Ni No Kuni

[Strikeout]

played the demo, makes really fun, looks great and gameplay is awesome, ordered it and can't wait for the 25th of january

[mrslig100]

Ooh this thing looks great, good choice Ryudo!

[Henry Spencer]

Honestly don't see what's so special about this one?
Aside from that Level 5 always under deliver and provide mediocre RPG experiences. I mean yeah, it all looks very pretty, but what's actual gameplay like? Story sounds cliche as hell too.

[OL]

It's just a matter of personal taste, really. The thing that makes it so appealing is the fact that it's not trying to be "cutting edge" or "innovative". As much as stereotypes continue to be re-tread in other JRPGs, they still keep trying to raise their level of appeal by streamlining things, making the visuals and design work ultra-modern, trying to be more like western-made games, etc.
The appeal of Ni No Kuni is that it isn't doing any of that. Rather, it feels exactly like the kind of RPG that would have been released during the SNES or Playstation era, just with the advantages of today's technology. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sometimes it just works out that being a bit more "retro" will give you a fresh kind of appeal.
You could almost compare it to something like God Hand, which took a withering genre and, in a way, shot it back to its roots, cliches be damned. Same for a game like Gungrave, which removed the excesses of modern shooters at the time and ended up feeling like a simple, old-school "kill everything" shoot-em-up. Or, more recently, something like Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, which are basically King's Field or Shadow Tower in third-person.
There are of course people who just won't quite "get" it. But for the people that do, it ends up feeling like something special.

The gameplay is actually pretty good in Ni No Kuni. A bit like FFXII in the way you're free to move about while choosing actions, except taking place in the more standard JRPG "arenas."
The fact that the main character isn't an angsty teenager is a biggie too. Being an actual child almost gives the game a cool sense of "new nostalgia" in a way.
It's not just that the game is pretty... trust me, I felt the same way when the game was first announced. Everyone went wild because "OMG it looks so good!" And I felt my skepticism rise because of this shallow-as-hell reception everyone was giving it.
But having played the demo and payed a bit more attention to it now, I find that it's not so much about how the game looks (for me at least) but rather how the game feels. Whether it presents a lot of cliche ideas, whether the gameplay is kind of "standard" and lacks much challenge, none of that is really mattering to me because the overall package just feels good. Like something I would have loved to play when I was a kid.
Just one of those cases where it's not about what it does different, but what it does right.

[Bluecast]

Also seems to have the charm and innocence missing from a RPG since Earthbound. And back into hiding for a couple months I go.

[mue 26]

Yeah I think the main appeal is that it seems to be imbued with the same whimsy and high quality that make people love Ghibli films so much. I agree that with Henry that it's by all accounts not particularly innovative and to an extent is probably playing it safe, but it looks solid and very polished in all areas. And that seems to be keeping things true to the spirit of studio Ghibli (decidedly old fashioned and very particular about quality).

[KiBa]

You're growing out the mustache, right Blue? Can't wait to see it.

[Henry Spencer]

It's just a matter of personal taste, really. The thing that makes it so appealing is the fact that it's not trying to be "cutting edge" or "innovative". As much as stereotypes continue to be re-tread in other JRPGs, they still keep trying to raise their level of appeal by streamlining things, making the visuals and design work ultra-modern, trying to be more like western-made games, etc.
The appeal of Ni No Kuni is that it isn't doing any of that. Rather, it feels exactly like the kind of RPG that would have been released during the SNES or Playstation era, just with the advantages of today's technology. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sometimes it just works out that being a bit more "retro" will give you a fresh kind of appeal.
You could almost compare it to something like God Hand, which took a withering genre and, in a way, shot it back to its roots, cliches be damned. Same for a game like Gungrave, which removed the excesses of modern shooters at the time and ended up feeling like a simple, old-school "kill everything" shoot-em-up. Or, more recently, something like Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, which are basically King's Field or Shadow Tower in third-person.
There are of course people who just won't quite "get" it. But for the people that do, it ends up feeling like something special.

The gameplay is actually pretty good in Ni No Kuni. A bit like FFXII in the way you're free to move about while choosing actions, except taking place in the more standard JRPG "arenas."
The fact that the main character isn't an angsty teenager is a biggie too. Being an actual child almost gives the game a cool sense of "new nostalgia" in a way.
It's not just that the game is pretty... trust me, I felt the same way when the game was first announced. Everyone went wild because "OMG it looks so good!" And I felt my skepticism rise because of this shallow-as-hell reception everyone was giving it.
But having played the demo and payed a bit more attention to it now, I find that it's not so much about how the game looks (for me at least) but rather how the game feels. Whether it presents a lot of cliche ideas, whether the gameplay is kind of "standard" and lacks much challenge, none of that is really mattering to me because the overall package just feels good. Like something I would have loved to play when I was a kid.
Just one of those cases where it's not about what it does different, but what it does right.

I dunno, it's just how you feel about certain other RPGs too (with the overrated vibes pre-release), I feel this about Ni No Kuni (what the hell does that name mean, anyway?)
People are hyping the hell out of this game like it's going to save JRPGs, or something. I'll give the demo a go and see what the fuss is all about, but the game isn't speaking to me right now and I predict the game will get heaps of praise thrown at it for its simplicity and back to basics gameplay. I'm also confused on why so many people are quick to throw $100, on any game.
Just seems a bit steep, but hey, it's your money.

[Strikeout]

ni no kuni means something like another world

before the demo i had the same thought, just play the demo without any prejudice and have fun

[Riku Rose]

Delayed by a week: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... e-familiar

[ShenmueTree]

This game is like an interactive anime.

BTW is the DS version the same as the PS3 one and if so, how?

[OL]

Looks like they finally updated the game's page with all of the goodies that were added because of the ninostarter campaign.
That coin looks pretty cool.
http://store.namcobandaigames.com/store ... usive.html

[south carmain]

[Axm]

Man I really wanna play this but I think im gonna have to hold out abit longer. I have a big back log I should get through first.

[Bluecast]

I get this right before my birthday. So hyped!