More Fast-Paced, Less Micromanaging
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was a gorgeous game with a heartfelt story, but its battle system was certainly its most lacking element. Things just felt far too slow-paced, and you ended up micromanaging your familiars instead of actively using your characters in battle, especially in the later parts of the game. After playing Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom at E3 2017, it’s clear Bandai Namco has made some big changes to combat, completely revamping it and giving it speed that puts the first game to shame. Ni No Kuni II’s battle system probably feels most like a Tales game, in truth, both because of the speed and way that you link attacks together.
Ni No Kuni II casts you as King Evan PettiWhisker trying to reclaim his kingdom after a coup. You control Evan directly in battle, but Bandai Namco has really upped the speed you run at. Evan dashes around the battlefield as you move him, and even has a quick dodge roll assigned to L1. This move lets you speedily duck out of the way as enemies attack, and it’s much easier to get around now. On top of that, things are far more action-oriented, letting you string light and heavy attacks together with the square and triangle buttons, or attack from range as well.
Another important distinction for Ni No Kuni II is the absence of any micromanagement, letting you focus almost entirely on the actions of your characters. There is, however, an interesting new set of allies you’ll gain in battle…
