Level-5 Launches New Ni no Kuni Game In The West - Features Crypto And Blockchain, Will Add NFTs

Triple whammy... my god.

This is case in point for why I and countless other gaming enthusiasts will NEVER support mobile games. They're ubiquitous with the absolute worst, greediest, and most exploitative business models around, and they're always pushing those boundaries further. Sure, they may make absurd amounts of money anyway for their publishers, but at least I can say not one red cent of it will ever come from my wallet.

What an Earth? No thank you. Love the two Ni No Kuni games. This is sad.

Another game “play-to-win” … it’s nothing new…
Has been happening since WoW and before even cryptos existed.

Played it for all about 5 minutes. Just one of a billion games that literally plays itself. Auto run to quest, tap some story, auto run to next point. Sure, you can just not do that but it's always an instant turn off for me when my character in just takes off on his own. Quick uninstall. Does look pretty though.

I'll defend GOOD mobile games, of which there are a bunch (Apex is endlessly better in every aspect on mobile than Switch), but this sure isn't one of them.

This infuriates me. Sometimes I wish I could go through the entire aussie curse word library on this website.

And I thought Fantasty Life had the worst fate a franchise could bear...this is Fantasy Life's route on steroids...

Level-5 is THAT desperate for money, huh?...

Oh Level-5...how far you have fallen. I'm actually quite sad to see what you have become...

"Features Crypto And Blockchain, Will Add NFTs"
and as a special unlockable: child labor! All profits go directly into military tech and the NRA. And you can pay microtransactions for your own Peter Thiel Ghibli skin (at night it becomes a reptile!!!).

btw the game itself looks very good. I mean if this isn't going ftp, I'd be really shocked. They probably saw the success of Genshin Impact and thought "hey... genshin impact is somehow influenced by BotW which was influenced by Ghibli. Meaning we need to to this"
I mean time will tell if they were right. If its ftp I'll have a look.

I'm not that beat up about Ni no Kuni ending up like this because the art style was the only thing I liked about it to begin with, and it's popular enough to get a more traditional sequel eventually if this bombs. I am still pretty sore about Fantasy Life going the mobile route, though.

Is nothing sacred anymore?

Remember when Level 5 was best know for Professor Layton, Fantasy Life, and many other stuff? now they are just a former shell riddled with cryptocurrency, NFTs, and Blockchain for their recent mobile games now.

So in a year's time we'll be hearing about this "game" shut down or make record profits.

Wow and I was actually going too download it and give it a shot, you can forget me doing that.

Blockchain isn't that bad, that's just the technology. But Crypto's and NFTs are just the worst. There is about 0 chance I will ever buy this game.

@Aozz101x Level-5 can go bankrupt for all I care at this point and hope this will blow up in their faces.

They have become lazy as F! They couldn't even be bothered to release the Yokai Watch 1 Switch port to the West, even though all translation was already done with the 3DS version. So there was literally no reason to hold that back.

Yo-kai Watch 4 for Switch they promised to release in the West also never happened.

Ghibli is making sure that those beautiful nature scenes they animate won't exist anymore in real life

I was reminiscing yesterday about how its a bummer that Level-5 hasn't released much in the past few years. I take it back, if this is what they have become they're better off releasing nothing. I love Fantasy Life, Professor Layton, Yo-Kai Watch and Ni no Kuni with all of my heart, but this is downright depressing

That's certainly a ni-NO-kuni from me.

Level-5 joined an exclusive list with EA where I will never buy another one of their games. (Which I've upheld for 12 years in EA's case).

It looks like what little 2D animation this has wasn't even made by Studio Ghibli.
Studio Ghibli, even when they went to making 3D CGI films, has a unique analogue style to their films that is rarely ever captured in animation. It makes their anime films look like '80s and '90s anime even when they are made digitally.
They have what they called the Ponyo Filter where they filter the clean digital files with 35mm film artefacts like grain and gate weave.

They actually started this trend of making digital film look analogue, which can either be done with an artificial filter (like what was done with Rian Johnson's Knives Out, The Cuphead Show, and the new Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie) or by printing out the digital video to 35mm film then scanning it back to analogue (which was done for Dune 2021 and The Batman 2022).
What little 2D animation is here looks too clean to be from Ghibli. It almost looks like a generic anime TV series rather than a Ghibli film.
Studio Ghibli still applied this 35mm film filter to the cutscenes in Wrath of the White Witch, even on the Nintendo DS version.

I'm checking Studio Ghibli's official Japanese site and they have no mention of Cross Worlds anywhere, and Wrath of the White Witch is the only Ni no Kuni entry officially made with Studio Ghibli.
Yoshiyuki Momose (an animator at Studio Ghibli and Studio Ponoc) still did the character designs for later entries and even directed the movie, and Joe Hisaishi (who did compose the soundtracks to most of Miyazaki's films and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) did the soundtrack but Wrath of the White Witch is the only one officially made by Ghibli.

This is gonna be even worse than the movie that OLM (Pokemon) and Warner Bros. made.
That movie bombed so hard in Japan that it was only dumped to Netflix streaming internationally with little fanfare.

Also, Level-5 only licenced their IP to Netmarble. It looks like Netmarble is using the Ni no Kuni name in vain to make illegitimate money.
And what makes it even worse is that they have to drive the good names of Studio Ghibli and Level-5 down with it.
I'm pretty sure Netmarble didn't use Studio Ghibli's name in the marketing with permission. That would not be the scummiest thing they are doing.
I'm pretty sure Studio Ghibli would want to cut ties with Netmarble after all of this. They may even want to cut ties with Level-5.
Level-5 would probably have to cut all ties with Netmarble to prove to everyone that they have little involvement in the actual development of this game.

If Netmarble were a single person, I would go full Will Smith on them and tell them to keep Studio Ghibli's name out their mouth.

Less one company to support then.

Ni No Thank You

We've peaked as a species

Why couldn't they just be less greedy and just stick to gacha?!

@PBandSmelly Netmarble is to blame for this. Studio Ghibli had no involvement in any Ni no Kuni project past the first.
Netmarble is using the Studio Ghibli name and tarnishing it without their actual permission.

Sad to see Level 5 stoop so low. Guess they're on my list of companies to no longer support.

I'll be honest, I saw Crypto and for a fraction of a split-second I thought the game would have Crypto from Destroy All humans in it for some bizarre reason.

Profesor Layton jumped ship, he knew.

Cursed NFT things. 😤

I'm kinda interested now so I might try it out. Blockchain amd NFTs are gonna be a big part of future gaming so might as well embrace it.

Get used to it, this is the future. Most big gaming companies will embrace it eventually, no matter how much you fight it. There's just too much money to be made with it.

@Dragonstar Why should we get used to it? If enough people oppose something that is objectively bad, they might quit. If not, we always have a choice not to play this garbage and boycott these practices. Change can only happen if people voice their opinions, or keep their hands on their wallets.

Call Simon Belmont cuz they’ve gone full vampire with this one..

Wasn't Ni no Kuni a wonderful game, beautifully crafted with Ghibli charm and love? No silly, here's an NFT game!

How the mighty have fallen. Thank heavens they don't make Professor Layton games anymore. I'd be crestfallen to see them end up like this crap.

Why is everyone surprised....? Mobile games have been calling y'all whales for years while y'all gobble down all their scammy goodness. This fits right the ***** in w their entire purpose. Crypto found a relative is all this is.

I feel nothing. The game looks nice but isn't a high priority for me, especially with other mobile stuff competing for time (and at the moment, storage - Genshin's new 7 Gb update had BETTER result in a significantly smaller size increase after installation🙄😅) or the franchise flagship backlog available on Switch. But I'm not gonna feign indignation over the fashionably "controversial" details here either. I don't even bother with item trade in Warframe, why would I give a damn of either polarity about NFTs, cryptos, blockchains and other first world buffoonery? Unless they also add obligatory 5-7 Gb of internal storage bloat, at least.😂

@Dragonstar
I hate the future like that.

@HollowSpectre "So in a year's time we'll be hearing about this "game" shut down or make record profits."

and one of those news items will always speak the truth, and the other one always lies.

@RainbowGazelle : The Lady Layton game on 3DS included paid DLC for cosmetics and a few other things, from memory, and on top of having no stereoscopic 3D, was easily the worst value and the lowest quality Layton game on the platform.

I skipped it hoping that a complete edition would be released on another platform, and my instincts were proven correct, but I shudder to think of where Level-5 would take this series next if they were ever inclined to do so.

Big oof. This just makes me sad and disappointed. Hard to believe this is the same company that gave us all the great Professor Layton games.

So sad that one of my favorite RPG developers succumbs to this greedy low abominable practice. We will never support this and it’s terrible to see them do this!

Pure garbage at its finest. Can't believe Studio Ghibli even contribute to this trash. Oh well hope this doesn't come back to bite them in the end.

Nintendo, buy Level 5 already!

Well... I'm think that the Level-5 forget about Ushiro's existence and promises of realising that game on Nintendo Switch. How many years ago it was announced? And how much news about game's development process we got? Almost nothing. Considering their new releases, including this awful Ni no Kuni game... Very likely that Ushiro is silently cancelled again. First time on PSP, second time on Nintendo Switch.

Lol, contains everything we hate! Avoid like the plague guys...avoid like the plague!

@Silly_G I got it as a present, but haven't played it yet. Was worried it would somehow ruin the story of the series. Without spoiling, is it worth me playing it? Does she find Layton? Do we find out who the mother is? Is it a complete story or left hanging?

Yikes that's all the bad things. Though Studio Ghibli were only involved with the original japan exclusive DS game and Wraith of the white witch . They weren't officially invoked in ni no kuni 2 onwards.

@RainbowGazelle : It was open-ended, from memory. She doesn’t (technically) find him, and the game ends on a somewhat vague riddle in that regard. I don’t recall the mother being mentioned at all, let alone making an appearance.

The story and puzzles are weaker than previous games, but I still enjoyed my time with it. But time has probably been kind as it’s been a number of years since I had last completed a Layton game, but had I played it off the back of any of the other games, I probably would not have enjoyed it as much.

I’d still recommend a play-through, but keep your expectations in check, and don’t expect the sorts of twists and turns that made earlier games so captivating. For all of its shortcomings, I wouldn’t say that it “ruins” the series, but it’s certainly the weakest entry to date. If you ever pick it up on Switch, use of a stylus is essential IMO.

This is just a massive shame. I adored the first game and I’m enjoying the second game at the moment on Switch (not as much as the first one but it’s still great). Is this the third game Level 5 said they were making or is it entirely separate?

I already was put off the fact its by one of most greediness company netmarble it doesn't have the best reputation but this is just sad mobile gaming is poor cash grab attempt.

I can only hope this flops hard.

@Roibeard64 It also looks like Level-5 had little involvement in this or in the Netflix movie.
This game and the movie just used the Ni no Kuni licence from Level-5 but were not actually from Level-5.

Also, the subtitle of the Japan-only DS game was officially Dominion of the Dark Djinn (according to the soundtrack CD) but the literal subtitle and the fan translation's subtitle is The Jet-Black Mage.

NFTs, the blockchain, crypto and gacha are The Social Cancers and they are proof that gaming is suffering under The Reign of Greed.
Jose Rizal's writings not only apply to Filipino society, but to gaming as well.

@Anti-Matter

Yeah, give me some plutonium and a delorian with a flux capacitor. I'd rather go back to the dark ages at this point.

Oh sure, they can't even be bothered to re-release some of their back catalogue on Switch (Professor Layton, Yo Kai Watch, etc.) here in the West, but an NFT bastardisation of one of their most beautiful franchises in Ni No Kuni? THAT'S where the line is drawn apparently. Why is the world cruel.

Level 5 please go bankrupt already.

I hope this game fails, I hope Level-5 goes bankrupt and I hope everyone involved in this game's development is left penniless and hungry and their kids are thrown out of their private schools into the street where they are ravaged upon by wild dogs.

@jrt87 I think you're wrong. It probably doesn't have a place in this game, but other online games that allow you to make money will continue to become huge, for that very reason. It's an extension of esports, but only one that is accessible to anyone with the talent.

I’m very let down on this. The fact that it has NFTs, Crypticurrencies and Gatcha Mechanics is already a huge bummer for me. But what really put me off is that the game plays itself. Like they teach you about combat and it looks fun, they have a nice colorful world and it looks like a lot of fun. But then the character walks to the next destination without your input, battles the enemies without your input. What is the point of this???
And not only is the game doing this, it practically forces you to play this way. If you’re or on autopilot then there is no destination marker. And at the beginning there is a a huge „Touch Me“ button on the autopilot command.
The combat in the first hour was quite fun, too bad I could never play it as the game constantly did it for me.

Hearing that this was going to be a mobile game through the few commercials I saw, I knew it was going to be bad, but not to this degree. I'm severely disappointed with Level-5 and what they've become.

Once this news goes out to the general public, they're going to get rightfully panned. Then not long after end up removing crypto, blockchain, and NFT crap. It's already happened with multiple games.

Usually, I'm willing to support localized Level-5 titles, but this far exceeds my tolerance. NFTs and Blockchain MAY (key word) be trying to find a niche in the world, but keep it out of gaming. Games should be for fun and entertainment, not get rich quick schemes.

Now I know for certain Level-5 will never localize Yo-Kai Watch 4. What a joke.

Lmao, folks wanted Level 5 to come back to the west. You got it! LMAO.

Seriously though, I wonder why they licensed the franchise out? Wanted a blockchain dev? Another project under the hood? Could be so many reasons.

@Silly_G Thanks for the info. I'll probably get around to it eventually.

It all sounds beyond convoluted lol

@dBackLash
lol no! thats insane, you can vote with your money, friend. 😀👍

@Tyranexx
NFT is Social cancer now.
So sad to see game developers like Level-5 jump into that malicious business practice. 😔
We will never see English version of Yokai Watch 4 and Yokai Watch Jam.
I will keep support the last Yokai Watch games but I will not support their games with NFT on it.

What a disappointment. Got the first gone on sale on Steam last weekend and been having a lot of fun with it... What a disappointment that this series got turned into the worst of Zoomer impulses... crypto, NFTs and blockchain? God help us!

Why do companies keep adding NFTs to everything even though people have made it very clear that they hate it?
Although I’m not blaming level-5 for this. Blame netmarble.

Who does this appeal to??? Age group to start with.....

That's a full-board-bingo on the blocklist!
Heavens help... talk about falling from grace...

Nice! Just what we all wanted! 😉

I swear to Goddess Hylia I am 🤏 THIS CLOSE to losing it.

Are people surprised the Japanese are encouraging a evolved form of "Gatcha" with this unholy triforce? Speak with your wallets and they will quickly realize the error of their ways.

Ouch. As a big fan of the Professor Layton series and the first Ni No Kuni, it's just sad to see Level-5 stoop to these kinds of lows so fast. You were one of the good ones, Level-5...

Friendly reminder that NFTs are a scam and that companies selling them should not be supported.

@Anime64 because gacha isn't huge? Nfts are here to stay mate

@Fazermint They are huge in Japan just fyi. Also NFTs are already losing value so they aren't as big as before. Obviously never said they are going away, so I don't know where you got that from. Also again you missed the point of my post. Speak with your wallet so this company would realize people don't want this exploitive bs.

I hate what gaming has become. Some game's objectives are now just "give the company money" with a "game" tacked on. How is this even gaming anymore?

It's like Level-5 went "how can we create the greediest product possible?" and they came up with this.

By the time I got to the “will add NFTs” part of the title I couldn’t help having that “Stop! Stop! He’s already dead!” clip from the Simpsons playing in my head.

.....

@Anti-Matter I agree 100%. I'm fine with supporting their games that DON'T feature NFTs and Blockchain technology, but I'm not touching this with a fifty foot pole.

...Besides, I still need to play the proper *Ni No Kuni" titles.

They can keep that NFT nonsense. Good riddance to anyone trying to scam players with that.

ewwwwww....NFTs....i was hoping that fad died already as fast as it was born.

What’s not to love

@Travisemo007 the NFT market seems to have collapsed. This is just comically bad timing on Level 5’s part. That, or good old sunk cost fallacy.

@LEGEND_MARIOID Same =(

I absolutely adore Ni No Kuni in terms of both the games and the movie, but christ this absolutely sucks. At this rate the hint coins in the next Layton game will end up as its own cryptocurrency, god help us all when that day comes.

@Hydra_Spectre The movie was literally written and produced by Akihiro Hino, the director and founder of Level 5, director of Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest VIII, and writer/producer of the original Ni No Kuni game, Layton, Yokai Watch etc. and it was directed Yoshiyuki Momose who directed the cutscenes on Ni No Kuni 1. As for OLM they have also collaborated with Level-5 on countless projects, most of their other 2D cutscenes except for Ni No Kuni, Professor Layton Movie, Yokai Watch tv shows, Inazuma Eleven TV Shows.

@RubyCarbuncle

I totally agree.

Isn't the NFT market dying? Why are devs still pushing for it? Especially when virtually no one wants it?

First i was exited for this game because i love anime but when i found out it had crypto I was like WHY.

@AtlanteanMan
This is pretty much spot on! And, you managed to use ‘red cent’ in protest to their practices! I like that part the MOST.!

I honestly don't care, I still am desperate for a Ni No Kuni MMO on Switch, so I'll take it ;_;

@Fazermint NFTs might be here to stay, but they're very unpopular. I think as long as gamers remain lukewarm at best towards them, publishers and devs will stop pushing them.

I assume there is also a "gacha system" on top of NFT / crypto nonsense. If there is, I don't even know how to categorize the game anymore because they say it's "free-to-play" but it's actually "play-to-earn" due to crypto and you will actually not earn because it is also "pay-to-win" caused by the gacha system.
So I'll just play the switch game versions instead..