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Ni No Kuni is a charming and enjoyable RPG with all of the joy you would expect from a Studio Ghibli production.
This Charming Man
“Charming” is the only way to describe Ni No Kuni. Vibrant cel-shaded art and a kind, good-natured child star. The game is full of wit and joy. Clever dialogue full of puns will keep you grinning from ear to ear. This Japanese RPG explores a son’s love for his mother, and the lengths he is willing to go to in hopes of a reunion. Hearts are broken and restored, motives are revealed, and lost relationships are rekindled blossom. This is a wonderful world that you gladly lose countless hours in.
Oliver at the heart of Ni No Kuni - tasked with saving the world, as many youngsters are in RPGs. But the world is not the one he lives in. Oliver lives in Motorville, a nondescript rural American-esque town. Time spent in Motorville throughout the game, are accompanied by violins and playful flutes and oboes. The music tells you all you need to know: Oliver’s world is idyllic.
This all changes in drastic fashion when Oliver’s mother dies. But there hope - Olivers mum has a soul twin. A great sage living in a fantasy world, currently trapped by a villain known as Shadar. For Oliver, Shadar’s defeat means a possible reunion with his mother. For those that live in the parallel world, it means freedom from tyranny.
And so your journey begins. Oliver is quickly joined by Drippy. An enthusiastic fairy with a Welsh accent. Drippy is a great sidekick, who spouts memorable dialogue throughout the adventure.
Fantastic voice acting spans the entire cast. Oliver’s young actor hits the right balance of endearing and gung-ho. Characters like Ding Dong Dell’s King Tom - a cat referred to as His Meowjesty - are fun, with beautifully delivered lines of dialogue.
The whimsy of the writing matches the whimsy of the world and the situations you encounter: a llama with a gourmet appetite wants yummies; a traveler keeps misplacing his diary. The imaginative writing runs wild here, making you want to explore every nook and cranny of the unique world.
Third Time’s A Charm
The cartoonish visuals are heightened by visual details that only Studio Ghibli pays attention to. Storefronts contain such minuet details you’ll barely notice them, but the world wouldn’t be the same without them. As you make your way towards a snowy village, your party will begin to shiver from the cold. These small touches help creates a sense of realism to the wonder.
The success of an RPG rest on the world, character, and story. Ni No Kuni is plentiful in every area. Structurally, the game is fairly formulaic. Towns and dungeons are linked together by a huge world map that you on foot. As the story progresses you’ll unlock various forms of travel, including the ever-welcome fast travel.
You’ll also spend a lot of time in combat. Oliver is joined by two party members on the field. But they don’t fight alone. They can send out creatures to fight for them - Pokemon-style. Each party member can have up to three familiars, allowing for upto 12 combatants at your disposal. You gather new creatures by fighting them and, every so often, lulling them into submission.
During combat, you control one character/familiar at a time; AI handles the other two. It’s not quite real-time but you have direct control over all of the abilities.
Familiars level separately from their handlers. Most battles end with someone gaining a level. All combatants receive experience points, even if they aren’t deployed in battle. This gives a much needed sense of progress as, everytime you gain a new familiar, you must level them up from very low levels. Add to this that some aren’t that good even in tip-top condition and the whole process of building the perfect team can becoming an arduous one, but necessary for boss battles.
You can’t add boss creatures to your roster, but they are no less rewarding. They require the most party micromanagement, as the AI enjoys burning through magical energy quickly. So they need constant monitoring in the longer encounters.
Outside of the story quests are several side tasks to complete. Most focus on Olivers ability to take excess emotions from one NPC and give them to another who needs it. It’s a cute mechanic, but is just a fetch quest in fancy clothing. There’s also a battle arena, an alchemy system, and caves to explore. It’s not the most exhaustive list, but it still gives you plenty to do.
Final Thoughts
Ni no Kuni is a wonderful game that is full of charm. Helping the people of this magical world feels genuinely rewarding. The sign of a great game never wanting to stop playing them. With its enticing world and colourful characters Ni No Kuni ensures you’ll keep coming back for more time and time again.
