With the recent announcement of Pokemon Violet and Scarlet coming hot on the heels of the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Nintendo's most beloved RPG franchise is enjoying a year of bliss. The series' success spans some 24 years and numerous iterations. With such popularity, however, often comes complacency. Pokemon is one of the best in the turn-based role-playing genre, and though it achieved such acclaim thanks to stellar titles around the turn of the century, the franchise's RPG popularity is being threatened by other, new titles. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is undoubtedly an example, taking clear inspiration from Pokemon, but refining the formula in a few critical ways.
Developed by Level-5 and published by Bandai Namco, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch tells the tale of Oliver, a small boy from "Motorville" USA, who sets off on an unexpected magical journey, seeking answers when a tragedy occurs in his hometown. Oliver's quest takes him from the sun-draped city of Al Mamoon, to the harsh colds of the snow-capped Winter Isles. As players experience Oliver's wonderful journey, comparisons to Pokemon become more evident as the game goes on. Where Pokemon blazed the trail for turn-based, pocket monster JRPG's to flourish, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch perfected the formula, and the former could learn much from the latter, especially with Pokemon Violet and Scarlet on the horizon.
Pokemon Falls Where Ni No Kuni Soars
During Oliver's 40-hour quest, he befriends "Familiars," quirky creatures that do battle and serve as the game's main source of combat. By capturing, raising, and deploying the delightful beasts for random encounters and boss fights, Oliver's journey becomes more manageable. It's a philosophy that worked in 1998 with the release of Pokemon Red and Blue, and has been replicated many times since. However, Ni No Kuni's unique battle mechanics, charming visuals, and intricate leveling system makes it one of the few times when Pokemon has been outdone on its own terms.
Pokemon Sword and Shield did little to advance the already aging Pokemon engine. Its linear level design felt restrictive, and though the wild area was a step in the right direction, the lack of a dedicated over-world was felt more than ever. Pokemon Legends: Arceus took steps to correct this, but the space felt barren, and void of any engaging side activities in Legends: Arceus, and the presentation left much to be desired. Neither were deserving of heavy criticism, as both offered enjoyment, but with Violet and Scarlet coming to Nintendo Switch this year, the blemishes on Pokemon's resume will hopefully be ironed out before the new entry.
Learning From the Best
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch wielded a combat system that bridged the gap between the familiarity of Pokemon with the real-time elements of the Tales series. It's complex in design, but satisfying in execution, and adds haste to the traditional, turn-based affair. Its sequel, 2018's Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, switched to a more simplistic hack-and-slash design. Many players were left confused at the change, as the combat present in the first was truly innovative and enjoyable. In comparison, Pokemon's battles feel cumbersome and slow.
As far as stories go, Pokemon's jovial quest to become the region's coveted champion is a path well trodden, and many fans flock to the series in pursuit of the feat. However, this doesn't leave much room for shocking twists, any kind of intricate character development, or strong narrative threads, which is an area that Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch excels in. The tragedy that provoked Oliver to embark on his journey is a moment that has stayed with players long after the credits roll, and the characters that he meets along the way provide a healthy amount of intriguing story elements that do well to carry the game forward.
The Pokemon license remains popular, and any installments into the veteran franchise are always significant moments in the games calendar. It's a winning recipe, and one that fans from around the globe find comfort and enjoyment in, but that's not to say it can't learn from others in the JRPG genre. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch draws obvious inspiration from Nintendo's offering, but takes steps to establish itself as one of the genre's best, as well as something wholly unique.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is available on PC, PS3, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.