Ni No Kuni offers players an experience unlike almost any other RPG. At once, you are transported back to the innocence of a childhood filled with monsters, magic, and mysticism; but at the same time you find yourself immersed in an emotional story about a protagonist dealing with his innermost emotions.

In the end, for anyone with any love for classic Japanese role playing games, Studio Ghibli movies, or just want a charming adventure in a wonderful colourful world, Ni No Kuni will see right by you.

Even though it could give a much better performance, it's still an outstanding JRPG for all the fans of the genre. It is a high-quality gaming title that will let you dream for nice long hours. You just have to forgive its bugs sometimes.

The games industry is full of serious business FPS games and RPGs that blend together in stale genericism. Ni No Kuni sets out to be a unique experience, a beautiful adventure that can be played instead of just watched. While in no way perfect, it achieves its goal admirably.

This mixed with AI problems, some glitches and an over-reliance on played-out concepts makes Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch a great JRPG, but overall, only a good game.

Not quite a masterpiece - but still pretty special. Ni no Kuni has the depth and artistic credibility to justify the partnership with Studio Ghibli. [March 2013, p.69]

For some reason jRPG and Ghibli did not click as superbly as one could hope for. Instead of expected perfection Ni no Kuni is just a very good game. But should we really complain about that? [CD-Action 02/2013, p.46]

By no means is Ni no Kuni a perfect match of Studio Ghibli’s design and character sensibilities and Level 5′s ability to craft deep and meaningful RPG systems, but it’s a close enough match that any flaws to either side are easily ignored. With as much charm, humor and as many quirks as can be packed onto a disc, Ni no Kuni will satisfy even the most disheartened and cynical role-playing fans and, possibly, people not into role-playing games at all.

Level-5 and Ghibli. Improbable just a few years ago, such and alliance of the little prince of the RPG and the king of Japanese animation gives birth to a super classical RPG, with no need for the magnificent spellbook that was given with the portable version. But in this PS3 take, Ninokuni doesn't really aim at younger gamers anymore. Paradoxically, the very light and sensible style of Ghibli does not give life to the best RPG in the world, but attempts to open up a way to an adventure with quiet strength.

Small cavils aside, though, Ni No Kuni is a heartfelt ode to the kind of gaming experience that's in danger of vanishing altogether from the landscape. It would take a hard heart indeed not to get lost in some part of this ravishing exercise in escapism.

If Ghibli would ever produce a game… it'd be over in two hours. Luckily the animation-studio started working on their game with Level-5. The result is an immensely expansive and typical Japanese RPG, with all of its negative and positive consequences. Above all, Ni No Kuni is a magical journey that'll make you feel like a kid again, in a surprisingly adult wizards-world.

Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's contributions are harmonious. As a game, Ni No Kuni builds upon classic JRPG foundations, eschewing the evolutions of Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy XII. But the assured flair with which Level-5 has implemented each of the game's classic components combines with Ghibli's masterful storytelling to deliver a JRPG that's quite unlike any other.

Studio Ghibli, meanwhile, has helped to create a memorable and touching narrative that's sure to strike a chord with gamers both young and old.

Ni No Kuni is visually stunning, using the cel shading technique in a way that even surpasses the beautiful Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

One of the best Japanese role-players of the generation and a gloriously beautiful game by any standard, both visually and emotionally.

It's impossible not to want more, though. It's delicious. Coming as it does from two creative teams at the top of their respective fields, we expect nothing less. And it's expectations such as these that harm Ni No Kuni most of all – were it not for the near impeccable track records that cut through gloriously in the game's opening hours, the rest of it would shine far brighter than it does when eclipsed by that initial exciting explosion of potential.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a breathtaking place with the wistful charm of Studio Ghibli's works. With a long roster of side-quests, an open word filled with secrets, clever puzzles, and some of the best-looking credits in any game, you can almost overlook the sharp edges and lackluster AI by focusing on the cel-shaded glow of the magic around one of the rarest, and most spectacular, team-ups anywhere.

If you've grown sick of JRPGs, as many people have, Ni No Kuni isn't going to change your mind. It's traditional, steadfast in its adherence to certain genre rules, and only stays away from a few of the genre's bad habits. But it's also a beautiful game, solidly built and full of whimsy, with some fun features and the sort of breadth you don't often find in game adventures these days.

Mechanically it could be a better game, sure, but it’s still definitely a game worth playing.

Ni No Kuni is not a bad game strictly speaking, but frightfully irritating. Beautiful, nearly an artistic piece, packed with enchanted moments, especially for a younger audience, the Level-5's game miss its target. With its unbalanced difficulty, Ni No Kuni can easily put children aside and its lack of thickness will bore adults. It's a shame.

A video game that’s stunning to behold — one that can take players to unexpected emotional places and make them eager to push through the story to see the next brilliant cinematic. And we also get an experience that’s a bit too rooted in old Japanese role-playing traditions.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a very good game, but it features far too many easily-remedied design flaws to ignore. For players who can look past these flaws, however, a terrific adventure awaits. For all its faults, the game's charming story and loveable cast is one of the most memorable of this console generation. JRPG fans would be remiss to overlook it, but should also be aware that it's far from perfect.

Ni No Kuni is a game that conjures mixed emotions. Sometimes I got bored of chasing monsters, got tired of the fighting system that is hard to control, got irritated by some characters that like to repeat their dialogue over and over again, and I got saddened by plot twists - they were too obvious and stripped of symbolism that is present in Ghibli's movies. Despite that I wanted to play more, because almost every time something good happened at the exactly right moment, something that restored my faith in this universe. Ni No Kuni can surprise you till the end, but all in all - I wish it was something more.

What Ni no Kuni lacks in finesse it more than makes up for in quantity and packaging - there's tons to do and every single moment in the game is a visual delight. It can be extremely frustrating and makes some choices that don't quite work, but offers enough charm to ultimately win you over.

The journey can be fun; I liked collecting and growing familiars and watching the breathtaking world before me, but Ni No Kuni doesn't come without frustration. Enter for the beauty, but know it comes with a price. [Feb 2013, p.90]

It's unfortunate that the story is so incredibly mundane, with a bad case of structural repetition for each main area. Oliver's grief is a valid emotion to ride, but it takes a back seat to so many hours of grinding.

Level-5 hasn't created a bad game but an inconsistent one that doesn't seem to understand its own strengths and weaknesses. The flashy look and cheerful tone will pull some people through, but at its core, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is missing a chunk of its heart that's hard to ignore.