Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was a late release for the PS3 in 2013. This is especially true considering it launched for Japanese players in 2011. And even though it released in January months before the PS4 and Xbox One did, we think it still got overshadowed in the build-up hype for those new systems.
We were overjoyed to see Bandai Namco green light a sequel, but in the back of our minds, we always wanted a remaster of the original as well. Well, after six years of waiting our wish finally came true. So for those jumping in for the first time on PS4 or Switch, here are some handy tips.
10 Slow Start But Keep With It
The biggest tip to keep in mind from the get-go is that this game starts off extremely slow. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the first battle and even after that, the game still doesn’t fully open up with all of the mechanics until the 6-10 hour mark.
Ni no Kuni is a slow burn, but one that should be kept up. It is well worth it, trust us. It is what a console Pokémon game should be in many regards along with Ni no Kuni just being a good original RPG.
9 Adjust Difficulty
For those that played Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom first, this game’s difficulty may come as a shock. Even on the easiest setting, this game will take players hours to master.
That is to say, Ni no Kuni is a very classic RPG in every way including the time required to grind away for experience points. That is why we recommend choosing Easy Mode at the start. If that somehow is too moderate, the difficulty can be adjusted at any time.
8 PS4 Vs. Switch
It is important to realize what differences exist between the PS4 and Switch versions of this game. The former has been remastered, meaning everything has been smoothed for a resolution of 1080p on standard systems and 4K on the PS4 Pro. On top of that, the RPG now runs at 60 frames per second.
The Switch version is just a straight port of the PS3 edition, meaning it runs at 30 frames per second with a 720p max resolution. Both versions come with all DLC.
7 Save Often & Whenever Possible
In towns and on the world map, players can save as often as they want. This is great considering dungeons can have long gaps in-between each save point. Usually, they are placed at the beginning and right before the boss.
This means that falling in battle can be devastating. Players can choose to restart at their last save, or restart at the last save with items and experience gained, but they lose 10% of gold. This is pretty standard for Dragon Quest games as well.
6 Learn To Guard
“Defend” is often an option in RPGs, but it rarely does anything beneficial. That is to say, it is hard to know when to defend. In this game, especially for bosses, monsters give off powerful auras when they are about to cast a strong attack.
Choosing the “Defend” option will almost negate damage if timed right. Again, for bosses, this is an essential tip to remember. It really works!
5 Do Every Quest ASAP
It may be a pain to backtrack a lot, but do every side quest when available. There are two major ones that pop up once players reach the first city, Ding Dong Dell. There is a Taskmaster that offers bounties on monsters. On the map, flashing blue dots indicate NPCs who either have a quest to offer or are part of one.
Completing both of these activities will earn players Merit Stamps. These then are placed on cards and when one is complete, that counts as a point for players to then spend on essential upgrades like being able to run faster.
4 Turn On/Off Radar
Battles may be challenging, but the aforementioned side quests are a breeze. Whether it is a side activity or part of the main quest, the map points out everything for players with giant gold stars or flashing colored dots. Getting lost is practically impossible.
If players think this method is too much like Bandai Namco babysitting their every move, this can be adjusted in the options to make them less prominent. We left it on though because it helps out a lot.
3 Monster Weakness
Like many RPGs, monsters have weaknesses and it goes beyond obvious elemental ones. In Ni no Kuni, monsters and familiars are labeled under the Moon, Star, or Sun signs.
Moons are strong against Stars, Stars are strong against Suns, and Suns are strong against Moons. It’s a pretty standard rock paper scissors type of formula. This is why it is important to keep a good catalog of familiars in order to diversify the party.
2 Feed Your Familiars
On top of keeping track of signs, it also important to feed familiars. Giving them treats will boost stats and also raise their bonds with their masters. A stronger bond will make said Familiar stronger in battle.
It also helps to feed them early on since most critters start off unfortunately at level 1. Boasting stats then makes the leveling up process go quicker.
1 Keep Track Of Locked Chests
Ni no Kuni has several different colored chests that cannot be opened until a certain spell is gained. The first obstacles are blue chests. After Ding Dong Dell, players can then retrace their steps in order to unlock those chests with a spell before moving on.
So the tip here then is to always take a screenshot of these chests as a reminder of their locations. Since the PS4 and Switch consoles have this option built-in, it should be an easy tip to follow. There are also guides online for locations, but where is the fun in that?
NEXT: 10 Unique Nintendo Video Games No One Has Copied Yet (But Should)
