Honestly, if there were justice in the world, I’d just show you footage of this game and
you’d realize that, yeah, it’s as good as the hype makes it out to be.
And more.
I wouldn’t have to speak a word.
Studio Ghibli won an OSCAR, for flip’s sake.
I’m just some schmoe who thinks it’s pretty.
But since, if I don’t write a script and put my empty words over these breathtaking
scenes and amazing Joe Hisaishi soundtrack - performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic, no
less - Mark’s going to take away my coffee privileges.
So, for the sake of caffeine, I present to you Ni no Kuni, possibly the most gorgeous
game of 2013.
And it’s only January.
Still, I like its odds.
I can’t tell if this game is more indicative of Ghibli’s style or of Level-5’s, as
both have their fingerprints all over this thing.
It’s the tale of a boy wrestling with the fact that A) He’s now an orphan and B)
It’s kinda his fault.
So, in grand tradition, he’s guided by a sprite with an extreme septum piercing to
a mystical land full of puns.
Oh, and magic, and maybe a parallel-dimension version of his mum who’s in need of saving.
But mostly puns.
He is, of course, the pure-hearted one who will bring peace back to a world ravaged by
a dark djinn who makes a habit of sapping attributes from all who oppose him; as the
protagonist/savior, it’s your job to go find people bursting with enthusiasm or courage
or whatnot, siphon some off, and distribute it to those in need for fun and profit and
snacks.
And so you travel onward, hitting all the standard JRPG notes, obtaining a boat, and
allies, and recruiting monsters to your side if they’re of a masochistic bent and appreciate
a good beating and subsequent serenade.
The nuts and bolts of the game, however, feel much like Level-5’s much-celebrated Dragon
Quest VIII, with the static-party concept and Akira Toriyama stylization jettisoned
in favor of a more Pokémon-ish system of collectible monsters.
Each of your three party members can either engage in battle directly, or summon a familiar
from the three they’re carrying around.
The action takes place in real-time, with cooldown timers to manage for your shinier
attacks, the ability to maneuver freely about the battlefield (potentially evading attacks
in the process), and the occasional glowing orb knocked loose from a foe to restore HP
or MP or unlock a devastating special attack unique to each monster.
It’s an exciting system, though your allies’ AI can be a bit dense sometimes.
This is alleviated by the eventual access to “All-out” attack and defensive commands
accessed by the triangle and square buttons, but up until that point - and in fact, even
well afterward - battles feel much more manageable if you’re only controlling one character.
This may just be a testament to the effectiveness of the “stick-and-move” tactic, though.
Each of your battle monsters can be powered up via an elaborate system of snacks, which
increase attributes, make them friendlier, and can be used to evolve them into even punnier
forms, while a separate menu allows you to outfit them in the latest and greatest gear.
In common with its cousins in the Dragon Quest series, you’ve got a cauldron capable of
synthesizing your own equipment and medicine, though without the waiting time of those other
games.
Your recipes, along with bestiary information, spell documentation, item locations, fables
and parables, and even a primer on deciphering the ancient Nazcaän script (one of many nods
to the studio’s fans out there), are all found in the spellbook you acquire at the
start of the game and acts as sort of a progressively-unlocked strategy guide as the game goes on.
It’s a useful book to have around, and not just because you can use it to throw massive
fireballs at foes.
That’s it.
I’m done talking.
GO OBTAIN THIS GAME.
Then lock yourself in the house and get your RPG on, because it’s cold outside and you’ve
got hot cocoa and escapism to attend to.
DO IT.