Ni No Kuni 2: Revant Kingdom is a new all-time classic JRPG from Level 5. Its amazing art style and anime aesthetic are second to none, and its fresh take on real time combat is deeply satisfying and strategic. If that isn’t enough, Ni No Kuni 2 packs in an addicting kingdom building aspect that deeply interconnects with everything you do in the game. It’s polished enough you’ll find yourself coming back to the kingdom to do just one more upgrade. All of this adds up to an absolutely incredible experience that I won’t forget for a very long time.
The story revolves around the young king of Ding Dong Dell named Evan, who’s father recently passed away from illness. The game begins with a man name Roland being transported to Ni No Kuni through mysterious circumstances, and finds himself in the castle of Ding Dong Dell right before a coup takes place. The coup is being led by a rat named Mausinger, Evan’s father’s most trusted adviser. Roland helps Evan escape the home he loves dearly, facing hardships along the way. Once they have escaped, Evan declares he will fulfill the promise he made to his maternalistic caretaker; to create a new kingdom free from war where people can live happily ever after.
What strikes me most about the story is how it handles its character arcs. Ni No Kuni 2 is a story about redemption through and through. Not only must King Evan redeem himself after the loss of his family’s kingdom, but his friends and foes throughout the story also rise above themselves to become something more for the greater good. Evan as a protagonist is different. He isn’t just kind to his friends, but also his enemies, Protagonists often will stop at nothing to defeat and destroy evil to achieve their goal, but Evan truly is more interested in peace and coming to a common understanding with those the oppose him. It’s unique, even inspirational.
The story maintains an excellent pace, and never keeps you in the same place for too long. The characters it adds along the way are fun and unique, and it’s always exciting when the next one is added to your party. The only downside is the characters are so finely crafted and have interesting stories when introduced, but once you’ve moved on they tend to be just along for the ride. I would have loved to find out even more about them and what motivates them after they’ve joined the crew. Cut scenes are a mix of audible monologue and text. The voice acted scenes are very well done, and it’s unfortunate that more of them aren’t done in that fashion.
The real time combat is one of the best for the genre. It is fast paced and feels extremely satisfying, but also has a huge amount of depth. Each element of the battle system is introduced at a perfectly paced drip feed, making it easy to learn while not being overwhelming. Magic attacks are particularly fun and the way they paint the screen is a visual treat. Swapping through party members on the fly adds a demonstration that keeps the moment to moment action fresh and exciting. The addition of the Higgledies to battle adds another dimension of strategy that is not only effective, but also super cute.
Building your Kingdom is a huge aspect of the game. As you go on adventures, you can recruit people to come live in your kingdom through side quests. Once they’ve arrived, it is your job to put them to work in the facilities you build effectively so that you can research to create and upgrade your weapons, armor, magic, and other aspects of the kingdom. Taking the time to expand your kingdom is an essential part of the game, and the primary way you upgrade your magic and other aspects of your characters. Luckily, the loop of building, upgrading and expanding is very fulfilling. I found myself spending huge portions of time just tinkering with it, always trying to expand and gain influence.
As far as the technical aspects, the game runs at a solid 60 FPS on PS4 and PS4 Pro. PS4 Pro features a dynamic 4K mode, but this did introduce some very minor shuddering and frame rate drops that could be noticeable to some. What’s most impressive is the implementation of HDR. I have never seen a game look so colorful and pop off the screen like this. If you don’t have the equipment for HDR, this game could put you over the edge.
Our recommendation: Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is so fantastic that it’s truly for everyone, not just fans of JRPGS. The incredible visuals and art style go hand and hand, and are unparalleled for what it is out to achieve in its anime aesthetic. The story is a well paced adventure with many memorable moments and characters along the way. The game drip feeds you new systems and features so things always stay interesting, satisfying and strategic. Ni No Kuni 2 is absolutely a must play title, and a game we’ll be talking about for years to come.
This game was provided to the reviewer by the developer, but this fact in no way impacted the score on content of the review.
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