Ni No Kuni(PS3)

[Tomba]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Didnt know it was such a huge game world...Wow

[bcruise]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Didnt know it was such a huge game world...Wow

Yeah, it's a shame we only get 25 minutes to explore it. Why put a time limit on the demo anyway - it's not like it's the full game?

[bcruise]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Looking at IGN's front page today I can see that I'm once again going to have to go out of my way to avoid spoiling parts of a game before I play it.

[Flawless]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Behind the scenes series:


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[Lerxt]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Just pre-ordered this this weekend. Really looking forward to this...

[Flawless]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

IGN Review - 9.4

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch looks familiar, archetypical and even safe, but underneath the hood, it’s none of those things. While developer Level-5 has stayed the course with many conventions of the genre, it’s likewise bucked the disturbing trend in JRPGs of emphasizing all of the wrong things, instead focusing on what any game that demands dozens of hours should: roping you in with solid gameplay, complemented by a wonderful story told by characters you care about. As such, Ni No Kuni gets its hooks into you almost immediately, and it refuses to let go.

[bcruise]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

IGN Review - 9.4

That's gotta be the highest IGN has given a JRPG in quite some time.

Can't wait - preordered it yesterday.

[Lerxt]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

I have yet to like an RPG where you collected monsters to battle for you. However, given my time with the demo, all of the internet previews, and the ign review specifically referencing how good the story and character are, I am glad I pre-ordered. I think I will play this through with my daughter helping me.

[Pokes]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Kinda tempted to pick up the NA release of this, already have the JP version.

[Flawless]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Eurogamer Review - 9

The pace is perhaps too gentle to begin with, too slow to surprise or to develop its mysteries - but in the long run, Ni No Kuni's storyline will enthral kids and touch adult players.

Ni no Kuni is not afraid to test you, either. Boss fights are abundant and the regular battles between them are far from thoughtless chaff. After establishing the basics, the game stretches its legs and offers consistent challenge, regularly stepping up the toughness of the monsters you face and offering some thorny tactical combinations. Mana is a precious resource that's expensive to refill and this is one JRPG where you'll actually need to use and restock your items, where the sight of an inn brings relief.

The difficulty and levelling curves have been tuned with such care that as soon as the fights in one area become easy, you're on to the next. You'll rarely, if ever, need to grind; the game is comfortably padded with fun side-quests and challenging monster bounty hunts instead. Seldom has a console role-player been so perfectly paced, or side-stepped the onset of ennui with such sure footing.

Ni no Kuni is rich yet breezy, classic yet modern, exquisitely made and completely sure of itself. Best of all, Level-5 and Ghibli's artists have worked together to create a gorgeous adventure that feels like it belongs to both of them.

It's a world where pretty fantasy archetypes clothe heartfelt domestic drama, and where outlandish cartoon creations sit at the heart of an engrossing game, infusing it with their exotic charm. Ni no Kuni wears its Studio Ghibli inheritance as lightly as Oliver does his little red magician's cloak, transporting us from one universe to another with the wave of a wand.

[Cod]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

I'm excited for this game. I haven't played my PS3 in a few months, but plan to dust it off for Ni No Kuni.

I preordered from GameStop a few weeks ago to get the steel book case (sucker for those). Also, I noticed yesterday that the game received a 9/10 from Eurogamer, one of the hardest reviewers in gaming.

[Flawless]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Gametrailers Review - 9.3

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[Jasong7777]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Can't wait for tomorrow.

[MachoMyers]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

I haven't bought a PS3 game in a while (PS+ covers me) but I am definitely watching this one. Have to wait till Feb 1 in Europe though. Hey, at least we get this one.

[Flawless]

Re: Ni No Kuni(PS3)

Destructoid - 9

Each boss assumes you've spent an hour or so building up your skills specifically for that one fight, and wastes no time in demolishing you if you've not done so. For some, this is going to be a real chore, but for others, I dare say I've just described Heaven.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I can appreciate a good grindfest, but I find Ni no Kuni sometimes takes it to extremes. This is already a long game, and when every new area of the map requires a few hours of training to survive, progression slows to a crawl and threatens to become an excruciating bore. It's a good job the world is so adorable, the monsters original and amusing, and the actual payoff for the hard work feeling like a true reward. Not to mention, there's plenty of additional content to break up the monotony and keep one invested.

White Witch reminds me most evocatively of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, a comparison I mean as one of the highest possible compliments. From its gorgeous cel-shading, involved alchemy system, delightfully awful love of puns ("Your Meowjesty!"), and time-sink capabilities, playing Ni no Kuni regularly feels like one of my favorite JRPGs has come back from the dead. Of course, it's hardly surprising when you know Level-5 worked on both games, but seeing so much of DQ VIII living on through this title is something very special indeed.

Wrath of the White Witch is a love letter to the classic Japanese role-playing game. It draws its elements from the best and the brightest of the genre, mimicking everything from Pokémon to Grandia with a knowing wink and no small amount of affection. It takes all these inspirations and blends them in a way entirely unique to itself, giving fans of traditional RPGs -- a rarity in the modern world -- something they've been starved of for a very long time.

It has its problems, of course. The abrupt difficulty spikes can feel like an ambush, and the amount of time it absorbs borders on the imposing. Yet, as annoying as it can be, it can never be said that Ni no Kuni is badly put together. It's as structurally sound as a game can get, something made all the more impressive by how messy and sloppy the combat looks before you start to realize quite how clever it actually is. And even those negatives can be intense positives to the right person in the right mood.

If you're a lover of games that require you to put in before you get out, and you recall the glory days of the Eastern RPG, where experience points were the lifeblood and the grind was king, you have literally no decent excuse for not finding a way to play Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. A classic of the modern age, built entirely from classics of the past, it's advised you get comfortable, cancel all your plans, and prepare to enjoy a game that will dominate your life for the next few months.