740°
9.4

IGN Review - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is one of the best RPGs I’ve played in years. Moreover, it joins the elusive ranks of the best PlayStation 3 exclusives, a group very rarely encroached upon by any studio Sony doesn’t own. Ni No Kuni is just that good: a beautiful mixture of the traditional makings of a JRPG combined with gorgeous graphics, a wonderful story, a great cast of characters and thoughtful gameplay.

Godchild10204111d ago

Seven more days! Ni No Kuni is one of my Highly Anticipated games for 2013. I'm happy to see reviewers are enjoying their time with it.

Gazondaily4111d ago (Edited 4111d ago )

I have never really looked forward to this (because I was oblivious to what it was) but looking at some gameplay, this does look incredible now.

This might be a day one for me.

Ezz20134111d ago (Edited 4111d ago )

sony keep bring those amazing games like no other
it's awesome to be ps3 owner

as i said before
"ps3 start this year with a bang (ni no kuni)

and in the middle ( god of war/sly cooper )

and will finish it with a bang as well (the last of us/beyond two souls and maybe TLG will get a date this year) "

knifefight4111d ago

This is just one more great review among many!
See also:
http://www.playstationlifes...

and
http://rpgland.com/games/re...

and
http://thesilentchief.com/2...

We've got a great game on our hands here. If you like RPGs, this one seems like a lock.

AsimLeonheart4111d ago

AWESOME! I am so glad this game is getting the recognition it deserves. Cant wait to play it! Really happy to get a AAA classic JRPG on my PS3.

Rainstorm814111d ago

I went back to play White Knight Chronicles 1-2 to ease the wait for Ni No Kuni, I gotta say I like it I'm kinda mad I missed out on this, even though I picked it up for 10$ .

Level 5 just knows how to craft a good JRPG, I think if any company, they have taken the reigns from Square-Enix (Squaresoft)

sikbeta4111d ago

Game is going to bomb, right? with all the charm in the world and will not sell well, that's too bad...

Army_of_Darkness4111d ago

Can't wait for this jrpg! its been forever that i actually got to play a great jrpg game! since folklore I think lol!

Enemy4111d ago

A GOTY contender in January, wow. Looks like Level-5 are back.

This with the The Last of Us makes two!

chrispseuphoria4111d ago

The next week is going to be slow in anticipation for this but hey, I've got Persona 4 Golden to beat...

Gamer19824110d ago

Shame no game in January ever gets GOTY... Excited for this game.. This game is the kind of game I bought a PS3 for.

AAACE54110d ago

I was at target a few days ago and saw the bin for this was empty. Anyone think this could fall into the rarity factor like suikoden 2 or ff7 black label?

4110d ago
insomnium24110d ago

I just pre-ordered it from Zavvi.com. They give you 10% off if you order now. Can't wait! This is my first day 1 purchase in months. Hell even years! This one I cannot resist.

+ Show (12) more repliesLast reply 4110d ago
Ranma14111d ago (Edited 4111d ago )

This should start the JRPG come back .

Xillia and and Persona 5 cant come soon enough. These games are now picking up were Final Fantasy failed the jrpg genre this gen.

Hanso4111d ago

agree FF13 failed to impress me it was a good game on its own but a terrible FF imo
I got a few monts ago Tales of Graces F (my first Tales game) and i love it.
Cant wait for Xillia now

AsheXII4111d ago

Seems like people forget Xenoblade rather quickly, For many that was the best Jrpg in a decade. Ni No Kuni will be great, but it wont start anything that isn't already in motion ^^

wishingW3L4111d ago

is not that people forgets about Xenoblade is just that people already forgot that the Wii even exist.

dboyman4111d ago

@wishingW3L @AsheXII Or the fact the game was distributed in such a limited fashion in North America. I wanted to get a copy when it came out, but none of the local stores carried a copy, even Gamestop..

HarryMasonHerpderp4111d ago (Edited 4111d ago )

@AsheXII

I was so disappointed with Xenoblade.
I know I'm in the minority but I think it was completely overrated. Not saying it was a bad game but I thought the voice acting was atrocious, it made me feel awkward every time they would put on a fake English accent.
(it's so exaggerated, and they pause for really long after each sentence)
https://www.youtube.com/wat...
I also thought the graphics were pretty bad, after seeing screenshots and videos online I was expecting a great looking game, on my HD TV though it looked awful. Anyway not to completely bash the game I thought the gameplay was really good and the fighting was fun (even though they wouldn't shut up shouting the names of their attacks everytime you press a button) and the story was okay. I probably would of enjoyed the game a lot more if there was no voice acting and it was all txt.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4111d ago
Tapewurm4111d ago

Really looking forward to this title. Game Informer's review seemed to miss the point evidently.

MikeMyers4110d ago

This game looks really good, love the art style.

callahan094111d ago

Holy crap. I absolutely loved White Knight Chronicles, and IGN didn't seem to care for it much at all. So for them to take another Level 5 RPG and LOVE it like this, it must be amazing. I can't wait!

Rainstorm814111d ago

13 hours into White Knight Chronicles and im loving it, I want to get through 1 and 2 before Ni No Kuni comes out but I doubt it.

chadboban4111d ago

After Xenoblade and The Last Story I'm so glad to see the return of fantastic console JRPGs. Ni No Kuni is definitely one of my most anticipated games of the year. Can't wait to get my hands on it!

I'm so glad to finally be able to say that great console JRPGs are back!

bigjclassic4111d ago

jrpgs are standing tall. hopefully more will come from sony, nintendo, square and namco

EddieNX 4111d ago

Agreed. Sony have knocked it out of the park by bagging this as an exlusive I must admit. Pre ordering now...

vikingland14111d ago

I hear what your saying, I have my copy preoderd allready. Between this game and Persona 4 Golden I will be busy for quite some time.

Eyeco4111d ago

well the PS3 is off to a good start this year, I'm definitely picking this up

princejb1344110d ago

I'm excited
Haven't played rpg game in so long

iNMyFiN4LH0uR4110d ago

In North America? Are you serious? That would be awesome!

Outside_ofthe_Box4110d ago

Can't wait to pick this game up. Finally a true JRPG reminiscent of the PS1 jrpg glory days.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 4110d ago
VsAssassin4111d ago (Edited 4111d ago )

I clicked on approve. Guys, please click on approve.

Edit: Now this game is awesome!!!

silkrevolver4111d ago

Just wanted to make sure I added the tag correctly. I did, right?

VsAssassin4111d ago

I think we just need to wait until this really gets approved for this to show up there. Great post though!

Godchild10204111d ago

Am I wrong by saying this is the closest I would get to playing Pokemon on the PS3?

wishingW3L4111d ago

the review does say that the game's like a cross between Pokemon and Tales series.

Conzul4111d ago

I've never been into JRPGs. Is it twitch combat in this one? I think I could deal with that, this game looks sweet!

Lovable4111d ago

Haven't played Persona games bro? You can get Fes in PSN...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4111d ago
Sigh4111d ago

First day buy! Level-5 x Studio Ghibli Fanboy here, so it's a no brainer, Lol.

4111d ago Replies(2)
TheLastGuardian4111d ago

Looks like we've got ourselves a game of the year contender already.

Only on PlayStation®3.

Summons754111d ago

That would be really nice to see this game get nominated for goty, realistically though it will probably be pushed aside for mediocre games or AAA games which typically are nominated before they are even released. Hopefully it will shine though. I'm excited for this game.

Godchild10204111d ago

It can get nominated for Best RPG or something along those lines, if it doesn't get nominated for Game of the Year.

Imalwaysright4111d ago

2013 is packed with great games but i would like to see Ni No Kuni win GOTY because the JRPG genre needs it.

BanBrother4111d ago

I hope it does also. So many under-appreciated JRPG's, it would make me very happy if this one GOTY (obviously it will win some, but I mean lots and lots).

The only contenders so far, at least for me are Metro Last light, Beyond 2 Souls and The Last Of us

PS3 owners should also check out tales of Vesperia. You can import it, and the PS3 version has added features and dialogue (waaay more dialogue). It is rumoured to be releasing in the West (only japan right now)

Rainstorm814111d ago

But......it's January......o_O

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130°

Where the Heck is Ni No Kuni 3, Mun?

Matt from We Game Daily writes: "Cross Worlds isn’t going away. It’s making a small fortune, particularly in Asian markets, so there’s no reason for Level-5 to pull the plug. That said, there’s no real reason why a full PC/console sequel can’t be developed alongside efforts to support Cross Worlds."

Read Full Story >>
wegamedaily.com
Relientk7794d ago

While Ni no Kuni 3 would be cool, if it was like the first game, where is Dark Cloud 3 and Rogue Galaxy 2?

phoenixwing93d ago

I thought the dev recently went mobile and Japan only. They shut down their American offices. So don't expect anything for consoles

shinoff218393d ago (Edited 93d ago )

I swear they just announced a few new games.

https://www.nintendolife.co...

phoenixwing93d ago

I stand corrected then. Never heard about these games and also i just remember ni no kuni online being mobile only.

Michiel198992d ago

they said a loooooong time ago that Level 5 was working on a new installment but there has been no news since afaik. I just hope that they take more inspiration from 1 than 2, especially when it comes to the story.

thorstein92d ago

Ni No Kuni Cross Worlds is the mobile game you're thinking of.

It looks amazing but I don't like to play mobile games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 92d ago
-Foxtrot92d ago

Yeah the sequel was okay but had nothing on the first game, especially the battle system.

The story just didn't have that charm and even the twist at the end of the game wasn't really anything cool like Wrath of the White Witch.

Also the fact there was like ZERO mention of Oliver or his adventures in the game, no references, nothing was such weird. It's set a hundred or so years after but still, I'd have expected to seen some throw backs. I think we just got like a temple with his statue in it or something.

goldwyncq92d ago

If you want more Oliver, just watch the movie.

shinoff218393d ago

Fking word. I've been hoping for this for quite some time.

melons92d ago

The premium games didn't sell amazingly, right?

shinoff218392d ago

Not to sure. They should of though. They were pretty good. I like both.

Michiel198992d ago

yeah, especially outside of japan. They should have released on pc at the same time as the ps3 version or a short time after.

Inverno92d ago

They should've worked with Ghibli to put out a proper movie. Should've also made a Pokemon-esque spin-off rather than make Yokai Watch. If they do make a third game they gotta work with Ghibli!

200°

Remembering the Best JRPGs on the PS3

Get ready to embark on a journey filled with monsters, magic, and overpowered haircuts, because this list features the best JRPGs on the PS3.

Read Full Story >>
altarofgaming.com
shinoff2183255d ago (Edited 255d ago )

There wasn't that many. Thanks to the west's criticism. It was definitely lacking compared to every other ps system. Dont get me wrong there were a few good ones i know that.

jznrpg255d ago

Nier, Valkyrie Chronciles, Tales games , Ni No Kuni, Resonance of Fate, FF13’s, Ys8 just a few off the top of my head and there were a lot more.

CrimsonWing69255d ago (Edited 255d ago )

Not nearly to the degree of PS1 and PS2.

@shinoff2183 makes a good point that around the PS3/Xbox 360 gen is when the genre wasn’t as prevalent and began to shy away from turn-based. There’s some standouts for sure, but look at the PS1 and PS2 JRPG library and then compare that to the PS3 and PS4’s.

Theres definitely a decline in a selection of titles. Even worse was the quality seemed to take a massive hit as well. I think Lost Odyssey was a huge standout for that gen when you look at production values, then you look at something like Fairy Fencer on the PS3 and it’s kind of depressing.

But by that generation there was a shift from western developed games overtaking Japanese developed games. Back from the NES to PS2 Japanese games were the cream of the crop… I don’t know what happened but like midway into the PS3/360 life-time they became less so.

shinoff2183255d ago (Edited 255d ago )

Compared to the ps1 ps2 and he'll even ps4 ps3 doesn't hold a candle to either imo. It's also when turn based damn near disappeared. Again thanks to the west's criticism

Crimson I'd put money on the west being at fault, guys like Phil phish, and numerous others at that time were attacking jrpg and Japanese games in general pretty hard.

Ni no kuni was probably my fav jrpg back then , and the blue dragon

GameBoyColor255d ago

Tales got kinda lucky here. When they took a chance and finally brought tales of graces f over west it sold like 250k lmao a lot of jrpgs did 500k or below. Disgaea was worse i think. Bamco decided to keep bringing more games over though.

Tapani255d ago (Edited 255d ago )

Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II were the best RPGs on PS3 made by Japanese developers. Everything else just fell short always. Ni No Kuni was a full package, an okayish game as well. Nier and Drakengard III had superb writing, setting and voice acting, however, the performance was a real drag on the gameplay. Traditional RPG-wise I'd actually say 360 had better JRPGs, and think that Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon were the best traditional JRPGs of the era. PS3 Valkyria Chronicles was okay, but it is closer to an SRPG.

Ryu Ga Gotoku games were also solid, they were still finding their footing and breaking new ground with new cities and formats.

PS3 was the era that almost made me quit gaming and I started playing on PC because I could not find good performance nor games on the system. PS4 got me back into it, and now PS5 is a mix in and between, I just play my PS4 library on the PS5 and rest on PC, just like during the PS3 era. The only new exclusive Sony JRPG is pretty much FFXVI and it is so streamlined and simplified from the normal RPG experience that I can't fit it into the genre anymore. Dragon Quest XII hopefully remedies all of this, but it is just one game.

These new games will all be on PC (while it does take 2-3 years to wait, and 6-12 months from launch to have them patched + fixed by modders) and they perform better on it. The only point in owning a PS5 is to play games a couple of years earlier, but for a hard-working family man like me, the quality of the experience is more important than playing it as soon as possible. And I can't do modern games at 30fps 720p after playing 120fps at 4K. For older games, that's okay.

PSX and PS2 though, those were the days...Still have a massive collections of classic RPGs in CD and DVD format and a phat PS3 to play them!

FinalFantasyFanatic255d ago

It's kinda like that, the PS3 generation was a bad time for JRPGs, especially with the Japanese feeling the need to westernize their games, shooters dominating that gen, the racism from western game journalists (it was bad, between G4, Phill Fish, and a slew of others), and the higher development costs...

It really made me miss the PS1/PS2 days of JRPGs, even the quality of half of those games during the 7th gen weren't as good. The 360 tried, but Microsoft's consoles weren't popular in Japan and no body in the West bought a Xbox for JRPGs (despite Xbox having Vesperia, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey).

on_line_forever255d ago

" It's kinda like that, the PS3 generation was a bad time for JRPGs, especially with the Japanese feeling the need to westernize their games "

This is when everything fall down and games looks not fun to play anymore except for few games like demon and dark souls for example

-Foxtrot255d ago (Edited 255d ago )

Nah. It's a bad trilogy of games

The only reason XIII-2 stands out is because XIII was so bad

When the bar is so low, anything after feels better.

goldwyncq255d ago

The monster catching mechanic was nice.

Eonjay255d ago

Don't understand the hate for it at all. Seems forced.

shinoff2183255d ago

Watching the credits roll on ff16 now it is good but , I'd really like to re try ff13 least it's turn based and would fill that gap for me.

FinalFantasyFanatic255d ago

They got better after the first one in the trilogy, not outstanding game though.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 255d ago
CS7255d ago

Honestly, I played FFXIII a few years after release and maybe because it was after the hype cycle and I knew the flaws of the game, it actually became my favorite FF after VII.

I took off the mini map and never used auto battle and the stuff that mattered to me in an FF was just so well done.

The art and graphics were insane at the time
The music is still special
The story still lingers in memory more than a decade later
The RPG systems were decent

I never really got the hate for it, still have a soft spot for that game inside me.

goldwyncq255d ago

Still better than XV and XVI.

Yui_Suzumiya255d ago

Drakengard 3 goes for a small fortune nowadays

Knightofelemia255d ago (Edited 255d ago )

Only gripe I have with Ar Tonelico 3 is that Saki is annoying as hell whether English or in Japanese. Then Saki's English voice actor became Ionasal on Ar Nosurge she was a little annoying but not as bad. Johnny Young Bosch voicing Tatsumi I thought he did a great job. And Akiko Shikata with her vocals and the music from the games just went hand and hand.

DarkZane255d ago

I wish Ar No Surge and Ar Tonelico 3 would be remastered on PS4/PS5.

Show all comments (31)
280°

Top 10 Rarest PS3 Games That Are Worth a Fortune

Twinfinite: "During the PS3’s tenure, plenty of huge games launched, but the interesting thing is, many of the system’s rarer titles are largely not amazing games. Sure, there are one or two exceptions to that rule (I’m looking at you Ni No Kuni!), but many of the more desirable and valuable games in the PS3’s library are usually rare for a reason."

Read Full Story >>
twinfinite.net
ModsDoBetter278d ago

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Sold my Painkiller for around £3 years ago and my Asuras Wrath for even less. Managed to pick up Lollipop Chainsaw and Splatterhouse again but they cost me a fair bit more than I initially paid on release when I first bought them.

Wish I bought Godzilla, the number of times I saw it in the game store for the price of a coffee and didn't bother.

Knushwood Butt278d ago

Never knew Last Guy had a physical release.

gold_drake277d ago (Edited 277d ago )

i own nba, lolipop and nino kuni. never heard of the rest tbf xD surprised they are worth that much, for what they actually are.

roadkillers277d ago

Getting a valuable game is all luck.. I had three of these. Africa is one that people might have seen coming, but otherslike Ni No Kuni wouldn't have been.

My most valuable game I remember owning was Conkers Bad Fur Day. When the game was being re-released on Xbox (remake/ upgrade if you will), the price dropped dramatically. Once the game released and the changes were seen, the value went back up. Then it was released on Rare Replay and value dropped again. 2020 hit and all collectables shot up along with Conker. Before stopping around $110 which it currently is.

Games change all the time because their digital media that can be reproduced even in weird contract bindings (GoldenEye as an example). One day it can be worth $300 and the next $150. The shrink wrapped items in mint condition cannot be reproduced.. but that takes strength to spend, not open, and hope its worth something.

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