Worth the wait?

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Released to a great deal of acclaim in February, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a traditional JRPG from Level 5 and animated by legendary animation studio, Studio Ghibli. You play as a young boy named Oliver, who, through a series of incredibly unfortunate events that introduce some of the games heavier themes, finds himself accompanied by plush-toy-turned-fairy-companion, Drippy, on a quest to save his mother. Although these opening events present the potential for an incredibly deep and complex story, that potential is never entirely capitalized on.

From a visual standpoint, however, this game is incredible. Animated by Studio Ghibli, the folks behind much of the work of acclaimed anime director Hayao Miyazaki, Ni no Kuni plunges players into a world of unparalleled creativity. Each location and character is a visual spectacle, and combined with a score by composer Joe Hishaishi, the experience becomes immersive in the extreme.

Players are presented with traditional JRPG gameplay with the introduction of several new wrinkles. Perhaps the most important of those comes in the battle system with the introduction of creatures that you can control called familiars. Not only does this present players with an entirely new way to––based on the attributes and abilities of their familiars––tailor combat to their own individual tastes, but it introduces a Pokemon-esque drive to capture each and every one of them. This becomes a problem, however, as the capture system is based entirely on a percentage system that often leads to hours of unsatisfied attempts at getting the familiar you want.

Battles are often similarly frustrating. Hampered by exceedingly complex controls and incredibly poor ally AI, death is around every corner here. Grinding for levels becomes an absolutely essential part of the experience, and even this is sometimes not enough to face some of the game’s more difficult bosses.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is an incredibly fun game. For someone who spent more time playing Final Fantasy VII than hanging out with people as a kid, I loved it, problems and all. But then again, I was able to make it through Xenosaga for the sake of the story––take that for what it’s worth.