Ni No Kuni , is it worth buying a PS3 for?

[ballistic90]

The game is actually meant to be played by children you know. In Japan , unlike the states , they actually market to children without trying to induce heavy violence and/or sexual overtones. Studio Ghibli is the Disney of Japan as well so it should be expected that the story was going to be very much NOT targeted at the pulse pumping action gamer types. People who love western RPG's likely need not apply when it comes to old fashioned JRPG's.

Your personal opinion though is understandable its just that consider where its coming from and who .. you should have know better and expected it as such.



Also the gameplay in this game is not "kiddie" at all , if you played into it more than 5 hours you would begin to see that while it has a very childish tone , it requires a good amount of strategy and patience to actually beat the game. Its much like Pokemon which has an incredibly childish appearance but in fact has quite a significant amount of depth to its games. Until I learned what kind of party make up I needed to survive some of the bigger boss battles I actually had to go out , level , equip the right kind of gear , feed my familiars the right kind of treats (which you have to use alchemy to do so) evolve them intelligently so I never didn't have the team make up I needed , equip all my regular characters with the right kind of gear and spells/abilities and figure out my basic team strategy and plan my battles carefully. Even on normal difficulty I find the game very challenging.

JRPG's have historically been very child oriented , I mean in nearly every Zelda game you are a literal child saving a child princess yet that is viewed as perfectly acceptable story telling.

I think its the dialog that turns off people in Ni No Kuni , its very Japanese even in its English translation. Its also very similar to how Studio Ghibli does its film translations.

You either like it or you do not. I can't really blame people for not liking that , but if you are a purist then you are either use to it or enjoy the more light hearted nature of the series and tend to focus on the fantastic game play and incredible art style/music. Even though the whole "save the world" gimmick is incredibly over done , Ni No Kuni manages to tug at your heart strings (at least mine) during the beginning of the game , something that games rarely do. I think any game that manages to touch a raw emotional nerve its a cut above the empty and typically vapid nature of the medium. So many games are devoid of story and feeling that it doesn't give you any good reason for emotional investment which makes it hard to stay interested.

Overall this game is still one of my favorites in recently memory , I just clocked over 100 hours and don't regret one minute of it. I really hope Level-5 and Studio Ghibli do another collaboration on the PS4 , if they can pull of the level of detail and polish of Ni No Kuni , they will have all the money I can throw at them.

Pokemon is a bit unique, and it's interesting that you would compare this game to it. Pokemon is almost entirely gameplay focused, even if there is a story. It's a little unusual, since the story has you doing your own thing, competeing against a rival or two, and progressing through a sport-like series of qualification matches. There is a "big bad" group of villains, but in most games they're completely incidental to what your own goals actually are. It might not be a strong story, but it is... unique, I guess.

Like, imagine if Sephiroth was a side quest, and Chocobo breeding was the main game in FF7.

I know it's off topic, but your comment just made me think about it.

 

[NastyNative]

I own a PS3 and this was going to be a release date purchase.
Then all the reviews came out and it scared me.

So I ask if anyone can answer a couple of questions about the game.
As a CG gradute I dont mind kiddieness as a matter of fact I love kiddieness and
the graphics to the game look amazing and the story line drags on in the beginning which is fine.

What I'm more concern about it how the "Battle System works".
I have watched youtue videos and I dont understand it, because you actually
move your characters on the battlefield and it looks like you have to swing your self.

So my concern is the how fun is the battle system / Leveling system and are the bosses fun to fight?
I dont mind grinding because I will usually use Gamefaqs to get past parts I cant figure out.

Looks like its on sale for 30 bucks !

 

[Kinsaras]

I own a PS3 and this was going to be a release date purchase.
Then all the reviews came out and it scared me.

So I ask if anyone can answer a couple of questions about the game.
As a CG gradute I dont mind kiddieness as a matter of fact I love kiddieness and
the graphics to the game look amazing and the story line drags on in the beginning which is fine.

What I'm more concern about it how the "Battle System works".
I have watched youtue videos and I dont understand it, because you actually
move your characters on the battlefield and it looks like you have to swing your self.

So my concern is the how fun is the battle system / Leveling system and are the bosses fun to fight?
I dont mind grinding because I will usually use Gamefaqs to get past parts I cant figure out.

Looks like its on sale for 30 bucks !

Reviews? It has an 85 on Metacritic with a user review of 8.6. Pretty good if you ask me.

I haven’t played them but someone said they are like “Tales of” games with a mix of Pokémon. You enter combat classic RPG style but you can see the enemies on the map (like Chrono Trigger). From there you are free to run around. Yet commands (attack, magic, item) are very turn-based like. They have that classic turn and cool down, so no spamming the attack button like God of War As you get other party members you can control them if you like or you can set basic commons for the AI to follow on their own.

When you call one of your critters to fight its very much the same while Oliver (main character) takes a backseat. Only time moving around really comes into play is if a boss has a weak spot, say his tail. Then you can run behind him and attack from there. I think you can dodge some attacks but the dodge command is much more effective.

I can understand the “kiddiness” comments from people but the story engaged me. I think they did a good job making Oliver believable kid, as I would expect from anything Studio Ghibi. Hope you like puns though, the game is oozing them.

 

[NastyNative]

What about the boss fights?
Are they super fun or just a grind.

I assume bosses have weaknesses that can be exploited, by skills take can be leveled.
I want to hear more about the battle system and how the leveling system ties it all together.
IMO is a game has a bad leveling system and battle system, then I dont want to play it.
It is a fun fight or a grind?

 

[Kinsaras]

What about the boss fights?
Are they super fun or just a grind.

I assume bosses have weaknesses that can be exploited, by skills take can be leveled.
I want to hear more about the battle system and how the leveling system ties it all together.
IMO is a game has a bad leveling system and battle system, then I dont want to play it.
It is a fun fight or a grind?

There is a demo last I looked on PSN. Gives you a bit of the over world gameplay and an early boss fight. The boss on the demo has the tail weakness. I know certain creatures do better against others, they have symbols (sun, moon and star?). Honestly I never cared enough to learn which is better against another. Never felt the need to.

The game isn’t partially challenging, at least for me it wasn’t. I think it greatly depends on the type of player you are. If you want to run though it just for the story, you’re going to hit boss fights that will cream you. I’m a little OCD, not saying I 100% the game but I liked to collect new monsters to battle with. So that process of collection I would level up. Also the side quests, while mostly fetch quest type things, are well worth doing. You do enough and you can unlock simple but nice skills like running faster on the map or jumping or sneak up on enemies easier for a surprise attack. These are permanent upgrades and made the running around very rewarding.

You can upgrade you monsters too. Feeding them certain food up their stats and is actually better than just leveling them. They can also evolve but there is a small cost since they are weaker at first but they can obviously get more powerful in the end. Honestly how deep you get into that is up to you. I’ve heard people using just a handful, mostly the ones you start with, all the way till the end of the game. I liked to switch it up but the only time I felt I needed to is one I switch to a monster that just plan sucks.

There is also equipment for the creatures, weapon, armor and charm. Each with different stats and bonuses like any other RPG.

Note the human characters level up too. Learn new and powerful spells, Oliver will be your best healer for sure.

Biggest cons I would have with the game, pretty slow start to get to everything. The game opens up with lots of story, that’s fine enough, but then the first town mostly serves as a tutorial. You don’t get the ability to control creatures until the town after that. It’s not a huge con but they really should have started it in the first town. The other con I addressed, it’s not a challenging game. I never felt the NEED to get more monsters for example. You could be pretty effective just brushing though everything with your heaviest hitters.

 

[NastyNative]

Thank you, this sounds like something I might want to pick up to play during the weekend.
its on sale for 30 bucks too.

Thanks again.

 

[NastyNative]

Ok So i got this game last Friday night for $30.00 at gamestop.

This game is amazing, the start is a little slow and ALOT of handholding.
The Story is what really drives this game, even during all the hand holding you
are involved in this most sentimental theme around the boy and his
will to succeed. It’s like watching any of their animated films but you interact
with the movie. I find this fascinating and at the same time the story starts
to let go of your hand slowly. At which point you become more involved with the battle system.
The battle system is a real fun experience once you understand your strengths and weakness.
The intuitive battle system also includes a time factor, when you attack or defend you have a chance to do extra damage and make your enemies drop MP + HP balls which you have to pick up.
They are not given to you so if the battle ends and there are MP+HP balls on the ground and you don’t pick them up, well they are gone. The Leveling system is another great layer to the experience in which you gain experience by battling, but also by giving different items to your fighting pets.
Since they all have their own strengths and weaknesses giving your pets those food items that will give them extra strengths is an exercise on the battle system. Everything is done correctly in this game and goes beyond what any other RPG has offered me in the past 10 years or so. The last time I remember being blown away by an RPG was FF7. I do want to briefly touch on the graphics and controls of the game. The Graphics are top notch and as it was said before, this level of production is rarely seen.
The controls work well with the battle system once you understand the system, its not a button mash but more of a defined and very calculated controls. Learn when to fight, defend and counter attack.
You can do massive damage to your opponent if done correctly and your enemy will drop you tons of Hp+Mp so you can continue on your journey. Don’t understand the battle system and you will waste tons of MP and potions to keep your self alive.

If you are an RPG lover, you must experience this game and for $30.00 bucks its well worth it.

 

[teletran8]

This game just hit 19.99 on Amazon so I just picked it up today. It had been 49.99 for a while then 29.99 last few months. If you guys haven't picked it up because of price now would be a good time imho!

 

[teletran8]

Copy of Ni No Kuni arrived today. (Studio Ghibli artwork Yaaa!) 4GB PS3 system space is needed for this game to install so you know. I began installing @ 7:13:30PM. Finished installing @ 7:22:30 I have a 250GB Samsung SSD though. I looked on the back of the case and it outputs @ 720p not 1080p. Looks really good and smooth @ 720, story's starting gtg. Every RPG or Mayazaki film fan should get this game and support these kind of games or we get less of them reach our shores, peace!

 

[Godmachine]

This game just hit 19.99 on Amazon so I just picked it up today. It had been 49.99 for a while then 29.99 last few months. If you guys haven't picked it up because of price now would be a good time imho!

Its on sale on the PSN store for $19.99 , just saw it today.

Copy of Ni No Kuni arrived today. (Studio Ghibli artwork Yaaa!) 4GB PS3 system space is needed for this game to install so you know. I began installing @ 7:13:30PM. Finished installing @ 7:22:30 I have a 250GB Samsung SSD though. I looked on the back of the case and it outputs @ 720p not 1080p. Looks really good and smooth @ 720, story's starting gtg. Every RPG or Mayazaki film fan should get this game and support these kind of games or we get less of them reach our shores, peace!

It's already sold over a million total so they are going for a sequel you'll be happy to know

 

[teletran8]

Its on sale on the PSN store for $19.99 , just saw it today.
It's already sold over a million total so they are going for a sequel you'll be happy to know

I thought it only sold over half a mil, that's great! This game should sell 5 million+ honestly...that worry's me, but like you say they are the Disney of Japanese entertainment (they should have deep pockets) and a follow up on the PS4 at the right time. It would surely sell more than the first go, and the artists would let the world come alive that much more. I like its style.

I've only played about 3 hours. Completed the Forest chapter and the forrest guardian boss. The combat/battle system is good from what I've seen so far. The world map reminds me of Oblivion for some reason, maybe all the green trees and shit ha! The battle system feels a bit like Grandia 2, but more evolved. Your character can move freely along with your familiar at the beginning of battle anywhere on the battlefield, and after commands which I like for a change. Love running around casting fire spells, then having time to dodge enemy attacks (Muhammad Ali jleft hand jab tactics style heehee, well at least before I get Oliver some Ken Norton power going on) and pick up green and blue spheres to restore hp/mp (great idea!) Seems when I attacked the big green forrest monster directly to his back I did 3x the damage, opposed to facing it so there might be some strategy involved there as well. You can also sneak up on enemies before encounters like Grandia2/FFXIII for preemptive strikes, I like that as well. The summoning of familiars remind me of FFXIII Eidolons just less powerful versions with vastly different attack options to complement Olivers. I like the idea of feeding familiars snacks (like chocolate sundaes and cupcakes or whatever to raise their stats which are dropped by specific monsters you encounter) along with them being able to level like the main character Oliver by gaining exp.

The artwork and every characters attitudes/facial expressions have come through nicely and give off that studio Ghibli touch we're all used to. I really can't wait for a PS4 follow up version RPG from studio Ghibli, because I can tell they were limited and had a little bit lack of experience with the graphics engine maybe even sacrificed some texture details in spots. This is their first go, and for a first go it's very very impressive so far overall. Wish more of the dialog was audio actually, because those moments without the audio remind me it's a game and detract from that Miyazaki experience I've come to expect from watching his films Princess Mononke/Spirited Away etc. It should be a joy to finish, you might want to check out FFXIII if you haven't, it has a great battle system and characters. You easily can waste 100 hours with it. I played it for 140 hours before I put it down, I think it is also one of the most graphically impressive console games I have seen @ 1080p. If you try FFXIII purchase the strategy guide, it answers a lot of minor questions has all the bestiary/weapons etc.

Ni No Kuni is a very impressive RPG.

 

[KickAssCop]

So I picked this game up for less than 10 bucks on PSN. It downloaded and I put in the first 30 minutes or so. When do I get to the game lol? Also I thought this was a dozen hour romp and now people are stating they have put in about 50+ hours in it. Dafuq!

I have never really played a JRPG. I purchased FFXIII and it was a bore fest. Every fight went exactly the same and the turn based mechanics were just shite. Then I downloaded FFVII recently on Steam and my God that game is such a piece of junk. Against my better judgement I downloaded Ni No Kuni and feel that it is a Kid's game but it seemed interesting in the demo. When do I actually play this game? Also, when do I actually enjoy this game? I also hate how in the map you encounter random enemies that just waste your time. Is there a way to bypass that bullshit?

Sorry too many questions but I don't know JRPGs and thus far my experience has been pretty unimpressive with them. I picked this up since it was touted as best PS3 game running head to head with Last of Us. What mindset do I have to be in to enjoy the game.

Btw story is really bullshit thus far lol but then again I only played 30 minutes.

 

[Kinsaras]

So I picked this game up for less than 10 bucks on PSN. It downloaded and I put in the first 30 minutes or so. When do I get to the game lol? Also I thought this was a dozen hour romp and now people are stating they have put in about 50+ hours in it. Dafuq!

I have never really played a JRPG. I purchased FFXIII and it was a bore fest. Every fight went exactly the same and the turn based mechanics were just shite. Then I downloaded FFVII recently on Steam and my God that game is such a piece of junk. Against my better judgement I downloaded Ni No Kuni and feel that it is a Kid's game but it seemed interesting in the demo. When do I actually play this game? Also, when do I actually enjoy this game? I also hate how in the map you encounter random enemies that just waste your time. Is there a way to bypass that bullshit?

Sorry too many questions but I don't know JRPGs and thus far my experience has been pretty unimpressive with them. I picked this up since it was touted as best PS3 game running head to head with Last of Us. What mindset do I have to be in to enjoy the game.

Btw story is really bullshit thus far lol but then again I only played 30 minutes.

I'm going to guess it's not your genre.

 

[Fix Me]

So I picked this game up for less than 10 bucks on PSN. It downloaded and I put in the first 30 minutes or so. When do I get to the game lol? Also I thought this was a dozen hour romp and now people are stating they have put in about 50+ hours in it. Dafuq!

I have never really played a JRPG. I purchased FFXIII and it was a bore fest. Every fight went exactly the same and the turn based mechanics were just shite. Then I downloaded FFVII recently on Steam and my God that game is such a piece of junk. Against my better judgement I downloaded Ni No Kuni and feel that it is a Kid's game but it seemed interesting in the demo. When do I actually play this game? Also, when do I actually enjoy this game? I also hate how in the map you encounter random enemies that just waste your time. Is there a way to bypass that bullshit?

Sorry too many questions but I don't know JRPGs and thus far my experience has been pretty unimpressive with them. I picked this up since it was touted as best PS3 game running head to head with Last of Us. What mindset do I have to be in to enjoy the game.

Btw story is really bullshit thus far lol but then again I only played 30 minutes.

Yeah, that's how JRPG's work, Unfortunately, I think you wasted your money. It throws in some Pokemon-ish elements as the game progresses. I'm going to guess that's not your thing either.

Personally, I'm really enjoying it. But then, I too grabbed FFVII and am enjoying it though I'm only playing it in short bursts.

 

[KickAssCop]

Seems like it. Oh well, going to stay away from JRPGs and might give this game another 2-3 hours and if it doesn't grab me by the balls, too bad.

 

[flegg]

Seems like it. Oh well, going to stay away from JRPGs and might give this game another 2-3 hours and if it doesn't grab me by the balls, too bad.

If you haven't played JRPGs why start off with the mediocre. Just go play FF6. All FF7 has going for it is 2 interesting characters (originally people played it for the graphics I believe... you don't want to be doing that now). FF6 has quality gameplay, storyline, characters, music and a distinct lack of kiddishness relative to it's rating.

I'm not in the camp that says you either like JRPGs or you don't. I think some are good, some are mediocre, and some are trash.

 

[teletran8]

Well to be fair FF6 is ultra depressing when it comes to story, and Ni No Kuni is very light hearted and positive in the face of reality.

These are 2 top shelf RPG's though, but you have to complete them to understand them.

 

[HardUp4HardWare]

What about the boss fights?
Are they super fun or just a grind.

I assume bosses have weaknesses that can be exploited, by skills take can be leveled.
I want to hear more about the battle system and how the leveling system ties it all together.
IMO is a game has a bad leveling system and battle system, then I dont want to play it.
It is a fun fight or a grind?

Battle system is great IMO.

Bosses have weaknesses that can be exploited depending on what type of familiar you use to battle them. This makes leveling and "feeding" your different pets important. Also spells can be more effective depending on type of spell and type of enemy, for example a "fire" based enemy takes more damage from a "ice" spell. Stuff like that.

It can be challenging but not frustrating.

You can also kite your enemies while healing and choosing spells.

Any game with a level system can turn into a bit of a grind and I feel it a bit with this, but so far I am still enjoying the game very much. I am still early on so take this for what it's worth.

 

[teletran8]

The sun, moon, and star signs have a rock-paper-scissors relationship, where sun beats moon, moon beats star, and star beats sun.

Virtually all of the powerful enemies that appear in bounty hunts have the sun sign, so the sun-trumping star sign (or better yet, the double-star sign) is particularly valuable.

Another tip is to use Swaine to Mugshot every chance you get early on Saves money later on.

 

[That's_Corporate]

I've been a huge fan of the big blockbuster Japanese games all my life - Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy. I can say, with confidence, that Ni No Kuni can be held in the same regard as those aforementioned franchises in every single way. From art direction, to the game systems it implements, to the story & characters, and the incredible music... it's as close as video games have gotten to art in a long ass time.

 

[stevedave]

So I picked this game up for less than 10 bucks on PSN. It downloaded and I put in the first 30 minutes or so. When do I get to the game lol? Also I thought this was a dozen hour romp and now people are stating they have put in about 50+ hours in it. Dafuq!

I have never really played a JRPG. I purchased FFXIII and it was a bore fest. Every fight went exactly the same and the turn based mechanics were just shite. Then I downloaded FFVII recently on Steam and my God that game is such a piece of junk. Against my better judgement I downloaded Ni No Kuni and feel that it is a Kid's game but it seemed interesting in the demo. When do I actually play this game? Also, when do I actually enjoy this game? I also hate how in the map you encounter random enemies that just waste your time. Is there a way to bypass that bullshit?

Sorry too many questions but I don't know JRPGs and thus far my experience has been pretty unimpressive with them. I picked this up since it was touted as best PS3 game running head to head with Last of Us. What mindset do I have to be in to enjoy the game.

Btw story is really bullshit thus far lol but then again I only played 30 minutes.

The primary purpose of a JRPG's is to tell a story in a none action based way.

If you not interested in being a part of a story that doesn't involve action then you are in the wrong genre stick to God of War or something a little more attentive to your taste.

I've heard nothing but great things about this game and I'm a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki anime so my question is for any of you that have played this is it worth buying a PS3 for ? ( I can get one used off Ebay for less than retail for about $139)

I'm rarely ever willing to spend so much for one game but from what I've seen its truly a love letter to 1990's JRPG's of SNES and Playstation.

Thoughts?

I bought a PS3 for Demon Souls. I also picked up this game and didn't like it. I like my RPG's on the classic JRPG scale and this was too much like FFXII with it battle mechanics. The story was to kid based. Just wast a game for me.

The classic style jrpg is all but dead at this point. The Tales series is still around and Persona 5 will be out in winter 2014 for PS3. Star Ocean 4 was a bit of a let down considering how much I like Star Ocean 2 and 3. Square=Enix will likely never produce another good JRPG so that is a pretty big blow to the genre.

Vita and 3ds are likely to be the two system that retain the old JRPG style.

 

[Godmachine]

I think you are in the minority then , lots of people loved this game including me. I find FF games quite bland and really they are just the COD of JRPG's these days. Ni No Kuni on the other hand was just filled with quality despite a few flaws. No JRPG has felt so fleshed out to me in years.

 

[stevedave]

I think you are in the minority then , lots of people loved this game including me. I find FF games quite bland and really they are just the COD of JRPG's these days. Ni No Kuni on the other hand was just filled with quality despite a few flaws. No JRPG has felt so fleshed out to me in years.

By all accounts I should have liked it, especially since it was made by level - 5 who made Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest VIII, and Jeanne d'Arc all of which were completely awesome.

I get that its a good game but like Kingdom hearts it just doesn't appeal to me...Part of it is I just don't really like playing children. Teens sure that is pretty much expected. But something about playing children just bothers me....even the characters in FFIX were too young for my taste.

 

[Youn]

Have you guys tried playing the game in Jap voices with English subs?

Sometimes, for me anyways, the english VO for children can be the thing that grates on the nerves the most, causing every other otherwise enjoyable element in the game to feel like a chore to get through.

I felt that way with Kingdom Hearts and Tales of Symphonia, and many other games/anime/cartoons as well. Maybe it's just because kids are rarely good actors. I also can't stand most Spielberg movies because of his use of kids, especially how he tries to make them off to be these balls of cute innocence... ugh, kids are often evil as all hell, stealing/lying/making very insensitive comments. Sure, we let em get away with it because maybe they haven't learned better (although IMO by that age they are beyond the point of fixing). I just find it kinda condescending and insulting to their intelligence. I was a pretty jaded kid though, hated school/life/etc... most of my friends were trouble-makers, I guess they found my presence calming or something... maybe that's a bigger part of it. I just don't have much desire to go back to that time in my life. Not that it was horrible or anything (I'm extremely lucky, both my parents rocked, as did all my family, friends and teachers) but I'm simply a much happier person, living in the present and excited about the future.

Anyways, my point was, at least if you play with Jap voices or another language, it may help sell the part as something more realistic. It's worth a shot. Same goes for VOs in general. Metro was not fun at all until I switched voices from English to Russia.

 

[Godmachine]

By all accounts I should have liked it, especially since it was made by level - 5 who made Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest VIII, and Jeanne d'Arc all of which were completely awesome.

I get that its a good game but like Kingdom hearts it just doesn't appeal to me...Part of it is I just don't really like playing children. Teens sure that is pretty much expected. But something about playing children just bothers me....even the characters in FFIX were too young for my taste.

See I'm the opposite , teenagers are often far more annoying. Persona games for instance , can't stand the teens in those games. Kids are what they are because of their own lack of experience , teenagers are what they are because they think they know everything and get a kick out of annoying others.

 

[teletran8]

Have you guys tried playing the game in Jap voices with English subs?

Sometimes, for me anyways, the english VO for children can be the thing that grates on the nerves the most, causing every other otherwise enjoyable element in the game to feel like a chore to get through.

Anyways, my point was, at least if you play with Jap voices or another language, it may help sell the part as something more realistic. It's worth a shot. Same goes for VOs in general. Metro was not fun at all until I switched voices from English to Russia.

I missed that option if I play through and finish it again I'll try it with the Japanese actors I do that a lot in foreign movies like Death Note Collection, Badges of Fury, I saw the Devil

Studio Ghibli usually always = Great/Good Stories. I trust em. I liked how there was a Spirit World, and then the regular Midwestern 50's world in this game. (With Interstate-75 that ran through Ollie's hometown street.) You go through this game between two worlds, and there are soul-mate characters between these two worlds. It was just a fresh idea/twist and I liked how they implemented it in Ni No Kuni. The Paper-Rock-Scissors/Sun-Star-Moon battle system with the added Planets twist is a new idea. There's also double planet familiars for another twist. I really enjoy JRPG's with a twist to their battle systems. I can't stand it when a JRPG does exactly the same concept in the Battle System for far to many times. Example how FF4 (which was absolutely amazing at the time of release! The battle with the Dark Knight/Cecil, Ashura etc. I really liked those battles and how they implemented a hardcore strategy to win. And just coming from FF1 the fact that there was Golbez, then Zeromus, and then his second form...epic end battle compared to FF1 Chaos final battle. BTW Ni No Kuni has an epic final boss FF4 style ) but the FF4 battle system for me after almost 10+ years... well it became increasingly boring because that was far overused. I also really liked how FFXIII finally changed it up for that franchise, it was a breath of fresh air for the series. I'm less of a fan of mindless grinding/repetitively for levels like FF5-10 promote and a bigger fan of battle strategy/economy item crafting to make a stronger party which FFXIII finally did and FF4 had originated. There was not a big reason to mindlessly grind in FF4 from my experience because the battle system taught you more than any RPG up to that time how to implement INTELLIGENT decisions for victory. Grandia and Xenogears were fresh for their time as well. Ni No Kuni is equally fresh in this regard, but you have to take the time to explore its games battle dynamics. If you're used to mindless level grinding or GoW one button cutscene type no non-sense or sense gameplay mechanics that make a game more cinematic/action oriented and less gameplay/strategy/logic based then that's just your thing. I enjoy both styles if implemented right, but usually they can both become formulaic for to many sequels and it becomes tired. Ni No Kuni for me is fresh.

 

[Jonnyy]

Man, I have to get around to finishing this game. I really hate it when I don't finish RPGs and have to go back to them after a period of time. Lose alot of the immersion of the story and so I wind up putting it off and off even though I loved the game while playing it.

 

[MavericK]

I think I mentioned this before, but I find the combat in Ni No Kuni to be a bit...off. It's like a weird mix of real-time and turn-based but without really doing great at either. I think it might have made more sense to have the actions be instant and then have a cooldown rather than the weird, "you initiate the action, then your character goes out of your control and does action for X time until it finishes or you hit Cancel".

Still haven't finished the game, which is a shame because it looks and feels really good in terms of the world, story and overall polish.

 

[teletran8]

I think I mentioned this before, but I find the combat in Ni No Kuni to be a bit...off. It's like a weird mix of real-time and turn-based but without really doing great at either. I think it might have made more sense to have the actions be instant and then have a cooldown rather than the weird, "you initiate the action, then your character goes out of your control and does action for X time until it finishes or you hit Cancel".

Still haven't finished the game, which is a shame because it looks and feels really good in terms of the world, story and overall polish.

It's turn based but on the fly, you can attack with say Ollie or 1 of 3 familiars, and set that up. Then you can immediately switch to Ester let's say, and heal/take care of status ailments since that's her speciality or jut get her attacking with a familiar, you could go back to Ollie and get him to run behind an enemy and switch to attacking with a Spell. Then you can switch over to Swain and do a Mugshot and steal some items. I mean it's freaking great you can just go crazy on it, and you also have the option to dart around the battlefield and pick up glims and if you strategize correctly your attacks they drop more glims and on bosses you can get the golden glims if your smooth enough and wreck them up with strategy and timing/defense. At first I didn't get the depth of the Battle System but damn it's deeper than I thought, maybe you just need to experiment with it because there's more than meets the eye on first glance.