【Ashley Lopez Archives】

The Ashley Lopez Archivesabsolutely gorgeous game developed by Level-5 in association with Studio Ghibli, Ni No Kuni, is getting a sequel, and it’s coming with some changes. But not everyone is super into the idea of them yet.

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On the E3 showfloor this week, I played a slice of Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. The demo mostly consisted of two big boss battles: one, a fire-breathing dragon; and the other, a fist-pounding guerrilla creature. Playing as Evan, a young adult and overthrown king of Ding Dong Dell, I thrust my sword at the claws and furry butt of my boss enemies. I dodged and rolled away from their attacks, and used my special water or fire-based hits when I could.

Surrounded by my friends on the battle stage, it all felt very familiar to the original game. With one difference: I would also periodically roll over near my Higgledies friends, a new feature in Ni No Kuni II. These little critters group up by color: I saw white, green, red. When they’re ready to be activated, their group lights up in an indicating circle, and I would roll over to strategically press X to unleash their buffs. According to a press release, “The Higgledies will provide invaluable support during battles including offensive and defensive buffs, increasing special attack power for Evan and his friends, and assist in attacking enemies.”

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

After duking it out against the two bosses, I sat down to speak to the game’s director, Akihiro Hino.

I asked Hino-san, through a translator, how development on the game was going. The team at Level-5 has apparently grown exponentially throughout this project as the ideas in the game were growing. I asked him why he chose to showcase two boss battles for their E3 demo. It was because of the flashy action, and how he felt it was representative of the battle system they’re moving forward with, he told me.

But one of the very first questions I wanted to ask was why Familiars weren’t making a return in the sequel, since they were such a beloved feature in the first Ni No Kuni.

“I’m always pursuing new elements and game mechanics and ways for people to play and enjoy games,” Hino-san told me through a translator. “In developing the sequel, I didn’t want to recycle an old system. Which is where the idea of the Higgledies came from, partially. Unlike the previous game where the companions were kind of there -- the Familiars were there as your companion -- the Higgledies really change the way you can strategize in battle and they’re almost like a support system. It opens up the playability and range of how players can interact and navigate boss battles really well. I’m really excited to be able to use the Higgledies in that way.”

Though the Higgledies don’t have the same kind of Pokémon-quality of capturing, training, and leveling up that Familiars did in Ni No Kuni I, they do add to battle strategy in a new way.

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Drippy -- who is not a Familiar but your guiding fairy and a secondary character throughout the game -- is another aspect of Ni No Kunithat players have felt strongly about. You either hated or loved Drippy. His tendency to be chatty -- even during battles -- either annoyed or delighted you (it probably annoyed you). I asked Hino-san whether Drippy would be making a return in the sequel.

“Yes, there is going to be a character closely resembling Drippy in their role,” Hino-san said. “As you progress through the story, you may encounter a race very close to what Drippy did in Ni No Kuni I. This character is going to transform into these guardians, or holy beasts, in the story. I would almost argue that there is going to be a Drippy-like character that plays an even more important role in Ni No Kuni II.”

As for his thoughts on players’ feedback on Drippy’s personality?

“There were some similar reactions in Japan, I would say, as well. The person we cast to help build the character was a comedian and, of course, he has a lot of commentary and a lot of thoughts on his mind which doesn’t always filter. We wanted to have this very lovable, approachable person with a clean perspective, but also a lot of times there’s one too many words. It’s very understandable that he would come across as annoying. I wanted to include that human element in the character.”

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

But there’s an even more substantial addition to Ni No Kuni IIthat hasn’t been as highlighted yet, and that’s the game’s kingdom building system.

“[In] a lot of more traditional RPGs, the gameplay cycle is: you go into a dungeon, you find treasure, you get the loot, improve your armor, improve your weapons, and that would allow you to unlock different dungeons. But what’s really interesting about the kingdom building system is not only are there those elements present, but you also need to collect good, talented people,” Hino-san said. “So you need to be judging people and fitting them into your kingdoms in specific ways that will improve how your kingdom grows as well. That’s a very new element.”

As you discover and, presumably, conquer or perhaps re-conquer new kingdoms, it’s your responsibility to ensure the kingdom’s success. “Depending on how you allocate these talents in your kingdom, that’s going to greatly affect the rate of growth and what kind of kingdom you’re going to have,” he said.

I wondered if the wrong call might bring your kingdom crumbling down in failure, but the game is more about finding and leveraging the right fit -- even if that fit might not initially be apparent -- than it is about the risks of the complete and total loss of that kingdom.

Some players of the original Ni No Kunicomplained about the grinding nature of the game -- which is a quality that’s fairly inherent to many RPGs. Hino-san believes that the kingdom building system helps Ni No Kuni IIdiversify enough away from that. “In the game cycle for Ni No Kuni II, we’ve kind of helped alleviate a little bit of that repetition in the kingdom system where you’re out adventuring, you’re collecting resources, you’re collecting loot, and you’re collecting talented people to put them into position. Watching your kingdom grow is a direct reflection of all your efforts, and I think that really helps create a game that has a very comfortable cycle and doesn’t feel as much like grinding,” he said.

Ni No Kuni IIwill be out on Nov. 10 for PS4 and PC.

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