However, the player’s perspective begins with Roland, detailing the circumstances that bring Roland into Evan’s life. Roland, on the other hand, is written to engage older audiences, being the mature voice of reason that takes care of Evan during his journey.Īs mentioned, the overall story begins with a coup. The story surrounding Evan’s exploits as a young king really ground this game as one that should resonate with children and as one that legitimizes children’s agency. Wise Roland acts as his mentor and guide with his experience of being a world leader from the world he was suddenly torn from. The story follows the adventure of young Evan, learning to stand on his own two feet and growing into a kind and great king in a new land after a coup forces him out of his home. Though the complete party has six playable characters, the story has two main characters: Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, and Roland Crane. Though I would have appreciated if the music wasn’t so tense and threatening half the time I was in another kingdom. Being a game designed for children first and the rest of us second doesn’t rob anything substantial from the story, though we’ll get to the specifics in a bit. It’s a very sweet and slightly bitter tale catered to all audiences, mixed in with all the over-the-top fantasy that Ghibli is known for. These Studio Ghibli qualities are not only beautiful and well polished but are also easily the most powerful asset in setting the tone for the game. Former Ghibli character designer Yoshiyuki Momose and longtime music composer Joe Hisaishi reprised their roles for Revenant Kingdom. Surprise! While technically the studio was not officially involved in this installment, they were involved in its predecessor, Wrath of the White Witch. To get the obvious out of the way, with the art and music so strongly resembling Ghibli movies, you’d think Studio Ghibli had a hand in the game’s development. I experienced something amazing, inspiring even.

Anime games are no longer my forte, or at least what I personally look for.

I reviewed this installment of Ni no Kuni as a new player I hadn’t heard of the series prior, and I had only known of Level-5 off hand due to Dark Cloud, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an upcoming role-playing video game developed by Level-5, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and is scheduled to be released on March 23rd, 2018 on PC and PS4.

Ni no kuni 2 review