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[Freezasaurus]

Finished the game tonight at about 50 hours. Then went and cleaned up some of the post-game stuff, beat the S-Rank in the coliseum, etc. etc.

I think I'm about finished. Was a hell of a ride, though. Loved every minute.

 

[Beren]

You using the method I posted earlier?



You can also go for the Honky-Tonkers in Tombstone Trail, their rare steal is the Scroll of Truth. They appear most commonly in the cave portion.

Ty i will try Honky-Tonkers now , the drop rate is worse than any WoW drop D:

 

[CosmicQueso]

I know it hasn't even been two weeks yet, but could you guys give impressions of what you think of the game right now?.

It's tidy en'et!!!

 

[Alex]

I now sorta wish I had gotten the ce, but 100 bucks for a level 5 game I wasn't sure I'd like was a hard sell.

Of course with all the drama I probably wouldn't have gotten it anyway :lol

 

[Derrick01]

I know it hasn't even been two weeks yet, but could you guys give impressions of what you think of the game right now?

Stripped to its gameplay, how is it as an RPG? What do you like and what gripes do you have?

How's the story? Pacing? How's the soundtrack? Is it all Hisashi or did he just do the theme?

I have a borrowed PS3 right now and have been considering this. Been leaning towards Fire Emblem, but I'm a big fan of Ghibli and Hisashi's soundtracks. However, if the gameplay isn't all that I'm not sure it'd keep my interest.

Story is incredibly simplistic and really not worth paying any attention to. Bad guy needs killing, go gather powers to do it.

The gameplay is not very balanced. I'm still using my first 2 familiars with Oliver and Esther's first familiar and we're getting through everything with little trouble. Sure, you can use other ones but there's no real reason or motivation to. The partner AI is horrible too with not enough options to utilize.

Pacing is fine for the most part. You don't spend too much time in 1 area which is a good thing considering how small most of them are. Dungeons are not that long either.

Soundtrack is good I suppose? It's not really something I pay much attention to in games. It does look pretty good graphically although there are times when it looks really bad, like in areas with heavy foliage.

Really I'd go with Fire Emblem if I had the choice (no 3DS so I don't). I know what I'm getting out of that series.

edit: On a side note this casino is crooked! No one gets that many blackjacks in a row.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

i thought the whole comedy set in Fairyground was very Monty Python-esque

man I really like this game a lot, it's really perfectly capturing the way jRPGs could make me engaged before they went to shit. It's really the same in all ways too - there's obvious flaws, but the total package really works it out in the end. The battle system has quirks, but I really have fun mixing and matching my familiars and figuring out the perfect set up. It's tons of customization everywhere, and customization is my friend.

I dunno. I'd be kinda sad if we never see another Level 5/Ghibli RPG again.

gotta somehow get that word of mouth going. Sucks this game won't sell much I bet

 

[Majmun]

Funny thing is that gaming rarely makes me laugh. Being my biggest hobby and all, it's quite depressing.

But this game has the humor that I like. The stupid puns and Drippy are pretty fun. And things like R.I.P and other crazy name bastardisations are entertaining too. The whole game is really charming with its humor imo.

I actually laughed during the whole death conversation with a certain skeleton. Each line was just so random, yet fitting, and very crazy

 

[TDLink]

I have beat Hamelin, so I dunno how much into the game I am. 55%? Someone else can say.

That said, a short list

PROS:

+ Unbelievable Visuals; Production values off the charts. Studio Ghibli's animated bits are as great as you'd expect.
+ Fantastic Orchestrated Soundtrack
+ World Map is impressively detailed and packed with secrets; exploration is a gas
+ Familiars battle system is fast and engaging and awesomely customizable
+ Dungeons are not too big and not too small, feel just the right size so they don't overstay their welcome.*
+ Enemies on screen, so you can pick and choose the familiar-type you want to fight (Note: They chase after you really fast if they spot you, though.)
+ A fairly lighthearted yet engaging sense of humor

CONS:

- Getting stuck around other familiars in battle so that you can't reach the person you selected to attack. GTFO.
- *Dungeons could stand to be considerably less linear, however.
- Story is bland in terms of its overall details and structure. Very unremarkable, but inoffensive overall. Note: This is my impression of it up until Hamelin.
- Sometimes you can spam Oliver's magic and avoid using familiars altogether in battles, probably a balance issue that should have been fixed (I avoid doing this but others don't have the self-control)
- MP overall is REALLY poorly balanced for Esther and Swaine; they run out too fast (Swaine is half done with his MP sometimes after one big attack). That said, it's hardly an issue once you get good at your strategy.

Yeah I would say you're about half way done with the main story.

 

[DarknessTear]

I got platinum. Here's a uniquely terrible picture from my webcam.

 

[Eusis]

Playing more, and I really do get the feeling this would've been less impressive if the JRPG selection on consoles were even half as good as it was on the PS1 or PS2. As is this is the kind of game many of us have been starving to get on consoles, and even on PS2 we had a lot more hyper linear design that didn't really let you go off and do side stuff very often or poke around an overworld.

 

[Jugendstil]

The fairies are my favorite part of the game. The game has a subtle and weird sense of humor that really makes me love the game despite some annoying flaws. Even though the familiar system is sorta weirdly implemented, catching and evolving them is addictive too. The more I play, the more I enjoy it.

 

[Sanctuary]

dude that's the place I'm talking about, spent 30 minutes there and not a single Toko found. so nope.

That's literally not possible. One seems to spawn at least 1/5th of the time (minimum) using the gateway trick--which has been posted about multiple times.

Yeah! The Tokotoko's reside there and they give you 9000+ EXP each.

The Tokocolds give you almost 30k EXP.

Could have sworn it was 24k.

A Ghibli film is a Ghibli film. If we're throwing out adapted works, that includes Howl's Moving Castle, Arrietty, Grave of the Fireflies, Whispers of the Heart, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill. That's most of Ghibli's feature films.

How on Earth are people forgetting Princess Mononoke? That's literally the one film to remcommend if you can only see one Ghibli film.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

So, to start playing now, or wait a week for the Free Draggle Familiar.

Hmm...

 

[JollyWolf]

I feel pretty lucky, got Toko on my first try. Feels good.

How on Earth are people forgetting Princess Mononoke?

It's so good that it doesn't need to be named, it should just be assumed.

 

[Eusis]

How on Earth are people forgetting Princess Mononoke? That's literally the one film to remcommend if you can only see one Ghibli film.

Nausicaa's sort of a substitute though. Mononoke's better executed, but Nausicaa has a more interesting world.

 

[Data West]

Porco Rosso is the greatest Japanese film of all time

 

[Sanctuary]

Nausicaa's sort of a substitute though. Mononoke's better executed, but Nausicaa has a more interesting world.

Lmao. I just looked up what Nausicaa actually was, because the name wasn't familiar. I used to watch "Warriors of the Wind" as a kid over and over...and over again. It was actually the first movie that I got to watch on my friend's 55 inch tv.

 

[Schopenhauer]

edit: On a side note this casino is crooked! No one gets that many blackjacks in a row.

Yeah, this was pretty aggravating but still didn't stop me from raking in the dough. Way too many pushes for my liking as well.

 

[Eusis]

Lmao. I just looked up what Nausicaa actually was, because the name wasn't familiar. I used to watch "Warriors of the Wind" as a kid over and over...and over again. It was actually the first movie that I got to watch on my friend's 55 inch tv.

Yeah, you definitely should hunt down Nausicaa's newer release, that "Warriors of the Wind" is so infamous of a butchering it left Miyazaki and likely all of Studio Ghibli very cold on licensing their movies. Anyways they both have that same underlying message (protect the environment), and likely stronger than other Miyazaki films.

 

[Busaiku]

So does the physical Wizard's Compendium actually serve a purpose for the game itself?
I've been getting it out every time thinking I might need it for something.

So far I'd only used it once (to read a story).

 

[DarknessTear]

So does the physical Wizard's Compendium actually serve a purpose for the game itself?
I've been getting it out every time thinking I might need it for something.

So far I'd only used it once (to read a story).

You'll be using it for alchemy and some of Horace's stuff. And the creature part of it, where it shows the drops and everything. That's useful, right?

 

[tomedo]

Ok I purchased and downloaded the game from PSN store, installed it and now it shows up in "game data utility" but not anywhere else -> I can't launch it. Any ideas whats up?

 

[one_kill]

Is there any way to know if you've missed a hidden treasure chest?

 

[ChuckNyce]

Ok I purchased and downloaded the game from PSN store, installed it and now it shows up in "game data utility" but not anywhere else -> I can't launch it. Any ideas whats up?

I had the same problem when I first attempted to download it too - when u started the download, you should have seen two listings for Ni No Kuni in the downloading queue, one of them is 16gb and the other is 5gb. You've got to download and install both of those pieces.

When I tried it the first time, I thought the 2nd Ni No Kuni listing was an error and deleted it before it ever finished.

 

[AkIRA_22]

I've barely started this, I'm only a few hours in. It's the most charming game of the generation. Right up there with DQ8 and wind waker, can't wait to continue.

 

[Danj]

So does the physical Wizard's Compendium actually serve a purpose for the game itself?
I've been getting it out every time thinking I might need it for something.

So far I'd only used it once (to read a story).

Hell yeah absolutely it is useful. Among other things, it tells you what your familiars' favourite food is, it contains the magic words for

Spoiler

opening the cauldron

, it has the stories

Spoiler

one of which you need to read for one of Horace's riddles

.. I've found myself using it a fair amount. Pleased that I bought the Wizards Edition instead of the regular one, flipping through it in game must be a major pain in the arse.

 

[aravuus]

So the only way to get the book is by getting the collector's edition of the game?

Shame, it'd be totally awesome, but I'm not willing to put around 200 euros to a game.

 

[tomedo]

I had the same problem when I first attempted to download it too - when u started the download, you should have seen two listings for Ni No Kuni in the downloading queue, one of them is 16gb and the other is 5gb. You've got to download and install both of those pieces.

Thanks, I can only download the 16gb part. No way to select or download the second file, guess I'll have to wait for them to fix this.

EDIT: Actually I managed to find the 6gb part in PSN store downloads section and start the download. Thanks again ChuckNyce!

 

[BeeDog]

I've definitely lost my gaming touch, lulz; the difficulty spike in the sewers of Ding Dong Bell is destroying me. :/

 

[thelurkinghorror]

I've definitely lost my gaming touch, lulz; the difficulty spike in the sewers of Ding Dong Bell is destroying me. :/

Go outside and do one or two quest. Do not break your head ahead of time.

 

[Sane_Man]

So I have a 40gb hard drive on my PS3. If I clear as much shit out as possible and try and make it all available (I'm sure a portion of this 40gb is already used up by mandatory stuff) will I be able to download this game and its DLC?

 

[AKingNamedPaul]

I'm not very far in, but I am at a point where I hope the game changes up the formula a little soon. Kind of feels a little easy mode and "fetch questy" as of right now.

Spoiler

I just got a certain blonde girl her courage back and am about to go to the trials of the sages or something, I forgot exactly what it was called.

The art and humor and overall personality of the world is incredible though. I love me some studio Ghibli and this feels like i'm in one of those movies, which is worth a play through alone.

 

[one_kill]

I've definitely lost my gaming touch, lulz; the difficulty spike in the sewers of Ding Dong Bell is destroying me. :/

Grind towards a level or two.

I'm not very far in, but I am at a point where I hope the game changes up the formula a little soon. Kind of feels a little easy mode and "fetch questy" as of right now.

Spoiler

I just got a certain blonde girl her courage back and am about to go to the trials of the sages or something, I forgot exactly what it was called.

The art and humor and overall personality of the world is incredible though. I love me some studio Ghibli and this feels like i'm in one of those movies, which is worth a play through alone.

I'm up to that bit too. We'll be hunting for 'em pokeymans soon man!

But yeah, there's a lot of going here to there so far. While I don't mind it, I really just want to get more familiars and train them.

 

[Broman1978]

Just acquired the Bridge-spell and went back to Summerlands. Up northwest you can build a bridge. I am level 20 and got SLAUGHTERED over the other side. Not supposed to go there yet I presume?=P

 

[ULTROS!]

I just completed the game. Once I plat this game, I'll give my full review.

The overall story and charm were decent. The graphics and music were fantastic, and it had the old school JRPG feel, but my problems lie within the battle system and the limited voice acting.

 

[Finalow]

The most reliable way is the Slot Machine.

not if you abuse the AI in platoon. if you read how AI plays and how it works it's really easy to get 6 wins in a row, I got 280k in like 10 minutes. so yeah, that game is pretty broken.

 

[Data West]

The way skeletons jitter in this game is legit scary

 

[bh7812]

I've definitely lost my gaming touch, lulz; the difficulty spike in the sewers of Ding Dong Bell is destroying me. :/

I'm thinking you're probably well past that section by now, but I'll give a suggestion for you and others who are much more toward the beginning of the game at this point. By the time you hit the sewers in Ding Dong Dell I'd try to be around level 10, 11 or 12. The closer to level 12 you can get Oliver plus whatever familiar you're primarily using at that point the better. If you have to grind a bit in the section with the Grand Old Tree to get as close to level 12 as possible it's going to save you a ton of headache in the sewer. I know some dread the whole grinding aspect of RPGs, but if you do this right, when you get to the Ding Dong Dell Sewers you should have ZERO trouble with the enemies in there. At that level sometimes they will even run away in there. I whooped the ass of the boss of that area quite quickly at that level and lost very little HP, being around that level will also help greatly with the second bounty quest you can do in Ding Dong Dell. So, in the beginning, good grinding spots are the Forest section North of Ding Dong Dell, the Ding Dong Dell sewers, and in the Golden Forest just after that.

My personal feeling after putting about 10 hours into the game but going slower is its leaving me awe struck really. A1 top notch production values. I'm not a graphics freak but DAMN at these visuals! It really is a frickin cartoon/anime come to life in a video game. You have to see it for yourself, the other thing ill note here for now is even if you are the most cynical, negative person out there that curses like a sailor all day, you will walk away impressed, charmed and thinking the word endearing that's for sure. I'll write more once I'm much further into the game. I should put a far bigger dent in it Monday and Tuesday.

 

[Steve McQueen]

Just received my Wizard's Edition, but I'm afraid of opening it. I love Ghibli. but I never ever completed an RPG. Should I open it and give it a go? In other words: is it for a newcomer to RPG friendly? I played the demo a few times love the vibe but have no understanding of what I'm doing...welll not exactly that is.

 

[camelpope]

Trying to get my poly sci stuff done so I can focus on this today...just need to not click that planetside 2 link.

 

[one_kill]

Just received my Wizard's Edition, but I'm afraid of opening it. I love Ghibli. but I never ever completed an RPG. Should I open it and give it a go? In other words: is it for a newcomer to RPG friendly? I played the demo a few times love the vibe but have no understanding of what I'm doing...welll not exactly that is.

If I was you, I would suggest not opening your Wizard's Edition, and buy a separate copy of the game.

As for your question, I think it's an easy game to understand. I hardly play JRPGs these days so I was initially skeptical about purchasing the game. I'm glad I did though. The game eases you in with a relatively long tutorial.

 

[daycru]

You know one thing that I really like about this game? Esther isn't creepily sexualized.

 

[Steve McQueen]

If I was you, I would suggest not opening your Wizard's Edition, and buy a separate copy of the game.

As for your question, I think it's an easy game to understand. I hardly play JRPGs these days so I was initially skeptical about purchasing the game. I'm glad I did though. The game eases you in with a relatively long tutorial.

Thanks! I could sell this and buy the regular edition. If it don't clicks, I'll sell both

 

[darkjedi187]

According to the official guide, the rewards from Old Father Oak include:

Spoiler

- Defeat Hickory Dock: Milk Chocolate (x5)
- Defeat Moltaan: Phoenix Feather (x3)
- Set sail for the first time: Bottles of Pixie Dew (x3)
- Set sail after ship repair: Medal of Agility
- Cure Marcassin's brokenheartness: Healing Tear Gem
- Receive map of Magic Stones: Green Man's Cloak
- Defeat Cerboreas: Nostrum
- Return to Iron Wyvern: Great Sage's Secret
- Defeat Porco Loco: Wizard King's Secret

And after you cure Marcassin's brokenheartedness, you can collect the Wizard's Companion Page.

Apart from those, there are new dialogue rewards. I'm not sure what those are since I'm still at an early part of the game. Regardless, I hope that clarifies a few things for you!

I didn't fully realize I needed you had to see him at those specific points to get said rewards. Are the last two on that list special?

 

[Midas]

Is the "random encounter" enemies supposed to be so damn hard? I'm at the

Spoiler

"volcano level"

- and I get my ass kicked all the time. I think I've forgot how to play RPG's.

 

[iumogg]

A game hasn't captured me like this one in a long time. I'm over 30 hours in and can't stop playing. I feel like it's a great mix of traditional jrpg gameplay with enough tweaks to make it more user friendly. I'm taking my time. I would guess I'm maybe 2/3 through at most. Maybe someone could tell me. I just

Spoiler

located the three stones. Haven't gone to the locations yet

I really enjoy the battle system. I could see it being frustrating if you want to micro manage. I look at more like an rts where you have to strategically decide when and where to intervene. I also like experimenting with different familiars and training them up.

Later there are a decent amount of distractions, some that aren't fully highlighted. I would suggest straying to some to places you have been in the past to try to locate them.

The only system I rarely use is alchemy. I would like to make equipment with it, but I don't have the materials and aren't sure how to find them or if its worth it. I hope they become drops as move to tougher areas.

Overall I real gem that has rekindled my love for jrpgs I haven't felt since dq8 and snes ff games.

 

[iumogg]

Is the "random encounter" enemies supposed to be so damn hard? I'm at the

Spoiler

"volcano level"

- and I get my ass kicked all the time. I think I've forgot how to play RPG's.

One of the things that helps that i forgot about early on was to equip the familiars well. Go buy him some new shit.

 

[Fleet_of_Foot]

Anyone hit the difficulty wall at

Spoiler

the big jellyfish thing inside Mummy's Tummy

? (Spoiler about 15 hours into the game)

When it spawns its "extra things," I can't deal with all that.

Anyone else have problems changing which enemy you're attacking before the enemy is dead? If I choose to attack one guy and then realize I'd rather attack another guy, it seems there's no way to cancel out of who I'm attacking back to the point where I can choose someone else to attack. Very aggravating!

 

[Beckx]

not if you abuse the AI in platoon. if you read how AI plays and how it works it's really easy to get 6 wins in a row, I got 280k in like 10 minutes. so yeah, that game is pretty broken.

What's your strategy?

Do you need to buy all the lower tier prizes before the A and S tier prizes open up?

 

[Ricker]

There should be more real anime like cut scenes like the one in Hamelin when you go there the first time,that was awesome...