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lemonhinoo · 3 months ago

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Ni no Kuni II Review

I finish the vanilla NnK 2 ( without DLC ) after 5 years not playing it again ( Last time I finish it around 2019 ish ). Well, mostly just whole bunch of my opinion.. so take it with grain of salt. I'm just bored and really annoyed at college class so lmao. This will contain A LOT OF TEXT, just warn you first. Feel free to add your opinion & say something to help me clear out something that I might missing out.

Extra note : I DONT play NnK cross world, i just check a bit that some of the town from this game make it to there.. unfortunately i’m not interested into play that game

The story : It starts great, the biggest problem with this game story imo.. the pacing and how they didnt really explain some stuff. The start of this game always one of the wildest thing ever, like NOT EVEN 3 MINS into the game, a whole town already got destroyed, that so chaotic. I dont have much to talk about the first 3 chapter since I think okay, we just starting out there’s really no problem. Maybe the pacing between Tani & Batu become your party member is too short. Since the time Tani joined your team, the story progress to part where you mostly play Evan and haven’t try how Tani play style is.

I think the pacing start falling off at around after the Goldpaw chapter. 6 years later I just notice how funny Goldpaw tradition... like a dice roll is how they base amount their taxes, it's just funny af for me. I still feel it really odd how there's no story about Goldpaw citizen complaining about Pugnacius, their leader literally just do sort of corruption / manipulating one of most their sacred tradition. Just because Pugnacius do this for the good of them still dont justify it tho, I think there's should be more in depth story about this problem.

For Hydropolis, I'm seriously think it's TOO SHORT. Yeah, the fake propose between Evan & Tani is great ( poor Evan tho ). I dunno something about this chapter kinda off, I didnt connect well, I dunno why since this is the problem I only have with Hydropolis. Somehow I also think there's a lot of thing that make me confuse. Like do they repeat time just the state / condition in their geographic ? I really dont know the word but it just weird? Does anyone esp human ages there? Even if they keep repeating time and time again, is it really no one notice something weird with that place ?? One of the ghost NPC literally said that the kingdom got destroyed so bad that maybe all left is “their kingmaker corpse”. The 4 pillar rules is understandable, but like.. i dont understand why you should not be allowed to go higher place ? Is it because they afraid someone gonna fall off / the citizen relaize that their kingdom just repeating while the other part of the world changing ?? And for marriage too, is it because they dont want a newborn life there too? But like falling in love doesnt always equal getting marry ??? I think I’m questioning too much, Also when you in Abyss in a way kinda wish we actually fight Queen Nerea that under Doloran influence, since she did attack us. So.. in short this chapter just feel bare bone

Well.. next is Broadleaf. I think this actually a great chapter. We get to know a bit about how the kingdom condition, the relationship about Bracken and Zip backstory. It’s great and OOOH the sort of plot twist that Bracken actually lost her leg and Zip is the one help her make a new mechanical leg is just great!! A bit of downside is the part how Zip come to his sense but eh.. not much of problem. And the climax with Lofty showing his real power / form is okay… it’s just Evan speech & Loft awakening ( I will talk about this more later ) kinda out of nowhere since they didnt struggle that much yet imo.

SPEAKING OF DOLORAN.... He's so.. meh as a villain, he doing well in final chapter but before that ? meh. He didnt do much other than just stealing Kingsbond and influence some people. Like... Be more intimidating!! Why he didnt do anything other than stealing kingsbond, yeah that is his goals but did he really didnt think Evan & Roland gonna stop his plan...? Even Shadar in first game is much better villain and way more intimidating than Doloran ( sorry I gotta compare them in a way of them being the villain ). Sure, he got the kingsbond in early of each chapter but like... DO SOMETHING MORE, BE MORE INTIMIDATING, Even Roland in his diary journal confuse wtf he actually want. I just wish they give a lot more scene about Doloran outside the final chapter…

I think the Roland betrayal chapter is good, it’s a breath of fresh air since the previous 2 chapter just kinda the same in a way, you know.. making it a bit different not all static. Nothing much to talk since it’s short chapter. Well now the Ding Dong Dell one.. it’s great , i like it but they should add a lot more scene & what’s actually inside Evan’s father diary, that scene is just TOO SHORT ! They should add more depth about the struggle of Evan’s father wanting to make equality between 2 races. Just like the thing in Hydropolis, I didnt connect well in late chapter.. The sudden Evan’s father ghost is also a surprise like… wow dude and the fact Evan’s own father didnt give “any word” to his son just…. HUH ????? His father care a lot more to Maussinger than his own son… wow :0

Finally chapter !! This.. really a mix.. now all of the kingdom united to fight Horned One But.. when all of the soldiers complaining about how they’re not sure if they can fight together. Evan give speech that… eh.. i’m not really sure… and the fact each leader of each kingdom didnt make any comment is stupid. I know Evan like prolly the leader of the king / queen (?) but like… if you really want to proof working together is the way and will result win / peace.. why not make all the other king / queen also giving speech ? That way it will make more sense and convincing. The plot twist that Doloran actually Roland’s soulbond is intresting tho, so now there IS a reason why he teleported to other world. Then… my problem with the fact Doloran actually love Alisandra, Allegoria kingmaker.. I think they want to show us a “tragic backstory” but like… sorry I can’t connect that. I get it the forbidden love story part but.. why they like each other? Why Alisandra become selfish and decide to throw away her power just to make sure she can be with Doloran ?? Because of that now the whole kingdom is gone, what a… I’m having such a mixed feeling about it. Yes the DLC do explain more about it ( and I already forget the story about it ) but I haven’t got time to grind yet since I want that exclusive outfit for clearing expert faraway maze door first… Maybe someone can help me clear this up for me…

Is the ending great ?? Yeah so so… so the peace is return & They didnt give us any clue about how’s the kingmaker ? Is the kingsbond that got stolen now just gone forever ??? Does a kingdom really can’t survive without a kingmaker & kingsbond ? All that know Kingmaker is a mark of authority & the aid for nation. I mean.. since they literally just fight a horned one and unite as one they should probably fine ? Unless the kingmaker has a magic that also protect the kingdom geographically or something I dunno.. ( i mean brineskimmer didn’t exactly protect Hydropolis either huh… ) This is one of the thing I wish they actually explain & develop more. And what exactly this “kingsbond” actually is ?? How does one can make the kingsbond between them and their kingmaker more powerful ? Is it really just the more citizen the more powerful it is ? A better leader ? They should explain this more

Then The curious Boy is actualy FERDINAND WHICH ACTUALLY IS EVAN’S SON. WHAT ?? This.. part make me so confuse cause like.. it’s kinda a paradox loophole ? Like all of the things Ferdinand said is from Evan.. but.. Evan can actually learn what Evan said from Ferdinand too ? Like.. making curious Boy is actually Ferdinand is okay but adding spice that he actually Evan’s son is… NOT RIGHT. I think it will better is Ferdinand is Evan’s son revealed by not them talking directly, that just… messing up a timeline here.. unless Ferdinand erase Evan’s memory that might do..

Then it ended with Roland going back to his own universe / world. Ended with him going back to his world that… God who knows when exactly & what time he’s going back since it ended with the town that looks like celebrating something. Great game 💙💙 ( Alisandra did cast gateway to Roland and prolly time travel…. It didnt matter my brain already hurts

Gameplay : A WHOLE LOT DIFF from previous game. I personally prefer this action game. I LIKE the familliar but.. taming one is so random and can be a bit annoying and since you use familliar near end game, all the human is kinda useless in first game so you have to rely on Familliar 80%. Meanwhile in 2nd game it’s action. Just mash the same button and avoid the attack you good to go.. most of the time. BUT OH WHY THE AI PARTY SO BAD… I hate how they so… stingy with healing skill. Bracken is the only one with GOOD healing skill but if the AI wont use it, so you have to swap to her just to use that skill. Yes, Evan & Tani can use healing but you have to learn it, and by the time you got the material for them to learn that healing skill, Bracken prolly already in your team and both Evan & Tani wont use healing skills too so you gotta do it manually. I mean yeah the game isnt difficult , you probaly will do just fine with healing item but playing this on hard / expert level ? Na’ah, those enemies will more than 2x the damage on normal difficulty.

I think one of the part that suprise me is the “skirmish” one. Like I do remember the first time play, I was like “wth ? Now this is Suikoden?”. It’s fun, it’s not that hard. I think it’s interesting so no complication. This is just a side thing, but I mostly use a member that either debuff / buff , damn this person play too much SMT , I HAVE TO BUFF / DEBUFF

Other Stuff : I LOVE THE CHARACTER DESIGN. It’s simple yet memorable AND SO PRETTY. I love how this game design a character that not overly complicated. I’m not a big fan of fantasy game tropes where the character design is too detail & complicated design just for the sake it’s a fantasy game ( ex : Genshin / GBF imo ). The citizen you can scout also blend in pretty well with the normal NPC, it’e not like their design stand out too much.. no their design blend in well..

So in short…. This IS a great game, but if you do look deeper especially near the end it’s just.. there’s a lot stuff that need questioning imo. Again if you have something to help me clear things up , please feel free. I think the develop either in time crunch / they didnt want the game end too long, since the first game is took pretty long time to beat it. It took Stampy 91 vids to end the game with each vids around 20 mins ish ( outside showing the sidequest ). Once again.. I know the DLC add more in depth to the story not I think not a lot.. the 2nd game didnt took long to beat it, it took me 60 hours ish with kingdom level 3 with all of the facility already build ( except the inn ) and 2 left dream fragments

For me the rating is overall: 8/10

Thank you for reading this awfully long essay review of this game. My hand hurt from typing too much lol.

#game review #Ni no Kuni 2 #ni no kuni #ni no kuni ii #ni no kuni 2 revenant kingdom #this is so long wth

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