Topic: Ni No Kuni 2 for Nintendo Switch

Another quality release that deserves a thread.

I started playing today, got about 1.5 hrs in. It’s a little uneven with Framerate but serviceable enough. Especially in handheld where it’s less noticeable. I’m really enjoying it. This is my third time getting into this game, but ya, it’s great. Surprised nobody else is talking about it. Then again, there’s been so many great games releasing back to back to back, with Cruis’n Blast, WarioWare, Eastward, Sonic Colors, Ni No Kuni 2, all releasing in the last week or two and Diablo 2, Darksiders 3, DBZ Kakarot, Monkey Ball and Metroid right around the corner, I imagine people are having a hard time keeping up.

@JaxonH
I want to ask about the PS4 version as well. Does the PS4 version have update or patch before playing the game for the first time ?

@Anti-Matter
Yes. It’s not “required” I don’t think, but it has tons of bug fixes. And they released a whole host of updates after the first as well. Plus the DLC.

Curious about these games, heard mixed things about it on certain areas that I feel like it would kill it for me. I think one of them was grinding/pacing...?

@Joeynator3000
It's no different than any other JRPG. If you rush through, you may be in a situation where you have to grind a bit. If you play normally, that should never happen.

Ni No Kuni and Ni No Kuni 2 are really, really incredible games. You can get the first for $24.99 on Amazon right now. I'd recommend grabbing that. The first has a more unconventional battle system that involves some menu selection. Many love it, some don't. I like it- but admittedly I like the combat in the second more. It's more action based like a Tales game with dodging and blocking and stuff. No menus.

Still. Either way you can't go wrong. Many considered the original Ni No Kuni to be the greatest JRPG of the 7th generation, as it released on the PS3 right before PS4 launched.

Yeah I sometimes prefer the classic menu-based RPG stuff, so I guess I'll try the first game first, then. Maybe I misread or misunderstood a complaint I guess.

...also the first game is on sale for about $12 on the eshop...lol

@Joeynator3000
Wow, that's a score!

The first game also runs native 720p in handheld mode. Looks very crisp and sharp. The second has lower res and less stable framerate. But it's a more demanding game. Not to put down the second, I think it's a reasonably competent Switch port, just not as perfect as the first.

Ni no Kuni's borderline broken battle system, annoying spell manipulation to advance the plot/complete side quests, and forgettable monster-collecting elements really brought it down for me. It would have been long forgotten without the Ghibli art/music.

I've heard the elements I took issue with in the original release were changed in the sequel, so I do want to eventually try it.

Broken how? o.o

Dunno about the monster collecting, but I always enjoyed those...but usually other game mechanics end up making me not like those games as much.

I forget which one on the DS had this example, but I tried one of the Dragon Quest games that had monster collecting. To me the battles were just...really boring and repetitive.

I loved the first game and really looking forward to playing the second one, but I have too many games in the backlog right now, and I know it will go down in price like the first one did.

I do think it is one of those games that you are just going to have to try, though. Some people love it, some hate it. Some like the first one better, some like the second one. I don't believe you will be able to get an idea of whether you will like it or not until you play it yourself. But I don't think the monster hunting is really a chore or even a necessity. You will get a fair amount of them just from normal playing, and you can generally stick to 2 or 3 of your favorites if you want. So you can do as much or as little with it as you want, depending on if it's something you enjoy doing. There are some side quests that require capturing certain monsters which were a bit of a pain, but they are completely optional.

I never bothered with "collecting them all", even in Pokemon, so I don't care about that part anyways. xD

@Joeynator3000 It's real time combat with a menu interface, except time doesn't slow down when you're digging around your menu. Basically, it combines the worst aspects of both turn-based and real-time RPG combat systems.

Bosses will frequently cast super-attacks that require you to defend as well. But, until you learn the "all out defense" command 20 hours in or so, you're not given enough time to choose to defend yourself AND your allies, which leads to them dying frequently and leaving you to fight them alone. And even after you learn it, you're still given almost no time to defend AND have your allies defend.

Your monsters will also frequently have pathing issues that make it where they don't attack enemies until you recall and then release them again.

And ally AI is moronic at the best of times.

Oh, it's still real time in the first game? Thought it was turn-based...>.<

@Joeynator3000
It’s not turn based, but it’s menu based for attacks. It does feel a bit awkward at first but honestly it grew on me. Not everyone feels so strongly against the game. Obviously there’s never any guarantee somebody will like something but, you can read reviews here which, for the most part, are overwhelmingly positive at an 84/100 aggregate and 80/100 user aggregate. The original PS3 version also scored within 1 point of this, so it’s not just a fluke either.

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-th...

Yeah I think i saw reviews for it already, I may just get it since the eShop verion of the first game is cheap.

I hope this game goes on sale as much as the first game does lol.

Alright, got the first game...this was my first few seconds of gameplay. lol

@Joeynator3000
LOL 😆
I thought he will get hit by car by literally and Game Over.

...I kinda want to use a meme from this clip...xD

I don't understand the hate for the first No No Kuni, for me it was very enjoyable and easily worth the 120 hours I invested into it.

The only thing I agree with is that having to manually select every ally to defend himself is stupid and very difficult to do, but the option "defend all" is unlocked very early in the game.

The story was very engaging and the pacing felt pretty natural, I was always looking forward the next part of the story without feeling like getting stuck somewhere for too long.

I also really liked the mix between action and turn based RPG, as I am often not in the mood for full blown action RPGs but I also want something faster than turn based RPGs.

Overall, the first one was an 8/10 for me and I really liked the familiar system, so I am not sure I will get the second one, even though I hear good things about this port...