HomeFeaturesNi No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Have You Played… Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom?Let us settle our Pettiwhisker differences
Let us settle our Pettiwhisker differences
Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witchwasn’t actually on PC at the time Revenant Kingdom arrived in 2018, so unless you played the PlayStation 3 original back in the day, it’s likely that your first experience of Ni No Kuni was via a tour of Revenant Kingdom. That’s since been rectified with last year’s release of Wrath Of The White Witch Remastered, but having recently played both in quick succession, it’s the sequel that still comes out on top for me.
Indeed, part of Ni No Kuni II’s charm is that it’s just chock full of great ideas, making it feel like one of the most refreshing JRPGs I’ve played in ages. More importantly, a lot of its ideas tap into the rich veins of my favourite PC genres, from a light bit of town management to head-scratching RTS battles. It’s not going to trouble the very best examples of those respective genres, of course, but as someone who once enjoyed these sorts of games many moons ago, the chance to reacquaint myself with my PC gaming past became the kind of diversion I actively looked forward to when I needed a break from the main story.
The central plot will be pretty familiar to anyone who’s played a JRPG before (a prince dethroned, a land in peril, friends and nations to unite, evil to overthrow etc), but it’s those extra PC-friendly nods that make it so engrossing. Every sidequest feeds back into growing your new, titular kingdom, whether it’s the reward of a new villager who comes to live in your town or ingredients for crafting new weapons, spells and armour in your newly-constructed shops. There is always something to improve or get to the next level, and it’s one of the few games where I’ve actively sought out as many sidequests as possible.
Round that off with smart, real-time combat (with AI-controlled companions who’ve actually been given a brain this time round instead of floundering around doing single-digit damage like my party did in Wrath Of The White Witch), a fantastic voice cast, a gorgeous Joe Hisaishi-composed orchestral score andNi No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdomhas all the makings of an all-time classic. Fancy giving it a go? You can get onSteamorHumble.
