Ni No Kuni 2 is set hundreds of years after the first . New comers to the series don’t need to worry about feeling behind if they haven’t played the first game, and can come in with no prior knowledge. King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum is the new ruler of the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell, after his father recently fell ill and passed away. As the game begins, a middle aged gentleman is mysteriously whisked away to the parallel fantasy world of Ni No Kuni, where he suddenly becomes a much younger man and goes by Roland. He finds himself in King Evan’s castle during a coup being led by Mausinger, one of his deceased father’s most trusted advisers and leader of a mouse uprising. Roland and Evan fight their way out of the castle, but not without hardships. Once free from danger, Evan decides to continue on and build a new kingdom with help from Roland, free from war, where people can live happily ever after.
For a game with such a colorful and bright aesthetic, I was struck by some of the darker situations in its opening, and also the political elements. Yeah, it may seem a bit childish to have a story where animals and humans live along side one another, but Ni No Kuni 2 isn’t afraid to introduce more complicated implications, such as class and status among the species. Evan is particularly interesting, as he is half Grimalkin (a species of humanoid cats) and half human, and his father was known for trying to create peace among all of the species.
Building a kingdom is no easy task, and over the course of the first few hours of the game, King Evan and Roland find themselves in numerous dicey situations along the way, as well as gaining a few friends. Once finally settled with a plot of land and a team of trusted advisers, the game begins to open up its rich world and systems.
The first few hours of the game not only have an excellently paced story, but also a perfect drip feed of new skills, mechanics and systems. Each new element of the game is introduced at the perfect pace to keep things fresh, but not too soon, which would make it confusing. What’s most striking is how deep the combat and systems of the game feel, but also how simple they are to understand.
Combat is fast paced, satisfying, and a visual treat with its array of magic attacks and abilities. There are numerous systems in place, such as weapon and character swapping that makes each battle more than just button mashers to eliminate the foes. Characters level at a steady pace, and equipping new armor and weapons adds a level of customization. Enemies have different elemental strengths and weakness to exploit, so equipping proper gear and magic can put you at a huge advantage.
The large scale world map is varied with diverse locations and environments, like grassy fields, mountains, and beaches. These encompass cities, dungeons and other places that you can explore more deeply.
One of the biggest surprises is building and upgrading your kingdom. As King Evan and his crew go on adventures, people of all species and skill sets come to join the new kingdom. It is your job to put them to work in the facilities you build effectively, so you can research to create and upgrade your weapons, armor, magic, and other aspects of the kingdom. As you expand, your kingdom will gain more influence and a stronger cash flow, creating an addicting loop.
In the time during my preview, Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom has impressed and surprised me over and over again. Its jaw dropping visuals, engaging story and refreshingly fast paced battle system has me excited to dive back in each time I play.
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