading some reviews I was expecting an all new classic J-RPG in the vein of old Final Fantasy titles. At first it seemed that I was getting exactly that, but pretty soon the excitement faded away and left me disappointed.

    Music, world design, graphics etc. are all top notch Studio Ghibli quality. The battle system is pretty decent, although like with so many other RPGs, you hardly ever have to do anything else than press X repeatedly (even in boss battles, but that might be just because I like level grinding a bit too much). Also the fact that you are able to catch practically every enemy in the game as your "familiar" (and then use them in battles) was too much for a perfectionist like me. There's simply way too much work in "catching them all".

    The main drawbacks for me were the story and the characters. Of course, with Studio Ghibli you are expected to dwell into the world of a child, but the childishness in this game just goes too far and doesn't offer any emotional depth back. The story is like a bad caricature of a typical RPG story, a boring stereotype at best. We have the young boy learning his magic, the evil wizard trying to destroy the world and even the collecting of crystals (this theme got old, if not with 1987's Final Fantasy I, at least with 1991's Final Fantasy IV). For me the story did not feel engaging, immersive or epic at all.

    The characters are also nothing but worn out stereotypes and as such, most of the time extremely irritating. The most annoying dude is this little fairy guy Drippy, whose job is to hang out with you throughout the game and give you the most basic, elementary advice that you can think of in situations where even a 5-year old child could easily figure out what to do without any fairy advice. I'm not sure if the game was designed for children who have never played an RPG before (that would explain it all), but I somehow doubt it, since I don't really see most of Studio Ghibli's products as something created for children, even if on the surface they seem childish.

    The whole game felt like one giant tutorial, where everything is constantly explained to me as if I was five.

    The game is also unnecessarily structured, lacking any "chaos". I might say that it's too player-friendly. This is obvious in regards to sidequests, which have been organized so that the player won't have any problems locating new sidequests. Every town has a board where the currently available sidequests are neatly listed. The sidequests themselves are too easy and linear and usually don't take any effort from the player. As a result, the world lacks mystery, when everything is laid out in front of you like this.

    In the end it's down to expectations, and in this case, mine didn't meet up with the game. A die-hard RPG fan will most certainly find this game enjoyable. A more casual player like me will have at best mixed feelings. The game is enjoyable, even very enjoyable, to some extent, but the dull story, the frustrating characters and dialogue, the never-ending tutorial-esque feeling and the fact that the game treats you like a five-year-old who has never played a video game or solved even the world's most obvious puzzle in his life are the big setbacks that turn this beautiful game into something very ordinary.

    I know some people have turned to Ni No Kuni expecting a comeback of the classic J-RPG. As such the game didn't work out for me at all, as the story lacked emotional depth that has been the best part of any J-RPG experience for me.

    Thumbs up to Studio Ghibli for a brace experiment, but Ni No Kuni is just too much of a stereotype to be truly enjoyable.    … Expand
  6. zanella_marco
    Oct 10, 2014
    8
    Se da un lato ci sono innumerevoli ragioni per considerare Ni no Kuni un’eccellente JRPG, dall’altro voglio segnalare piccoli ma incisivi “difetti” che non ho gradito. A partire dall’IA degli alleati che più volte si è mostrata inaffidabile e mi ha messo in difficoltà, costringendomi ad intervenire andando a comandare i compagni di Oliver che usavano improbabili e discutibili strategieSe da un lato ci sono innumerevoli ragioni per considerare Ni no Kuni un’eccellente JRPG, dall’altro voglio segnalare piccoli ma incisivi “difetti” che non ho gradito. A partire dall’IA degli alleati che più volte si è mostrata inaffidabile e mi ha messo in difficoltà, costringendomi ad intervenire andando a comandare i compagni di Oliver che usavano improbabili e discutibili strategie offensive. Le missioni legate ai cuorinfranti sono ripetitive e noiose a lungo andare. Forse però la cosa che più mi ha dato fastidio è la mancata originalità che gli sviluppatori hanno dimostrato nel copiare il mondo Pokémon. Circa 8 anni fa giocavo con i classici Rosso e Blu su Game Boy. Forte di quei lontani ricordi, ho “odiato” vedere in Ni no Kuni le stesse idee che hanno portato al successo mondiale Satoshi Tajiri, creatore della serie di videogiochi Pokémon. Per questa serie di ragioni non valuto Ni no Kuni come meriterebbe per il lavoro svolto dallo Studio Ghibli, che mi ha sorpreso ed emozionato sino alla fine, con l’appassionante storia di Oliver.… Expand
  7. FantasyGameFan
    Jul 8, 2013
    10
    Having played this game through and being an enormous fan of the genre, I rate this game a 10 because it is a marvel. I'm an enormous fan of Studio Ghibli, and the artwork was spectacular. The story was definitely fun, and all of the tasks were rather enjoyable. However, the reason I give this game a 10 is because it REALLY gets going once you finish the main story-line. I absolutely loveHaving played this game through and being an enormous fan of the genre, I rate this game a 10 because it is a marvel. I'm an enormous fan of Studio Ghibli, and the artwork was spectacular. The story was definitely fun, and all of the tasks were rather enjoyable. However, the reason I give this game a 10 is because it REALLY gets going once you finish the main story-line. I absolutely love it when games have fulfilling "after-game" aspects, and Ni No Kuni really did a good job here. I won't give anything away, but what I can say is it is very worth it to play this game out, I enjoyed every single minute of it.… Expand
  8. Ingolicious
    Jan 27, 2014
    10
    Although I haven't played this game to the end, I must say that this is an extremely good game! So far I have played a little over seven hours, and that time has just passed by as if it was only an hour. Firstly, the graphics are perhaps not over the top, but the artistic value of this game makes everything worthwhile. Second, the story and the lore of the game is something that I fallAlthough I haven't played this game to the end, I must say that this is an extremely good game! So far I have played a little over seven hours, and that time has just passed by as if it was only an hour. Firstly, the graphics are perhaps not over the top, but the artistic value of this game makes everything worthwhile. Second, the story and the lore of the game is something that I fall deep into every time I open the in-game book and I can easily use 30 minutes in there. Thirdly, the gameplay in itself is perhaps not as original as one could hope for. But, if you like Pokemon and Spirited Away you're gonna love this game.
    All this together makes an experience that is so extremely refreshing and entertaining. I can't stop playing this game and I actually have to set an alarm for when I need to stop playing (sic!). I would recommend this game to everyone; kids as well as adults!!!    … Expand
  9. KreativerKaktus
    Oct 13, 2013
    10
    Best game I ever played. WONDERFUL Sound, awesome fight system, the story ist just great. And the charakters are just funny and awesome. As a fazit i want to say NI NO KUNI is the best game ever made
  10. Rupeestyle
    Oct 14, 2013
    10
    In the wise words of Yukko, "Super ultra great delicious wonderful." Is everything that describes this game. The amount of detail put into the animation can be seen from every aspect. Running to walking up and down stairs. The hidden codes in the games own lettering system. The incredible story that had me crying 30 minutes in already. Studio Ghibli is beyond incredible. Best 20$ I haveIn the wise words of Yukko, "Super ultra great delicious wonderful." Is everything that describes this game. The amount of detail put into the animation can be seen from every aspect. Running to walking up and down stairs. The hidden codes in the games own lettering system. The incredible story that had me crying 30 minutes in already. Studio Ghibli is beyond incredible. Best 20$ I have ever spent. An extraordinary battling system. Amazing voice acting. This game is a great reason for owning a PS3.… Expand
  11. popeyetyty
    Oct 19, 2013
    10
    Level 5 outdid itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  12. SNS
    Nov 8, 2013
    10
    The beauty of Ni No Kuni isn't that it does anything new or original, but the charm it gives off as you play. This game is based on the art style and story telling of a brilliant Anime company who can do no wrong.

    The result is a game which has quite a deep and emotional storyline as a young child tries to cope with the death of his mother. But all this is surrounded by amazing visuals,    The beauty of Ni No Kuni isn't that it does anything new or original, but the charm it gives off as you play. This game is based on the art style and story telling of a brilliant Anime company who can do no wrong.

    The result is a game which has quite a deep and emotional storyline as a young child tries to cope with the death of his mother. But all this is surrounded by amazing visuals, easy controls, a fun (but challenging) fighting mechanism and a game full of content.

    The best way to describe the game is like a living, breathing anime film which plays very much like Pokemon. The key to the game is the idea of using familiars to fight a long side you and you're two companions, and you can capture and train them up.

    This game is essentially what Pokemon SHOULD be now!

    The game can take a while to truly dig everything out; it can be a good few hours before you actually unlock some very useful abilities and a good few more hours before you get a boat and a dragon to fly around on (which make life a lot easier).

    But outside of that small issue, this game is just so much fun and refreshing. A game which isn't all violence and swearing and aggression and has a real, emotional story behind it.    … Expand
  13. Krizuwe
    Nov 20, 2013
    8
    Un grandísimo juego, el mejor de rol, duradero, divertido y entusiasmante. Engancha de principio a fin y es el único juego de rol wue recomendaría. Como todos los juegos también tiene fallos y errores, entre ellos: se vuelve repetitivo estar siempre luchando. La trama esta muy bien ambientada, pero como dije, a lo largo del juego te aburre estar siempre luchando.
  14. PalomarBr
    Nov 22, 2013
    10
    So amazing in so many ways. First of all, the soundtrack is divine, the best one I've ever listened to in a game. Also, the art direction is mind blowing, the Gibli's work is phenomenal. The gameplay is also very enjoyable and in certain aspects very original with the monster taming and evolving mechanics. At last, the storytelling, althought very simple and childish, kept me deeplySo amazing in so many ways. First of all, the soundtrack is divine, the best one I've ever listened to in a game. Also, the art direction is mind blowing, the Gibli's work is phenomenal. The gameplay is also very enjoyable and in certain aspects very original with the monster taming and evolving mechanics. At last, the storytelling, althought very simple and childish, kept me deeply interested in the plot and also the memorable characters. Playing this game was a heart-mending experience which I will carry in my thoughts for years to come.… Expand
  15. 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~!
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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.
  20. archonome
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    I can't give it a fair review because honestly I stopped playing very early(within 3 hours). However, there is nothing horrible about this game but EVERYTHING IS EXCELLENT!!!

    1)Remember the RPGs of the 1990s? Chrono trigger, Secret of Mana, Shining Force? etc etc THIS GAME BRINGS LOVE AND PASSION BACK INTO THESE GAMES!! 2)Combining epic Movie studio + love for old school rpgs =    I can't give it a fair review because honestly I stopped playing very early(within 3 hours). However, there is nothing horrible about this game but EVERYTHING IS EXCELLENT!!!

    1)Remember the RPGs of the 1990s? Chrono trigger, Secret of Mana, Shining Force? etc etc THIS GAME BRINGS LOVE AND PASSION BACK INTO THESE GAMES!!

    2)Combining epic Movie studio + love for old school rpgs = 10/10 for me.

    3)The bad Part that made me quit? The Theme was too childish.

    I give it a 8/10 because the positive overshadows the negative.    … Expand
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. Anb
    May 4, 2014
    5
    After beating the game i have mixed feelings - on one hand this game is classic jrpg with beautiful world and gorgeous music. On the other hand - the plot is so dumb, too childish and unoriginal there is no single point in the game where player may feel any intrigue - it is all clear what will happen next.
    There is also a big problem in a gameplay balance. I've beaten final boss on lvl40    After beating the game i have mixed feelings - on one hand this game is classic jrpg with beautiful world and gorgeous music. On the other hand - the plot is so dumb, too childish and unoriginal there is no single point in the game where player may feel any intrigue - it is all clear what will happen next.
    There is also a big problem in a gameplay balance. I've beaten final boss on lvl40 and it was not hard, actually every boss in the game wasn't hard to beat at all, even though i spent zero time grinding levels BUT, the regular mobs at the same time can drain all your mana in single battle, leaving you exausted for upcoming mobs in the dungeons. So, 90% of the time i've just ignored all the regular mobs and rushed through the bosses. And it is not very fun, if you are not willing to grind. On the other hand again, if you grind on regular mobs - the bosses become so damn easy to beat that it breaks all the fun even more.    … Expand
  24. LucyJFer
    May 27, 2014
    6
    Played it for a long hours and I've finally realised what's the problem with this game. Two words: target audience. This game's themes can be a great story for a kid - you know - bright colours, soft language, possibility of raising your own pokemons. That's absolutely not a bad thing but I became tired of it eventually, the bad thing is a difficulty level/lots of difficult text which willPlayed it for a long hours and I've finally realised what's the problem with this game. Two words: target audience. This game's themes can be a great story for a kid - you know - bright colours, soft language, possibility of raising your own pokemons. That's absolutely not a bad thing but I became tired of it eventually, the bad thing is a difficulty level/lots of difficult text which will be too challenging for a kid. Basically it's a family game - I'm sure I'll give it a go when I'll have kids so I can help it on difficulty spikes but if you've no kids and you're older than 12 years old I don't think there will be much to hold you in front of a screen for long. If you ask why I played for long if I don't like the game I can answer that I've forced myself to play to give it a chance. One day I'll update this review after playing with kids and we'll see if I've changed my mind.… Expand
  25. 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
  26. rscl
    Oct 23, 2017
    6
    To begin with the game had an appealing cartoony feel to it with warm characters and a good story. It however gets quite slow and uninteresting after awhile - not to mention the combat mechanics which gave me a headache.
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. Andjelico
    Nov 6, 2014
    8
    This is the best modern JRPG game i have ever played. It's like a mix of Pokemon, Zelda and Final Fantasy!
    The story is touching, fantastic animation, matching music, and really fun combat system.
    It's a big plus that this game have many different side quests, but some of them can be boring. These alchemy and Derwin quests took so much time, i don't understand why the team needed to do    This is the best modern JRPG game i have ever played. It's like a mix of Pokemon, Zelda and Final Fantasy!
    The story is touching, fantastic animation, matching music, and really fun combat system.

    It's a big plus that this game have many different side quests, but some of them can be boring. These alchemy and Derwin quests took so much time, i don't understand why the team needed to do these quests so complicated...

    But overall this game is fantastic and challenging on a great way!    … Expand
  31. 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
  32. 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!
  33. tsakiym
    May 18, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  34. 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.
  35. 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.
  36. 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
  37. SpenserReynolds
    Jun 2, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was a very surprisingly pleasant little RPG. I went in not expecting this from it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MEH:
    Nothing is perfect, of course.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Overall this a game worth playing, but it's far from the best JRPG ever.    … Expand
  39. 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.
  40. 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
  41. 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
  42. Empyrea
    Jan 24, 2019
    8
    I've just beaten the game so here goes my impressions: my first 6 hours were really great because everything was new. Graphics are really great, it's like an anime. It reminds me a bit Dragon Quest VIII. Soundtrack is really good as well, although the music in the battles can be repetitive as it can be these battles. About gameplay, is a mix of both turn based and real time based andI've just beaten the game so here goes my impressions: my first 6 hours were really great because everything was new. Graphics are really great, it's like an anime. It reminds me a bit Dragon Quest VIII. Soundtrack is really good as well, although the music in the battles can be repetitive as it can be these battles. About gameplay, is a mix of both turn based and real time based and reminds the Pokemon games. About plot is interesting at first. I think this game would have been better if it was shorter and with a more entertaining battle system. I think this is a really good game for children and young people but even if you're an adult and you are not only focused in bloody games with insults you're gonna enjoy this game. About difficulty, I didn't have much problems in easy mode until the end. Just make sure to save this game from time to time an especially when you are close to the "star" in the map (which is the main mission) because sometimes you can find a boss without having saved your game and save when you are a little far from the star cause sometimes you don't even reach the star and a scene triggers and sometimes is a boss. About bosses, if you have problems don't bother in leveling up your team. You only need to change your strategy, use the right attacks and have some potions in your bag. Doing this will be enough until you are finishing the game were enemies will be hard. My advice: do all the Horace riddles when you are close to the end. He will give you very good spells such Veil (with this you can avoid battles) and other strong spells. That's all. So yes, this is a good game. There should be more anime games like this in ps3 and ps4. It took me 39 hours to beat the game and a total of 44 hours and half to reach the real final. I beat the real final bosses at level 50 but with many PM potions (more than 20 and I used them all but 1). The worst of the final enemies is that your strongest spells are very slow to shoot and you can't cancel them to protect yourself when they send you a strong spell. This is the main gap I think.… Expand
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. 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
  46. 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
  47. 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.
  48. greg555
    Nov 9, 2017
    8
    Excellent story, music, art. Only setback the unending battles with a tiresome real-time battle system. Abandoned it at 60%, not bearing more and more required battles... Worth trying it anyway.
  49. egoBorder
    Feb 3, 2022
    6
    This game has a wonderful design and presentation, so it's easy to WANT to overlook its flaws. However, the sad truth is that those flaws do add up to an unbearable weight and all but the most patient of players will likely make it to the end credits. The problem has to do with a shifting tone between a simplistic story and a quite high difficulty early on, as well as a prolonguedThis game has a wonderful design and presentation, so it's easy to WANT to overlook its flaws. However, the sad truth is that those flaws do add up to an unbearable weight and all but the most patient of players will likely make it to the end credits. The problem has to do with a shifting tone between a simplistic story and a quite high difficulty early on, as well as a prolongued "tutorial" opening that will make the first dozen or so hours a bit awful to climb.

    It might be wise to search out a beginner's guide that leaves out story spoilers, that could be a smart way to get the most out of this game.    … Expand
  50. brendo214
    Aug 13, 2019
    8
    I absolutely loved the way that Ni No Kuni combines the collection of Pokemon from Pokemon and the semi-realtime combat system from a few JPRGs. It led to really fun and unique gameplay.
  51. rachillustrate
    May 14, 2018
    8
    Ni No Kuni is a fun and charming game filled with endearing characters and an enchanting world. Although the story may not be incredibly deep or complex, it’s well-executed and keeps things interesting. However, the battle system can be frustrating as you are constantly questioning your AI party members' intelligence and decision-making skills. The "familiars" bring a unique angle to theNi No Kuni is a fun and charming game filled with endearing characters and an enchanting world. Although the story may not be incredibly deep or complex, it’s well-executed and keeps things interesting. However, the battle system can be frustrating as you are constantly questioning your AI party members' intelligence and decision-making skills. The "familiars" bring a unique angle to the battles though and I find myself looking forward to exploring new areas specifically to find new creatures to add to my team. The animations created by Studio Ghibli also make the game a wonder to look at. Overall, a great game that is definitely worth jumping into.… Expand
  52. XxSkye07xX
    Apr 28, 2018
    7
    An amazing light hearted game with a great storyline and lovable characters. The battle system was OK, got a bit repetitive after a while mind (and not for the best). Loved the side quest system and bounty hunts, all in all it was a very solid game. Could have had some more traditional Studio Ghibli cut scenes however... and all in all, the thing that REALLY, REALLY let it down was it'sAn amazing light hearted game with a great storyline and lovable characters. The battle system was OK, got a bit repetitive after a while mind (and not for the best). Loved the side quest system and bounty hunts, all in all it was a very solid game. Could have had some more traditional Studio Ghibli cut scenes however... and all in all, the thing that REALLY, REALLY let it down was it's abysmal ending. Extremely anti-climatic and very disappointing. After putting 100+ hours into this game, I was hoping for a heartfelt, wonderful ending to this fantastic story but it seemed to end without finishing fully. I would have gladly given this game a solid 9/10 but the ending really was pathetic.… Expand
  53. 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
  54. 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!
  55. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    A Masterpiece, loved everything about this game, it is definitely a must play!
  56. 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
  57. Mahmood_Yusuf
    Jul 29, 2023
    3
    I'm giving it 3 just for some difficulty with the final boss. Apart from that, one of the worst hyped game of all time.
  58. 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
  59. 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.
  60. 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.
  61. 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
  62. 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.
  63. 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
  64. 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.
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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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