NI NO KUNI: WRATH OF THE WHITE WITCH – (PS3)
Studio Ghibli films like My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo are well respected for their beautifully animated visuals and characters; Ni No Kuni is no different. Playing through Level-5’s captivating RPG is just like watching a Ghibli film and is one of the most alluring games that I’ve ever played, especially when it comes to looks; Studio Ghibli produced all of the cutscenes for the game, and it most definitely shows.
The main character Oliver is on a quest to save his mother from an evil witch, hence the title. Along his journey, he gets the power to befriend and tame familiars, which are the names of the creatures that you find. Each of your party members have familiars as well and they go on the battlefield with you, which is an open arena that has you controlling Oliver, casting healing spells and magic attacks while babysitting your familiar to make sure it doesn’t faint. And if you’re looking at the art style and thinking that this game is easy or for kids, you would be mistaken. Later on, Ni No Kuni gets extremely difficult and requires the utmost strategy and the right familiars to get the job done. The well-written story and the visuals alone make it worth spending some time with this game, especially if you’re a fan of animated Japanese films and JRPGs. There’s also a sequel that is coming out soon, so there is no better time to jump into the series.
