Ni no Kuni: Curse of the White Queen seems familiar, typical, even safe, but it’s none of that. Developer Level-5 stays true to many of the conventions of the genre, but it also bucks the pesky JRPG tendency to emphasize the wrong things, instead focusing on what every game that takes dozens of hours to complete should do: hook you. With solid gameplay and a great story told by characters you care about, Ni no Kuni hooks you right away and never lets go.

We’ve come a long way since the glory days of Japanese role-playing games in the 1990s. In fact, many would argue we may have gone too far. Currently, the genre is split between the heavily watered down and the absurdly stripped down. Many of us are floating somewhere in the middle of a desolate ether where, for some reason, too few developers and publishers dare venture there, even in the 21st century. But with Ni no Kuni: Curse of the White Queen, Level-5 has delivered something special: a JRPG that feels like an old game, looks like a game of the future, and is heavily inspired by old school JRPG classics. Something fans love.

The story of Ni no Kuni revolves around a little boy named Oliver. Oliver is a resident of Motorville, a sleepy village that seems to have emerged from a photograph taken in 1950s America. What sets Oliver apart is his good nature and friendliness. He’s not a sword-wielding villain hero like in many games, and that’s one of Ni no Kuni’s strongest points. You’re not playing a brutal warrior or a demonic villain. You’re playing a boy who is hurt but has a pure heart.

Oliver gets along very well with his mother and is polite and approachable with adults. He’d rather do his homework or talk about cars than cause trouble. All of this is very important because Oliver’s character is the central pillar of the plot of Ni no Kuni, not his physical strength, his mental strength, or his mystical abilities. When an unfortunate event occurs early in the game and the world suddenly falls apart, Oliver is momentarily shaken, but then his true nature is revealed.

In fact, Oliver has no bills to pay. He is not looking for personal fame. He finds adventure and encounters a group of characters who will eventually accompany him, not because he is hurt, but because he wants to solve his problems and those around him. It fascinated me and Oliver, and his unusual mission meant a lot to me, though I didn’t care as much about his status development or equipment as I did about him as a person and his capacity to do infinite good to the world (or worlds) that decided to stand in his way.

Ni no Kuni’s core gameplay is most reminiscent of the Tales games that take Pokémon head on, with Ni no Kuni taking equal parts of the combat systems from both games and integrating their features into something that’s fun, consistent, and rewarding. Ni no Kuni is obviously all about Pokémon, with a heavy emphasis on fighting creatures that you capture in battle. These creatures are called Familiars, and you can catch one at random for each creature you fight. Familiars can level up, equip weapons and armor, and even evolve into more powerful forms. What’s nice about this system, though, is that it’s based on Pokémon in terms of its long-term implementation as well. You don’t need to capture every creature and take it to unchristian heights. It’s fine if you can catch dozens during the game, but there are more you can discover and utilize over time.

Meanwhile, the Tales influence comes from the combat system itself, where you use familiars in battles (in addition to your own), but these battles take place in real time on open terrain. So Ni no Kuni quickly becomes more than just pressing X and hoping for the best (or just hoping). Instead, it’s all about maneuvering around enemies, finding their weaknesses and openings, swapping familiars on the fly, and occasionally calling on Oliver and his human friends to use items and special moves, from casting spells to stealing during combat. This adds a very welcome layer of depth.

While Ni no Kuni’s core is undoubtedly combat, there’s a ton of content centered around the simple act of fighting that adds a lot of charm to the game. While Ni no Kuni’s story progression is mostly linear and easy to follow, the game’s side quests range from the ordinary and quirky to the unique and heartwarming. These side quests (called errands) follow the typical JRPG “do this, get that” protocol, but again, the approach is completely different.

Rather than simply fetching items for someone (though admittedly it does happen sometimes), you’re expected to mend the characters’ broken hearts. A mass of broken hearts rest in the heart of Ni no Kuni, but Oliver’s magical abilities can save them. Even if the characters lack courage, kindness, or even love, Oliver can take pieces of their hearts from those who have too many and deliver them to those who want them. Completing these side quests (there are dozens of them) shows Oliver for who he really is: an unusually kind person. (There’s another class of side quests called “Hunts,” which are typical “kill this enemy” tasks, which are also fun and challenging. However, it’s not as rewarding as helping a companion. )

But what’s really nice about this system is that completing side quests (whether messenger or hunting-based) has tangible rewards, not just coins and running out of food. Ni no Kuni cleverly places a metagame within the larger narrative that relies entirely on completing side quests. Completing them not only earns you tangible rewards, but also stamps your achievement card. The more difficult the quest, the more stamps you earn, and every card with 10 stamps can be redeemed for a special reward. Rewards range from more experience in combat to easier capture of familiars, and just about everything in between. This metagame becomes more addictive the longer you play, and the likelihood of finding a solution to even the most difficult (and sometimes daunting) tasks increases exponentially.

Level-5 did a great job putting together a worthwhile game, but Ni no Kuni’s biggest draw is its visuals. For that, you need to look not only to the game’s developers, but also to the company actually responsible for the graphics: Studio Ghibli, arguably the most famous anime producer in the world. Ni no Kuni is undoubtedly stunning. Its exceptional aesthetic permeates every corner of the game. You see a view and think, “This is the most beautiful scene in the entire game.” And then an hour later, you see something and think the same thing. This happens all the time, because Ni no Kuni is so much better than most games on the market.

Ni no Kuni also features an excellent soundtrack that always hits the right note (pardon the pun) for any situation. Not only is the music catchy and memorable, it evokes emotion and draws you into the experience in a way that game soundtracks rarely can. The composition of each song is expertly executed; after all, the music was written by renowned Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, but it’s taken to an even higher level by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

The game’s voice acting is also good for the most part, though Oliver’s voice acting is perhaps the most disappointing, which is a shame considering he’s the main character. The good news is that you can keep the Japanese audio and read it alongside the game’s subtitles. Either way, you’ll benefit from Ni no Kuni’s outstanding Western localization, which is professionally translated and delivered, and is no doubt the reason why the game took so long to launch from Japan.

On the other hand, overall, it was worth the wait.

Verdict

Ni no Kuni: Curse of the White Queen is one of the best RPGs I’ve played in years. Additionally, it joins the elusive ranks of best PlayStation 3 exclusives, which rarely come from studios not owned by Sony. Ni no Kuni is just fantastic. It successfully combines traditional JRPG features with great graphics, great story, great characters, and thoughtful gameplay. Even better, I really think there’s something here, even if you’re not particularly interested in random encounters, leveling, and stat building. The story, characters, aesthetics, and gameplay really blend together to create something special that goes far beyond the JRPG niche. It took me just over 40 hours to beat Ni no Kuni, and there’s still plenty more to do. I didn’t complete all the side quests or race the entirety of the game’s combat arenas. Sources from Japan say it will take 80 hours to get the game’s coveted platinum trophy, but know this: 40 hours in Ni no Kuni doesn’t get you nearly everything the game has to offer. I didn’t want the match to end. It was one of those special experiences I’ve had in the past with Final Fantasy VI, Wild Arms, and Tales of Destiny where I didn’t want to see it end. I wanted it to continue. That’s because Ni No Kuni is truly something special, and every RPG fan owes it to themselves to pick it up and find out why.