Ni No Kuni 2 Revenant Kingdom is a great game, and that one that despite buying the collectors edition when it launched, was one I’d never beaten. Finally, I managed to complete the main story, and all it took was a bout of COVID. I needed something to take up my time and helping Evan unite the world was a great way to do that.
Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum might start out with nothing after losing his kingdom but with the help of right-hand man Roland, this Grimalkin King can do anything. A Grimalkin is a cat/human hybrid, that can retain any parts of each species. Evan might just have the cat ears, but he’s as fierce as his Lion father.
Evan meets a slew of characters on his rise to unification, but only five of them become playable. Roland and Evan wield swords, while his friends Tani and Leander wield spears and Bracken and Batu wield hammers. It’s a little based on rock paper scissors but power always wins out and levelling up isn’t that tedious.
There are plenty of armors and weapons to equip and when Evan can make his own weapons and armor he can awaken the hidden skills. The weapons physically change and I always appreciate when that effort is put into a game.
Higgeldies are also an important aspect of the game. These little guys and gals can be crafted or found from Higgeldy stones. These stones ask for a certain item ala a riddle. Sometimes it’s easier to find the item and other times it can be hard.
Higgeldies possess awesome power and can aid Evan tremendously. With four Higgeldy slots, players will need to choose the right Higgeldies for the job. Some heal, others turn into cannons to attack, and others can buff the team. These cuties are going to do their best to help our heroes, so give em some snacks!
I was near the end of the game when I realized why I hadn’t beaten it before. The skirmish minigame can be a little tedious. Skirmishes take place on the map with Evan leading up to four squads to take down his foes. There are plenty of commanders to take into a battle that Evan meets along the way, but it’s easiest to simply use the same four the whole playthrough. Skirmishes aren’t that important but it just means more grinding before the final battle.
Completing them all as I played through the game would have saved me a little time, but I had fun knocking them out right before the end of the game. Charging through after levelling up is satisfying even though the game doesn’t penalize Evan for losing to begin with. It simply just takes any gold Evan used to bolster his forces and that’s it.
The battles that Evan faces do ramp up in difficulty and the latter battles are pretty challenging. Evan must bolster his forces to stand a chance at times. It’s up to the player to call in reinforcements and choose which type of soldier is best for the situation. It takes a little getting used to but in the end, is also based around a rock paper scissors idea so it does get easier.
The end game content requires Evan and his team to be rather high levelled. It might not be feasible to take it all on, but playing through the labyrinth and battling through the arena is fun. The other main side quest takes the players through the hearts of important characters and is a beautiful addition to a charming game.
Evan’s journey is worth enjoying and having Covid was perfect because I got to give myself over to the adventure. I had a blast building up my kingdom, fighting monsters, completing quests and taking down the final boss. It took my mind off feeling terrible and helped me feel good when I did unite the world. While I would have rather not been sick, without the sickness I wouldn’t have completed this game, especially as fast as I did. It might not be as good as the White Witch but Evan’s journey to unite the world is one anyone can enjoy.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided