Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered is an enhanced version of the original Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch game. Developed by Level-5 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, this remastered edition brings back the beloved role-playing game with stunning visuals, improved performance, and additional content. The game follows the story of Oliver, a young boy who embarks on a magical adventure to a parallel universe in order to save his mother. With the help of his new friend, Drippy, a fairy, Oliver explores a beautifully animated world filled with fantastic creatures and characters. The main idea of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered is the immersive and heartwarming experience it offers to players. The game features a unique blend of traditional RPG elements, such as turn-based combat and character progression, with a captivating storyline and charming visuals reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films.
This remaster has lost none of its original charm. Another exceptional JRPG Review in German | Read full review
The remastered version of this delightful and heartwarming JRPG packs a colorful and heartfelt punch, one that s sure to charm even the most jaded of JRPG fans. Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch Remastered makes sufficient improvements to the visuals, bringing the same incredible JRPG to PC and PS4 without leaving any detail behind.
The game features a unique blend of traditional RPG elements, such as turn-based combat and character progression, with a captivating storyline and charming visuals reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films. Players can freely explore the game's vast world, engage in battles against various enemies, and solve puzzles to progress through the story. The remastered version takes this experience to a whole new level with improved graphics that bring the vibrant world of Ni no Kuni to life like never before.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered review
An exceptionally pretty if otherwise conventional JRPG with diverting combat. Not an all-timer, but worth a (re)visit.
PC Gamer's got your back
Our experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you. Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware.
NEED TO KNOWWhat is it? A well-liked JRPG belatedly makes its PC debut
Expect to pay $50/£40
Developer Level-5
Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment
Reviewed on Intel Core i3-8350K CPU, 8GB RAM, GeForce GTX 1060
Multiplayer? No
Link Official site
Very few games look better than their sequels, but then Ni No Kuni is an exception to most rules. It makes its debut on PC after its successor, last year’s well-liked Revenant Kingdom, which took its visual cues from Wrath of the White Witch, but was made without the direct involvement of Studio Ghibli. This remaster doesn’t quite provoke the same saucer-eyed wonderment as the original did six years ago on PS3, but with Ghibli’s exceptional world building and typically gorgeous animation it’s still a beautiful thing.
Before you get to its autumnal forests and icy grottoes, however, you’ll spend some time in the equally well-realised town of Motorville. When his mother dies, a young boy called Oliver travels to a fantastical world in the hope of bringing her back to life. He’s joined by Drippy, a teardrop-shaped fairy with a lantern dangling off the end of his nose, who is easily the best reason to stick with the English-language dub. Larking about and cracking wise in his rich Welsh burr—the highlight of what is a pretty terrific localisation all round—he’s one of the most appealing partner characters in any RPG. Some might find him overly chatty at times, but he’s always on the right side of annoying.
Then again, Drippy does contribute to the game’s coddling approach to the problems you face, whether it’s a tricky boss or an environmental puzzle. Over the course of the game, Oliver gains a series of spells that let him unlock doors and chests, for example, or restore withered fungi into springy steps. He can even gather emotions from those with an excess of them: with permission, a lively villager will hand over their surplus exuberance so Oliver can perk up a lethargic guard, say. But the solution is almost always handed to you on a plate, giving you no room to work things out for yourself. I’m not sure its nannying tendencies are excused by the fact that it’s, y’know, for kids—children are brighter than games aimed at them often give them credit for.
Blending command-based and real-time elements, the combat system isn’t nearly so straightforward. You can control Oliver—though the stick he starts out with has little effect, and the wand he gets a couple of hours in isn’t much of an improvement. So for the most part, you’re better leaving him on the sidelines and relying instead on a range of familiars, friendly creatures you’ll find throughout your adventure, and which you can feed and bond with between encounters.
Positioning as well as timing is key: you’ll control your familiars directly, while giving them commands to attack, defend or dodge. Clear tells and long wind-ups for powerful attacks give you the chance to pull off counter-attacks or cause opponents to miss you, leaving them vulnerable for a short time. You’ll need to quickly collect the health and magic pickups that drop sporadically, and the rare golden orbs that allow for special attacks unique to each familiar. You’ll need to switch them out when they’re tired, while elemental strengths encourage you to chop and change depending on the opponents you’re facing.
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)In places, it can feel fiddly and complex rather than deep, and in the early game you can get away with sending out your most powerful familiar and simply repeating the attack command. But when new characters and their familiars join your party, opening up new tactical possibilities—the AI isn’t perfect, but you can get them to focus on healing, or go all-out when a monster is stunned—it comes into its own. It may borrow various bits and pieces from other games but it combines them into something distinct. And though the monsters aren’t vintage Ghibli designs by any means, they’re still cute and characterful enough that you’ll likely grow quite attached to them.
The story, by comparison, is more conventional, though a relentlessly punning script lends a bit of flavour to some fairly well-worn JRPG tropes. Find the great sages! Seek out the magical stones! As such, the appeal lies not in wondering what exciting plot development awaits you next (because, well, there aren’t any) but rather what gorgeous new setting you’re about to visit—and in Wrath of the White Witch, even the sewers are lovely. Technically speaking, it’s only a minor improvement over the original, though with anisotropic filtering and anti-aliasing and the option to uncap the frame rate make this the best-looking, best-performing version of an already handsome game.
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)It helps no end to have Ghibli’s regular composer Joe Hisaishi on board: delicate and plaintive during the emotional moments, grand and sweeping in battle, his score makes the game sound almost as good as it looks. Your movement speed across the field map is slow, each trek to the next area punctuated by throwaway encounters against cannon-fodder enemies, but Hisaishi makes it all feel like an epic odyssey. As you progress, you’ll steadily fill up a lavish in-game tome that acts as a memento of your journey. It’s nice just to leaf through it every now and again to see how far you’ve come.
On paper it sounds sickeningly sweet, though there are hints of the undercurrent of darkness that runs through Ghibli’s best work, even if it’s hardly Grave of the Fireflies. Wrath of the White Witch is traditional to a fault, and lacks the kingdom-building hook of its sequel, but it makes for a mostly pleasant, sporadically delightful, 40-plus hours of playful escapism.
Ni No Kuni embodies every child’s dream of becoming the hero – or heroine – of their own fantasy tale, but spins it in such a way that is inviting to even the most seasoned of adventurers. Read full review
In addition to the enhanced visuals, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered also includes new content. This includes additional quests and rare items that were not present in the original game, providing players with even more reasons to dive back into the magical world of Ni no Kuni. The remastered edition also benefits from improved performance, running at a higher frame rate and resolution, making the gameplay smoother and more immersive. Overall, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered is a must-play game for fans of the original and newcomers alike. Its captivating story, breathtaking visuals, and engaging gameplay make it a truly unforgettable experience. Whether you are a fan of RPGs, Studio Ghibli films, or simply appreciate a well-crafted game, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered is sure to leave a lasting impression..
Reviews for "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered – A Visual Feast for the Senses"
1. John - 2 out of 5 stars
I was really disappointed with Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered. The gameplay felt sluggish and the combat mechanics were really repetitive. The story was also quite predictable and fell flat for me. I was expecting more from this remastered version, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 1 out of 5 stars
I found Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered to be extremely boring and tedious. The voice acting was subpar, and the characters lacked depth. The graphics may have been remastered, but they looked outdated and didn't impress me at all. The pacing of the game was slow, and I couldn't bring myself to finish it. It felt like a chore rather than an enjoyable gaming experience.
3. Andrew - 2 out of 5 stars
I had high hopes for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered, but it fell short in many aspects. The controls were clunky, and the camera angles constantly frustrated me. The side quests were uninteresting and felt like a chore. The dialogue was often cheesy, and the overall story didn't captivate me. It's a shame because the art style and music were beautiful, but that alone isn't enough to make up for the flaws in gameplay and storytelling.