Played Ni No Kuni once again and that was 6 years ago. Same story, nothing added. Although I know I've complained that the end-game didn't have an ending for Oliver and his mother, but the game technically ended with the fall of Shadar and there it is. His mother saying good-bye and replaying it I can see that it was the perfect ending point. And the reason why it is like that is probably due to it first being a DS game that got ported and enhanced for the PS3 where they pretty much added all the White Witch stuff. So the title of the game didn't originally exist... or so I gather.
This gonna be more critical than when I played it the first time. The reason being, I found the game more frustrating now. First off, it tends to crash at certain intervals, and worst, often when I try to save the game. Then, the kid voice acting is not good. Oliver's voice really grates on me, and he can't act. And none of the actors can say the name Cassiopeia correct. It's a damn constellation tied to the Perseus myth. Don't you have a classical education? And thirdly, the gameplay. I despise the familiar combat. Why force the player to choose three familiars, that you randomly can catch, that you gotta equip with different weapons and armours (if they even can have weapons or armours) and all those variables is somehow gonna help you in battle? When it usually enough to mash A and attack with the first familiar. And add the time limit forces you to switch them out, but at the end game you pretty much just need Oliver (and it's frankly much better with the choices of spells you can use). And don't get me started on the attacks that constantly cancels out my attacks or giving items to my companions. And some of those attacks are from said companions. That's just frustrating!
Small nitpicks is, why do I have spells that have no use? Like shrink or transform? Did they got a use in the DS version? The sequel released a year or two back? And some only have one use that one time and is never mentioned again, and the main mechanic of take and give heart isn't that well used in the later part of the game. And technically, what difference is love from kindness or enthusiasm from ambition? They are described pretty much the same in the game or is it a translation and/or cultural problem? Also, I really would like a physical version of the wizard companion since it would make the game easier (and was the intended play on the DS since they couldn't get it on the cartridge). Take the wooden encampments that you gotta look up in the book and then try to find on the world map. And you can't access it while traveling on the dragon so you gotta land to look it up. And it clearly gives an advantage in finding the secret treasures on the world map before you get the locate treasure spell.
So with all that, is it still worth playing? It's still a good story and the animations and designs from Studio Ghibli pops out. Although the creature design is not always that interesting, I would blame the eyes since most of them have big dopey eyes. The spider enemies look so goofy. And I get it that it's a game targeting kids and you gotta catch the enemies and such, but still. First time playing, go ahead, second time around... maybe six years in between is rather good.
Speaking of story... isn't the intro going a bit fast? Oliver just awakens Mr. Drippy and he pretty much bullies this poor sad kid into taking on the other worlds dangerous wizard who ruled the land for a 1 000 years. And pretty much berates him across the whole game? If I'm gonna be dark, it looks like this is just Oliver trying to cope with the fact he feels responsible for his mother's death so he goes into this other world which mirrors the real world, but clearly is just in his mind. And his neighbours do squat when he dress up in this cape and runs around waiving a branch and pretending to heal people. Where is the social services? And is he really 13 years old (per the PS3 manual)? He acts and sound like 8!
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar