2013 has a great line up for gamers with a variety of different games. One of which that is just about to come out is Ni No Kumi, a JRPG about a young boy named Oliver whose mother died rescuing him from drowning. When the doll given to him by his mother comes to life, Oliver is transported to another world where he may be able to bring his mother back to life.
One of the big names attached to this game is Toshio Suzuki, Producer and co-founder of Studio Ghibli. That name should sound familiar because another co-founder of the studio is Hayao Miyazaki who bought us such films as My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, and Howl’s Moving Castle just to name a few. Playing through the demo, Ni No Kuni feels like I’m actually playing a Miyazaki film. It’s gorgeous and the characters really give off that whimsical innocence you see in a Miyazaki film.
It’s been a while since I’ve played a really well done JRPG and Ni No Kuni has me drooling on my controller just waiting to play the whole game. Fighting is done in an interesting way here; your character has the ability to summon creatures that fight for you. Sounds like Pokemon but you can switch between one of three monsters on the fly. Not only that but you can also fight as Oliver or switch to another human when there is more in your party and fight as them or summon any of their three creatures. It creates some dynamic thinking of deciding when and how to use your options. And of course, what’s a good ol’ fashion JRPG if it doesn’t good ol’ fashion exploration? Once I entered the over-world map, I was blown away. It’s huge, beautiful, and has creatures roaming all over it for battle and grinding. I expect to see a lot of hidden treasures to discover and side mission to keep me coming back for days.
Ni No Kuni will be released on the Playstation3 on January 22, 2013. Look for the full review once it is released