Developer: Level-5 & Studio Ghibli
Genre: Japanese Role-Playing
Release Date: US – January 22nd, 2013/EU – February 1st, 2013
Available For: Playstation 3/Nintendo DS
There’s a fine line that divides the traditional RPG and the JRPG. Firstly, the former tends to focus more on its surrounding environment and is inclined to be western-centric by design – such as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim or Fallout – whereas the latter strives for a fundamentally character driven story. It’s a trope that has defined series such as Final Fantasy or the Persona games over the years, and one that typifies the emotional depth offered by Level-5’s Playstation 3 exclusive; Ni No Kuni: Wrath of The White Witch.
While a small-scaled DS version was released back in 2010, it wasn’t until the following year that Ni No Kuni came to Playstation 3 in Japan, with the eventual western release arriving in early 2013. Mind you, it was worth the wait. Hosting the familiar milieu that JRPGs are famous for – dungeons, eccentric NPC’s and a plethora of towns and side-quests – the game charts the adventure of the lovable Oliver, as he embarks on an odyssey from his hometown of Motorville. This is a game that is defined by a unique protagonist, and the young Oliver; with a wise-beyond-his-years demeanour, is a character straight out of Studio Ghibli’s signature DNA. Having co-produced the game, the film studio brings a degree of quality to Ni No Kuni that sets it apart from its role-playing counterparts, and that idiosyncratic archetype of a young, curious child exploring a rich and vibrant world is what makes Ni No Kuni so downright compelling.
Level 5’s entry into the genre may be aesthetically gorgeous, but don’t let Ni No Kuni’s charming animation fool you. This is an old school JRPG at its core and places an emphasis on level grinding as you explore the game’s dual worlds. Also, the game borrows from the Pokémon series in the way it allows player to capture familiars along the journey and train them as battle companions. Even if you’re often intimated by the expansive depth offered by the typical RPG, Ni No Kuni offers engaging gameplay with a well-written and powerful narrative that will suitably put the hours in between now and September…and then some.
Try if you liked: Kingdom Hearts, Pokémon.
Current Price: $35/£22
Continue reading on the next page…
