Ni no Kuni:
Wrath of the White
Witch

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (2011) is a role-play game and an expanded version of the DS game Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn. In it, you play a young boy who travels between worlds and battles enemies in an attempt to save his mother. It stands out for its unusual, heartwarming story and the filmic quality provided by an orchestral score and Studio Ghibli animation.

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You play Oliver, a young boy who lives with his mother in a small town in the USA. When she dies saving you from drowning, your tears bring your doll to life and uncover another world where an evil wizard rules. In the hope that saving a woman named Alicia in this other world will bring back your mother, you set out on a quest to defeat the wizard and his minions and restore peace.

Play involves exploring the world, solving environmental puzzles in dedicated chambers, and meeting characters to build a party of adventurers, as is the way of these styles of games. You accept quests, some of which are side-missions while others progress the main story. Combat uses a system where you can either use creatures you collect and train in turn-based, Pokémon- style battles or rush in with your companions and use weapons to fight. As you play, you find new weapons and can upgrade your characters and your creatures with new abilities to help you succeed.

The result is a game that takes classic role-playing staples- complex battles, lots of characters, and different upgrades and abilities- and pairs them with a poignant yet whimsical story and vibrant animation to make for an engaging and entertaining experience.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 3 weeks ago.