130°
6.5

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review (Vivid Gamer)

What do you take when you mix the beauty and imagination of Studio Ghibli with the tried-and-true familiarity of the Dragon Quest games, add a splash of Pokémon, a dash of Zelda, and a hybrid turn-based, action battle system reminiscent of the Tales of series? Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, a lengthy interactive fairytale JRPG for PS3.

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vividgamer.com
TheLiztress4056d ago

I started this game and while I adore the art style and story, I'm having trouble getting into it as much as I want to.

rrquinta4056d ago

I've actually talked to a lot of people who are in your same shoes, and I really think it has a lot to do with how poorly paced the game is. It takes far too long to unlock the good stuff or fast travel, for example.

jony_dols4056d ago

Played the demo & really tried to like it, but I'm not a big JRPG fan so I couldn't get into it...

fermcr4056d ago (Edited 4056d ago )

Yes, i have to agree. Love the art style but... I've played for about 3 hours and don't find it that interesting. Haven't played for a couple of weeks now, maybe return to it later on.

Nathaniel_Drake4056d ago

Give it time it takes a little bit to get it started but when you get the hang of the battle system and start to understand it the game starts to come together

Also you need to do a lot of grinding to get the high priced weapons for your familiars. I think the problem is that their are too many familiars to where it might seem overwhelming but you eventually find a group you like ad that when the game starts to get really good

HammadTheBeast4056d ago

The thing is, this is exactly how JRPG's are supposed to be. The story is supposed to slowly ramp up and the pacing in Ni No Kuni is fantastic. Sadly, most people can't appreciate it anymore. Even if the pacing was horrible, 6.5/10 is way too low for this.

fsfsxii4056d ago

What keeps me from this game is the art style, i don't like anime much

Arai4056d ago (Edited 4056d ago )

It's a lame review at best, I suppose classic RPG's have been absent for too long this generation that people forgot what they were like.

tiffac0084056d ago (Edited 4056d ago )

You hit the nail in the coffin sir.

This generation has been bloated with fast paced games. Its not surprising a lot of gamers today cannot comprehend games with methodical passing.

Also lets not forget the story is done by Studio Ghibli and if your not accustomed to the masterpieces they have created through out the years then Ni no Kuni will definitely feel slow to you.

theherp804055d ago

I've only read reviews of this game and it seems like most people enjoy it a lot. That said I stay away from JRPGs because they aren't that fun. If it takes 20 hrs to get fast travel that means you'll be running around from place to place constantly and that doesn't seem fun.

THe reason this generation has been bloated with fast paced rpgs is because they are more fun, simple as that.

tiffac0084055d ago (Edited 4055d ago )

That is your opinion sir and what can I do but to respect it even though I do not agree with it. Of course, I believe "fast paced" is not the main formula that makes games "fun".

I always believe that if we keep an open mind, play the games for what they are and not for what we believe they should be. We can find ways to love and enjoy them.

Then again, its all about the money we spend in the end. lol!

@DigitalAnalog (below)

Wasn't the book in the game and the hard copy the same?

thaimasker4056d ago

If your gonna do a review 2 months late at least make it a good one. and 6.5? Seriously . I can see how not everyone will not like/love the game but cmon.

Kinger89384056d ago

im at 30 hours but havent played in weeks, need to pull myself back into it

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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."

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wegamedaily.com
Relientk7795d 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?

phoenixwing94d ago

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

shinoff218394d ago (Edited 94d ago )

I swear they just announced a few new games.

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

phoenixwing94d ago

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

Michiel198993d 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.

thorstein93d 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.

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-Foxtrot94d 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.

goldwyncq93d ago

If you want more Oliver, just watch the movie.

shinoff218394d ago

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

melons94d ago

The premium games didn't sell amazingly, right?

shinoff218394d ago

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

Michiel198993d 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.

Inverno94d 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.

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altarofgaming.com
shinoff2183257d ago (Edited 257d 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.

jznrpg257d 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.

CrimsonWing69257d ago (Edited 257d 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.

shinoff2183256d ago (Edited 256d 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

GameBoyColor256d 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.

Tapani256d ago (Edited 256d 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!

FinalFantasyFanatic256d 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_forever256d 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

-Foxtrot257d ago (Edited 257d 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.

goldwyncq256d ago

The monster catching mechanic was nice.

Eonjay256d ago

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

shinoff2183256d 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.

FinalFantasyFanatic256d ago

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

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 256d ago
CS7256d 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.

goldwyncq256d ago

Still better than XV and XVI.

Yui_Suzumiya257d ago

Drakengard 3 goes for a small fortune nowadays

Knightofelemia257d ago (Edited 257d 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.

DarkZane257d ago

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

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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."

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twinfinite.net
ModsDoBetter279d 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 Butt279d ago

Never knew Last Guy had a physical release.

gold_drake279d ago (Edited 279d 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.

roadkillers279d 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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