Ni No Kuni - A simple review

        And so, after 76 hours and a half I have finished the adventure in the fairy world proposed by the JRPG (Japanese Roleplaying Game) "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Which", going so far as to get the Platinum trophy. For me it was a great experience, a kind of blast from the past, since the game is heavily inspired by the most famous and old JRPGs (Wild Arms, Final Fantasy I to V etc. Etc.). So here is my opinion about this game:

    History
    The game has a linear story, which begins with a boy traveling to a great adventure because of a sad tragedy. This adventure takes him into a world of fantasy and fairy tale, full of magic and strange creatures. The story itself is fairly typical, but it has the right amount of twists and turns, and results intriguing in its simplicity and, perhaps, banality. There are plenty of typical, JRPG-styled, bad-guys (I do not provide more details to avoid spoilers!). It's clearly thought in a way that even childs can follow it with ease, but an adult can also enjoy its cliché, becoming a child again for the duration of the game. The main story and side quests also allow you to discover some interesting details of the setting. This helps to understand a part of it's past and helps to make it more vivid, which is always appreciated in this kind of games.
    Vote 8.

A cutscene

    Graphics
    One of the strengths of the game is, definitely, it's look. It is not surely special by the technical point of view (don't expect amazing visual effects like Crysis 3), but definitely valuable for the eyes. Even the graphics are inspired by old JRPG, especially the "free roaming" sections of the world. Do not forget that the sketches and animations are created by the renowned Studio Ghibli (founded by Hayao Miyazaki), a leading authority in the field of anime. The game is therefore a colorful and pleasant visual experience, with varied environments (from the desert to snow-capped islands), although a little lacking in the dungeons, where it is a bit monotonous. The graphical effects of spells and special attacks do not scream in amazement, but they are fine, and recall the style that could have a Meteor of Final Fantasy VII. Do not forget that the game was also released for the Nintendo DS, which must have forced the creators to make some sacrifices in terms of usable power.
    Vote 9.

    The Musics
    The game soundtrack is the work of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and is executed with impeccable craftsmanship. For me, though, the themes are few and short, especially the combat and worldmap ones, which has made me feel them as repetitive and monotonous. It is known that this flaw afflicts many games of this type: truth is that this is not the fault of the composer(s), but of the fact that you end up grinding monsters over monsters, forcing yourself to listen to the same tunes over and over.
    Vote 8.

A fight

    The Gameplay
    Here is the sore point. Seriously. I can't say I really liked the combat system, which is lame and very poorly thought in some of its sequences. It is certainly not something that ruins the gameplay, since most of the fights are pretty easy when you have the party of the appropriate level (or higher), but a technical "veteran" of JRPG like me feels he don't have the right level of control on the characters. Allies AI is at least inaccurate: healing spells arrive late, allies do not move away from lethal attacks of some enemies, sometimes they make crazy choice in pet's deployment etc. etc.; even if you set their behaviour, nothing assures you that the ally will react promptly when needed. An other thing I found very annoying is that some special attacks have a full-screen animation that undo most of the other moves you're trying to execute (like spellcasting with your active character): this can be used to your advantage to neutralize some special moves the enemies perform, but it can become just frustrating in many battles, when your very same allies break your action because they execute some of these attacks. Apart from these limitations, the combat is pretty simple, functional and dynamic, with even the possibility of kite enemies around the field while the allies attack them!
    Vote 6,5.

World map

    Longevity
    The game just makes you want to crank it up. Grind to find familiars, travel around to complete quests and bounties, explore the world in search of secret areas are all activities that can only bring joy to fans of the genre. Some activities are obviously repetitive and monotonous, but if you appreciate the JRPG, you are ready to make the sacrifice in exchange for this powerful object, rather than that familiar you're missing or the completion of a trophy. Finishing the game will take around 15-20 hours, although a bit of grinding to increase party's level is helpful to avoid problems with certain enemies. Devoting yourself to complete all the optional stuff (which is the fun part of the game!) requires around 60 more hours. Alchemy (which requires drops obtained by monsters, some vary rare) and the capture of missing pets can become tedious, given the randomness that distinguishes these two activities, but, fortunately, Internet offers numerous tips on how to optimize farming. In any case, if you have completed some or all the optional part of any Final Fantasy, you have the patience for Ni No Kuni. Getting the Platinum trophy is not so difficult, since the game does not have skill based trophies: it requires just enough time to get all the "drops" necessary for this purpose.
    Vote 8.

    Conclusions
    Ni No Kuni is therefore a game that, in 2013, is able to offer a gaming experience very similar to that of the most famous and vintage Japanese RPGs. Perhaps you'll not like the fairy story, or the light and silly mood the game often take, or the particular combat system, but the fact remains that it is a well structured title, rich in detail and able to give great satisfaction to the nostalgic of a kind of games now disappeared, or, perhaps, just evolved in new directions.
    Vote 8.