Though there are plenty of popular JRPGs, none come close to the widespread recognition that Pokemon enjoys. Even genre titans like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest pale in comparison to the Game Freak IP, as it is currently the most successful fictional media property in the world. Its legacy spans almost 25 years and numerous iterations, each being revered by fans across a plethora of Nintendo devices. That's not to say it's a perfect franchise, however, as it has typically leaned on a tired, repetitive formula. This resulted in Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trying to do something different by presenting players with open worlds to explore.
It has been a rocky few years for the franchise, but Pokemon's failures can be used for the benefit of others. Ni no Kuni draws some obvious similarities to the juggernaut, and as a third game had been rumored for a while, it's in a prime position to capitalize on Pokemon's mistakes. Ni no Kuni 2 was a significant departure from the first in terms of story and combat, but the prominence of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch over its successor is evident. Ni no Kuni 3 could take some cues from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to have an even bigger footprint in the west, especially given Game Freak's latest outing had plenty of blemishes that were obvious for all to see.
Ni no Kuni Should Tread Lightly with Open Worlds
Open-world game design is immensely popular for plenty of genres. From shooters to adventure titles, having a large, non-linear space to explore has proven to be an effective way to keep players' attention if handled well. Pokemon's linearity was once part of its charm, but as technology advanced, graphics improved, and preferences shifted, the need for change was evident. Pokemon Sword and Shield felt, in many ways, like a relic of a time long past, but when Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Scarlet and Violet shifted there were some significant growing pains.
Ni no Kuni borrows a lot from Pokemon, merging the best of traditional JRPG design with collecting small monsters and evolving them to do battle against wild enemies. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet haphazardly deployed an open world that some felt was empty overall, but Ni no Kuni 3 could build on what the first two games in its series did while implementing a more modern open world that makes stumbling across new areas feel like a genuine discovery.
Pokemon Shows That Hardware Matters
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch released in 2013 in the west, but it saw a remaster in 2019 with updated visuals and a smoother frame rate. That is, if players opted to buy the PlayStation 4 version. The Nintendo Switch was also given a port of Ni no Kuni, and while its Studio Ghibli visuals stood the test of time, it was proof of the Switch's limitations. Ni no Kuni 3 is unlikely to be too taxing on modern hardware, as its art style and lighting is far from realistic, but fitting it on the Switch may prove to be difficult.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet reopened the topic of the Switch's hardware thanks to inconsistent performance and presentation. This may not have been a result of the Switch itself, but it calls into question its ability to house games that were designed for other platforms, too. Ni no Kuni 3 has to learn from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet by understanding the limitations of the hardware, playing to its strengths and avoiding what it doesn't do well. The series has plenty in common with Game Freak's titan franchise, but it has the potential to be even better by steering clear of the pitfalls that Scarlet and Violet weren't able to overcome.
PokemonScarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.
