410°

Ni no Kuni Isn't the Savior of Japanese RPGs

1UP: "Though I stopped playing Ni no Kuni shortly after writing my review, I've been keeping up with comments and discussion threads about Level-5's deliberately old-fashioned RPG. And in this supplementary reading, I've witnessed otherwise intelligent people subscribe to what strikes me as a dishonest narrative about this game's place in the industry: namely, that Ni no Kuni stands as the Great White Hope of Japanese RPGs -- or maybe it's more of a Miracle on Ice situation."

Kalowest4092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

"Ni no Kuni Isn't the Savior of Japanese RPGs"

What about the SMT series, the Atelier Series, and the Tales Of series... aren't those awesome JRPGs?
Some more examples: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, Pandora's Tower, Lost Odyssey, Little King's Story, The Legend of Heroes series, The World Ends With You, and the Dragon Quest games.

Snookies124092d ago

Agreed for sure, no doubt Ni No Kuni is a wonderful JRPG, but people shouldn't act like it's the only great one to come out this generation.

DA_SHREDDER4092d ago

Besides lost odessy or however you spell it, to me this is the first true jrpg this gen, but I hate the combat system, and the little boy girl protagonist. Wasnt impressed with the demo

Celeras4092d ago

I don't disagree with the OPs sentiment, but the vast majority of games he used to support his argument are either mobile games or on the Wii. That doesn't mean they should be disregarded, but that's not exactly at the forefront of gaming like a major PS3 release is.

Army_of_Darkness4092d ago

So to hear them trash talk one of the great jrpgs for this gen is really disappointing to see cause this game is indeed great!

MaxXAttaxX4092d ago

you didn't like the game much to begin with and gave the game a "C" or something like that.

Slapshot824091d ago

Very intelligent reply Snookies. Bubble up mate.

ElectricKaibutsu4091d ago

You guys... he's not trash talking Ni No Kuni. He's just saying that it's not like JRPGs didn't exist this gen and then suddenly Ni No Kuni came out, which is how some people are acting. The title is a bit misleading. He just means JRPGs don't need saving.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4091d ago
Root4092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

Don't you think it's mostly because this JRPG got more peoples attention then any of those you've just named

I mean you mentioned Lost Odyssey and people think that was amazing...the real FF13 game of this gen

Anyway got my Wizards coming in a few days :)

4092d ago
DigitalRaptor4092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

j-blaze. Every single trailer that has come out and most articles have mentioned that it's a collaboration project between Level-5 and Ghibli. No one has missed that.

The fact that it's a PS3 exclusive also has nothing to do with the praise it's received, so yeah.... you talking crap yet again.

Kalowest4092d ago

"Don't you think it's mostly because this JRPG got more peoples attention then any of those you've just named"

Of course, but the games I mention are still high quality JRPGs nonetheless.

Seraphim4092d ago

This is the first spectacular RPG [so far] that I've played since Lost Odyssey. Those 2 games, in my mind, define everything great about RPGs & have truly been the only 2 spectacular RPGs this gen. Yeah there's some good ones in the mix as well but these two, in their own right, have nothing but greatness written all over them. Instant classics, true masterpieces.... Not to mention it's great to see a truly deserving RPG get the great praise Ni No Kuni has received. It's rare even the best of RPGs get the kind of acclaim and praise this game has received so far. well deserved....

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4092d ago
wishingW3L4092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

the new Atelier games and Tales series games are terrible games in my opinion.

Snookies124092d ago

The Tales games are fantastic with their gameplay and characters, and it's one of the few series that actually STICKS with what fans want. Unlike a lot of other series out there that try to change to appeal to more people and end up losing those they started with.

NeXXXuS4092d ago

final fantasy XIII says hi

-Ikon-4092d ago

Souls series is the great white hope for JRPGs

/thread

Donnieboi4092d ago

Shin Megami Tensei/Persona/Devil Survivor (all in the SMT series) = The saviors of JRPG's. FACT.

If u don't believe it, then you never played an SMT game.

Heisenburger4092d ago

I'm currently twenty hours into Persona 3 which is my first experience with the franchise.

Whoo buddy let me tell I think it is fantastic, and I have no rose tinted glasses with this game.

The thought(briefly) crossed my mind to purchase a Vita solely for Persona 4.

Persona 3 is only $9.99 on psn. If you(reading this now) are into jrpgs you owe it to yourself to check it out.

^_^

Donnieboi4092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

@ Burger:

Yes I beat Persona 3 and yes it's amazing. Your in for quite a ride. Both me and my wife each beat it at about 165 hour range (And the bonus game called "The Answer" is an additional 40 hours--making it about 205 hours!!!). It's the best $10 you ever spent! Also, I love my Vita but can't recommend to anyone else that they should buy it (yet). It's very expensive when you count the cost of a memory card, the vita itself, a game (P4G is a must), insurance (in case it drops) and a screen protector.

BUT P4G is the best way to play P4. P4G is so much better than P4 original. And it's longer. I had 125 hours when I beat the Vita version; while the PS2 version takes only 60-80 hours to beat (which is long for a JRPG but not as fulfilling as P4 Golden is).

raWfodog4092d ago

No, it's all opinion but I do agree with you that all of those games are great.

joab7774092d ago

Yeah but ppl have a point. First, they said ps3. Most those games came out on wii or ds or are coming. Many are strategy titles. Its kinda like saying that valkyria chronicles has 3 games, why is everyone bitching? Because its been years since its been on a console. Also, with the Final Fanatsy series moving so far away from the genre, and tales games releasing primarily in Japan, no one can say that the ps3 and xbox have been inundated with games like Ni No Kuni. Throw in its charm, and all its traditional aspects and ppl are feeling nastalgic. Yes, i loved Lost Odyssey, but it feels like forever since i have played it. We have simply wanted great jrpgs in hd and now we have one. Theres nothing wrong with asking ppl to support it. I woukd love to see more of this as opposed to having to comprise a list of 10 games over 5 consoles, 3 yrs and multiple continents.

AsheXII4092d ago

Thats exactly their point... did you even read the article?

FFXI1014091d ago

"Ni no Kuni Isn't the Savior of Japanese RPGs"

I think it should read like this "Ni No Kuni is the SAVIOR of the Japanese RPG on PS3"

Atelier series, Tales series and most JRPG have not been on the same quality as they used to or as Ni No Kuni on PS3. I enjoy the game a lot and 40+ hours in and I'm not even half way through the game. I love it and I think Level 5 did such great job on this game, I hope they will release DLCs for Ni No Kuni and myabe a new game + mode like they did for the WKC.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4091d ago
badjournalism4092d ago

I stopped reading at "I stopped playing after finishing my review..." because that tells me, the reader, you didn't finish the game to completion, wrote a dishonest review and thus have lost credibility.

EZMickey4092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

As if your collective assessment on two different articles that you've elected not to read in their entirety has anymore credibility. If ever the pot called the kettle black, eh?

Anyway, reviewers do have deadlines there, mate. I would hardly expect the average reviewer to finish multiple playthroughs of any RPG game they're tasked with reviewing and still make their deadline.

Come on.

Kran4092d ago

"reviewers do have deadlines"

So you're saying they had a mere 1 day deadline or something? Most reviewers, especially the ones on 1Up, get a good 2-3 weeks to finish and write the review. So you're technically saying he couldn't finish the game in 2-3 weeks and probably only played an hour a day.

You make the reviewer sound incapable... which he probably is.

jc485734092d ago (Edited 4092d ago )

I have noticed that people on 1UP seem to dislike Ni no kuni.

sashimi4092d ago

seems like they're just catering to their demographic for hits.

AsheXII4092d ago

Thats not the point of the article at all.

Ezz20134092d ago

coming from a site who give it C+
i would never take that site seriously any more

this game is a 9.5/10 for me nothing less
and good thing that this games is getting 9+s and 10s every where

Relientk774092d ago

This game is easily one of the best JRPGs in this generation without a doubt

Show all comments (67)
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
Relientk7792d 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?

phoenixwing91d ago

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

shinoff218391d ago (Edited 91d ago )

I swear they just announced a few new games.

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

phoenixwing91d ago

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

Michiel198990d 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.

thorstein90d 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 90d ago
-Foxtrot90d 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.

goldwyncq90d ago

If you want more Oliver, just watch the movie.

shinoff218391d ago

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

melons90d ago

The premium games didn't sell amazingly, right?

shinoff218390d ago

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

Michiel198990d 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.

Inverno90d 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
shinoff2183253d ago (Edited 253d 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.

jznrpg253d 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.

CrimsonWing69253d ago (Edited 253d 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.

shinoff2183253d ago (Edited 253d 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

GameBoyColor253d 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.

Tapani253d ago (Edited 253d 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!

FinalFantasyFanatic253d 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_forever253d 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

-Foxtrot253d ago (Edited 253d 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.

goldwyncq253d ago

The monster catching mechanic was nice.

Eonjay253d ago

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

shinoff2183253d 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.

FinalFantasyFanatic253d ago

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

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 253d ago
CS7253d 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.

goldwyncq253d ago

Still better than XV and XVI.

Yui_Suzumiya253d ago

Drakengard 3 goes for a small fortune nowadays

Knightofelemia253d ago (Edited 253d 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.

DarkZane253d 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
ModsDoBetter276d 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 Butt275d ago

Never knew Last Guy had a physical release.

gold_drake275d ago (Edited 275d 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.

roadkillers275d 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.

Show all comments (7)