Overview
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an action-RPG developed by Level-5 and published by Bandai Namco, released in 2018. It is the sequel to Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, with a standalone story set in the same world.
Story and world
You follow Evan, young heir to the throne of Ding Dong Dell, driven out of his castle by a coup. Together with Roland, a man who has come from another world, he decides to found his own kingdom.
The world is very charming, with a style reminiscent of an animated film. The character design is by Yoshiyuki Momose, a Studio Ghibli veteran, and the music is composed by Joe Hisaishi.
Gameplay
On top of the classic adventure, this entry adds a kingdom management layer: you build and develop your town, recruit citizens and launch research to unlock new upgrades.
Unlike the first entry, combat moves to real time: you directly control one character in your party, backed up by little creatures called Higgledies. This combat is unfortunately rather easy.
Verdict
Ni no Kuni II is a pleasant, relaxing game, carried by a very charming world. But it remains a long way from the magic of the first entry.