The longest Ghibli film ever

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Prologue
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Level-5 has indeed already shown often that it takes for good RPGs no Square Enix or on behalf. Roque Galaxy, White Knight Chronicles or even now Ni No Kuni. Actually, a game that has been released in 2010 for the DS in Japan - by default with a thick book - and there still remains for the system, we benefit from a PS3 version - optionally with or without the thick book here otherwise only digital was pressed onto the CD - which was published in Japan in November 2011.

What makes Ni No Kuni so special? Well, apart from the fact that Level-5 has really made a good name in the game Fallow this Japanese RPG epic is also accompanied by the art direction and of course matching cartoon animations from the famous Studio Ghibli. As if that was not enough you put more music by Joe Hisaishi for which was recorded by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Gourmets Japanese Entertainment should therefore schnalzen more than just the train.

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The avalanche is unleashed
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Like almost every RPG begins the game quite harmless and presents and the actual plot, as well as the hero in the first rough hour. It takes quite time to tackle everything slowly and may initially hardly guess how huge this is who will. Refresh in mind: Oliver, the little hero whose role you take on, is neither the mandatory Bauer or knight, which is known to go out in such a JRPG. No, it's a little boy we all could be. And with this little boy, the one gets to know while shopping of milk and bread starts an avalanche of emotions, fantasy and lots of charm.

Oliver lives with his mother (Allie) in the fictional town of Ville Motor, which is a mix of European and American architecture - of course with lots of flair Ghibli paved. Fate says it's not quite as good with the two and soon an accident whose extension in death of Oliver's mother ends. Full of grief our hero pulls back and he brings a doll - a gift from his mother - to life. This doll tells Oliver that she is the Lord of the fairies and Drippy actually is (in German it should be "droplets"). Not only that, because Drippy also reveals that Oliver the clean-hearted seems to sparkle, which Drippys world - can save the Ni No Kuni (Otherworld) from an evil sorcerer and incidentally also by the existing links all living things in this other world (soul affinities) can possibly save his mother.

Boy, this is confusing ... At least if you get served it in such a chunk. No wonder then that Oliver does not seem quite so one hundred percent confident and seems to doubt again and again to his own actions and the words of Drippy.

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With stumbling blocks in the fight
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The game itself is almost the typical JRPG fare that you would expect. Map, cities, shops ... here is Ni No Kuni really true and that's good. But the fight forfeit Level-5 a bit his mandatory weaknesses in the RPG sector. While it is all well and you can come to terms, but there are things that seem more like gambling or unnecessarily complicates the Usabilit, so act usability.

A prime example: There are special moves at Boss opponents, which is best goes on defense. Does the current figure but just an attack, then you have to cancel this order to go into the battle-main menu to select at all the defense to first. Why can not the action "fight" not by yourself cancel while on the menu item "defense" is in a constantly visible "Main Menu"? I'm certainly not Apple-trailer, but Mr. Jobs was not wrong when he says we must reach as possible with as few commands everything. There is, for example, simply no reason why you have to run this additional, manual cancel an action.

Another example is the fighting itself, especially against the bosses. While there seems to be a pattern, or to provide such guidance as "fire is good for ice", "Water is good against fire" and even a "If the opponent has taken position X, then you'd better go to magic", but if you often succession must make the same bosses - which can incidentally happen quickly - then you realize how unpredictable the game. Time the opponent makes somehow nothing, then he hits a Super Move after another out. Although there may be in other RPGs never exactly the identical sequence within a boss battle, but Ni no Kuni seems eager to try the whole thing again to topen and decide on your mood when it does not like the players and when. To the extent that here I have really long not seen and there really forfeit Level-5 back into his old pattern, what I've never understood. The big question of "why?" opens up again. In the last Level-5 RPG I've played a similar scenario was as follows: The final bosses in White Knight Chronicles 2. Why am I condemned to an optional task to do, because otherwise I really have no chance to destroy this enemy? And it's not even at the level up, but simply and only is a subject of the last opponent can pull more than a two-digit sum of its energy and the fight not go pulling unnecessarily for several hours.

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These comical creatures ...
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Apart from these streaky things just in the struggle of the fight is entirely designed and funny that he should, because you will be spending a lot of time.
If you encounter one of the more visible enemies on the map, or within a level, then change the view in the battle screen. Here you can either directly, or with a so-called up to three. Familiars attack, but you have to earn before. Important to the Familiars is that these funny little animals share the power of the individual user for now. Cashes it therefore damage, then transfers it immediately to the associated character.

The animals have different options in the fight, which may include both special attacks and magic and will be unlocked depending on the level or development. The whole thing is actually quite similar to a Pokemon raised, but it shows some peculiarities that it is not quite in a 1: 1 clone forfeit.
Alternatively, you can also compete with the human figures in the fight against the opponent, then also has some more options available such as the benefits of item or a menu of commands for general combat tactics of NPCs, but otherwise this option is likely the last election because Damage add the human figures to rather less. However, one should also have some variety to those who should be just because the possibility of healing items access for Ni no Kuni not to be despised - the game may be cute, but it's not really easy.

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Freewheel for Monster
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What the fight by the way also can be a bit different is the ability at any time to run freely in the battle screen, almost like the Tales series. Really a lot more tactics but you do not get at Ni No Kuni fact because usually always grab the figures, the opponents only at a point on - so they automatically run entirely from the back of the enemy during the attack on its front. Important is the free running but when you have to dodge a few attacks, for example, because some can be very good by enough distance to escape. Also, it is helpful if you want einheimsen diverse beads in the digital arena, the refresh both life energy and magic, but also the chance of a major attack have (large golden balls). For the smaller opponents is often rather unnecessarily, in the Boss opponents already and then the running shoes you should move - not just about the screen to animate.

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A matter of the heart
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Another main element is the kitten from the heart. Slightly plump circumscribed, but in principle it comes to living beings who are depressed, for example, with some enthusiasm, or ambition, or even what to bring again to its normal state. This is not just an element of the main story, but it is also a really good reason for jumping between two worlds - Oliver's home and the Otherworld. Why? Well, it may be that the reason for depression, fatigue, or whatever is a figure in the other world, because for every living thing there is in each parallel world a counterpart.

But that's not all, because our little sorcerer's apprentice, in some figures, even with his arsenal to help areas in magic. Although false magic are allowed, so you can not set fire whim things or otherwise torment (wants someone?), But you can heal people, for example, who have fallen and now have pain, you can build bridges over lava, ...

And the best part: These things are very simple wound that they are going to loose flaky from obvious that they do not act as quickly monotonous, no matter how quickly repeat these things.

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The usual suspects
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Away from the fighting and the Kitten of the heart, there is of course massive JRPG fare. A gigantic map with smaller hiding and "Loot", ie objects that can be einheimsen there. Several cities where you can stock up not only with weapons and Co, but also ancillary tasks, such as searching for objects, defeating a certain number of enemies, or even the specific order to hunt a monster. In addition to level up and develop their own monster, you can here so again lose an hour more hour - and in the fantastic world happens faster than one would like.

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The nuts and bolts ... and more
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Where we are finally in the actual highlight - the presentation. It's amazing what just cel-shaded has enjoyed in recent years for a development. Now one might argue about whether Ni No Kuni is a new development so as then Valkyria Chronicles by technology, because maybe it would have been on a PS2 so works (comparison: Dragon Quest 8, Rouge Galaxy, ...), but the real genius here is really the art direction of Ghibli to bring in a game and so damn good that it almost continuously as the longest and even interactive Ghibli movie appears. The many lovely animations, even the smallest details such as fluttering grass on the map (!!!!) to discover. And the almost liquid transition from hand-drawn animation (cutscenes) to the majority of the scenes in the in-game graphics are always a big hit par.
The music of Joe Hisaishi fits of course a clever, after all, he is more or less the composer of Ghibli and he understands the world of the Japanese studios fantastic to accompany. Although I personally like the martial music not so, because they me little to give the spurs, but you can not wegreden how well composed the music and was recorded by Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra itself under the aspect. The whole technical Geblubber many games really has to face in the corner there.

Unfortunately, it comes to me in the English synchronization not quite as in optics and music. Actually, the synchronization is consistently good, but I'll warm with some figures do not. Solid, but a "hit and miss", I'd say. But what's not at all are translations. Names have been changed compared to the Japanese version - name that could have been left in place. Correct annoying: It seems to have come with some puzzle deposits confusing translations. I'm really not, for example, died in a puzzle to solve, and I looked up in the net. Since then was quite clear: The puzzle is suffering from a bad translation. Well thank you very much! That really must now not be if a game with 2 or more years of delay appear here. What has been done for all the time?
And the constant "Jeepers" or "Jeepers Creepers" from Oliver also tugs at some point on the nerves, but the point may then be yet again to personally ...

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Epilogue
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You can tell already the text: I lose myself in words, as I lose myself in this world. Again and again. "Five more minutes" ... and already has another hour passed ... Quite apart from this many "Goosebumps moments" that you simply get through this fantastic production (at least I), as it was earlier as a child, when you the latest SNES RPG has put into its modular bay, or has it visited a new dark. Ni No Kuni it creates easy to transport the player back to "being a child", without being childish. It creates not only by some moments that you long not live to see in RPGs, but also greatly by the story, the characters, ... Alone therefore it should be missing in any gamer on the shelf, but in any case in any JRPG -Friend. For me, the game stumbles only on many a question style decision in the operation and in the opaque matrix of KI, which is never to identify unambiguously as friend or foe, and just some hearty battles can be a gamble. The trip in this world can be characterized but not entirely destroy, because the experience of "Ni No Kuni" outweighs positive charm and a large children's laughter - no matter how serious the situation is! About a "Like" is it then but not quite out, just because the negative striking translation into English prefers down scary, especially when puzzle are thus unnecessarily complicated, or may appear unsolvable.

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Safety Instructions
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However, two warnings:
First, the game may look cute, but plays quite challenging to crispy hard. Mistakes are punished here immediately.
Second, there is a side quest (find a bar) in which the game abschmiert irreparably - the score is then gone. One should therefore always make a copy of the Score. Although I know not yet the secondary task, but the messages are not about to run away in the network, at least with respect to the US version.