Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for PlayStation 3

GF Rating

10

Perfect

Ni No Excuse. PLAY THIS.

posted by StarRaven (BOYNTON BEACH, FL) Jan 27, 2013

Member since May 2011

26 out of 32 gamers (81%) found this review helpful

There simply isn't enough games like this around. Eternal Sonata was great, but not very well known, kinda cheesey and fairly early in this generations life cycle. Then came along Tales of Graces which was a great, legit RPG, but too anime-y and didn't quite give that 'next gen' feel, but still, a solid JRPG experience. Valkyria Chronicles was another great RPG, but a very unique and different experience, not at all like these games.

This however... this is it. This IS the experience we've all been waiting for since DragonQuest VIII, since Rogue Galaxy, since FFX and FFXII. This is the JRPG that we've been waiting to experience on a PS3. Not White Knight, not FFXIII. THIS.

You need to play this. The story is great, and has a lot of deep layers. The characters are good. It's rare to be playing as a kid and not having being a blubbering, childish whiney moron and instead, get a smart, brave, motivated kid who fulfills all the requirements of a young hero.

Gameplay/combat is all cool too but I especially love all the small side quests, caring for my Familiars and a lot of the little things that make up the whole of them game. The graphics are of course, very pretty.

My only gripe is the game can't seem to make up it's mind when it wants to do voice overs. There's animated cinema scenes (which are choppy, Japanese people animated, ha!) there's cut scenes, and there's OTHER cut scenes with NO dialogue, and then there's just in game conversations, which of course don't have dialogue. It's just a little inconsistent. But when there are voices, they're great.

This is a great experience and you owe it to yourself to play it.

So do it.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Extremely Deep

posted by SDHockeyFan (MARION, SD) Feb 1, 2013

Member since Feb 2013

6 out of 8 gamers (75%) found this review helpful

Sadly RPG's almost feel like a dead genre today, so it's nice to see a title like this come out for the PS3. I waited a week after this came out to see if it was truely the kinda of RPG that I wanted to play and now after buying it, I am not disappointed.

I won't bother talking about the story in the game (there are plenty other reviews here that can fill you in on that).

Gameplay is fairly straight forward. Like any RPG, you move from place to place as the story line develops. Each city you visit has side quests that you can choose to do and bounty hunts for you to hunt creatures on.

In battles you control a familiar that you can give orders to. Some familiars are good at physical attacks, others are good at magic, and others are good at dodging attacks. You only use one familiar at a time and each have a limited time you can use them before needing to switch out to rest up.

What makes this game so deep is that they slowly reveal more things you can do with your familiars. You first start the game with just you and your familiar. Eventually you gain another member to join your party with her familiar. Shortly after that, you learn about morphing your familiars into stronger and better familiars and how to charm new familiars into joining your party. It was approximately 6-7 hours before I had the second character join my party and 8 hours before I learned about morphing and charming.

The one drawback I've had with the game is some of the dialogue goes on much longer than I would prefer. At times it feels like you are told over and over to do the obvious thing.

Overall, this is a great game. I wish there were more classic style RPG's available for the PS3 but this one helps fill that void.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Meets up to the hype!

posted by kungfu (GUYMON, OK) Jan 24, 2013

Member since Dec 2010

10 out of 15 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

This by far is one of the best looking games I have seen, I must say at first I wasn't sure if I should get this but due to the all around good ratings for this game, I decided to pick it up and I must say It is a splendid game well worth the time and every penny.

Ni no kuni is a game that draws you into a fantasy world and definatily makes a believer out of you. This will surely go down as one of the best games of this generation.

Please for the love of God get this game, this is a game that defines class in its own genre.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Adults Looking at this Game

posted by cwestbrook5309 (WOODSTOCK, GA) Mar 20, 2013

Member since Oct 2011

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

This game was fantastic for me (23M). However, there are a few things an adult needs to know before going into this game. The story, game-play, and musical score are all extremely engaging and you can have an amazing experience, yet this can only be had if you drop all cynicism before playing. There are dialogues and cut scenes that are almost painfully childish. As an adult, this can really pull you out of a game and it has for me before. I essentially just convinced myself that I was playing a video game form of a Disney movie and was able to enjoy myself quite a lot. In summation, if you can drop the adult cynicism and just enjoy a Disney-esque adventure, then I could not recommend this game more. However if strong, preteen themes and dialogues are too too much for you, then do not waste your time on this game.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Not for adults

posted by Karlax (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) Jan 31, 2013

Member since Apr 2006

10 out of 17 gamers (59%) found this review helpful

Despite what you'll hear from the thousands of screeching fanboys out there, to any other adult gamers out there (I'm 31), this game is frustratingly childish, to such a degree that I had to give it up about 10 hours into it, something I almost NEVER do.

I'm a big fan of RPGs, even JRPGs, but this game makes it impossible for an adult to take seriously. There is fantastic visuals and animation, to be sure; the cut scenes are essentially Miyazaki movies, and the graphics are first rate. The world is large and diverse, and extremely detailed, with a lot of nice little touches.

But you can only play a game so long that actually where your main character actually says things like "Gee Wilickers, Mr. Drippy!" non-ironically. Every character is so cutesy and cornball as to defy belief; every character hits you with a "friendship makes anything possible" and "you can do it if you try your best!" 20 times a conversation. Every monster, too, is basically either a Kirby-like marshmallow or looks like steamboat willie.

I was a huge fan of Dragonquest VII, which while having a "childlike" art style, still had some mature themes. Not so here. A real shame, I really wanted to like it. Maybe it gets fantastic at hour 11 and I'm missing out, but I doubt it. Every real critic's review mentions that the plot is basically garbage, and that definitely seems the case to me.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Disappointing

posted by LrDUltimte (AUSTIN, TX) Feb 15, 2013

Member since Jan 2011

5 out of 9 gamers (56%) found this review helpful

I love RPGs... I love anime... so this should have been a slam dunk for me.

Ni No Kuni is a beautiful game, the visuals and the audio are spectacular. The story seems interesting too. So why do i feel disappointed?

Its the terrible gameplay. It's also the terrible characters (except the Lord High Lord of the fairies...) Oliver is one of the most dull characters i have ever seen! The story drags on way too long to get interested in... Kinda like FFXIII

The combat is a juggling act of flipping through commands while watching your familiar's stamina meter while avoiding getting clobbered by cute but horrifyingly tough monsters while trying to catch one of the said monsters while trying to revive your imbecile team mates while hoping that Flippy would drop some glims already!!!

Its frustrating, boring and disappointing.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Delightful story!

posted by Ekuriox (FORT WORTH, TX) Jan 26, 2013

Member since May 2003

3 out of 6 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Very E rated this game is... But fun for anyone -- If you enjoy stories as this. The game reminded me of the movie "Spirited Away" . I'm not sure if it was written by the same author, but it still had much resemblance of that show.
The game interface will remind you of Final Fantasy. The simplistic nature of controls fits well for the title, but I still would have preferred a "Zelda-like" interface that could have you switching characters out.

The story is a very rich debt and enlightening tale.

In a world parallel to ours--where magic is still alive--a great darkness has stricken the soul of everyone. Stealing fragments of people's life force and killing anyone who opposes him, this inflicted evil is cast by one who is called Shadar .
There is one who can end the reign of that evil... Known as "the pure-hearted one", Oliver.

This game has one very long tutorial, but you wont notice that the first hour of the game is the tutorial. Until you have unlocked all of the menu items in the game... You have not seen what the game or story has to offer.

I'm not a big role-scenario type gamer that likes to sit and press a button and let the game fight itself. But I like these type of stories and its a good break from the western gaming & story routine. Eastern cultures still bring delightful folklore to the table so often and its a very rare thing to see new folklore.

Its a great time killer and fun story. Playing on Normal difficulty is pretty useless. Level5 placed a lot of work in all the game elements and it fits well in all instances.
If you like a very clever story or folklore... If you liked Final Fantasy... You would definitely find this game amusing.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Not my style

posted by Oldmanfuentes (BINGHAMTON, NY) Feb 17, 2013

Member since Feb 2013

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Ni no Kuni has the parts of a masterpiece, but it's not. The story is compelling when the reader is not being overwhelmed with unnecessary and often telegraphed dialogue. The art is mostly beautiful, but the pastels, and a horrid duck tree ("tree face"), make the expansive open world bland. These shortcomings are very disappointing because Ni No Kuni has a fun Pokemon-like battle system and great Pokemon-like creature collection to go along with a variety of quests, gear, spells, and weapons. The menus and creature information pages are gorgeous and informative. So many components impress in Ni no Kuni, but the art is inconsistently beautiful and the delivery of a compelling story is not something I can gloss over.

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GF Rating

7

Good

It's a game, but that's about it.

posted by CJB0 (MINNEAPOLIS, MN) Feb 15, 2013

Member since Feb 2013

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

There was a lot of hype to this game, & while I wasn't one of the googly-eyed minions waiting with my mouth ajar letting drool down to the floor, I will say that I decided to get this because I thought that there were not enough RPGs fro the PS3. This does not meet the requirements however to be considered "great" in my opinion.

First it's playable. It isn't really replayable and it lacks quite a few cognitive measures that would make a great RPG. My reasoning lies in the facts that:

A) It's a rehashed Pokemon game system. There are games that have familiars in them that do more than a few "tricks" and capturing your enemies after you beat them to a pulp? Sound familiar? That's because it was started a 10+yrs. ago. There is no depth to this system by the way; you beat it up and it randomly decides that after you beat the living daylights out of it that it wants to give you it's eternal soul. Meh.

B) It's slow to build and incorporate features that really didn't require such. A specific battle skill for instance is learned after the battle where it would have been really useful to use to begin with. It is almost as if it's taunting you with the status of being unable to do something and then three minutes later once you win giving you the ability to do what you wish you could have done ten mins. prior. Meh.

C) Character specializations don't really shine for a very long time. The third character you acquire has a specific skill that really is not useful for most of the game. This is true for other chars. as well.

The musical score is good, not great, good, and the graphics are expected, not astounding, just expected. It is not seamless between animated scenes ( as per hype ) and probably would have been better shaded in my opinion. It gets a 7 because of how few competitors it has not because of it's inherent genuine genius. Even the story is a rehashing of the age old "Death = Hero for Revival" trope. It gets better as you go but I admit I just was n

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GF Rating

7

Good

Great game, mediocre combat system.

posted by Starbell (MINNEAPOLIS, MN) Feb 4, 2013

Member since Feb 2013

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

This is the first JRPG I've played since FFXIII, so maybe that is why, but I did not like the combat system in this game at all. Too chaotic sometimes. Other than that I found the story and other aspects of gameplay (side quests and bounty hunts) very enjoyable so overall I had to give this game a 7/10.

I didn't end up finishing the game, got about 25 hours into it or so and just decided there were other games I'd rather play.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Might be one of the best RPGs of all time

posted by ghost821 (MILWAUKEE, WI) Jan 31, 2013

Member since Nov 2011

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Ni No Kuni is a nostalgic experience that brings you back to the days when you were a kid, sitting in front of your first console, playing your first RPG for hours on end trying to explore every nook and cranny and acquire everything. Back to the good days where Squaresoft was capable of telling a true tale of adventure and creating likeable characters that didn't mope about being a wuss every 5 minutes.
I just beat the game, and to me, it is very similar to Tales of Destiny, Xenogears, Chronocross, and FF8 (some might say FF7 too). It is everything that RPGs these days are not anymore, with a strong focus on story telling, character development, and progression. It balances cutesy and mature elements well, and delivers well paces story telling. Everything seems rather simple, but engaging at the same time.
It is a nice refreshing breath from current RPGs that focus on coolness, fighting action, excessive unnecessary melodrama.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

A challenging and gorgeous game

posted by safeandsound6 (IRVING, TX) Jan 28, 2013

Member since Sep 2011

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

The game brilliantly combines old and new jrpgs mechanics. The battle system is very tactical i.e defending at the right time, counter and positioning your characters. In a way it reminded me how paradigm shift works in ff13. Capturing new familiars, developing them gives you the alure of pokemon or persona games. And to top it of it has an overworld map which you can roam with a ship or a DRAGON.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Great game

posted by Recian (NEW BERN, NC) Jan 27, 2013

Member since Jan 2013

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

This was another good JRPG and I'm starting to like the anime style graphics, they make the games more lighthearted and fun. The story and sidequests were adequate but I couldnt help feel like I was playing pokemon the whole time. Also some of the music is from WKC. But it was still an enjoyable game. It definately makes you take your time and work to earn anything.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

A Stellar, Must-Play Experience!

posted by FrizzDizz (SOUDERTON, PA) Jan 27, 2013

Member since May 2011

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

It is not too often that a game hooks me the way Ni No Kuni did. It has an intriguing and well-written story. The animation and the worlds are breathtaking. I love how the gameplay is reminiscent of more classic RPGs, with a hint of new mechanics as well. This game is an instant classic and should find a home with every PS3. Don't let this game slip into obscurity! Rent it, buy it, whatever you have to do...if you own a PS3, treat yourself to this amazing, captivating adventure. You won't be disappointed.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

High production values, boring story and gameplay

posted by Seizure (POWELL, OH) Feb 5, 2013

Member since Jul 2007

2 out of 5 gamers (40%) found this review helpful

If you love JRPG's this may be for you. However. The story is trite and juvenile, the gameplay dull. I put in about 20 hours and never had fun. I did do a lot of boring work.

I spent maybe 10 hours trying to capture creatures, realized this was a major (and majorly boring) part of the game and quit. To be clear, the game was VERY dull before the capturing part began.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

The reason why we game!

posted by Malachiix (GENEVA, OH) Jan 30, 2013

Member since Jan 2013

1 out of 3 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

This game is the reason why so many of us became gamers in the first place. It has everything! From graphics to sound, story, direction, pacing, etc

I cannot remember the last time an RPG had me this hooked.

Rent it, and you'll probably click "keep" within an hour of loading it up. It's that good.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Great

posted by LilKen254 (WACO, TX) Jan 29, 2013

Member since Oct 2011

1 out of 3 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

Fun and great game I'm about 26 hours in and still have a long way to go I believe this is a must for those RPGers out there

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GF Rating

7

Good

One Last Great RPG for the PS3 !!!

posted by whatnow12012 (NEWPORT, TN) Jan 23, 2013

Member since Oct 2011

3 out of 11 gamers (27%) found this review helpful

As everyone knows the PS3 is coming to a close, so now we get a True Master piece of a game called Ni No Kuni. Dont be fooled by its wierd name, or the cutesy deal or look of the game.

The game is mature, the characters are complexed, the game script is really well done.

They basically merged Pokemon with Tales series and you get Ni No Kuni. This is indeed a rare gem of a game & like all of the others out there I also was skeptical on Ni No Kuni.

But being with games for over 20+ years since the days of the Atari 2600 this is without a doubt a hidden gem and worth a definite Rent.

But if you are Hardcore JRPG or RPG such as myself you will almost a sure think get Ni No Kuni. Also dont forget to check out the upcoming Tales of Xillia coming this Summer just like Ni No Tales is also a PS3 Exclusive.

There is nothing wrong with this game from the beatiful soundtrack the characters this game will keep you glued and keep you wondering what is going to happen next. I will not say more without spoiling the game but you also must be patient inorder to play & enjoy Ni No the game is time consuming and is also a game that takes some time to get the story rolling.

But once it does roll it never stops Kudos to the makers of this g ame I was really suprised !!!

My score for Ni No a 4 out of 5 or 9.5

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

One of the best rpgs i've played

posted by panicattackfrea (COLUMBUS, OH) Jan 26, 2013

Member since Nov 2012

1 out of 4 gamers (25%) found this review helpful

I have been playing RPGS since the Nintendo and this is one of the best
+Challenging puzzles
+Great graphics
+Tons of different monsters,items etec
+Lots to find
+World map

-Battle system should of been turn based
-Simple short dialogue from NPC's

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Hayao Miyazaki Present's Dragon Quest

posted by shouxing (CHICAGO, IL) Jan 24, 2013

Member since Jun 2011

1 out of 6 gamers (17%) found this review helpful

A classic JRPG with all the trappings but none of the cyberpunk retro-future anachronism of a square soft game. Developed by Japan's Blizzard, Level5, this game is highly enjoyable all the while making you feel like your walking around a classic studio ghilbi movie. JRPG's are dead because this will be the exception that proves the rule! As the french say " Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!"

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

Uuuugh. Why do I keep trying to play JRPGs

posted by Tirade (GLENDALE, CA) Jan 26, 2013

Member since Oct 2009

2 out of 39 gamers (5%) found this review helpful

It never fails. I hear a jrpg game has great reviews and everyone is raving about it. Then I pop in it and sit down and have to watch 30 minutes of backstory and exposition I don't care about. When do I get to play?

At this point it's been 45 minutes, the cut scenes are STILL going in the background as I write this.

About every five minutes, the game lets me walk ten steps and hit "X" a bunch of times to scroll through dialogue I don't care about, then walk ten more steps to trigger the next cut scene. It is maddening. No thanks.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Incredible!

posted by LordOops (HUTCHINSON, KS) May 13, 2013

Member since May 2013

When I first heard about this game, I assumed it would be terrible. But playing it has definitely shown me not to judge a book by its cover. (Ironically, that is one of the biggest points of the game.) This is like a combination of Final Fantasy and Pokemon, and it couldn't be any better! The unique anime art style and original gameplay is just incredible.

However, there a a few bad things about this game. The game is very slow at the beginning and sometimes the battles become rather repetitive every now and then. But these few problems should not at all keep you from playing the game; especially if you're like me and you've narrowed one of your favorite gaming platforms down to RPGs.

If you're having trouble deciding whether this game is worth playing or not, it is. It will give you hours of gameplay, and the boss battles are always fun and challenging. If that's not enough to encourage you, I don't know what is.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Great JRPG

posted by jayprime (BOYES HOT SPRINGS, CA) May 9, 2013

Member since Feb 2012

This is a great jrpg. Took me 55hrs to complete. This is a Pokemon style game. Don't play if you don't like jrpg or Pokemon. But if you do this is worth any amount you pay for. Don't let the childish art fool you. This is a hard core jrpg. Fair warning you need 40+ 70mp pots before you enter the Ivory Tower or you will not beat the game.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Game of the year Potential

posted by concept99 (CARSON, CA) Apr 28, 2013

Member since Apr 2013

I was in the market for a good RPG. The last good RPG I have played and enjoyed was Final Fantasy X. I knew nothing of this game. I didn't do any research of this game. I took a chance and this was truly a great experience. Story line was solid, characters was built up enough for you to connect.

Gameplay has a nostalgic feel into it. Ni No Kuni has certainly passed my expectations. The game offers lots of side missions. Replay value is good.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Long game with slow moving story

posted by Jimbones84 (MOUNT PLEASANT, SC) Apr 26, 2013

Member since May 2012

The game seemed very promising, but the strange battle system was where the game lacked the most. I kept feeling like I needed 3 hands to play the game properly. There is a lot of potential in Ni No Kuni, but with how drawn out the story line is, I would not recommend this game for casual RPG players.

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Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

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