Posted by Buffy on 01.21.2016, 12:02 AM:
Having played, fallen in love with, and finished Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch... I must tell y'all how amazing this game was.
So I know I'm digging up a thread that was last posted in years ago, but everyone seemed quite apprehensive, and so let me shower some delight on this beautiful video game!
So I basically have nothing negative to say about this. Maybe one or two things, but that's nothing in comparison to how amazing it actually was. I actually hadn't heard of this game before I bought it, but one day I was walking around in my local Wal-Mart and it caught my eye. Even better? It was on for $20!! So I said "this looks like a ghibli movie. must have. need it." and purchased it.
I began playing it right away and fell absolutely in love with it. You're introduced to this sweet boy, Oliver, and after something tragic happens to his mom, he goes to this other world to try and save her. This is what starts off the whole adventure!
Throughout the game you meet several great characters like Mr. Drippy, Esther, Swaine, Marcassin, The Cowlipha, King Tom, Captain Kublai, etc. and it just gets better and better!
The animation is astounding. Even when I was just traveling from one town to another I was amazed by how beautiful this game is. I remember The Golden Grove being especially captivating, and I loved Ding Dong Dell.
Speaking of Ding Dong Dell, it's the first town you get to visit in the other world. It's as if it was taken out of a Ghibli movie. It's just so bright and beautiful and I love how the majority of people roaming around that town were cats. My other favourite locations would have to be Yule, Perdida, Al Mamoon, and the Golden Grove. Just so pretty!
As for the story, I don't want to post spoilers but it's absolutely marvellous. This game completely captivates you, and it gave me lots of feels, that's for sure! You definitely get attached to the characters, and the conclusion to the story is deeply moving.
Even after you finish the game there is a lot to do though. Completing the game unlocks a few more side quests and bounty hunts. Now, if you're like me you've done most of the side quests as the game goes on, but if you saved them all for the end then trust me, you're gonna have more than enough to do. The side quests in particular are also quite endearing, because every character you meet has a story leading up to what they want you to do for them.
The only issue I have with this game is this one side quest called "The Master Alchemist". It's a very clever side quest, but the items you need to retrieve take forever to find. I still haven't finished it. That's basically my only beef with the game, though.
The battle system is pretty good. It's pretty basic in the beginning but as you level up your familiars, gain companions, and learn new spells for Oliver, there's quite a lot to do in battle. At first I found the battle system slightly annoying only because your familiars shared your health with you, meaning if one of them runs out you can't easily switch to another... but as you go on and learn the game a bit more you'll find it's quite easy to get accustomed to, and in the end I had no issues.
This is definitely not a "kids only" game. Some of the boss battles were quite tough, and they keep getting tougher toward the end. I certainly found some of them a challenge.
So if that sounds like something you'd like and if you haven't tried it yet, by all means go ahead. It's available on the PS3. And oh! There's a sequel announced for it, coming to the PS4 which is "Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom". I mean... I may just need to get a PS4 only for that.
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