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Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
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Graphics & Sound:
How much did I love Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch? Well, in order to answer that, I have to explain a very strange personal phenomenon that Japanese role-playing games tend to bring out in yours truly. When a particularly good one comes along, I play it for hours on end, losing myself in everything it has to offer. Then, once I’m comfortably into the final act, I inexplicably abandon it. Not as the result of some conscious decision or jaded disillusionment. In fact, it’s for no reason at all. Mind you, I’ve beaten tons of them, but with very few exceptions, never on my first attempt. So again, how much did I love Wrath of the White Witch? I finished it in one straight shot. Between its sterling, impeccable production values, its consistently-rewarding gameplay, and its heartfelt story, it’s timeless. It’s one of that vanishing breed of games whose primary goal is simply to make the player happy. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom bears that same standard, and carries it capably into the current generation. It’s got a few surprising production issues and is far too easy for its own good, but it’s a worthy successor to what I personally believe is the PlayStation 3’s best JRPG.
Very little of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is on par with its predecessor. Just about every element is either slightly better or slightly worse than what came before. When it comes to the visuals, both apply. Certain aspects of its visual execution surpass anything that Wrath of the White Witch delivered, and yet others fail to stack up. The obvious upgrades can be chalked up to the jump forward in processing power afforded by the PlayStation 4. Technically, Revenant Kingdom performs. Some may be put off by the somewhat incongruous overworld visuals, but I personally think that the high-resolution superdeformed aesthetic is pitch perfect for what the game is clearly going for. Artistically, it’s difficult to best Wrath of the White Witch, and I don’t really think Revenant Kingdom is its equal in that regard. The lack of intimate involvement on the part of the legendary Studio Ghibli isn’t as keenly-felt as it could have been, but it’s still on the periphery. So unfortunately we don’t have any lovely 2D animation to accompany the otherwise wonderful visuals, but the style of Hayao Miyazaki is distinctly one-of-a-kind, even if it’s delivered through the skills of different artists.
As much as I appreciate the visuals, the sound has me torn. As far as the soundtrack goes, I have no complaints whatsoever. Joe Hisaishi laid an extremely strong foundation in his score for Wrath of the White Witch, and he builds upon it admirably in Revenant Kingdom. Everything about the soundtrack screams "sequel," and in all the right ways. Familiar cues from the original are revisited and reworked to fit every new tone and direction, and it all works. Hisaishi is a master of his time, and it’s no less apparent here. Voice work is where I have problems, and it’s not so much the quality as it is the quantity. The voice cast is fantastic, rising well beyond the clichés and stand-bys we’re used to seeing from the genre. My problem is that its implementation is very sporadic; not everything is voiced, and there’s a jarring, seemingly-arbitrary disconnect between what is and isn’t voiced. Several major cutscenes are delivered via text boxes with tonal beeps that are supposed to distinguish between characters, but several non-essential cutscenes are fully voiced. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, and as a result, the experience isn’t as good as it could be. |
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Gameplay:
If you finished Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, any puzzlement you may have at the existence of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is completely justified. After all, that game tells the story it wants to tell and comes to a definite close with no manipulative sequel hooks or cliffhangers. This sequel is unrelated to the original in almost every way and tells an entirely new story about an entirely new cast of characters. That being said, the parallel world setting/motif is retained and utilized to bizarre but strong effect and there’s some unmistakable continuity for those who look hard enough.
There’s a lot going on in Revenant Kingdom, but most of it revolves around the plight of Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, a half-grimalkin-half-human noble who’s next in line for the kingship of Ding Dong Dell. Evan is in dire straits: a coup led by the treacherous Chancellor Mausinger has displaced not only the poor lad and his retinue, but a hefty cross-section of his kingdom proper. Ever the idealist and drawing inspiration from his loved ones, Evan sets out on a quest to establish a kingdom where everyone lives happily ever after. Naïve? Yes, but man is it ever a pretty thought. And it’s a fine excuse to go traipsing across a vibrant fantasy world with a motley crew of adventurers and transdimensional interlopers.
Revenant Kingdom feels like a "Greatest Hits" of famed developer Level-5. It borrows from Rogue Galaxy’s combat, Dark Cloud’s city-building, Professor Layton’s charm, and if you’ll pardon the dig, nothing from White Knight Chronicles. It is a very busy, involved role-playing game that strives for simplicity as much as it does for variety. Both are achieved in spades. This is an extremely enjoyable experience that, while lacking in the original’s staying power and length, will still tug at your heartstrings and put a big smile on your face. |
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Difficulty:
My biggest problem with Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is that it’s far too easy. You feel overpowered from your first combat encounter until the credits roll. Your options for dealing with your foes are so numerous and effective that you rarely have to put much thought into strategy or much effort into your reflexes. Few combat encounters pose anything even remotely resembling a threat, and even the most rudimentary understanding of the game’s systems will get you to the end of Evan’s story.
A cursory reading of the next section of this review may lead some to believe that Revenant Kingdom is a complicated game. An understandable sentiment, but a misguided one nevertheless. Yes, there’s a lot to this game, and it engages in some genre-blending fairly frequently. But everything is explained organically on an as-needed basis. Even though there’s a ton of variety, you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed. |
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Game Mechanics:
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a surprisingly self-indulgent game; it does an awful lot, and much of it is done very well. It’s very ambitious, so much to the point where a lesser studio would have made a total mess of things. But Level-5 is confident enough to execute its intentions with a fairly consistent level of quality. No one mechanic exists at the expense of any of the others.
For the most part, it plays like your standard action role-playing game. You venture forth as a party of three, exploring the land, battling enemies, advancing the story, growing stronger, obtaining new gear, and solving problems both metropolitan and rural. It’s as tried and true of a gameplay loop that has ever existed, and in that sense, much of Revenant Kingdom feels like the gaming equivalent of comfort food. Not only is it a pleasure to exist in this world, but just about everything you can do in it is fundamentally enjoyable.
Combat is more involved this time around, and instead of sending out familiars to fight on your behalf, you get into the thick of it, action game style. This isn’t Level-5’s first foray into this particular style of gameplay, but it’s done as well as ever. It isn’t particularly deep, but there are options at play and it rarely gets tedious. There’s some light strategy, but only for those who wish to truly maximize their effectiveness. Much of this has to do with the Zing levels of your weapons. Zing is something of a gauge by which you track the power of each of your weapons. This number grows as you land basic attacks and resets to zero when you use magic. It’s a touch contrived, but it shakes things up. And in addition to your A.I.-controlled allies, you also have these mystical creatures called Higgledies who are capable of unleashing special attacks and effects, as well as powering up your own abilities on the fly.
Evan’s kingly aspirations are far more than just a driving force behind the plot; this theme has a major impact on the gameplay and one of its core feedback loops. Once you reach a specific part of the story, Evan and his entourage establish the seat of his power and begin to develop a kingdom around it. You spend money and resources to build the cornerstones of a flourishing independent economy, whose wares and functions in turn increase your effectiveness when it comes to combat. It’s a simple mechanic driven by an equally simple interface, but its simplicity doesn’t make the process any less enjoyable.
Despite what our favorite fairy tales and legends tell us, wars are not won by a minority of superpowered heroes. They are won by large-scale sacrifice on the part of the best and bravest among us. Ni no Kuni II attempts to deliver a mild portrayal of this harsh truth in the form of a pseudo-real-time-strategy mini-game. Skirmishes pit Evan and a series of squads (each with their own specializations) against enemy armies. These Pikmin style engagements take place in the overworld, and rely on a rock-paper-scissors dynamic to deliver its strategic depth. It’s a fun diversion that helps set Revenant Kingdom apart from its contemporaries.
Whether you played the original or not, the chances are good that Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom will charm you to the moon and back. I've got my preferences both ways, but this game is too different from its predecessor to inspire debate about which one is better. But if you own a PlayStation 4 and are in the mood for an excellent exclusive JRPG, this is currently your best option.
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-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos |
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