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Studio Ghibli's "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch" for the PS3 - Page 5

post #121 of 139
I haven't checked the Japanese track yet, but they could have simply not dubbed everything. (Vesperia had this problem on the 360) I'll be doing a second run using the Japanese track as soon as I finish this run.
post #122 of 139
I played the demo for a bit, and I kinda liked it but was put off by a few things.

How are you finding the difficulty level as the game progresses? In the demo the battles were so easy they were almost pointless. But then I hear from others you have to grind a lot?

Do you really have to constantly read walls of text, or was that just the demo? It seemed like relatively few lines were actually voiced, and it really put me off of the game quite a bit.
post #123 of 139
I played the demo for a bit, and I kinda liked it but was put off by a few things.

How are you finding the difficulty level as the game progresses? In the demo the battles were so easy they were almost pointless. But then I hear from others you have to grind a lot?

Do you really have to constantly read walls of text, or was that just the demo? It seemed like relatively few lines were actually voiced, and it really put me off of the game quite a bit.

And the real question on everyone's mind....how on earth do you pronounce ghibli? Is it giblee, geeblee, jiblee or jeeblee? smile.gif
post #124 of 139
Quote:
Originally Posted by bd2003 View Post

I played the demo for a bit, and I kinda liked it but was put off by a few things.

How are you finding the difficulty level as the game progresses? In the demo the battles were so easy they were almost pointless. But then I hear from others you have to grind a lot?

Do you really have to constantly read walls of text, or was that just the demo? It seemed like relatively few lines were actually voiced, and it really put me off of the game quite a bit.

And the real question on everyone's mind....how on earth do you pronounce ghibli? Is it giblee, geeblee, jiblee or jeeblee? smile.gif

The game does require some grinding when you reach a new area, not much if you do the merit side quests. (the merit system makes doing side quests addictive, and, all currently available side quests are listed at Swift Solutions, so no missing any. Bounty hunts are the same as FF12's hunts. These hunts and boss fights can rip you a new one.

The walls of text are an annoyance, but the voices are good when they are heard.

As for Ghibli

Ghi is jii

i as in it

bli is like bling

It is mispronounced on accident (it is covered in a special feature on one of the Ghibli dvds.)
post #125 of 139
I've decided that no amount of text will detract from my enjoyment of this game. Loving it. I was worried that the entire game was going to hold my hand, but that seemed to end last night after the third character joined my party. Being cognizant of which familiars get bonuses with which human characters, knowing what signs trump others in battle, and making good use of "Attack All" and "Defend All" have started making this game feel much more complex.
post #126 of 139
I wish I could get into JRPG's. This game looks like it would be a good one, but I hate turn based combat.
post #127 of 139
Quote:
Originally Posted by americangunner View Post

I wish I could get into JRPG's. This game looks like it would be a good one, but I hate turn based combat.
It is real time.
post #128 of 139
Well Saturday I got tired of waiting for an Amazon update on the Prima Guide and went to GS and got the LAST copy of it in my area (the game sold out on one day). Called Amazon to cancel my order and found out that the Prima Guide is actually on BACKORDER mad.gif from Amazon (they don’t bother to list that, you have to call).
post #129 of 139
Thread Starter 
A sigh of relief. My Wizard Edition came in today and the box is in perfect condition (I'm reading reports of some people receiving damaged goods). I will wait to start up my play through since I am currently finishing another 100+ hour roam-the-countryside RPG and don't want to get burned out. I am looking forward to eventually firing it up.
post #130 of 139
Quote:
Originally Posted by PENDRAG0ON View Post

It is real time.
Well, then it sounds like I might have to give it a try.
post #131 of 139
An essay about the game by Michael Abbott at Brainy Gamer:
Quote:
When those curious academics look back at our fairy tale games, I believe they will recognize Ni no Kuni as a significant achievement. Few games have captured the once-upon-a-time magic and fanciful spirit of fairy tale so completely. Menacing darkness - a mother’s death, an abandoned child, and an evil spirit bent on destroying him - underlies a bright enchanted universe of eccentric fairies, cat-kings, and cow-queens. A boy overcomes his fears. A perilous journey is undertaken.

Of course, as with most fairy tales, there’s little new here, but novelty plays almost no role in such stories. Familiarity is a pivotal dimension of fairy tale because it is in the act of telling and re-telling that we dig into these apparently simple tales and derive meaning. In Ni no Kuni the infusion of Studio Ghibli style is notable because it distinguishes the game from the avalanche of teen-angst anime that has dominated JRPGs for so long. But in the end Ni no Kuni rings bells we’ve rung many times before, built with blueprints borrowed from Dragon Quest, Pokémon, and Spirited Away.

So, if Ni no Kuni is so familiar, why does it feel so irresistibly fresh? Why does it captivate my imagination so thoroughly? Why does it linger in my thoughts, and why, as I near the end, do I feel a genuine foreboding that this intoxicating journey with friends will also soon end?

I believe it has something to do with Tolkien’s notion of the Perilous Realm and “the air that blows in that country.” Ni no Kuni situates the player similarly to our position reading or hearing fairy fales like The Frog King or The White Snake. These stories aren’t about kissing frogs or talking animals. They’re about enduring values like patience, devotion, and abiding love. The designers of Ni no Kuni know what the Brothers Grimm understood about persuasive storytelling. A good storyteller allows his most cogent themes to drift serenely in Tolkien’s “air that blows in that country.”

Oliver searches for his mother in a land of fairies and monsters, enveloped by game design elements (collecting stamps, leveling up familiars, etc.) that quietly reinforce the game’s central values. He heals broken hearts and helps lost souls find their spiritual middle way. These are presented as apparently extraneous “sidequests,” gameplay padding to fill the 40+ hours that post-Final Fantasy JRPGs are expected to provide.

But like the servant in the Grimm’s The White Snake (and many other faithful fairy tale heroes), Oliver’s simple tasks - small missions he accepts from townspeople or minor characters - are the ones that define him. Grimm’s servant discovers what Oliver also learns: the big quest and the many little tasks are all part of a single overarching journey of sacrifice and self-discovery. In both stories the little things matter, but the reader/player may not realize that truth until the end.
post #132 of 139
I finished the main story last night. There were a few twists along the way that were pretty good, but the ending was a bit too cheery given how dark it got just a few hours prior.

The story also builds very slowly as you play, with only minor hints dropped as time goes on. It isn't until the final stretch that the story picks up it's pace, and it does so almost too quickly.

I did almost shed a tear during a few scenes, mainly because the game truly does a good job of making you attached to these characters, even if the plot is 90% about Oliver, you come to feel for everyone you help along the way.


I do still have to do the post game, apparently the super boss has some added story to go with it, which I want to see before writing off the ending as too cliche.
post #133 of 139
I've been geeking out on being a completionist in this game. I don't advance in the story until I've finished all of the available side quests and bounty hunts. I also spend way too long trying to tame new familiars I run across. The only down side of this approach is that I'm overleveled when I do return to the story....especially since I discovered the Tokotoko's last night on the hills to Perdida. 9k EXP/kill.

Love this game.
post #134 of 139
Quote:
Originally Posted by frankthetoad View Post

I've been geeking out on being a completionist in this game. I don't advance in the story until I've finished all of the available side quests and bounty hunts. I also spend way too long trying to tame new familiars I run across. The only down side of this approach is that I'm overleveled when I do return to the story....especially since I discovered the Tokotoko's last night on the hills to Perdida. 9k EXP/kill.

Love this game.

Yeah, I overleveled at Billy Goat's Bluff and it made the endgame a bit too easy (I was just trying to level up a variety of familiars, but ended up making Oliver's magic overpowering). I'm still working on the post-game clear tasks, but I can say that Ni No Kuni is a fine return to form for Level 5. Dark Cloud 2 is still my favorite, but this is at least on par with DQ8 (and much better than WKC imo). I hope Rogue Galaxy is available on PSN some day... that's one I missed out on.
post #135 of 139
After the most harrowing two months of my professional career, I can finally take a breath. Missed out on the Wizard Edition, but then apparently if I'd ordered, I still might have missed it. Oh, well. Would love the book, mostly.

Just started playing and i'm about two hours in and LOVING IT. I wasn't sure when I'd get it, since I picked up a bunch of games during the holidays and have only just begun getting through them. But I watched Matt Scoville's review from Rev 3 Games on the TV and my wife said "Why don't we have that? When are we getting it?", so that was that. smile.gif
post #136 of 139
I picked this up Friday and haven't had a chance to load it up and start. Really looking forward to it though. From everything I've read and the videos I've seen, it's got a strong Dragon Quest VIII vibe, and I really liked that. After the misses goes to bed tonight, I'm gonna fire it up.
post #137 of 139
I've been playing this game every night and some in the mornings too before work - I love it.

The incredible charm of it is just so great. It's hard to describe, it just makes me... happy to play it. I really enjoy it. The graphics and animations of the main character are just awesome. The way he takes those quick little steps when he runs up the stairs, or whacks the enemy with his wand. He's just a cool little dude.

But be warned - it's a "kid" kinda game. You have to appreciate the genre and the style, or you just won't like it. It's a JRPG, through and through.

I'll reserve the overall final judgement on this until I finish it, but who knows when that will be. Months from now, probably. I'm savoring this one, really soaking it in.
post #138 of 139
I've been playing for about 10-12 hours at this point and just got my second character. My only two complaints are the hard to avoid combats and the difficulty factor. The combats seem particularly hard at points (and reviews indicate they get easier as the game goes on, not the other way around).

The game has charm in spades, though, and is whimsical as all hell. I'm hoping it gets a little less hand-holdy eventually, but I"m enjoying it regardless.
post #139 of 139
I started this last week and am about 16 hours in. This is probably the first real JRPG I've played (aside from Valkyria Chronicles), and my god it's massive. So many stats! So much grinding! It's a kid's game in presentation, but how many kids would have the patience to wade through all the stats and optimize a band of familiars?
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