With the original Ni No Kuni being one of my favorite games of all time I had high expectations for the sequel. Alas, Ni No Kuni 2 was a mere shell of the original. Drastically simplified combat, a hollow story, weak original score, and far too easy difficulty made this adventure a bore rather than a magical wonder. The kingdom management sim mechanics were OK but kept the player on too tight of a leash to feel like I was getting anything out of it. It was one of the few genuinely disappointing games I played in 2018, which was a serious bummer.