Steam
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
84
Final Score
JRPG
Release Date: 2018
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
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Steam Curator
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Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

A Ghibli-style JRPG developed by Level-5, though the story is clichéd, visual and music performance is excellent. Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack and delicate hand-drawn scenes create a dreamlike fairy tale world.

Art Appreciation

Ni no Kuni II is a clichéd but still charming JRPG work. Although Studio Ghibli didn't directly participate, the involvement of art director Yoshiyuki Momose and composer Joe Hisaishi makes Ghibli's influence traceable everywhere. The delicate Ghibli-style hand-drawn visuals constantly remind players that this is a fairy tale world. Combined with Joe Hisaishi's melodious music, this is absolutely a dreamlike enjoyment. The story is indeed very child-oriented, predictable from beginning to end, and doesn't create absolute villain characters. This is completely a fairy tale story, and as many reviewers said, just treat it as watching a new Ghibli movie. The gameplay systems are quite diverse, combining simulation management with real-time tactics, but the execution isn't particularly good, similar to how Gujian 3 handled its home system - the importance isn't that high. To strengthen their importance, the main story gets blocked twice, forcing players to upgrade the simulation kingdom, with upgrade conditions heavily dependent on side quests, which feels like forced time padding. Without this, the entire main story would probably be under 20 hours - simple content that really can't be called rich. But as an IP with Ghibli's blessing, this remains a dreamlike fairy tale worth experiencing.

Rating Breakdown

Core Gameplay & Fun
40%

Deductions

Gameplay Depth
-2 pts

The gameplay systems are varied but not handled especially well; kingdom management and real-time tactics don't matter all that much.

Repetitiveness
-3 pts

The main story blocks you twice, forcing you to upgrade the kingdom, and the upgrade requirements lean heavily on side quests — it smacks of padding playtime.

Innovation
-2 pts

A clichéd, old-fashioned JRPG full of déjà vu; from start to finish you can guess what the next scene will be.

Highlights

Core Mechanics

The gameplay systems are quite varied — kingdom management, real-time tactics — blending many elements together.

Visuals & Audio
15%

Deductions

Voice Acting Performance
-1 pts

There's too little voice acting overall, which hurts the actual presentation even if you treat it as a Ghibli animated film.

Highlights

Art Style & Consistency

Delicate Ghibli-style hand-drawn visuals constantly remind you this is a fairy-tale world, and art director Yoshiyuki Momose's involvement leaves traces of Ghibli everywhere.

Music Quality

Joe Hisaishi's soaring music paired with the visuals is a truly dreamlike treat.

Story & Narrative
10%

Deductions

Plot Logic
-1 pts

The story is very childish; you can guess the next scene from start to finish, with no suspense.

Character Development
-2 pts

It can't build a truly villainous antagonist, and the characterization is rather flat.

Main Story Design
-1 pts

A purely linear main story, hemmed in on all sides by the system design and repetitive side quests.

Side Content
-1 pts

Same as above: since building the kingdom requires lots of talent, the side quests become necessary, which easily makes play feel tedious.

Presentation Quality
-1 pts

Same as above: between sparse voice acting and a draggy pace, even with Ghibli's art style and music, the final presentation is only passable.

Highlights

World Building Depth

It's a fairy tale through and through; with Ghibli's touch, just treat it as watching a new Ghibli film.

Content & Longevity
10%

Deductions

Mission Variety
-1 pts

Upgrade requirements lean heavily on side quests, which feels forced by design.

Game Length
-1 pts

Without the forced roadblocks, the main story would probably take under 20 hours; such simple content really can't be called rich.

Highlights

Content Richness

Although the main story is short, the mix of kingdom management, real-time tactics and other elements still enriches the game's content.