Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PS4) Review

Building a kingdom isn't an easy feat.

 2013's Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was a charming title that graced the PS3 in its final years. Blending breathtaking animations-- courtesy of animation legend Studio Ghibli-- with Pokémon-inspired gameplay, it was one of the many standout hits of the year. Now comes the sequel Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, released last year for the PS4. Packing a new premise alongside a new world to explore, Ni no Kuni II is a much bigger, grander adventure. Having been a fan of the first game, how does Ni no Kuni II stack up against it?

 Ni no Kuni II begins when Roland, a middle aged president of a nation, is suddenly transported into the world of Ni no Kuni. Boasting a younger look, he meets and befriends young king Evan, who is ousted from his kingdom after a violent coup. Alongside his newfound companions, Evan with the help of Roland sets out to build a new kingdom where everyone, regardless of species, can live in harmony. While doing so, they must face the threat of a lingering evil that threats the existence of his land. Despite the interesting premise, I have to say that I wasn't fully invested in Ni no Kuni II's story. Sure the story does have its engaging moments, but it never reaches the emotional heights of the first game. In fact, I was bored throughout most of the adventure and making things even more uninteresting were the characters. Aside from Roland and Evan, who have the more developed stories, the rest of the cast weren't as interesting and memorable as I hoped they would be.

Deep moments aside, it's a shame that 

most of the characters are forgettable. 

 Ni no Kuni II is a radical departure from its predsessor in terms of gameplay. Instead of the Pokémon-styled combat, the game features a more action-oriented one. You control up to three party members, each specializing in a certain type of weapon. For example, Evan uses a sword when dealing with enemies at a close-range and changes to a magic wand at a far distance. By earning experience and leveling up, you can learn new magic spells in the form of a giant blade slash or reviving fallen party members. There's no random encounters (thankfully) and instead, enemies appear on-screen, giving you the option of battling them or not. Defeating enemies will net you a bunch of loot including items for crafting and even some rare weapons. One aspect of battles that I didn't like was the lack of enemy variety as fighting the same lizard warriors and hamster bandits but with different colors got on the boring side after a while.

While a departure from the original's monster-based

fights, I really enjoyed the hack-and-slash gameplay.

 Joining you in battles are small Pikmin-like creatures known as "Higgledies". These little critters provide a small boost in battles when you're in a pinch by covering your party in a protective barrier, restore health, or join in on the offense by attacking. Cute as they may be, they're a valuable asset in combat. You can also feeding them certain items they like such as silks and cotton to level them up back at your kingdom. Speaking of that, the game features a kingdom building mode where you develop various facilities such as an armory, spell works shop, kitchen, barracks, and more in order to expand Evan's kingdom, Evermore. Certain facilities even help you with regular combat and exploration by doubling the experience you earn and items you find, respectively. You gain money known as "Kingsguilders" and you also receive rare materials from your hard-working subjects as you continue to nurture your kingdom. As you level up, your influence increases, which attracts more residents, each with their own unique skills. I've found the mode to be a lot of fun and rewards you for the time and commitment into making Evermore an attractive place for would be residents.

Kingdom building has to be the most addictive

aspect of the gameplay.

 Moreover, since Evan's kingdom is relatively young, he needs to protect it from oncoming bandits and monsters. This is where you're introduced to Skirmishes, another mode where you must take care of Evermore by protecting it. Basically, skirmishes are bite-sized battles where you control Chibi-sized Evan as he commands up to four units. The gameplay takes the form of "rock-paper-scissors" format where each unite specializes in given weapon. Swords beat hammers, hammers beat lances, and lances beat swords. You can summon special commands such as a defense increase when you're in a bind too. I found the skirmishes to be an all right mode, though nothing really had me going back aside from hefty amount of Kingsguilders you get towards the endgame.

Cute aesthetics aside, skirmishes can get a tad 

difficult if you don't level up your units.

 If you're taking a break from the story, then there's a lot to do when exploring the game's world. You navigate through the game's world in chibi form where you can come across secret caves filled treasures and NPCs that will give you side-quests,  tough bosses encounters which can kill you in a couple of hits, and high-leveled skirmish fights. There are also shrines which feature dungeon-crawler styled stages where you must locate the next doorway while searching for equipment and fighting gradually difficult enemies. Eventually, you'll have access to a boat and an airship to fully explore some of the world's hidden treasures and more difficult areas, which are great spots to earn experience. Also, I have to mention the Leafbook feature, which is a Facebook-inspired app that documents Evan's adventure through the perspectives of the NPCs inhabiting the world. It's full of insightful and at times funny conversations that makes the world feel all the more alive.

 Despite Studio Ghibli not returning for Ni no Kuni II, I'm glad to learn that the same level of artistic style is still intact. The game packs some of the most stunning visuals I've seen on the PS4. From the red-soaked city of Goldpaw to the bright vistas of Hydropolis, the game doesn't fall short on interesting sceneries. Other stand outs are the cel-shaded character models and neatly drawn backgrounds, which blend well with the game's world. The voice acting is great, with some noteworthy performances. Though at times, I had a hard time understanding the accents spoken by some of the characters. The soundtrack is just as grand as its predecessor with some sweet tracks such as the Goldpaw and Hydropolis themes. I also liked the main theme, though I felt it has used to death as you constantly keep hearing it when building your kingdom and exploring the world. 

Ni no Kuni II boasts some eye-catching spectacles.

 Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a good RPG at its core. The gameplay is chunk full of content and the hack-and-slash combat was satisfying. Kingdom building is fun when you fully commit to it and the presentation is fantastic, with the colorful visuals being the main highlight. It's just that it lacks the charm that made its predecessor an amazing game. The story wasn't the most engaging and the characters were mostly one-dimensional, even the villain. Ni no Kuni II is not a bad game by any means, just not a special one either.