240°
7.0

Ni no Kuni Review: Expect the Expected | 1UP

1UP: "Level-5's long-awaited RPG does a disservice to the magic of Studio Ghibli."

GribbleGrunger4101d ago

'Level-5's long-awaited RPG does a disservice to the magic of Studio Ghibli.'

Anyone want to comment who's actually playing this? I feel an unnatural hatred here.

Catoplepas4101d ago ShowReplies(6)
EddieNX 4101d ago

I'm from England so no. But come on guys... 1 bad review ? Its like a needle in a hay stack. Nearly every other review I've seen has been between a 9 and a 10. It's obviously a genius game.

Irishguy954101d ago

It's not 1 bad review.

Also it's not a "bad" review.

Game informer and 1Up gave it a 'ok' score

Outside_ofthe_Box4101d ago

@Irishguy95

I agree with your 'ok' notion, but depending on who you are talking to 'ok' may not be considered sufficient(i.e. overachievers).

Those that settle for mediocrity or don't mind playing an 'okay' game might not see a 7/10 or a C+ as being terrible, but those that want nothing but top quality may see it as being bad. It depends on the individual on whether or not okay is acceptable.

MaxXAttaxX4101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

They're throwing a tantrum with scores like this probably because Metacritic no longer counts them lol.
___

@Irishguy95

GameInformer's review was a bad review. They brought up issues that were nonexistent. They said the game lacked save points, when in reality you can save at any time on the world map, in towns and at dungeon save points.

Bimkoblerutso4101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

No, it's excellent. Maybe not Ghibli's most creative universe or story ever, but it's still got that magic touch that no other studio has. Add that to Level 5's know how and you've got one of the best RPG's of the generation.

So far, I mean. I've only played a few hours.

sunnygrg4101d ago

1up

1up what?

1up your ahem...

Five hours into the game, I am absolutely mesmerized by it. This game would have been a disaster at the hands of Square Enix. If anybody, it had to be Level 5 and they have done a great job at capturing that Ghibli magic.

knifefight4101d ago

I beat the JP version last fall. Even after the immediate glow of finishing has worn off, it's still my favorite RPG of this generation.

I'll buy the English version soon, because I can easily sink another 90 hours into this game.

aquamala4101d ago

On the fence about this game myself.. The only JRPGs I enjoyed in the last maybe 5 years are Persona's... Just got tired of the standard JRPG "formula,", and really hoping this is not another JRPG with tons of dialog (of 12 year olds ) you have to go thru, and tedious battle system

thorstein4101d ago

Did you like Dragon Quest VIII? I am enjoying a similar experience with this one. "Tedious battle system"

It is quite intuitive, or did you mean that you don't like turned based, which would be a completely different way of looking at it.

Oh_Yeah4101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

Take it from someone who hasn't really liked a jrpg in a WHILE. This game is different. 9/10...It's not the standard tired formula of taking turns to attack..The battle system is real time ish and fun. As for the story? Yeah your a young kid but weren't we all young once? The story is actually pretty crazy if you think about it realisticly , Oliver is under a lot of stress from something bad that happened so he then developes some type of schizophrenia or post traumatic stress disorder, thus the world of Ni no kuni is made in his mind as an escape. I don't know if anyone else thinks about it like that. Anyway, this is the best jrpg I've ever played. Also this is the closest thing you'll get to an open world pokemon game on consoles..definitely don't miss this.

disturbing_flame4101d ago

I think it's the same guy that wrote the review of Far Cry 3 on 1up
He gave Far Cry 3 a B-

He is more attracted by linear games than Sandbox, i say that because he also gave a B to Borderlands 2.

Trenta274101d ago

It's beautiful, adorable, exciting, and challenging.

Aceman184101d ago

1UP opinion on a game im loving so far is garbage. same goes for gameimformer review.

beautiful, charming game so far.

rextraordinaire4101d ago

I'm 10 hours into the game, and so far enjoying every bit of it.

I don't feel like there's too much of grinding at all, and so far the game's been pretty generous about outfitting my familiars with level appropriate equipment from side quests and common "out of your way dungeon chests".

About Sidequests, they come plenty, and while some are simply about going through the motions, some others are pretty original and provide a greater challenge (Bounty hunts).

Also, 1up's reviewer complains about the lack of a physical wizard's book, but the whole book is available to browse in-game. No need to even look things up on internet, it's all there, looking mighty pretty, and full on any information you'd need.

Also, battles are usually really quick, making grinding quite easy. What frustrates me with battles is the warping visual effect before every encounter. But this has been getting on my nerves in every single old-school JRPG I ever played, and I can easily live with it and enjoy the game.

So, for me it's easily a 8.5 - 9 / 10. Best ps3 JRPG so far, in my opinion!

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 4101d ago
MoB214101d ago

While I do agree that the game kind of spoon feeds you quite a bit to start, I've been so captivated by the beauty of this game to even really care about it.

Summons754101d ago

Yeah, I played a good 3 hours before life had to take me away ad they were still giving me tutorials. Then again I don't think I've ever seen a Jrpg (besides demon/ dark souls) that doesn't give you a 5 hour tutorial that teaches you battle and gameplay in layers. It's good desgin because you don't want to teach everything at oce or people will get confused. Demon/ dark souls teaches you the basics then let's you figure the advance stuff out on your own ( also good design).

Loving ni no kuni so far and I can't wait till it fully opens up because the starting side quests were fun alone and I want to do more. Also interested to see how the story unfolds.

joab7774101d ago

Obviously i havnt got to the end yet but according to the trophy guide there is alot of post game material that isnt for the meek. The battle system may seem easy at first but is actaully very intricate. If its too hard, there is an easy setting too. My guess is that he played about 20 hrs.

And i love the expect the expected. I wish he had named the other games cut from this mold. It is true that in any jrpg there is grinding etc., but we love that, at least i do. Also, they did add a long tutorial and easy mode to make itaccessible to a broader audience as the story and graphics are charming. But, they should get alot of credit for not skimping for the hardcore players in doing this. Everyone can play this and get exactly what they want. Who knows? He probably played it on easy to get through it quick.

Blastoise4101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

Resident Evil 6 - C+

Ni No Kuni - C+

Ouch. :(

Norrison4101d ago

There's always that reviewer that won't like an awesome game, it's his opinion, but mine is diferent too, it's more like A- to me

jc485734101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

1UP gave DmC an A. -__- boss battles suck back in DmC. Waste of 60 dollars right there for a 6 hour game.

SonyNGP4101d ago

Yes, because 1UP is obviously run by 1 guy and nobody else.

ApolloTheBoss4101d ago

Finally someone who ISN'T a sheep to that terrible game.

knifefight4101d ago

Or, "If lots of people like something I don't like, it means they're sheep!"

Nice.

ApolloTheBoss4101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

@knifefight Ain't it? :) But in all seriousness, What defines a sheep?

"A group of people who lack the capacity for careful consideration, imagination, or individual thought."

What I'm saying is that people are being fooled out of their money by reviewers who are obviously being bribed by publishers into giving them an excellent score. ^^^^Proof of that is this poor individual above me, and like him or her, some people are complaining about how they spent 60 bucks on a game that they thought was complete crap. And before you argue with me about how this doesn't happen in the gaming industry, believe me it's happened plenty of times.

http://www.vgchartz.com/art...

http://theplayvault.com/wp/...

When a review site gives DmC an almost perfect A, and gives a C+ to an incredible game made by one of the most reward winning studios on the planet, you know something doesn't smell right.

jc485734101d ago (Edited 4101d ago )

bosses suck "bad." sorry for the typo.

oakshin4101d ago

watch this 1 will be 1 to make it 2 metacritic

trouble_bubble4101d ago

Shouldn't be, metacritic dropped 1up well over a year ago.

clrlite4101d ago

Phew. They probably want this to stand out with the attention of sore thumb, but I'm not buying it, and don't really care what they have to say.

I think the consensus is in and they do not seem to be apart of it.

oakshin4101d ago

good i dont know much about metacritic all i know is i want this game 2 do good so theres more of them

thorstein4101d ago

Maybe they're trying to be relevant again....so they post a trolling review.

MmaFan-Qc4101d ago

@thorstein 1up started to be a futile videogame website the day they stopped their "1up show"

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4101d ago
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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
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.

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