No. 4 : My GOTY list countdown to New Years thing

On 12/28/2013 at 04:28 PM by asrealasitgets

Ni No Kuni (PS3)

I got this game pretty late in the year, considering it was released at the beginning of 2013, its recent steep price drop helped me reach into my wallet to purchase it. My lack of interest at release time was due to the fact that I was already playing other JRPGs and didn’t have time for a new one.

I couldn’t stop playing the game as soon as I popped it in to my PS3, and having played through 40 hours on the first weekend says a lot about the game. If you’ve followed any of my blogs you’d get the impression that I favor portable games due to their accessible quick gaming spurts for when life is busy with work and things. So, for a game to drag me back to a couch for hours on a weekend says a lot about it.

I really appreciate smaller games that can be completed in short amounts of time, like Super Luigi U, or DMC for example, but I was a bit surprised at how this game drew me into it enough so that I didn’t want to turn it off and put the controller down. Part of it is due to the nature of the games emphasis on collectable pets, called Familiars, and the fact that there is an open world map to explore and grind. This is typical of most JRPGs of the 90’s and its very apparent here. So, the nostalgia factor and Pokemon-esque collection and battle made it so appealing to me. Not to mention the beautifully designed world, and cell shading graphics that makes it feel like you are playing a real live cartoon like Zelda: Wind Waker.

Another reason why I mostly avoid internet forums and critics is that it prevented me from wanting to play the game initially, but after spending so many hours with it, I can say waiting to make my own judgment had a huge payoff. A bit of advice I’ve learned from the past. Sometimes it’s better to wait after the hype, good or bad, to really get into a great gaming experience.

Conclusion: Ignore the hype and know what you like. This game is great!

Homelessrook

12/28/2013 at 04:36 PM

This game is awesome! I am still early in it but I have it close to the top of my top 10 of the year.

asrealasitgets

12/28/2013 at 07:17 PM

The game gets a little hectic towards the end, with all the pets running around, but strangely I found that fun. I also liked traveling back and forth between the fantasy world and real world.

Cary Woodham

12/28/2013 at 05:56 PM

This is one of my favorite games of 2013 also. You'll be able to see it on my Game of the Year blog I'll be posting soonish.

12/28/2013 at 07:18 PM

Surprised there havent been many Top game lists on here so far. I look forward to seeing your list.

12/28/2013 at 08:19 PM

And it's up!

jgusw

12/28/2013 at 06:27 PM

I thought it was a good game. I had a lot of fun playing it. My kids asked me to play it again yesterday. I enjoyed watching me play it.

12/28/2013 at 07:19 PM

I remember a similar experience with Wind Waker. People thought I was watching a live cartoon. I wish they made more games with this visual style.

Super Step Contributing Writer

12/28/2013 at 10:41 PM

Since I do like Miyazaki films, cel shading, and Pokemon was one of the few JRPGs I actually enjoyed on some level as a kid, this sounds great.

12/29/2013 at 12:32 AM

The game has a bit of animation scenes and voice acting in some parts. It is like a movie, but a game too.

KnightDriver

12/29/2013 at 04:32 AM

I gotta get back into it. I took a break after a frustrating boss, but I really want to see the whole game.

12/29/2013 at 04:44 AM

Which boss was it?

12/29/2013 at 04:46 AM

Boss Moltaan.

moltaan

12/29/2013 at 04:52 AM

Oh yeah, the boss in the volcano was a real nightmare. You basically have to hit his tail if I remember correctly. I think Oliver has an Ice Spell and, not sure if the other guy is in your group because he has an attack that works agains fire, either an ice or water attack. You have to defend before his super attack and heal a lot. Yeah, you have to swap between characters a lot in this one. You can probably level up a bit in the volcano before trying again if it helps.

12/29/2013 at 04:04 PM

So it's all timing and choice of anti-fire spells. I undstood that when I attacked him the first time,b ut I kept running out of health and had trouble getting the timing right. I left the battle to grind a bit and then got killed by lesser creatures and it made me so mad I quit. The timing is the issue. I find it difficult to execute these moves of your minions at the right time. Each time you select an action you have to wait for it to finish to start another one. Timing is a b*tch in this game. I haven't got the hang of it yet.

daftman

12/29/2013 at 02:04 PM

We picked this up as soon as the price dropped but neither me nor my wife has played it yet. I'm amazed at all the bad press it got when it came out because all the real people I've talked to about it have really liked it.

12/29/2013 at 06:00 PM

I recall it being a controversial game, meanin it had its fans and critics evenly split. Most JRPG fans seem to love it, while people who don't really care for Pokemon or grindy JRPGs from the 90s kind of just slammed it. It's different things to different people. I really liked it, but I can understand why people would hate it too.

SanAndreas

12/29/2013 at 02:20 PM

Ni no Kuni is my GOTY. Haven't seen an RPG this good since the PS2 days (well, other than the SRPG Valkyria Chronicles, that is), and the only two PS2 RPGs that are in Ni no Kuni's league IMO are Dragon Quest VIII, from the same developers no less, and Final Fantasy XII.

As for the "bad press", the gaming press has long since fallen far its heyday in the late-90s-early 2000s The days of EGM, Gamefan, and others are long dead. Mackey's review in 1UP was crap. The industry is also infected with an ugly metastasizing cancer called Metacritic. Ni no Kuni is indeed awesome. Is it perfect? No, but neither are any games that are made by Bioware, Bethesda, CD Projekt Red, Square Enix, or anyone else or that matter.

12/29/2013 at 06:04 PM

I really thought the game was good. I don't think it's ground breaking or new. It is like an old school game from PS2 days, kind of retro, and I think that also helps it. I like Pokemon and Miyazaki films and visuals and graphics are sort of important to me as well.

I agree about Valkyria Chronicles. Did you try the PSP version, it was good too. Too bad we didn't get Valkyria Chronicles 3.

PixlBit

No. 4 : My GOTY list countdown to New Years thing

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