Don’t miss out on this JRPG of the decade.
What They Say:
Journey back to the other world in Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. LEVEL-5’s classic tale comes to Nintendo Switch™ for the first time. Join Oliver as he embarks on an adventure through a world inhabited by new friends and ferocious foes alike in the hopes of bringing back his mother after a tragic incident. With a copy of the Wizard’s Companion in his hand and his trusty friend Drippy by his side, he will travel across this rich fantasy world to tame familiars, take on enemies, and overcome the countless challenges that stand between him and his mother’s salvation.
Content:
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a beautiful, timeless JRPG that has returned for its first portable version (at least for this particular game) on Nintendo Switch. If you haven’t played this game or if you did and want to give it a second try, this portable version is a terrific one that works well both docked and undocked.
Before I get deeper into this review, there is one situation that is worth going over. In a strange twist of events, this version of the game on Switch is the original game put directly onto the console ported from the original PS3 title while the PS4 and PC versions are remasters. While this doesn’t take away from our review score, it is worth mentioning so that you are informed about your purchasing decision.
Now back to the review! Ni no Kuni is an unbelievable collaboration between Level-5 and the renowned animation company Studio Ghibli. There really isn’t any game like this one even in its mediocre sequel. Here, you play as a young boy named Oliver who, upon dealing with some tragic events, finds himself a best friend in a toy come to life named Drippy.
Together, the duo heads to another world where fantasy, anthropomorphic creatures, and magic is abound. Oliver and Drippy go on a quest to save his mom and the world in the process. Along the way, you are able to heal the hearts of those who are broken-hearted and collect a bunch of familiars in the process.
In a lot of ways, Ni no Kuni acts as a Pokemon-like game with gorgeous graphics and a well-written story that is great for all ages. Combat has you play through a mix of turn-based and active fighting where you use a traditional menu to select options to use but can move around the field with ease.
Your party is composed of Oliver and fellow party members who can have three familiars to switch between at will. Oliver and his pals are able to use their own unique abilities from spells to songs and more. Meanwhile, each of the familiars has their own specific skills that they can use for a limited time.
While the familiars are powerful, they are only available for a limited bit of time before you have to switch back to the hero or a different familiar. In this regard, it is similar yet different from Pokemon. The combat is rather simple but it is still engaging and fun.
Much of the gameplay revolves around traversing the large world, taking on enemies that are roaming around the world, and completing story dungeons and side quests as you go. It does take a good while (a few hours) for the game to really get going but, when it does, there is a lot to love about Ni no Kuni.
There are quite a lot of creatures from punny named mushrooms to lions to dragons and more that you can capture. Though the process of adding a familiar to your party isn’t nearly as simple as other monster-catching games, it is a nice feature that extends the life of this game considerably if you want to catch them all.
Even with each of the familiars, there is a lot of customization that you can do for each one. Many of them are capable of evolving into other versions even if they don’t always look too different than before. In addition, each creature is capable of holding various weapons and equipment to make them stronger beyond just leveling up their stats.
This is something that you’ll want to do since Ni no Kuni isn’t exactly the easiest game even if it is for kids and adults alike. Fights are challenging and do encourage you to do some light grinding but nothing too crazy.
In addition, the varied boss fights are challenging affairs that really require you to strategize and utilize every section of the gameplay. Each of the bosses have their own special movesets that are worth paying attention to and countering in one way or another.
For those who are looking to complete everything, there is a lot to do in the form of side quests as well. Side quests range from the standard bounty hunts of hunting down a powerful monster to healing someone’s broken heart with the right emotion they are lacking, and other minor tasks.
What’s great is that every side quest and bounty hunt is building towards something greater with items and monetary rewards plus the merit stamp system where you are able to turn in stamp cards for overall changes and additions to the game.
The world of Ni no Kuni is large and vast, varying in territories from the blazing hot desert to grassy plains, autumnal regions with warm tones, and more. The whole game features the tremendous cel-shaded style that Studio Ghibli is known for and has been translated from 2D to 3D.
The translation to 3D has been done well, too, offering a game that has aged extremely well since its initial release. The visuals are so good that they hold up well today even in the straight port of the PS3 title. This includes the Studio Ghibli-animated 2D cutscenes that are absolutely stunning and vibrant; honestly making me wish there was a 2D movie version of this game.
That is also because of the excellent writing that Ni no Kuni offers. Though this is a game that is geared towards everyone, it doesn’t dumb down the issues that both kids and adults deal with each day. Tragic events that I won’t get into to avoid spoilers don’t hold back in showcasing real problems that real people deal with in ways that do the topics justice.
From the smaller tales that you’ll experience in each of the towns and regions to the overall story of Oliver trying to save the world, the pacing is on point and the writing is strong. For the most part, this port has been done well with only a couple of problems that I encountered along the way.
The only real problems that I had were a couple of audio issues where the epic soundtrack would cut out and leave the game mostly silent for a single fight, and some occasional frame rate dips but both of these problems were few and far between. Both on my TV and on the go, Ni no Kuni performed and looked great, offering my favorite way of playing the game period.
In Summary:
Ni no Kuni is a timeless JRPG that has stood the test of time and looks just as amazing today as it did on PS3 years ago. It is a Pokemon-like game with dozens of creatures for you to collect as you go around a fantasy world that features an exhilarating combat that mixes turn-based and active combat together.
Not only is Ni no Kuni a gorgeous and fun game to play but it is a profoundly emotional one as well. Oliver’s tale of saving the world is one ripe with tragedy, hope, emotion, and lessons for players of all ages. The writing is excellent, offering something that is able to make the player both laugh and cry. Ni no Kuni is a top JRPG of this generation and one well worth checking out for the first time or another time on Switch.
Grade: B+
Developer: Level-5, Studio Ghibli
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Age Rating: 10+
Release Date: September 20, 2019
MSRP: $49.99
Platform: Switch (reviewed), PS4, PC (PS4 and PC versions are remasters)
This review was done with a review copy provided by the publisher. We are grateful for their continued support.
