Japanese role-playing games tend to be pretty specialist, with anime-style graphics and rather old-fashioned, often turn-based gameplay. But Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, whose gorgeous visual style was created in collaboration with feted animation pioneers Studio Ghibli, is more inviting than most. It possesses the irresistibly charming vibe of Nintendo’s Zelda games, combined with modern, open-world gameplay that’s reminiscent of Witcher 3.
Ni no Kuni II begins in Ding Dong Dell, a cute fantasy kingdom occupied by cat-human Grymalkins, though before long the action takes us elsewhere. You play Evan, a cat-boy-king whose ascension to the throne is imminent following the death of his father. But dastardly mice execute a coup. Evan manages to escape.
Evan begins to amass a band of followers, but there’s a problem: while he may be a king, he has no kingdom. After a few restrictive, linear hours of scene-setting, the establishment of the new kingdom of Evermore marks the point at which the world unfurls and Ni no Kuni II becomes something special. Its various elements all suddenly click into place, feeding off each other in a highly satisfying way.
Ni no Kuni II features plenty of JRPG staples, such as frequent battles with monsters you encounter out in the world, puzzles and set pieces, and a party of characters to manage. Although only three can battle at any given time, you soon gain a band of fighters with different specialisations, and the further into the game you get, the more attention you must pay to getting the mix just right: the boss battles, in particular, are a pleasing challenge.
But Ni no Kuni II adds an awful lot more to the usual role-playing-game mix. There’s a Civilisation-style kingdom-building element that lets you develop more sophisticated spells and gear, and nurture Evan’s burgeoning army. You can then command this army in skirmishes that unfold in a top-down, tactical view. There are classic maze-like dungeons to delve, stuffed with desirable awards. Cute touches include a Facebook-style interface that provides hints about hidden loot and highlights potential new citizens for Evermore.
Ni no Kuni II’s excellent battle system is way easier to understand than that of pretty much any existing JRPG (including Final Fantasy XV), yet still possesses onion-like layers of depth and nuance. Your light, heavy, ranged and magic attacks are bolstered by cute-looking little creatures called Higgledies, who support you in battle either by launching powerful attacks or supporting your party with health buffs.
Ni no Kuni II takes a brave storytelling approach in that it recounts events from a child’s-eye perspective. But it nonetheless succeeds in exploring deeper themes of political machination and technological hubris. At one point, you pitch up in Broadleaf, a city state comprised of a single Silicon Valley-style tech company run by an evil version of the Simpsons’ Artie Ziff (himself a comedy Bill Gates). Everyone you meet overflows with character, and even when the storyline and characterisation flirts with silliness and exaggeration, it remains compelling. Evan may seem hopelessly wide-eyed and naive, but Ni no Kuni II’s overarching theme of innocence triumphing over creeping evil is heartwarming.
The game employs technological trickery to make a 3D world look like the most vibrant of 2D cartoons. Its gorgeously lush visuals are quite simply among the best ever seen in a game, offering an object lesson in how stylisation has the power to trump photorealism even in the 4K age. Some players will lack the time or patience to put in the effort that any heavyweight role-playing game demands – this is a 50-hour adventure at least – but it puts forward an irresistible case for your attention. As video games are once again weathering ignorance-fuelled attacks that paint them as universally gun-centric, violent and nihilistic, Ni no Kuni is a timely counterpoint.
- Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is out 23 March, £49.99.
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion