Level-5 has a new Ni No Kuni game, as well as a few more new projects, up their sleeves, Akihiro Hino, president of the Fukuoka-based game developer, told Japanese business magazine Nikkei (via Dualshockers).
While the game and a smartphone app are expected to launch sometime after the inaugural Ni No Kuni movie releases on Aug. 29, the details are still pretty thin.
There’s also no word yet on which platforms we can expect the game to be released on, but it seems like Level-5 have been working on fleshing out their PC catalogue by launching Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom on PC last year and remastering Wrath of the White Witch for PC later this year.
With five variations but just two main installments, the timeless tale that is Ni No Kuni has already become one of the most recognizable and heralded JRPGs. It’ll be exciting to see what the third entry will do for the freshly budding franchise.
The first games of the series follow Oliver in his journey to another world to save his mother and stop an unknown evil force. The sequels tell us a new story, introducing us to Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, the half-catfolk prince of Ding Dong Dell (yes, pretty much all the names are this ridiculous, get used to it) as he’s usurped from his castle, and struggles to reclaim his lost kingdom and unite the four realms under a peaceful banner, with the help of the mysterious and otherworldly Roland and a little bit of magic.
As Evan journeys from kingdom to kingdom, we see very real human stories play out as he meets characters facing harsh societal issues, from brutal taxes to harsh working conditions.
Ni No Kuni is primarily an open-world action JRPG, but what sets it apart is an intricate building sim with a top-down view of a delicately animated dollhouse-like kingdom. You go on quests to gather resources that you then put directly back into building up your kingdom and its people.
At last month’s E3, we learned the news that Ni No Kuni is heading to the Nintendo Switch on Sept. 20. Ni No Kuni is also set to make its big-screen debut with a movie premiering on Aug. 29.
With its whimsical animation, complete with complex narratives, intricate landscapes that seem plucked from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, and expressive, adorable characters with some serious Arrietty and Ponyo vibes, Ni No Kuni is basically made for a film format. It’s sure to be a treat to follow our beloved catfolk characters through meandering streets lined with ornate Chinese temples, packed food stalls and glowing casinos, all drenched in the crimson light of lanterns, in film form.
Hino told Nikkei that the new movie, game and Switch port are all part of a larger plan to turn Ni No Kuni into a bigger franchise. Consider us onboard.
For now, check out the announcement video for Ni No Kuni’s Switch port below.