First of all, Ni no Kuni looks absolutely stunning. If you've ever wanted to play a Ghibli film, you probably won't get closer to your dream than with this game (and its sequel). Every location, especially the main cities, is wonderfully detailed and has its own unique charm. From the almost British-looking Motorville to the Oriental Al Mamoon, the enchanting Ding Dong Dell, and the steampunk-inspired Hamelin, the fantastic charm of the places and characters is evident, particularly in the anime-style cutscenes.
The gameplay features the well-known Active Time Battle system and the typical exploration and quest-solving mechanics, as well as dungeons. The combat system is reminiscent of Pokemon, with each team member having three monsters or familiars with different types or Astral Signs. This allows for the creation of a well-thought-out monster team consisting of DPS, Tank, and Heal, among others. The familiars level up twice like in Pokemon, allowing them to learn more attacks and become stronger.
One of the drawbacks of the combat system is that the HP is linked to the monster's owner. So, if Oliver's Mite is attacked and has only 50% HP left, Oliver himself and the other two monsters have the same HP level. This results in using more healing spells and items, but it takes away the dynamic from the game since switching a monster is rarely useful. It would have been helpful if the game paused briefly when selecting an attack, once the ATB gauge is full because the lack of pause results in some unnecessary rushed decisions.
Some bosses are almost easily defeated by using a specific attack that they're weak against, with constant healing spells. So despite their incredible appearance, they can be defeated by the monotonous spamming of a single attack.
The story is enjoyable, with a journey to become a great wizard. Unfortunately, some twists are predictable, taking away the element of surprise. Towards the end, the story gets complicated with many characters who either don't exist or are dead but alive. And then the ending is pretty much rushed which could have been better developed.
The gameplay, despite the combat system's flaws, and the incredibly crafted world make Ni no Kuni a definite JRPG recommendation. Each journey, new location, or character feels fantastic, making you want to continue exploring, whether on foot, by ship, or on the back of a cute dragon.
The gameplay features the well-known Active Time Battle system and the typical exploration and quest-solving mechanics, as well as dungeons. The combat system is reminiscent of Pokemon, with each team member having three monsters or familiars with different types or Astral Signs. This allows for the creation of a well-thought-out monster team consisting of DPS, Tank, and Heal, among others. The familiars level up twice like in Pokemon, allowing them to learn more attacks and become stronger.
One of the drawbacks of the combat system is that the HP is linked to the monster's owner. So, if Oliver's Mite is attacked and has only 50% HP left, Oliver himself and the other two monsters have the same HP level. This results in using more healing spells and items, but it takes away the dynamic from the game since switching a monster is rarely useful. It would have been helpful if the game paused briefly when selecting an attack, once the ATB gauge is full because the lack of pause results in some unnecessary rushed decisions.
Some bosses are almost easily defeated by using a specific attack that they're weak against, with constant healing spells. So despite their incredible appearance, they can be defeated by the monotonous spamming of a single attack.
The story is enjoyable, with a journey to become a great wizard. Unfortunately, some twists are predictable, taking away the element of surprise. Towards the end, the story gets complicated with many characters who either don't exist or are dead but alive. And then the ending is pretty much rushed which could have been better developed.
The gameplay, despite the combat system's flaws, and the incredibly crafted world make Ni no Kuni a definite JRPG recommendation. Each journey, new location, or character feels fantastic, making you want to continue exploring, whether on foot, by ship, or on the back of a cute dragon.