This edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Level 5 and Studio Ghibli's PlayStation 3 RPG Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, which reviewers describe as "beautifully designed, produced, and executed from top to bottom." Ni no Kuni currently earns a score of 87 out of 100 at Metacritic.com.
EGM's Andrew Fitch scores Ni no Kuni at 9 out of 10. "Calling Ni no Kuni a simple 'anime game' misses the point entirely," he asserts. "Sure, Level-5's latest RPG may feature art from the animation house known the world over for enduring classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away, but [...] the experience deserves far more than that simple explanation; Ghibli's art may grab the headlines, but this entire package is beautifully designed, produced, and executed from top to bottom."
"As the story begins, we meet Oliver, a plucky lad of 13 coming of age in Motorville, a distinctly Japanese vision of the innocence of 1950s Americana," Fitch explains. "Everything's fun and fancy free for our 'Neato!'-spouting protagonist until his world is turned upside down overnight. In the eternal spirit of Joseph Campbell, Oliver soon sets off on a daring adventure to a fantasy realm."
Fitch praises Ni no Kuni's level of difficulty, in particular. "Ni no Kuni may look like it's designed for tykes [...] but the overall experience is a constant struggle that brings to mind classic Dragon Quest adventures more than modern, hand-holding role-playing endeavors," he notes. "In fact, if Xenoblade was for those who felt that the Japanese RPG was in dire need of deconstruction, Ni no Kuni is the JRPG for those who thought the genre wasn't broken in the first place."
"Just about every element -- whether it's the expansive world, the distinct locales, the soaring orchestral score (by Ghibli veteran Joe Hisaishi), the engaging battles, or the expertly written dialogue -- is simply a joy to behold and experience," Fitch assures. "Games like Ni no Kuni capture that sense of wonder that drew me into gaming in the first place, and they're proof that the little kid who spent entire summers immersed in the faraway lands of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest is still inside -- it just takes something special like Ni no Kuni to draw him out these days."
Edge Magazine gives Ni no Kuni an 8 out of 10, despite "the over-familiarity of the premise."
"There is still gold to be found in cliches for those with a subversive eye and sparkling talent -- virtues that Studio Ghibli and Level-5, its game development partner, do not lack," Edge continues. "So while Ni no Kuni's premise and systems are familiar at a glance, their quaintly rebellious execution, flair, and voice, plus the studio's meticulous detailing, make this a journey filled with fresh wonder."
Studio Ghibli's involvement pays off in a big way, Edge notes: "Ghibli's strengths are all here, drawing a consistent and detailed world, while maintaining a rare clarity of storytelling. The key players, their motivations and fears are all introduced with an expert's hand."
The game's parallel world mechanics also prove intriguing. "The two worlds between which [you] travel are inextricably linked," Edge's writer explains. "Actions performed in one affect the other: to find a missing cat king in the world of Ni no Kuni, Oliver may have to travel back to Motorville to search for the grocer's overweight tabby, Timmy Toldrum. [...]This inter-dimensional travel isn't nearly so involved as in, say, Chrono Cross, but it provides texture and variety."
"Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's contributions are harmonious," Edge praises. "As a game, Ni no Kuni builds upon classic JRPG foundations, eschewing the evolutions of Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy XII. But the assured flair with which Level-5 has implemented each of the game's classic components combines with Ghibli's masterful storytelling to deliver a JRPG that's quite unlike any other."
Kimberley Wallace at Game Informer scores Ni no Kuni at 7 out of 10, describing it as "a beautiful frustration."
"Level-5's hits take classic gameplay systems and turn them inside out, while Studio Ghibli's films journey through fantastical lands with breathtaking visuals and deep life lessons," she explains. "For months now, my imagination has been overflowing with Ni no Kuni's possibilities – but the reality doesn't match up to its potential. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a respectable experience, but it's far from a Ghibli or Level-5 masterpiece."
Wallace continues: "Ni no Kuni transports you between a real world and a fantastical one, the heart and soul of the game. It has childlike wonder around every bend -- mushrooms grow as staircases, animals rule kingdoms, and Ghibli-inspired monsters meld creativity into every encounter. The vast environments have stunning visuals, and you're rewarded with a ship for sea exploration and eventually your very own dragon to control."
The game's characters and storyline don't meet the standard for quality set by its visuals, however. "Because Studio Ghibli's name is attached to it, I was expecting strong characterization and narrative," Wallace writes. "Unfortunately, characters have a dearth of personality and exist only to help the main character, Oliver. The one stand-out is Mr. Drippy, Oliver's stuffed-toy-turned-sidekick, who has a quip for every occasion. Even he starts to feel like a one-trick pony, though, as the narrative depends too much on him to keep it afloat."
The battle system is occasionally problematic as well. "Sometimes the window to defend passes far too quickly," Wallace recalls. "Not only must you select defend for your character, you must also order the sub-par AI companions to protect themselves as well. Other times, aggressive tactics are required to cancel a special attack, but the consequences for missing are too dire, forcing you to turtle."
"Ni no Kuni is a mercurial experience," Wallace concludes. "One minute I was exploring the world with adoration, and the next I was cursing a cheap boss battle. The journey can be fun; I liked collecting and growing familiars and watching the breathtaking world before me, but Ni no Kuni doesn't come without frustration. Enter for the beauty, but know it comes with a price."
1Up was critical of the game as well and gave it C+ (~7/10, which is interesting because C+ sounds worse than 7/10, read the review at http://www.1up.com/reviews/ni-no-kuni-review-ps3).
I rather dislike this mentality. Somehow a reviewer should be discredited forever based on a review of a single game? You plan on only reading reviews that give games you enjoy the highest or near highest rating?
You certainly understand that people do take interests that differ from yours, or mine, so why come to this conclusion?
Well, it is perfectly acceptable to find reviewers who typically resonate with your own personal views on taste, and rely on them more heavily (while ignoring others who don't respectively see and experience things more closely to you).
In fact, I believe this is the best way to approach the critical voice in games as of right now entirely.
The internet is the perfect place for trying to find like minded people, and pretending all others don't exist!
Ricky: You probably didn't expect this, but honestly I think you're right. It's an irrational point of view, and one that stems from emotion and passion. I have reviewers I like, and every once in awhile they will disappoint me, that's just the nature of opinions.
But yet, it's hard for me not to question the taste of some of those reviewers. It's hard not to lose a little respect for them, irrational as that may be.
@Kevin
I think everyone tends to have a favorite reviewer (my personal favorite is Erik Kain over at forbes), However I don't think it is healthy for the industry to barrier your interests from criticism. I think it is why you will get down right vile comments on articles that are seamlessly random, people don't know how to handle a differing opinions. So I personally think it is good to broaden your intake of opinions so you don't have that knee jerk reaction to spit venom when someone comes to a different conclusion.
@Brion Foulke
I agree with you. It can be really hard to control those emotions. But I think this is why I have come to dislike number based ratings. If the number isn't near perfect for a game that one likes, rage ensues. When in reality, that game can't honestly appease everyone.
I did the same thing with a Diablo 3 review, when the game had just come out and the reviewer gave a quick first impression. He clearly never played Diablo 2 and thought basic stuff like loot dropping "seamlessly out of their pants" was confusing. I was enraged because why would anyone let someone review the great Diablo 3 (lol) when that person had never played diablo 2.
I am ashamed of bursting out at him like that, why should the reviewer have to have played, let alone like, Diablo 2 to review Diablo 3? If we only had people reviewing what they liked then everything in the world would be awesome and reviews would be useless.
Numbers just need to be done away with...as Reviewers who don't particularly like the genre won't rate it as highly.
For example I would give Crimson Gem Saga an 8/10 or B+ or whatever, but when compared to so many other JRPG's, it's by all accounts fairly average. So there's always a bit of bias going on in reviewing products.
That's why I like more simple scoring systems like "Play this Game "Don't Play this game" or "Good" "Bad" "GREAT" "Classic"
You certainly understand that people do take interests that differ from yours, or mine, so why come to this conclusion?
In fact, I believe this is the best way to approach the critical voice in games as of right now entirely.
The internet is the perfect place for trying to find like minded people, and pretending all others don't exist!
But yet, it's hard for me not to question the taste of some of those reviewers. It's hard not to lose a little respect for them, irrational as that may be.
I think everyone tends to have a favorite reviewer (my personal favorite is Erik Kain over at forbes), However I don't think it is healthy for the industry to barrier your interests from criticism. I think it is why you will get down right vile comments on articles that are seamlessly random, people don't know how to handle a differing opinions. So I personally think it is good to broaden your intake of opinions so you don't have that knee jerk reaction to spit venom when someone comes to a different conclusion.
@Brion Foulke
I agree with you. It can be really hard to control those emotions. But I think this is why I have come to dislike number based ratings. If the number isn't near perfect for a game that one likes, rage ensues. When in reality, that game can't honestly appease everyone.
I did the same thing with a Diablo 3 review, when the game had just come out and the reviewer gave a quick first impression. He clearly never played Diablo 2 and thought basic stuff like loot dropping "seamlessly out of their pants" was confusing. I was enraged because why would anyone let someone review the great Diablo 3 (lol) when that person had never played diablo 2.
I am ashamed of bursting out at him like that, why should the reviewer have to have played, let alone like, Diablo 2 to review Diablo 3? If we only had people reviewing what they liked then everything in the world would be awesome and reviews would be useless.
p.s. Ni No Kuni is awesome so far.
For example I would give Crimson Gem Saga an 8/10 or B+ or whatever, but when compared to so many other JRPG's, it's by all accounts fairly average. So there's always a bit of bias going on in reviewing products.
That's why I like more simple scoring systems like "Play this Game "Don't Play this game" or "Good" "Bad" "GREAT" "Classic"
I REALLY hope this sells gangbusters. It would be such a shame that they can't afford a sequel just because its not a beautiful polished FPS.