Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom

Ni No Kuni II isn’t a bad game by any means. In fact, I had a lot of fun during the first few hours—the world is charming, the visuals are beautiful, and the music is great. The game has that signature Studio Ghibli-inspired magic that makes everything feel whimsical and full of heart. However, as time went on, I found the experience became a bit too childish and overly simplistic. The story, while initially engaging, didn’t evolve in a way that kept me hooked. The combat, which felt fresh early on, eventually grew repetitive and lacked the depth needed to stay exciting throughout the whole adventure. One of the biggest letdowns for me was the army battles and kingdom-building mechanics. The “pitched battles” felt clunky and disconnected from the rest of the game, and I often dreaded having to participate in them. They disrupted the pacing rather than adding meaningful variety. That said, there were enjoyable moments, and I still appreciate the game's aesthetic and the effort put into its world-building. I might give it another shot in the future, but as it stands, Ni No Kuni II is a beautiful game that, for me, lacked the staying power to keep me fully invested.

[h1] Казка, яку хочеться прожити [/h1] Гра з самого початку огортує магією, чарівністю та своєю простотой. Те, що почалося з простого ісекаю, перетворюється на мрію про мир та життя без війни. Враховуючи реалії сьогодення, може навіть трошки навести суму. [h3] Історія про справжню пригоду [/h3] Нехай ми спочатку починаємо за ісекайнутого чоловіка середніх літ, далі ми продовжуємо шлях маленьким королем – Еваном. Юний котик, який втратив трон, батька та наставницю. Але не надію. Разом з новим другом Еван відправляється підкорювати серця людей, щоб разом з ними створити нове королівство, де всі будуть посміхатися. Пригода наповнена святою простотою, наївністю та прямоленійністтю – сюжет без спроб бути чимось більшим, однак це не заважає їй бути дуже щирою та зворушливою. Гра наглядно показує, що доброта та віра в людей, чудові та вірні друзі здатні змінити долю цілого світа. [spoiler] В кінці розплакалась. [/spoiler] [h3] Забудьте про РПГ [/h3] Не тому що геймплей не покрокова стратегія – бої динамічні, а на харді бували навіть дуже болючі. Але це не головне. Втягуючись, стаєш будівельником, а не воїном. Пройшла місію – пішла зібрала дань з народу, побудувала затишний сад, врожайний город та покращила розкішний торговий квартал. Серйозно, я більше думала про своє королівство, ніж битву з черговим монстром. Це перетворюється на рутину, але все одно як мала дитини радієш, коли прогрес досяг того успіху, що нарешті дропнув потрібний мені для крафту предмет)) А ще міні-війни навіть забавні. Особливо той чувак, що невтомно намагався відібрати моє королівство. Йди в сраку, Гальбейн, я не віддам те, над чим так плідно працювала! Як підсумок, не можу сказати чогось поганого. Бо це в принципі не та гра, від якої щось очікуєш на першому запуску. Мені дуже сподобалась ця тепла пригода, я грала, відволікаючись від рутини реального життя через рутину маленького короля) Яскрава графіка, душевні саундтреки та персонажі, в яких не сумніваєшся ні на секунду. [quote] Розлучаючись із близькими, зустрічаючи когось нового, вагаючись у сумнівах, ми крок за кроком рухаємося вперед.[/quote]

Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom is a captivating blend of classic JRPG storytelling, vibrant world-building, and innovative kingdom management mechanics that offers a rich and rewarding experience for fans of the genre and newcomers alike. Developed by Level-5 and published by Bandai Namco, the game stands out for its charming art style—heavily influenced by Studio Ghibli—and its ambitious scope, combining traditional role-playing elements with city-building simulation in a way that feels both fresh and familiar. From its heartfelt narrative to its dynamic combat system and deep customization options, Revenant Kingdom is a vibrant adventure that balances whimsy and weighty themes with remarkable finesse. The story centers around Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, a young king who is unexpectedly thrust onto the throne after a coup overthrows his kingdom of Ding Dong Dell. Stripped of his crown and cast into exile, Evan embarks on a grand quest to reclaim his rightful place and build a new kingdom where all people can live in harmony. Along the way, he gathers a diverse cast of allies, each with their own unique backgrounds and motivations, enriching the narrative with compelling character interactions and growth. The tale is classic fantasy at heart, filled with themes of friendship, leadership, and hope, but it’s delivered with a sincerity and charm that keeps it engaging throughout. The voice acting is generally solid, and the dialogue strikes a nice balance between lighthearted humor and emotional depth. One of the most striking aspects of Ni no Kuni II is its gorgeous presentation. The game’s visuals are a seamless extension of the Studio Ghibli-inspired aesthetic established in the first game, with lush, colorful environments that feel alive and inviting. From sweeping landscapes to bustling towns and intricately designed dungeons, every area is crafted with care and detail, creating a world that players will want to explore. The character designs are equally memorable, blending whimsical fantasy elements with touches of realism that make each party member stand out. The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, featuring sweeping orchestral pieces that underscore emotional moments and energetic battle themes that heighten the excitement of combat. Combat in Revenant Kingdom is a significant evolution from the turn-based style of the original Ni no Kuni. It adopts a real-time action RPG system that is fast-paced, tactical, and accessible. Players control a main character while commanding a party of AI-controlled allies, switching between characters on the fly to unleash unique abilities and combos. This system encourages strategic thinking, as you must balance offense, defense, and the use of special skills and items to overcome a wide variety of enemies and bosses. The game also includes a “Higgledies” mechanic, where small elemental creatures assist you in battle with buffs, healing, or attacks, adding another layer of depth and strategy. The combat feels fluid and satisfying, though it occasionally leans on button mashing during easier encounters. Beyond the combat, the kingdom-building aspect sets Ni no Kuni II apart from many other JRPGs. After reclaiming a foothold, Evan begins constructing and managing his own kingdom, Evermore, which grows and develops as you complete quests, recruit citizens, and upgrade facilities. This simulation element is surprisingly robust and rewarding, involving resource management, building upgrades, and diplomatic decisions that affect the story and gameplay. Kingdom management creates a refreshing break from the traditional RPG exploration and combat, providing tangible goals and a sense of progression that resonates with the overarching narrative of restoring and uniting a fractured land. The mini-games, crafting, and side quests tied to kingdom-building also add variety and depth. The pacing of Ni no Kuni II is generally well-balanced, with a good mix of main story missions, side quests, and exploration. The world is populated with plenty of optional content, including collectible hunts, challenging bosses, and minigames, which help flesh out the experience and encourage players to delve deeper into the lore. However, the game can sometimes feel a bit slow or repetitive, especially in the mid-to-late game sections where kingdom management tasks and fetch quests may bog down the momentum. That said, the developers’ attention to detail and storytelling flair usually keep the player invested. One minor criticism lies in the AI behavior of your party members, which, while competent, occasionally makes questionable tactical choices during intense battles, requiring manual intervention or switching between characters more often than desired. Additionally, while the real-time combat system is engaging, it might lack some of the depth and complexity hardcore JRPG fans crave, occasionally making battles feel less challenging once you become familiar with enemy patterns and combos. Overall, Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom is a charming, beautifully crafted RPG that successfully merges heartfelt storytelling, engaging combat, and innovative kingdom-building into a cohesive and memorable package. Its imaginative world and characters, combined with the freedom to shape your own kingdom, offer a unique and satisfying experience that will appeal to a wide range of players. Whether you’re drawn by the rich narrative, the fluid action combat, or the management elements, Revenant Kingdom provides an enchanting journey filled with magic, adventure, and the enduring hope of rebuilding a broken world. Rating: 8/10

After sinking hours into Ni no Kuni II, I can say it's one of those games that's genuinely hard to pin down — it's charming and cozy in a way that almost nothing else is, like a playable Studio Ghibli film where you help a catboy king build a kingdom and unite the world through sheer optimism. The action combat is smooth and satisfying, the kingdom-building scratches a real itch, and Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack is predictably gorgeous. That said, the story starts strong and then slides into a repetitive formula — visit kingdom, expose corrupt ruler, forgive everyone, repeat — and the late game grinds to a halt with tedious fetch quests and RNG gear farming. If you played and loved the first game, temper your expectations, because the depth and heart of Wrath of the White Witch just isn't here. But if you want something genuinely nice — not gritty, not punishing, just warm — and you grab it on sale, it's absolutely worth your time.

finally got out of that damn tutorial

8/10 JRPG, Party Based, Kingdom Management Game! If you guys like JRPG, party based game, and managing something, then this game is FOR YOU! The graphic and the music are AMAZING. Also the story is good and unique. The game also has a mechanic like in Mount And Blade, where you lead your army to fight other armies. THE COMBAT STILL JANKY THO

I'm gonna need that third entry asap.

Oddball of a game, it's like a wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to be a JRPGs when it's in fact an open world action adventure game with RPG elements and it's funny, it does so much genre bending I don't really feel inclined into calling it and RPG by any stretch. Mechanically bloated, and narratively fine that I can't really recommend it wholeheartedly

Played this on the Switch and it was an horrible experience with lowres texture and dubious framerate. Luckily the Steam version is there to save the day... bad point, no idea why Level 5 tought it was a good idea to encrypt the save file, so if you extract this game save from your Switch you won't be able to continue it on the PC contrary to a lot of other games ! BEWARE. The entire experience feels like a gentle fairy tale — very pure, very kind, almost like King’s Ranking. The story follows a classic isekai setup, with simple dialogue (lots of kana, few kanji), so even playing in English feels like reading comprehension practice. It’s childlike in tone, filled with animated cutscenes, but that’s also part of its charm. The art style is what attracts most people — that “Miyazaki-but-not-quite” look. Compared to the first game, the Ghibli feeling is a bit weaker (mostly due to how some 3D elements are rendered differently from the characters), yet it’s still gorgeous overall. Screenshots from this game should honestly be printable posters. Gameplay-wise, it’s a huge improvement over the first game. Combat went from slow, turn-based to fluid real-time action — it’s like jumping from classic Final Fantasy to something closer to Monster Hunter-lite. Town-building and a small real-time strategy mode were added too. They aren’t mandatory unless you're aiming for all achievements, but developing your kingdom early helps a lot with side quests. Speaking of side quests: there are many. Most are just “collect this” or “go talk to that person,” but midgame fast-travel makes them painless. The DLC introduces Dream Dungeon, a roguelike mode that’s actually fun… until you forget the game doesn’t let you save inside and lose hours of progress. (Yes, it happened to me. Twice. On Expert.) In general: Beautiful visuals and music ✅ Easy to get into, great for JRPG newcomers ✅ Adults should start on at least Hard, otherwise the combat becomes too easy ✅ Even if the story doesn’t leave a deep emotional scar the way other JRPGs might, the overall package — visuals, music, combat, town building, exploration — makes it a delightful and well-rounded game, especially at a discount. Also: after finishing the main story, don’t quit. Load the save with the asterisk — extra content awaits.