izigame.me

Do you like Studio Ghibli’s amazing and rounded art style? Do you like classic JRPGs/RPGs and kingdom builders with a nice touch of simplicity, aided by beautiful orchestral music? Well, than feel free to get Ni No Kuni II right now, and the rest, we can discuss now.

I had went into Ni No Kuni expecting a wonderfully beautiful, and classical RPG experience, very much in the spirits of older Final Fantasies, where going was difficult, and the art unexpectedly satisfying, and striking. What I got was exactly that, and more, all with a truly amazing art style that harkened back to the good ol’ days when Ghibli movies were still being made. And while it was not with nostalgia that I approached this game, it ticked all the boxes I wanted ticked going into an RPG. In fact more boxes than the older Final Fantasies did, barring the choice inclusion of a real-time fighting system, in the place of a turn-based one. What I did not expect, was to find an equally well-made kingdom builder in my RPG! (How did that get in there?) Was I surprised? Yes. But I was also delighted, as it gave what would have been an otherwise flat RPG experience a dimension that gave the game its own character and life. However, one thing needs clarification: you will not find complex systems that lend themselves to hours of theory-crafting and team building, chomping at the bits to get that perfect combination of items, and effects to level entire cities with a mage. You will get a good, satisfying amount of optimization options, but this game never hits levels of complexity where you find yourself re-opening tutorials after a week-long hiatus. Nor will you necessarily feel like the team of characters you have crafted is a necessarily novel one, but it will feel unique enough that you will not be bored with them. No, Ni No Kuni likes to keep it simple, and while this should be expected when going into the game, the game also plays into it. The simplicity of this game, in all aspects, is what keeps it great, but also fun to return to. Like opening an old childhood fairytale book, this game’s goal is to keep it simple and delightful.

And simple it really is! Now, skip a bit if you are really aversive to getting a peek on the story, but I will keep it synopsis level. You, are the president of the United States! (Weird, huh?) And you have been transported to another world, in which a coup is under way! In fact, the guards are going to burst through that door any minute, in their attempt to kill the cute little boy right in front of you. But, of course, you won’t let them, and you shoot one of the mice-guards that you encounter with your Glock, protecting the boy! And oh yea… You have freaking guns in this game -no magical bs stealing my gunpowder!- and you can use them to your heart’s content. The only thing is that the Glock is (insofar as I have played) the only “modern” weapon, while the others are matchlocks or flintlocks, that can shoot as quickly as a Glock by means of magic. You also get cool, simple but pretty looking swords along the way, and switch between these via a magical armband. It even replenishes ammo using MP! And so, having to make sure the safety of this boy, you make it out of the castle with some help, and begin your humble, yet ambitious, goals of building the best kingdom in the world. Afterwards, is history, and everything plays out in a “fairytale storybook” fashion, with each chapter opening and closing on a Shrek-like page.

Moving on from that jarring -but necessary- reference, the game keeps opening up afterwards. You get skills, different weapon types, an awakening mode, magic, various teammates that you are sure you have seen from that one Ghibli movie… all in a rounded off, beautiful, cell-shaded design language that works unbelievably well in the 3D space. No problems with weird polygons jutting out, no weird capes glitching through people. Hell, if it were possible to set up the camera work, you could probably pull a legitimate animated movie with all these models. The game sure has the orchestral trappings to boot as well, when it comes to the music. Really, the first 2-4 hours of the game were past with me being dazzled at the bewildering mesh that the beautiful visuals, and the quality orchestration created. It was goose-bumps all the way through, and although this level of “wow” falls off a bit after the 4th hours, that is far from being surprising, and the quality, so far, has not faltered. Where the game does falter however, even if ever so slightly in the grand scheme of things, is the story, and chapters.

The story is -so far-, along with the characters, visuals, and game mechanics, simple. Really simple. And that is not a bad thing per se, but even keeping together a simple story requires the story itself at the core to hold some sort of aesthetic to it. A sort of ebb and flow that ties itself up nicely. And so far, this has been the case, as it is very much the hero’s journey through and through. In fact, the whole story is painfully self-aware, with one of the kingdoms name being “Allegoria”, constant usage of very simple tropes, and a very readable progression to the story. I cannot, and do not fault the game for this, I think it works quite well. However, when it does not, like how it has not in the few last hours I have played, it can be simple to a point of contrivance. I have felt this only slightly so, and in the last few hours, so it may as well not be a point (as it may get better or worse as the game continues), but do understand that this game is aiming for a retelling of that very simple, flavourful style of fairy tales. No NieR Automatas. No mind bending, back-breaking Kingdom Hearts. And in doing so, it keeps a simple, laid-back, and easy to understand story, well in beat with the gameplay, and well-aligned with the player’s wish to “get stronger” (aka get better gear, more money, more power, cool skills, etc.).

And so, Ni No Kuni earns, in my book, the rights to an easy recommendation. Not only because of its characteristic blend of kingdom building and oh-so-easy-to-love RPG mechanics, but also because of its simplicity, its art style, and the awesome atmosphere it manages to weave around you as you battle one cute looking enemy after another. The progression feels tight. Nothing feels too forced, and the game becomes a lovely experience that you just want to dive back into. While in a more technical review this game may have flaws, in a review all about trying to determine if it is fun, it passes with flying colours. Technicalities be damned for hours upon hours of simple yet engaging fun; this game should be the dictionary definition of charming. Avoid if you want a gritty, complex experience. Come right in if you want a warm, loveable, and simple RPG/kingdom builder with an art style and feel that is hard to beat.