Ni no Kuni PS3 review - PlayStation LifeStyle

"If you’ve recently wished that the RPGs of today had a little more in common with their elders from the 16 and 32-bit eras — no, wait, check that — if you have ever liked a Japanese RPG at all, you owe Ni no Kuni a shot." -Heath Hindman on PlayStation LifeStyle

[doctorstrange]

Oh boy!

[dbjj12088]

Don't know why you're getting disagreed with. This is great news! Can't wait to play.

[GenericNameHere]

@Kingofwiiu
So what, you want ONM or OXM to review the game then? Because you know, since you added the last sentence, I think everyone will agree with me in calling you stupid bloody idiot.

[Catoplepas]

@Kingofwiiu

Sour grapes?

[EddieNX]

No I don't want ONM and OXM to review a ps3 exclusive lol. They're all barely credible.

I said I will wait for the real reviewers a la IGN. Not ONM and OXM. I buy ONM. But I don't take the reviews seriously lol....

[GenericNameHere]

@Kingwiiu
But IGN has WAY LESS credibility than OPM, ONM, and OXM combined!! :O

[doctorstrange]

According to Metacritic, PSLS is harsher than most

[HammadTheBeast]

Hey KingOfWiiU, I trust OXM with PS3 reviews more than IGN.

[Ezz2013]

WOW @_@
release the kraken ..sorry i mean release the damn game now

by the way for the dude who say playstationlifestyle has no Credability

read PLS reviews on ps3 exclusives:
starhawk 7.5/10 ... why not 10/10 ??!!
infamous 2 9/10.... why not 10/10 ??!!!
PASBR 9/10.....why not 10/10 ???!!
Twisted Metal 8.5/10....why not 10/10 ??!!!

should i go on or what ??!!

[HammadTheBeast]

Also a quote from the author:

"For reference, I want to note that my 10's don't come easily. This is the 27th review I've written on PlayStation LifeStyle, and it's the first time I've used the 10. I've only given out two 9's prior to this, and my average review score is 5.9. Just some perspective on this :)"

He also gave BO:Declassified the 1/10 it deserved.

[riverstars86]

Wow, didn't see this coming, this is why PS3 is amazing, great exclusives!

[MestreRothN4G]

Well said, Hammad.

[rainslacker]

@King

While PSLS is Sony centered, they aren't what I would consider a fan boy's paradise. They are quite often very critical of Sony.

[Kevin ButIer]

this game makes me smile

[Old McGroin]

SARCASM FONT Everybody on N4G knows that every early review for every game ever released is by a person who has been paid off by the company that produced the game so I wouldn't get my hopes up over this 10/10 review SARCASM FONT

Game looks sh!t hot by the way, looking forward to it!

[AsimLeonheart]

AWESOME! Cant wait to play this! I was a little scared when some people were calling it easy and boring after playing the demo but this review made me very happy. I will get it day 1! I hope this game gets the love it deserves and enables JRPGs to make a come back.

[morganfell]

The post by HammadtheOne completely dethroned the KingofWiiU.

[freezola75]

This is excellent news!! I have had my eyes on this game for a while now.

I am going to really commit to playing a JRPG this year! That is my New Year's gamer resolution lol

Very beautiful game and I'm sure you can log some decent hours into it as well.

I'm gonna get maps & guides to help me through this game but by the gods I will finish Ni no Kuni! Not sure if I'll plat the game but I'll die trying LOL

insightful review.. Peace

[StrongMan]

Not shocking. The gaming industry only expects the best out of PS3 exclusives.

[abzdine]

2 words to describe what i'm feeling now: MUST BUY

[pixelsword]

Hmmm...

According to the endless wisdom of internet journalists, JRPGs were dead...

[Enemy]

Second perfect score I've seen so far.

[Enemy]

This is that other review. http://rpgland.com/games/re...

"Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch feels like the second coming of 16-bit RPG classics, with a breathtaking Studio Ghibli exterior and a sublime orchestral soundtrack. The pacing is impeccable. It never slows down, never waivers in the amount of excellence it packs into its experience. There is no “that one part” or “that one dungeon” that drags it down. It turns on the charm, the entertainment, and the fun from the first hours, and doesn’t turn them off throughout the entire duration of the sixty hours you’ll probably spend finishing it. Exploring the world map never gets old, the battle system stays thrilling, and the characters are lovable. Nothing about this game is phoned in. It contains the same elements and same spirit that made so many of us fall in love with the genre in the first place. It doesn’t have a complicated, emotional, life-changing message or story, but it doesn’t have to. It touches a deep vein of nostalgia and childlike wonder."

Take notes, Square-Enix.

[Julie]

I love that review i even reread (spelling? lol) it from time to time.

"Even after the main game is finished, there are still 100 hidden treasure chests, seven pirate memorials, and sixteen hidden villages on the world map to discover; an Imajinn battle league to conquer; a magic spell book to complete; a casino with slots, minigames and a cutscene theater; postgame quests and bounties to hunt down; alchemy recipes to find; and Golden Imajinns to catch".

That is all i ever wanted and more on a jrpg and all that is after the main quest. I wonder why don't we have Suikoden, Wild Arms, Skies of Arcadia, etc... for the new consoles, imo it was a great mistake not to keep releasing awesome jrpgs.I still loved Tales of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey and yes Blue Dragon too, i dunno why there are so few good traditional jrpgs on this generaton :(

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Next up? The Last Of Us!

Ps3 <3

[3-4-5]

16 Hidden Villages in Post game. I love Villages.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Just preordered =)
By the way Zavvi are selling it for £35 with an extra 10% off for anyone who is interested.
Pretty good deal in my opinion.

[Julie]

O.O

:O

See , see! now what am i going to do till release! why do you do this to me! D:

And i have to wait for Amazon to send it over here too (i live close to Tarzan). If there is a digital version ill buy that one too! so i can play while the box is traveling :)

[Ranma1]

Who said that consumers no longer want traditional JRPG's and that they have become ancient?

Are you reading these reviews Square Enix?

p.s gamemaster uk gave this game 95/100

[dafegamer]

Sooo Goood. Hype is rising rapidly

[clrlite]

Well said bubble Ranma. Hopefully this will create a beautiful trend and tons of amazing RPGs etc. will come out for the ps3 over the next few years.

I hope this time Sony doesn't miss this incredible opportunity and properly markets this game, thus reaping the rewards of the many grateful people that will play this game.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Lets just hope it sells.
Fingers crossed for a million copies and more.

[TacoTaru]

I think that publishers translate "didn't sell as many copies and COD or Madden" as "consumers don't want traditional JRPG's". At least we have XSeed and Atlus.

[syrion]

Damn 10/10
i want this game now !

[ZigZagZach]

My reaction exactly!

[joab777]

Wow. this has been my top priority for awhile now and i am just more hyped. The demo had me excited, and this is great news. Bringit on.

[Walker]

GOTY in the january ?

[Aceman18]

i will be dropping every other game when this gem releases.

[geddesmond]

@KingofWii

LMAO yeah PS lifestyle bias lol. Its the only website I trust for reviews because they give real opinions and review with honesty.

Heres some PS3 exclusive review scores done by them.

Uncharted Fight for fortune 6/10
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault 8/10
LittleBigPlanet Karting Review 8/10
Tokyo Jungle 3/10

Yeah they are really bias lol. Lol lets wait for IGNs review lol because they definitely ain't bias when it comes to big game reviews paid for by publishers. Are you jealous Wii doesn't get this possibly great JRPG lol.

[Kopite_2020]

IGN trustworthy? Trolololo with a healthy dose of junk food sponsorship thrown in

[Gamer1982]

Damn cannot wait for EU version

[knifefight]

With Xenoblade, Persona 4 Vita, and the Last Story last year, Atelier Ayesha now confirmed, and this coming out this month, things have been rolling well for RPG fans lately.

[VileAndVicious]

I want to play last story so bad....but sadly I don't have a Wii.

But looking forward to this one.

[dbjj12088]

Seriously, it's a good time to have no life.

[AznGaara]

Don't forget the true sequel to the original Disgaea was just announced too, Disgaea D2!

[kupomogli]

Disgaea. Eww.

[Heisenburger]

Yeah, I am about eighteen or so hours into Persona 3(I purchased it in the ps2 classic section of the psn store at a very attractive $9.99 price tag*).

ANYWAY playing through this game has reminded me of how much I love(d) Jrpgs. A genre that I had become admittedly disenchanted with over the years.

I'll close with saying two things:

1. I am VERY much looking forward to Ni No Kuni.

2. Anyone who is eagerly awaiting Ni No's release should look into Persona 3(on psn) to play in the meantime. Or as knifefight said: Persona 4 Golden.

[VileAndVicious]

Persona 3 is my favorite in the series.

If you can get your hands on it (kind of rare) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is an incredible game with some dark undertones.....

*sigh* they just dont make em like that anymore

[Redempteur]

as a rpg fan i've been reall satisfied during recent years

[stonecold3]

I will buy this game on day 1

[gustave154]

dood i'll get it at day -365 but i don't understand japanese xD

[alexcosborn]

Okay, now I'm definitely buying this game.

[BanBrother]

I was already going to get it. Love me some jrpg's.

People should also consider that jrpg's don't get reviewed that well, so a 10/10 is amazing. Hopefully good sales.

[Wedge19]

The return of the JRPG, the way it should be. We've said it a million times, but 2013 is shaping up to be an amazing year in gaming.

[TrendyGamers]

Definitely!

[GribbleGrunger]

This is kind of ironic. On the day that production of the PS2 has finally been cancelled world wide, we get a perfect review of a game on the PS3 that reminds me of the giddy years of the PS2. Sweet and poetic.

[gustave154]

wonder who are the trolls disliking...

[knifefight]

People who hate fun.

[Inception]

@Gribble
A little corection here. Sony only stop selling / produced PS2 in japan. But world wide, they're still selling & produced it.

[GribbleGrunger]

You've not heard the news then

'The company has confirmed to the Guardian that after 12 years and 150m units sold worldwide, making it the most successful home games machine of all time, all PS2 production has ended worldwide.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/t...

[insertcoin]

Don't see boy sorcerers as protagonists much. Very refreshing. And hey, it's Studio Ghibli. Can't go wrong there.

[Summons75]

As expected, why does the release have to be so far away :(

[Godchild1020]

Looking forward to this and my time passing by without me noticing.

I love when I can play a game and not ask what time it is and when I do, I be like, "Damn, I've been playing that long?"

The demo made me feel that way, so I know the full game will blow my mind.

[Veneno]

Haha

The last time that happened to me was Disgaea 2 on PS2. I was playing one night and all the sudden there was sunlight coming through the windows. I checked the time and it was 9am!

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Glad to here the story isn't bad. As that was what worried me the most.

[Hicken]

You were worried about a story crafted by Level 5 and Ghibli?

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

I wasn't worried until the demo. The demo didn't really give a good sense of what the story was going to be about and I was worried that it would be TOO childish. After reading the childish vs childlike portion in the review, I'm without worries now.

[Veneno]

You thought White Knight Chronicles had a good story?

[hazardman]

Im surprised you were worried about story. Its Studio Ghibli man. They have nothing but great stories. I was more worried about gameplay than anything.

[Inception]

@Outside
Try watching Porco Rosso, Nausicaa, Howl's Moving Castle, Princes Mononoke, or Spirited Away. Those are some of the best movie from Studio Ghibli with great story.

[tiffac008]

No need to worry my friend, usually the stories that Studio Ghibli makes starts out slow. So a short demo will never be enough to delve deep into the story they have created for us.

[maximus1985]

same here, i tried the demo after i read this and im glad i read this first. It allowed me to try the demo with an open mind

[JonnyBigBoss]

YEESSSSSSS!

[DigitalRaptor]

Some reviews dictated a masterpiece a while ago and it seems westerns gamers agree. So much for those that thought it would be disappointing because of a demo that captures less than 1% of what the game is about.

Only 3 weeks to go! :D

[HeavenlySnipes]

Finally a great new RPG thats not named Mass Effect

[VsAssassin]

Awsome review for an awesome game! It's also worthy to note that the game is pre-loaded with the Japanese DLCs! january 22 can't come soon enough!

[Catoplepas]

Haven't been this excited for a release since the previous generation.

[Inception]

Darn, 2013 is shaping to be the year where my wallet will scared shitless and running away from me :(

This, Tales of Xillia, Disgaea Dimension 2, The God and Revolution Paradox will fix my JRPG requirement for 2013. Hopefully Atlus join the fray with Persona 5 info / trailer.

[silkrevolver]

AWWWWWWWW YEAHHHHHHHHHHH

Loved the demo.
So excited to get my JRPG on again.

Xenoblade was the last game to scratch the itch for me... but I had some problems with it.

Mostly just preferential stuff, but still.
The itch remains.

[hazardman]

is that Oprah?

[silkrevolver]

Damn straight.

[kwiksilver99]

@Kingofwiiu
so it doesnt matter what the review contains,as long as its a sony site,its supposed to be discredited?.lol
that rich coming from someone named kingofwiiu :-)
i suggest you read a review before posting comments of any kind about the review and/or reviewer, that way you look less incompetent.:-)

[dafegamer]

10/10 o_O??????????????
http://images.wikia.com/unc...

[dafegamer]

another quality ps3 exclusive game =)

[bunfighterii]

It's available on DS too.

[knifefight]

Same name, different game.

The story begins the same, but the battle system is completely different, plot is laid out differently, and this is all to say nothing of the graphics and sound.
Here's a review of the DS version.
http://rpgland.com/games/re...
The DS version should be viewed as a DS exclusive, the PS3 version should really be seen as a PS3 exclusive. They're very different.

Moreover, for North American/European purposes, the PS3 is the only Ni no Kuni, because the DS one is staying in Japan.

[bunfighterii]

Ahh k cool. Thanks for clearing that up!

[Veneno]

You really thought a game on the DS and PS3 were going to be the same?

[ScytheX3]

anyone know if this will be getting a PS Store release?

[Godchild1020]

We should know before the release. Sid, from the PlayStation blog said they'll be talking about Ni No Kuni. So, I hope that means they will mention something before the release about a digital download for the game.

http://blog.us.playstation....

[Allowen]

We will not see a new Elder Scrolls or Fallout game coming any time soon and neither a new Dragon age game.
So this year for RPGs = JRPG all around on every plataform(but PC ,eh) !

[BanBrother]

Allowen, just curious, what jrpg is the 360 Getting?

[Veneno]

LIGHTNING RETURNS !!!!!!!!!

[goldwyncq]

It's time for JRPGs to take it's rightful place back!

[Y_5150]

I'm happy to see this, even as a non-fan of JRPGs!

[itBourne]

"Having to feed a monster one piece of food, then have to sit and watch while it munches it down…then wait for it to dance in reaction…then hit the button again…then watch that cycle all over again gets old."

Lmao, omg, synthesizing weapons in Dark Cloud 2 anyone? I would sit there for an hour just synthesizing weapons, oh the memories.

[rbailey]

I SERIOUSLY can't wait for this game. Definitely the main highlight of January imo.

[DarkBlood]

damn i have other stuff to get first but i will keep my damn eye on on this game and own it eventually

[MegaLagann]

God I can't wait for this game. I need my JRPG fix after playing Xenoblade and Persona 4, both games I now consider two of the best RPGs ever. And this looks to be right in line with the other two.

[crackforgangstas]

PSLS gave it a perfect score? Maybe I should look into this game...

[-Gespenst-]

Why do you depend on review scores? Why don't you watch some Ghibli films and realise why this game is a big deal and is definitely going to be amazing?

[crackforgangstas]

Lol what? I said MAYBE I should look into it. How does that reflect that I depend on a review score? Plus, PSLS has only given a perfect score to like a total of 3 titles, why wouldn't that catch someone's attention? All I did was see the review and it provoked me to possibly look into it a little more... I will ultimately make the decision. But thanks for the heads up, maybe I will check out some of their films now.

[AsunaYuukiTheFlash]

Game of the Year.

[Ezz2013]

maybe but there are big powerfull games still to come
the last of us , gtav ,bioshock , god of war scension, beyond two souls

it will be a very hard to pick one game of the year

[catch]

I can't wait. Just a few more weeks to go! It is going to be a great year.

[Orionsangel]

They still make cell shaded games?

[Relientk77]

Glad to know there is a fantastic JRPG incoming this month. Been waiting on this game for a long time, cant wait to get it.

[imt558]

Ni No Kuni, you are welcome. Show these west RPG's that still JRPG is the best.:D

[bunfighterii]

This game wasn't on my radar until I read the review. Definitely will pick it up. I'm a huge Ghibili fan, but I thought this would be a 'kid's game'. How wrong I was.

[DivineAssault]

yup.. mine

[Omnislash]

Will this game come to America?? Or is it just Japan? I loved Spirited Away and Howls Moving Castle, so Im very much looking forward to this...

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

It's out on the 22nd of this month in America on the PS3.
The DS version is Japan only.

[StreetsofRage]

It's about time!!! Time to get the cobwebs out of my ps3 and play this. I'm a sucker for old school JRPG.

Of course this site gives lots of high scores to exclusives compared to everybody else.

[MYSTERIO360]

They aren't the only ones:
http://rpgland.com/games/re...

[Ezz2013]

@streetsofrage
stop the BS
we know you don't own ps3
and you hate it because of that

and you last comment was proven wrong already
go back to your cave

[MYSTERIO360]

This could be the first JRPG game i get in a long time, great to see the high review scores this game deserves.

[InMyOpinion]

The return of the JRPG! :)

[mt]

the game will great after trying the demo but let is face it it won't be 10/10 playstation lifestyle always is one PS exclusives side.

[MaideninBlack]

This will be my first video game purchase of the year. :)

[Kinger8938]

i initially rage quit on the demo at the first fight as i didnt understand how to play etc, after seeing this review i re-downloaded it and tried a few times then got the hang of it.

i think i would really enjoy it, not had a game like this for a while! and i bet the demo doesnt give the best impression as its timed and throws you into the game missing the tutorials and stuff

im doing this!

[Shotcalm]

i love it when a game ive never heard of before turns out to be good...

[bigfish]

Booyakasha!!

[bigfish]

.

[BenRage3]

Throws wallet at screen violently.

[sypher]

Already ordered the Wizards Edition, cant wait to get my hands on this later this month :D

[profgerbik]

Wow that looks really cool. Is this coming over seas or just strictly an import?

[Catoplepas]

It's being released in the west in 3 weeks or so.

22nd for the U.S. 25th for the E.U.

[profgerbik]

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up.

[auen1]

wow. awesome. i played the demo and it was a lot of fun. it was very heartwarming too. i really enjoyed helping that guy out and making him more motivated.

[dmonee]

It's not that I don't trust Playstation Lifestyle's reviews, but I need to see a few more come down the pipe before I commit to purchasing this game. I played the demo a couple of times and found the combat very challenging, the visuals we're great, as well as the music. I appreciate the early review though. I hope it is every bit as good as the reviewer says it is.

[wishingW3L]

I might buy this just because of the return of the World Map. I hope more Japanese developers start making JRPG's with the old classy World Map.

[_LarZen_]

I thought the demo was poop... so a 10/10 is a big suprise!

[FFXI101]

I wish they'd come out a collector's Edition for us RPG fans.

Which includes art book, Ni no Kuni anime, a plush toy(or key chain) of different characters from the games for the price of $79.99