Ni No Kuni - Our First Four Hours

Ni No Kuni – Our First Four Hours

Ni No Kuni has amazed me so far.  Don’t worry, no spoilers here (at least not today), but I will say that I’m blown away by the presentation.  The animated scenes are terrific, literally right out of a Miyazaki film.  Well, duh, right?  Studio Ghibli has done a beautiful job.  The in-game “cell-shaded” look also succeeds wonderfully – everything looks crisp, clear, and colorful.  The first time you exit onto the “World Map” is a breathtaking moment.  The level of detail and quality of artwork is simply stunning.

The animation is beautiful.  Loving everything I've seen so far.

The gameplay is refreshingly straightforward and there are loads of in-game tutorials to help you along the way.  Once you start fighting your first battles, you’ll realize how easy the system is to pick up and learn.  The menus are well-designed and look great, and there’s tons of information about the world and your party available right at your fingertips.  I’ve only just started and I can tell there’s TONS to do.  The plethora of game mechanics are being introduced to me rapid fire, but I’m not feeling overwhelmed.  I’ve got sidequests to complete and more places to explore, and more and more options are appearing in my main menu.

The first "boss" battle.  Soon, I'll be able to capture my own screenshots! :)

Stay tuned for more!  My next update might not be so spoiler free, but of course you’ll all be warned first!