Some time ago it was announced that Studio Ghibli
Some time ago it was announced that Studio Ghibli was helping to make a game. Fans the world over felt a very sexy disturbance in the force. Eyes lit up. Pulses quickened. Tissue sales went up.
The striking visuals that Studio Ghibli are known around the globe for are truly beautiful in this new 3D world. From lush forests to scorching deserts, frozen tundras to murky swamps, the game world encompasses all aspects of environment one would expect from an adventure and it is done with expert precision. Whether you are stood atop a windy bluff overlooking a green valley or merely inside one of the worlds many inns, you'll find yourself inspecting every nook and cranny.
Gameplay will be familiar to all JRPG fans wherein you are taking your team of heroes from town to dungeon to town all the while facing off against monsters in closed off battlefields. Gone is the turn-based battle system and the current trend of active battles is in; heroes and villains alike running around the arena flinging fireballs and potshots at one another without delay. The twist though comes in the form of familiars; tameable creatures much like Pokémon that can be trained and 'evolved' metamorphosed into stronger versions with further abilities. Lead heroes each bear unique skills, though in any fight only one hero/familiar can be controlled at any one time requiring you to hand your current selection over to the AI should you wish to hold another's strings.
As for the story that drives the show forward, it is a deft combination of typical JRPG world saving mixed with a subtler Studio Ghibli vibe of a boy merely trying to save his mother. A fact that the lead, Oliver, reminds you of now and then during portions of the games many text based conversations. Yes while there is voice-acting, it does pop up at odd moments, sometimes for mere seconds of dialogue before throwing you right back into reading. The premise is simple; young Oliver lives in our world and due to some emotional trauma he awakens his stuffed toy, Drippy, who steals the show with his Welsh accent and dialogue, from his apparent curse. Your wee Welsh sidekick gifts Oliver with a spellbook (Wizard's Companion) allowing him to journey to another world rife with magic with the hope of saving his mother. Save the world, save your mother. Typical game basis merged with Ghibli standard storytelling. No fuss no muss.
The game isn't perfect though. while you may be able to use the many spells you learn outside of battle, many are often locked until a particular trigger in the gameworld is reached. The game also suffers from anime-explanation syndrome; any plot point or conversation hint mentioned that you have already figured out, tends to require you to wade through text in order to reach a moment you can actually act upon the now obvious answer. This is more than likely due to the game being aimed at a wider demographic but it never fails to elicit a groan when it happens.
The battle system is the main flaw in our opinion. Each command is represented in a little speech bubble next to your currently controlled character's portrait and requires you to cycle through a ring of commands to reach the one you desire. Genre standard attack, magic, and items are fixed, yet when using familiars later in the game who have unlocked several abilities, it becomes a lesson in memory and timing in order to select that one move before a boss decides he's done playing with you and wipes your characters from existence.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a nearly flawless creation that promises a wealth of hours spent in a fantasy world as gorgeous as it is peculiar. With buckets of sidequests to fill the moments between plot points, as well as a vast crafting section and adorable familiars to train and perfect into mindless killing machines. We just hope you can find a copy.
9/10
Written by Liam Brown
The striking visuals that Studio Ghibli are known around the globe for are truly beautiful in this new 3D world. From lush forests to scorching deserts, frozen tundras to murky swamps, the game world encompasses all aspects of environment one would expect from an adventure and it is done with expert precision. Whether you are stood atop a windy bluff overlooking a green valley or merely inside one of the worlds many inns, you'll find yourself inspecting every nook and cranny.
Gameplay will be familiar to all JRPG fans wherein you are taking your team of heroes from town to dungeon to town all the while facing off against monsters in closed off battlefields. Gone is the turn-based battle system and the current trend of active battles is in; heroes and villains alike running around the arena flinging fireballs and potshots at one another without delay. The twist though comes in the form of familiars; tameable creatures much like Pokémon that can be trained and 'evolved' metamorphosed into stronger versions with further abilities. Lead heroes each bear unique skills, though in any fight only one hero/familiar can be controlled at any one time requiring you to hand your current selection over to the AI should you wish to hold another's strings.
As for the story that drives the show forward, it is a deft combination of typical JRPG world saving mixed with a subtler Studio Ghibli vibe of a boy merely trying to save his mother. A fact that the lead, Oliver, reminds you of now and then during portions of the games many text based conversations. Yes while there is voice-acting, it does pop up at odd moments, sometimes for mere seconds of dialogue before throwing you right back into reading. The premise is simple; young Oliver lives in our world and due to some emotional trauma he awakens his stuffed toy, Drippy, who steals the show with his Welsh accent and dialogue, from his apparent curse. Your wee Welsh sidekick gifts Oliver with a spellbook (Wizard's Companion) allowing him to journey to another world rife with magic with the hope of saving his mother. Save the world, save your mother. Typical game basis merged with Ghibli standard storytelling. No fuss no muss.
The game isn't perfect though. while you may be able to use the many spells you learn outside of battle, many are often locked until a particular trigger in the gameworld is reached. The game also suffers from anime-explanation syndrome; any plot point or conversation hint mentioned that you have already figured out, tends to require you to wade through text in order to reach a moment you can actually act upon the now obvious answer. This is more than likely due to the game being aimed at a wider demographic but it never fails to elicit a groan when it happens.
The battle system is the main flaw in our opinion. Each command is represented in a little speech bubble next to your currently controlled character's portrait and requires you to cycle through a ring of commands to reach the one you desire. Genre standard attack, magic, and items are fixed, yet when using familiars later in the game who have unlocked several abilities, it becomes a lesson in memory and timing in order to select that one move before a boss decides he's done playing with you and wipes your characters from existence.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a nearly flawless creation that promises a wealth of hours spent in a fantasy world as gorgeous as it is peculiar. With buckets of sidequests to fill the moments between plot points, as well as a vast crafting section and adorable familiars to train and perfect into mindless killing machines. We just hope you can find a copy.
9/10
Written by Liam Brown
