Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 222 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 168 out of 222
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 222
  3. Negative: 23 out of 222
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  1. Chimaera623
    Oct 31, 2019
    7
    The story and world are beautiful and charming, but the combat system really killed the enjoyment i had with this game. This could have been an amazing experience, what a shame.
  2. smeglord
    Jul 25, 2020
    6
    (DISCLAIMER: I did not finish the game. I got roughly ten hours in before I decided to call it quits.)

    An endearing premise and Ghibli visuals do a lot to carry this JRPG, but not enough to save it from clunky combat mechanics that ultimately drag this game into the murky waters of mediocrity. Like many modern JRPGs, NNK has walked away from the clean precision of turn based combat,    (DISCLAIMER: I did not finish the game. I got roughly ten hours in before I decided to call it quits.)

    An endearing premise and Ghibli visuals do a lot to carry this JRPG, but not enough to save it from clunky combat mechanics that ultimately drag this game into the murky waters of mediocrity.

    Like many modern JRPGs, NNK has walked away from the clean precision of turn based combat, opting instead for clumsy action-rpg system where your party and a handful of monsters run around a little combat area in real time.

    Despite this, commands such as "attack" and "defend" still require you to flip through a menu, which can become an issue when enemy attacks are time sensitive, leading to a lot of frustration when big attacks you saw coming hit you anyway as you fumble with the controls.

    You can only control one party member at any given time, so there isn't much in the way of teamwork. Your other party members can have certain behaviors set if you don't want them burning through mana, but you can only change behaviors if you're in control of a human character.

    You see, you aren't just having to shuffle through a single party of characters, but each character has a sub-party in the form of monster familiars who all share health and mana with their user.

    The designs of the familiars are mostly forgettable, which is an issue because the game emphasizes you use them in combat over the more endearing human characters.

    I quit once the game introduced monster capturing and evolving (think pokemon), finally burying my already waning interest under a even more pet management mechanics.    … Expand
  3. HappySpaceInvad
    Jun 29, 2022
    5
    Well... it's mostly the battle system that lets this down. It's a real-time button-mashing festival. There is more to it, explained at the start of the game and then never again.

    You steer your character/familiar around the battle arena with the left thumbstick, and you switch actions with the... what? The left d-pad? Well there's a massive design flaw right there. I played on    Well... it's mostly the battle system that lets this down. It's a real-time button-mashing festival. There is more to it, explained at the start of the game and then never again.

    You steer your character/familiar around the battle arena with the left thumbstick, and you switch actions with the... what? The left d-pad? Well there's a massive design flaw right there.

    I played on easy, and during the bit where you look for the cat king in the sewers, the difficult suddenly ramped up severely. My character or familiar could easily be taken out in a few hits. The only way through was to pick just one familiar each time and mash the attack action repeatedly and hope for the best. When I tried anything more tactical, I was decimated... and I quickly ran out of MP trying to heal myself in-between each fight. So, after only 2 hours game time, I quit in disgust.

    I expect what I did wrong was not grinding to level up my character in some easier area first... well pffft. Any game that requires a grind is, by definition, poorly balanced.

    What's hilarious is that if you watch any YouTube video explaining the battle system... the narrator commonly apologises for how confusing it all looks. In fact, I haven't yet found one that explains it clearly.

    But it's not just the battles... there's far too much back-and-forth fetch quests, the text speed is too slow (even on the fastest setting) and the text makes a super-irritating noise as it displays which will drive anyone else in the room up the wall.

    And the music, although lovely at first, quickly gets repetitive, as they're pretty short audio loops.

    It's a real shame as the voice work and graphics are absolutely top notch. With a turn-based battle mechanic, this would have been unmissable.    … Expand
  4. ElCaptain
    Jul 19, 2020
    5
    It's just a slugfest. Boring characters, terrible gameplay, only thing going for it is the art
  5. TheTrustedGamer
    Jun 28, 2021
    7
    Have you ever been recommended a game by a friend that claimed it was this phenomenal piece of art, only to try it and wonder what in the world they saw in it? Nostalgia is a powerful thing that can keep even the most lacking games still have life decades later. However, in the case of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, nostalgia is not something the game needs to lean on 10 years afterHave you ever been recommended a game by a friend that claimed it was this phenomenal piece of art, only to try it and wonder what in the world they saw in it? Nostalgia is a powerful thing that can keep even the most lacking games still have life decades later. However, in the case of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, nostalgia is not something the game needs to lean on 10 years after its initial release; it’s a solid game all on its own.

    https://thetrustedgamer.com/nino-kuni-switch-review-defeat-a-great-evil-on-the-go/    … Expand
  6. Dronewolf
    Aug 1, 2020
    7
    I enjoyed the heck out of this game. But the battle system is just wrong. I have no idea how the critic scores have zero negative reviews and a couple of mixed. The combat system is the most frustrating I have played in any JRPG. It's slow, your familiars tend to jump about instead of attacking some of the time. You get pretty much zero time to react and defend when a boss unleashes aI enjoyed the heck out of this game. But the battle system is just wrong. I have no idea how the critic scores have zero negative reviews and a couple of mixed. The combat system is the most frustrating I have played in any JRPG. It's slow, your familiars tend to jump about instead of attacking some of the time. You get pretty much zero time to react and defend when a boss unleashes a powerful attack, Oliver 100% of the time casts Ward for some reason when you control another character, the amount of times I had to recast a spell cause it gets cancelled by an enemy attack (Or an ally's ability) 95% of the time, MP replenishing items are so expensive, when it's heavily reliant on using attacks that cost MP, I could go on.

    Don't get me wrong, I loved the game, story and characters, but it's just the battle system that let it down. I just feel that if it wasn't a Studio Ghibli game, this would have gotten bombed due to the combat system.    … Expand
  7. PoopGhost
    Aug 8, 2020
    5
    Game has some beautiful cutscenes, but over all the ai in the game makes it extremely frustrating. They regularly go all out on random encounters and waste there mp, then in boss fights they will just not defend from a heavy attack and die super fast.
  8. m0th
    Nov 2, 2022
    4
    The Ghibli visuals and story are endearing, but the game is just not good. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to spend time with their kids while watching them play something though.
  9. DinoBeam
    Oct 23, 2021
    3
    The world this game creates makes you feel like you might just be on the adventure of a lifetime, and then it tears that all apart every way it can! I warn you about this game, and am amaze and appalled at the high ratings it keeps getting. The only way this can get high ratings is from underdog-identifying jrpg obsessed fans that refuse to see flaws because they use a mindless grind toThe world this game creates makes you feel like you might just be on the adventure of a lifetime, and then it tears that all apart every way it can! I warn you about this game, and am amaze and appalled at the high ratings it keeps getting. The only way this can get high ratings is from underdog-identifying jrpg obsessed fans that refuse to see flaws because they use a mindless grind to cope with reality.

    First of all, that beautiful, unique, aesthetic world is constantly ruined with puns. The spell to open doors is Open-says-a-me! HAHHAHAHAHAHA. WOW SO FUNNY! Imagine if Bloodborne or Skyrim ruined it's aesthetic like this. Wow this cave is called "Bandits think they aren't about to get killed Cave!" HAHAHAHAHA. The only reason this isn't brought up is because the large majority of jrpg fans are extremely trashy. Skip this Game

    Oh before I started writing this, when I was giving the game a final chance, the game crashed when I was saving, loosing loads of mindless-grindy progress. Just putting this here in case you were thinking this was too negative and wouldn't read all this. Skip this Game.

    You are from the normal Earth world and go to a fantasy style world. You meet a cute companion and bring her back to your world. How does she react???? SHE DOESN'T REACT AT ALL. Skip this Game.

    You have to collect milk from the milk fountains in town. You go to one only to find it isn't the one the game decided you should go to, the prompt just doesn't show up at all, you had to somehow predict that the developers wanted you to only collect milk from a certain fountain even though that isn't part of the story or quest at all. Skip this Game.

    How is the grind? If you have the Remastered or preordered the original, then you have Griffy and the grind is grindy. If not, then you have to constantly consume expensive health and mana potions all the time. Most of the Pokémon are completely weak and useless. [oh, and this is true on Easy difficulty] Skip this Game.

    Did a quest, it isn't completed because it's glitched. Skip this Game!

    You thought the art style was good? Wait until you see the most appallingly ugly talking tree design you have ever seen or imagined. Skip this Game!

    What a severe disappointment.    … Expand
  10. Prittii
    Dec 17, 2020
    10
    One of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s a mixture between Harry Potter and Pokemon with its own charm. The story is compelling and emotional, The world is enchanting, the fights are super fun. I played on the PS3 and I’m playing again on the switch. I constantly want the game to last longer and longer. It’s not boring even for one second. The bad reviews are very vague, from peopleOne of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s a mixture between Harry Potter and Pokemon with its own charm. The story is compelling and emotional, The world is enchanting, the fights are super fun. I played on the PS3 and I’m playing again on the switch. I constantly want the game to last longer and longer. It’s not boring even for one second. The bad reviews are very vague, from people that want to play Final Fantasy 100 times and get upset when other RPGs aren’t like FF. Ignore the bad reviews and get this game! You will thank me.… Expand
  11. Mandulum
    Jun 9, 2020
    5
    After 16 hours I really can't see myself playing for 34 more; there's really nothing here to draw me in. The story is way too G and has no urgency, the combat is mostly automated and rather dull, and the party AI in combat is ABYSMAL.

    Date Dropped: 2020-06-08
    Playtime: 16h
    Enjoyment: 5/10
    Recommendation: meeeeeeeh
  12. Dinamar
    Apr 13, 2020
    6
    There is a lot of ado about this game, but it plays just like commonplace. There is nothing really new in the battles, and the story sometimes really gets nonsense, in a quite uninteresting way. The speeches are kinda harsh for non-english speakers. Definitely, not the masterpiece thar many claim it tob be. Just an ordinary RPG, graced by occasional Ghibli animations.
  13. xSelene89
    Sep 20, 2019
    10
    The best JRPG from the PS3 era is now available for the current generation, beautiful remastered and finally in 60 FPS (on PC and PS4) . If you have any love for JRPGs or Studio Ghibli Movies you should buy this Game
  14. mandydiazz81
    Sep 23, 2019
    9
    A visual masterpiece. Loved it from the very first moment. If you love JRPGs you can't miss this one. I've played for 50 hours already.
  15. Chriscalton
    Jun 25, 2021
    0
    For the life of me, I cannot understand how this game has such stellar reviews. The combat mechanics are atrocious. The attempt to mix real-time and turn-based mechanics ruins the game. They are conflicting mechanics, and it doesn’t work. I don’t want to scroll through command menus while trying to dodge enemies and pick up items on the fly. It doesn’t work. Ruins the game for me.
  16. SuperDuck23
    Oct 13, 2019
    9
    This is a lovely RPG with an enchanting world, likeable characters and beautiful design. The story is engaging all the way through, the combat feels quite unique and levelling up always feels satisfying. My only gripe is the excessive amount of grinding that needs to be done in order to complete the game in its entirety.
  17. wallywonks
    Nov 13, 2019
    10
    Game is amazing. Great RPG. Definitely a classic.
    Very in-depth game. Buying it again was automatic.
  18. Shadar_101
    Jan 8, 2020
    9
    Absolutely beautiful looking game with a creative world and amazing character designs. The characters are well made with great development lots of explorations to make your cry, make you laugh and much more. I love the battle system it is different but works amazing. So much to do and explore on the side as well
  19. NvaderZim
    Feb 3, 2020
    10
    Great game animation is superb interesting story great rpg a must play(playing on Nintendo Switch).
  20. 1Man
    Jul 24, 2020
    10
    This Game is a Masterpiece. I dont need to say anything more than that. Just buy it.
  21. Antiquecardboar
    Sep 26, 2019
    7
    The game is a 10/10. The remaster is a 7/10. The improvements simply are not enough to warrant a re-purchase if you already own and have played the PS3 version. All you are getting is an improved resolution and 60 fps...both of which are nice but unneeded improvements for this type of game. (The PS3 version has a softer glow which many may actually find more aesthetically pleasing than theThe game is a 10/10. The remaster is a 7/10. The improvements simply are not enough to warrant a re-purchase if you already own and have played the PS3 version. All you are getting is an improved resolution and 60 fps...both of which are nice but unneeded improvements for this type of game. (The PS3 version has a softer glow which many may actually find more aesthetically pleasing than the sharper PS4 version). What you are NOT getting is improved geometry (i.e. round things like mushrooms are still "hexagons"), additional familiars, improved controls, or additional modes. It is the exact same game as the PS3 version. I would only recommend this to people who do not have a PS3...otherwise just pick up a brand new PS3 copy for $16 on amazon. The PS4 version is currently $50...with minimal improvements. As a fan of the game I was disappointed with this remaster.… Expand
  22. autosag1979
    Sep 21, 2019
    10
    One of the best JRPG game of the generation. The design is outstanding! colorful and magical! beautiful characters and mechanics!
  23. Dwideshrude1
    Jul 18, 2020
    0
    The combat doesnt function properly, walking through enemies, defense glitches, completely scripted deaths when bosses have almost no health left after 20 minutes of fighting. Awful combat even if it functioned. This game is one of the worst gameplay experiences ever, and I'm 40 hours in. Wat a waste of time.
  24. Stuvok
    Dec 8, 2019
    10
    The best Pokemon game ever made. Which should embarrass the Pokemon company.

    With only minor visual improvements it's not something you need to immediately buy a second time but if you've never played it then it's the best place to start.
  25. p1menta
    May 5, 2022
    0
    This one was on my wishlist for such a long time i feared I would be frustrated, but it still entertained me for 100+ hours. lots of side quests, all of them cataloged so I could complete them all without a struggle. Such a good game.
    There's a lot of monsters to tame, (unfortunately they are less unique than I'd hope, tho)
  26. BulgarianCritic
    Oct 3, 2019
    4
    The story is pretty interesting the animation is gorgeous and the music is good.But the biggest problem i have with this game is that h 70% of it is just walking and walking and walking and walking and it gets so boring and annoying so fast.And the combat is incredibly slow and tedious and i got tired of it after 20 mins of fighting.If you have the patience and love walking simulatorsThe story is pretty interesting the animation is gorgeous and the music is good.But the biggest problem i have with this game is that h 70% of it is just walking and walking and walking and walking and it gets so boring and annoying so fast.And the combat is incredibly slow and tedious and i got tired of it after 20 mins of fighting.If you have the patience and love walking simulators with good stories and boring as heck fights sure play it,but if not i suggest you play the second Ni No Kuni 2 since it was so good and way better than its prequel… Expand
  27. icekareem
    Nov 12, 2019
    10
    BulgarianCritic doesn't know JRPG games from FGC games. Don't pay attention to that review. Especially since he likes the 2nd better than the 1st, which was absolutely pathetic in comparison!

    This game is very underrated IMO in the JRPG realm. I played it 4 times already and can tell you with certainty that the 2nd can only be played once and never again. Regarding the excessive    BulgarianCritic doesn't know JRPG games from FGC games. Don't pay attention to that review. Especially since he likes the 2nd better than the 1st, which was absolutely pathetic in comparison!

    This game is very underrated IMO in the JRPG realm. I played it 4 times already and can tell you with certainty that the 2nd can only be played once and never again.

    Regarding the excessive "walking" that they mention, that's if you don't want to fight anyone. If you want to fight familiars, which are the little pokemon-like creatures in the game, then you can spend days doing that.

    There are secrets. There are side quests. There is everything you can enjoy in Pokemon found in this game. Evolutions? Check. Learn new moves? Check. Feeding familiars? Check.

    This is 1 of my favorite all time games for the genre    … Expand
  28. nanakobagu53
    Sep 20, 2021
    10
    Great jrpg, I think this game is slightly better than the sequel. The story, gameplay and the music were all great.
  29. feinmotoriker
    Aug 28, 2023
    6
    So ein fantstisches Produktionsdesign, aber das Kampfsystem frustrierte mich irgendwann so extrem, dass ich komplett die Lust am Weiterspielen verlor. Die automatisch gesteuerten Mitstreiter bauen ohne Ende Mist und versauen irgendwann nahezu jeden Kampf, so dass man ständig größere Missionen abbrechen muss, was zu viel zu viel Wiederholungen führt. Wenn man nur alles selbst steuern oderSo ein fantstisches Produktionsdesign, aber das Kampfsystem frustrierte mich irgendwann so extrem, dass ich komplett die Lust am Weiterspielen verlor. Die automatisch gesteuerten Mitstreiter bauen ohne Ende Mist und versauen irgendwann nahezu jeden Kampf, so dass man ständig größere Missionen abbrechen muss, was zu viel zu viel Wiederholungen führt. Wenn man nur alles selbst steuern oder der Kampf doch rundenbasiert ablaufen würde, das hätte es gerettet.… Expand
  30. takisdv
    Sep 27, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good jrpg mix of tales and turn based in ghibli artstyle and a fairy tale like story… Expand
  31. SlyKen
    Jan 21, 2020
    8
    Its a big game with over 100 hours of game time you can finish the game and play the dlc which enhances the combat which is fun HOWEVER the story could have been better with some aspects and the soundtracks are repetitive but it was still a fun game
  32. DJKrimson
    Jun 28, 2020
    8
    The biggest complaint I have about this game is that the first 20 hours of this game is very slow and pretty boring. If you manage to get through that part it gets way better as it doesn't take forever to do everything.

    Apart from that: Good story, graphics and music. You prepare your team kind of like in Pokemon and you can choose to fight using the pokemon or their trainers in combat,    The biggest complaint I have about this game is that the first 20 hours of this game is very slow and pretty boring. If you manage to get through that part it gets way better as it doesn't take forever to do everything.

    Apart from that: Good story, graphics and music. You prepare your team kind of like in Pokemon and you can choose to fight using the pokemon or their trainers in combat, I really liked the combat system. I also had a lot of fun with all the sidequests and bountyhunts throughout the game.    … Expand
  33. LikeaPisces
    Dec 22, 2019
    8
    An RPG that mixes Pokémon elements with wonderful graphics and beautiful art direction. A very tangled plot in the last few hours, but a great jrpg
  34. OvoxRubenxovO
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Einfach wunderschön und packende und perfekt inszenierte Story. Dir Studio Ghibli Cutscenes sind ein Traum jedoch leider eeeetwas zu wenige für meinen Geschmack. Das Grinden für Platin war zwar etwas zeitraubend aber dies beeinflusst meine Wertung hier nicht.
  35. GianniDurone
    Apr 8, 2020
    8
    Mi ero già innamorato anni fa quando uscì per PS3 e ritrovare una remastered per PC per me è stato fantastico. Al livello di gioco e di grafica è esattamente come me lo ricordavo e ne sono felicissimo. Per un neofita di questo stile il combattimento risulta sicuramente macchinoso, ma alla fine secondo me è il giusto compromesso tra combattimento a turni e dinamico. Storia interessantissimaMi ero già innamorato anni fa quando uscì per PS3 e ritrovare una remastered per PC per me è stato fantastico. Al livello di gioco e di grafica è esattamente come me lo ricordavo e ne sono felicissimo. Per un neofita di questo stile il combattimento risulta sicuramente macchinoso, ma alla fine secondo me è il giusto compromesso tra combattimento a turni e dinamico. Storia interessantissima ed intrigante fin dall'inizio, alcune meccaniche secondo me potevano essere riviste (come gli atterraggi e in generale l'utilizzo di Tengri che mi fa partire il rage ogni volta e quei 60 fps che non hanno molto senso effettivamente), ma alla fine hanno deciso per rimanere su quello già dato in pasto al pubblico e sono contento così.… Expand
  36. kefka2589
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    I don't know if the remastered really brings anything to the table that the PS3 version didn't. It's the same great JRPG it always was, but I think the 4K looks fantastic. I'm glad I didn't pick this up when it was new and 40 bucks, but the used prices these days are well worth the price for anyone new or wanting to revisit it.
  37. bergcamp101
    Apr 3, 2021
    8
    I don't remember a game, which gave me more mixed feelings. From the one side - this game is perfect. Epic, beautiful, heartwarming, truly masterpiece. From the other side, the JRPG system just doesn't do it. Often you just have to grind, and grind, and grind.. Especially, when one particular NPC gives you a "bring me those creatures" quest, so, you have to defeat one hundred same enemiesI don't remember a game, which gave me more mixed feelings. From the one side - this game is perfect. Epic, beautiful, heartwarming, truly masterpiece. From the other side, the JRPG system just doesn't do it. Often you just have to grind, and grind, and grind.. Especially, when one particular NPC gives you a "bring me those creatures" quest, so, you have to defeat one hundred same enemies until one of them will join your party. Another thing, the second part of the story looks torn out... So, it's really something between 8 and 9, depending on your glass-half-empty-or-half-full character.… Expand
  38. Ledrush2112
    Jan 19, 2021
    8
    Beautiful to look at with an interesting twist on traditional JRPG mechanics. The game is long and can get a bit grindy, but it was largely engaging and well made.
  39. Never342
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    I think this game was a bit better than Ni no Kuni 2. Such a classic. The world is beautiful.
  40. luminous15cf
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    One of the best jrpgs of last gen. Both the story and the gameplay are solid.
  41. Deux67xues
    Dec 7, 2021
    10
    One of the best JRPGs last gen, slightly better than part 2 I think? both games are good though.
  42. Criticoquejoga
    Nov 20, 2021
    8
    Não vou falar de nada da história. Esse é uma das melhores coisas que já vi ele tem gráficos melhores do que muitos jogos do PS4 já no ps3 no PS4 melhora muito mais. a melhor trilha sonora que eu já ouvi não tem dublagem brasileira que é de onde eu vim mas a dublagem Japonesa é melhor do que a americana a animação 2d foi feita pelo Studio gibli (não sei como se escreve) que foi um dosNão vou falar de nada da história. Esse é uma das melhores coisas que já vi ele tem gráficos melhores do que muitos jogos do PS4 já no ps3 no PS4 melhora muito mais. a melhor trilha sonora que eu já ouvi não tem dublagem brasileira que é de onde eu vim mas a dublagem Japonesa é melhor do que a americana a animação 2d foi feita pelo Studio gibli (não sei como se escreve) que foi um dos pioneiros da animação japonesa e ficou uma maravilha o que o segundo jogo não teve mas tem um cara do Studio gibli (não sei como se escreve)que voltou pro segundo para dar os desings do primeiro pro segundoas sem as animações 2d o que não dá a mesma sensação do primeiro não é a mesma coisa não é a mesma magia do primeiro segundo/I won't talk about any of the history. That's one of the best things I've seen it has better graphics than many PS4 games whereas on ps3 on PS4 it improves a lot more. the best soundtrack i've heard doesn't have brazilian dubbing which is where i came from but the japanese dubbing is better than the american dubbing 2d animation was made by Studio gibli (don't know how to spell it) who was one of the pioneers of animation Japanese and it was a wonder what the second game didn't have but there's a guy from Studio gibli (I don't know how to spell it) who went back to second to give the designs from the first to the second without the 2d animations which doesn't give the same feeling as the first is not the same thing is not the same magic from first to second… Expand
  43. Premier991
    Nov 23, 2021
    9
    Do not buy for switch! Frequent crashes and loss of save data on a finished offline game while playing on Nintendo.
  44. Sensou
    Feb 26, 2022
    8
    Very Pleasing RPG Game.

    Level 5 collaboration with Ghibli is surely a majestic one with this game. It is resulting in a very great environment design and character that have an art of Ghibli which stunning. Gameplay is good where you can move around your character. Although, its didn't serve any kind of purpose because it doesn't mean you can dodge an enemy attack so, its still a    Very Pleasing RPG Game.

    Level 5 collaboration with Ghibli is surely a majestic one with this game. It is resulting in a very great environment design and character that have an art of Ghibli which stunning.

    Gameplay is good where you can move around your character. Although, its didn't serve any kind of purpose because it doesn't mean you can dodge an enemy attack so, its still a turn based RPG.

    The reason I give this game an 8 is due to big chunk of monsters in the game which didn't have any kind of variety besides their affinity. This game is trying to make some sort of Pokemon like game but they are adding way too much element in it which makes the system way more complicated than it should and resulting in such an unappealing process for it.

    Overall its a very relaxing game, different RPG than kind like Persona 5.    … Expand
  45. SeiferA
    May 20, 2022
    7
    Graphics: 10/10
    For a PS3 game, this game looks drop dead gorgeous. And even more than 10 years later, the graphics still hold up very VERY well. The only thing that makes it a bit jarring is when the animated cutscenes try to play before and after any in-game graphic cutscenes, but I’m not knocking any points out of this score for that, primarily because that’s more of a directional    Graphics: 10/10
    For a PS3 game, this game looks drop dead gorgeous. And even more than 10 years later, the graphics still hold up very VERY well. The only thing that makes it a bit jarring is when the animated cutscenes try to play before and after any in-game graphic cutscenes, but I’m not knocking any points out of this score for that, primarily because that’s more of a directional choice.

    Sound: 10/10
    The music is absolutely top notch and beautiful. I still hum the main overworld theme from time to time, even well after I’m done playing. Sound fxs and voice acting are also very good. My only complaint is the fact that the audio clips out from time to time, but again, only a minor complaint.

    Gameplay: 5/10
    Easily my biggest complaint with this game. Being a PS3 game, there’s some clear choices here that seemed like the norm in that era, but now seems a bit dated. Stuff like no objective markers on the map for side quests, grinding being an absolute chore and the battle system being unreliable to work with. To me, this game plays like a predecessor to Yokai Watch, in that at times, you have to choose certain actions when certain things play out.

    The problem is because the battle system can sometimes be a bit laggy, the game can easily cheese you out of a deserving actions (Example: An enemy is about to use a special attack, but you’re already in the middle of another action with a character who cannot defend. You know you have to switch to another character to defend, but by the time you attempt to do so, the attack has already pulled through. Half the times, this will lead to a wipe on your character or, worse, on your party)

    Worse yet, the game has a very bad habit of not giving your any forewarnings of any pending boss battles. It seems to be generous to you early on to give the subtle hints via a save point, but as you progress, boss battles will suddenly pop out of nowhere and slap you upside the head, leaving you with either taking the money penalty to retry or restart at a save point that’s more than 30 minutes out.

    Again, all of this was the norm during the PS3 era and before (I’m looking at you Cyber Sleuth, a game that was initially designed for the Vita), but these deterants just make me realize even harder that, even during this generation, there were many faults games had.

    Story: 6/10
    There’s really nothing noteworthy about the story; Boy loses mom, is told he can save her in another world, boy goes on a Zelda-like quest to find several sages who can help him find his mom. It’s a very generic story and is told fairly well. I don’t exactly hate the story, but put it this way: With my grips with the gameplay, the story wasn’t enough of a pull for me to play this past the 10 hour mark

    Difficulty: Hard
    The gameplay issues and grind fest make this a game that, while not extremely difficult, does curve up the difficultly spike past normal. Most guides that are out there will help a bit but you’re gonna be left with many questions that, honestly, will take you a lot of time just to research to begin with.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    7/10

    I wanted to say I love this game. I really do. But because of the gameplay issues and mildly ok story, I can only say I like it. I know there’s many others out there who will swear to their lives that this game stands toe to toe with FF7, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest and many other legendary JRPGs. But I think that’s the thing with me; All of those games are great entries to the world of JRPGs. This game can serve that same purpose. But the difference, in my opinion, is those games stand out on their own because they pioneered these sort of tropes and gameplay mechanics. Ni no Kuni just feels like it’s trying to do the same thing these games already did and, for someone like me who’s played all those games, it felt like a game that I already played, but with its mechanics far more aged.    … Expand
  46. swordoflorn
    Jun 5, 2022
    2
    Music and art is good. The story is an unrelateable slow burn, and the combat is incredibly frustrating and slow, not to mention it forces you to grind a lot for materials that have a really low drop rate. Evolving familiars is reall

    Catching new familiars, a core mechanic, is an rng process, which really sucks. incredibly frustrating.
  47. squarefenix00
    Jun 2, 2023
    9
    Una obra maestra para disfrutar desde el primer minuto. Si te gustan los JRPG no dudes!!
  48. Darth_Sennar
    Nov 8, 2022
    6
    After completing the game and getting the platinum, I can say that I found it a bit boring. The plot is flat with no real twist typical of other Level5 games, the party battle system makes no sense, as the other characters simply don't follow any orders and do whatever they want without prirotizing actions over others. The tactical setting is very poor with no explanation of what eachAfter completing the game and getting the platinum, I can say that I found it a bit boring. The plot is flat with no real twist typical of other Level5 games, the party battle system makes no sense, as the other characters simply don't follow any orders and do whatever they want without prirotizing actions over others. The tactical setting is very poor with no explanation of what each action means. The world exploration is fine, although very simple with lots of useless spots and hidden forests. The mission are just a re-do the same thing all the time, although the Bounty Hunts were quite interesting and fun. The real pain over everything else is the farming: too many hours sown to get "rare" material from "rare" monsters that 3 times out of 5 don't show up at all and when they do they leave the common objects. I understand the dynamics of farming rare material but this was designed very bad with no consideration of the gamer.
    Overall, Studio Ghibli and Level 5 produced a fine game, pretty enjoyable but awfully overrated.    … Expand
  49. MVILLANEZ
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    One of the most beautiful games & experiences ever played.
    From soundtrack to visuals and game mechanics. A must.
  50. RedDragon5155
    Dec 9, 2022
    10
    JUEGASOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  51. mogulkhan21
    Feb 1, 2023
    10
    obra maestra que te transporta a otro ni no kuni, personajes carismático y con un buen desarrollo, unimos de cualquier variedad en donde uno puede hacer cualquier combinación y los pendejos culiaos que le dan nota negativa vallan a jugar con barbies no saben como jugar un rpg en donde necesitas tus neuronas para ganar por lo menos el torneo de salomon

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS4 Game of 2019
61
#61 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Gamers' Temple
    Dec 17, 2019
    90
    The PS4 Remastered Edition moves super smooth throughout its gameplay segments. The visuals are clear and run at a high framerate all the time. Overall, I feel the game comes out as being equal on both versions since the Switch version has the added bonus of being portable. You really can't go wrong with either version. Just ask yourself, will you be playing it on a HDTV or on the go? Either way, buy it and experience it for yourself because you will be pleased either way.
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  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Nov 14, 2019
    90
    This beautiful Remastered version brings to actual consoles one of the most intriguing and magical JRPGs made by Level-5. Be sure not to miss it... again.
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  3. RPG Fan
    Oct 31, 2019
    86
    Ni no Kuni's whimsical world and aesthetic will pull you in with memories of your childhood anime and cartoons.
    Read full review
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