Ni No Kuni "cherishes the so-called fundamentals" of JRPGs

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch isn't aiming to corner the western RPG fan, instead focusing on the aspects of JRPGs that continue to shine, according to Level-5 boss Akihiro Hino.

In an interview with IGN, Hino said the two kinds of RPG cater to different audiences.

"Japanese RPGs tend to cater to players who are not skilled at action games and prefer to have command systems that allow them time to strategize, as well as those who enjoy stories that are similar to reading novels," he said.

"So for fans of Western RPG, such JRPGs might seem somewhat antiquated. In Ni no Kuni, we used some cutting-edge technology to help create a game that isn’t simply aiming for realism, but provides you with a wondrous experience of playing within an anime feature film."

Hino went on to say that Level-5 didn't try to revolutionise the JRPG genre with Ni No Kuni, preferring instead to focus on those aspects which remain popular.

"Ni no Kuni is a title that cherishes the so-called fundamentals that makes RPGs interesting. Perhaps you will find this orthodox approach a refreshing change from the many overly-individualistic titles that make up the bulk of the market in recent years," he said.

"We have included elements that create the true charm of RPGs in abundance: the excitement of stepping foot into a new area of the map; the sense of achievement from clearing tough battles and missions; the joy of exploration or discovering new items; the mixed emotions of meeting and then parting ways with a huge array of characters, and so on."

"So perhaps it actually could be considered a restoration or reformation of an RPG from the good old days," he added.

Ni No Kuni is a PlayStation 3 exclusive launching on January 22 in the US and February 1 in Europe.

Thanks, Shack News.