is Ni No Kuni 2 with DLC worth it?

[Alastor3]

I heard a lot of bad rep about the second game. I loved the first one and i heard there's a "city Builder" in the game (which i always like for a side quest) but i was wondering if the patches and dlc made the game from bad to good? The base game is on sales right now but not the 2 dlc

 

[Illusion]

From what I hear it's not.

And the base game isn't worth the data its encoded in.

 

[tomd96]

I didn't play the DLC so I can't comment on that, but I loved the base game including the city building. I found the first game more charming and better overall but really enjoyed both of them. Just for context I played them both for the first time last year, about a month apart.

 

[leng jai]

Easy no.

 

[sredgrin]

Be hard pressed to find anyone that played them, felt like they came and went without notice.

1 DLC is a basic 100 floor RNG dungeon, which to me doesn't really speak to the game's strengths. The combat in the game is passable at best, and a tower of doom gimmick like that is entirely unappealing.

2nd one is supposed to be better, but each dlc raises the level cap and expects you to be at the previous cap. So you gotta do that 100 floor DLC before you do the 2nd one, or be prepared for a lot of grinding.

 

[Alastor3]

From what I hear it's not.

And the base game isn't worth the data its encoded in.

Click to shrink...

Wow that's a sick burn, i guess i'll pass, sucks :(

 

[Freezasaurus]

I didn't like the game, honestly. I loved the original, but the second was too different. It felt like they crammed too many other types of games in as activities. The Kingdom Builder plays like a simulation, the strategic battles play like an RTS, and then you have the traditional JRPG elements and gameplay on top. It felt like this game was attempting to be everything to everyone and failed to really focus on anything in the process. Disappointing, as the original game was excellent.

 

[Supermanisdead]

no, the dlc is pretty bad. game is one of the big disappointments of this generation. took a flawed but wonderful game and level 5'd it to hell.

 

[sora87]

I got the season pass or whatever with the collector's edition and didn't even bother with the dlc after seeing what it was

 

[Strings]

The base game is good, though nowhere close to being as great as the original.

Bought the DLC but never played it.

 

[mindsale]

Jesus people hate on Ni No Kuni 2. I thought it was good. Can't speak to the DLC's.

 

[Illusion]

no, the dlc is pretty bad. game is one of the big disappointments of this generation. took a flawed but wonderful game and level 5'd it to hell.

Click to shrink...

They took out all ghibli magic.

Even after replaying Ni No Kuni 1 a few months ago, I'm reminded how much better 1 is and how trash 2 is.

The magic is gone. I have no hope for a third game or future for the IP after the second game. Its clear to me Level 5 is no longer the company it once was.

 

[Deleted member 437]

Its literally just one massive dungeon floor after dungeon floor.

Buy it if you are addicted to the combat.

 

[hydro94530]

It's a bad game. I quit about 8-10 hours in from sheer boredom.

 

[Ghil]

I've played it to completion, I have 53 hours in it.
It's not a great game. The main problem is its name. If it wasn't a Ni No Kuni, people wouldn't have had the lofty expectations that came with that name. The first one was a great RPG, one of the best Level 5 ever made (only topped by DQ8, imho).
If you start in Hard mode, and like the building mechanics, the game isn't half bad. It's just not great. It's such a step down from the first game. But it's a serviceable JRPG.
If you've played many tales, it ranks amongst the okay of that series.

 

[DarthSontin]

Ni No Kuni 2 felt like Assassin's Creed 3- it was a jumble of different game types and management side activities that felt like they were developed by teams working in isolation from each other. NNK2 even has two contrasting art styles that don't seem to belong to the same game.

 

[Deleted member 5127]

I've only played NNK2 so I'm curious about the first since everyone keeps saying it's better. I thought NNK2 was okay but I stopped before the final boss and never really felled compelled to finish it.

 

[Secretofmateria]

I should probably go back and finish this game, but i just found it to be so damn boring

 

[SugarNoodles]

It mostly depends on how bothered you are by traaaaaaash writing.

 

[Basileus777]

The base game is bad and the dlc is worse.

 

[penguindrum]

Ni no Kuni 2 is really a fever dream of a game to me. The battle system is just meh. Low enemy variety despite gorgeous visuals. I actually enjoyed the kingdom building a lot. What stuck with me the most was the story though. Somehow it's predictable and naive and barely there while also being batshit and nonsensical. I'm still shaken by some of the story beats and oh god, the writing. There are better games and jrpgs for your time and money, but there's something to be said for the game's exact brand of mediocrity. I am bewildered by the game, yet I put in 80 hours.

 

[Teriyaki Blues]

Man, people on this forum really like to act like NnK2 personally released a hive of wasps into their homes. The game itself was pretty fun for me, though I haven't touched the DLC. It is often on super sale. I'd say just try it out if you like what you see. For me, the story wasn't too wonderful, doesn't get in the way of the game too much but it can get really weird if you pay attention. I liked a lot of the actual game mechanics and the characters. I really like that there are so many different things to do, and I found the citizen recruitment, city building/management, and skirmishes to be pretty enjoyable. Honestly I would have paid ten dollars for a game that just had those parts if it also included the Higgles in some fashion. Those little guys are adorable, to steal Bracken's line.

The soundtrack is aces if you're into that. They added extra difficulty modes as part of the base game too, which resolved the single most voiced complaint about the launch version (too easy).

I do wish that (minor aesthetic quibble):

Spoiler

ANY of Bracken's costumes showed off her prosthetic as a unique leg, as disabled representation is really lacking in the games scene.

 

[Brakke]

I got a platinum on the base game, never touched any DLC. But like... the game is definitely bad. It was just kind of comfortable for me after a while. I mostly turned the volume down and played it as a podcast game. That worked but the upshot is the game is NEVER worth devoting your full attention to it.

It's frustrating because the opening is so strong and promises so much that the game never really delivers on.

 

[Dola]

The game was just ok. I enjoyed a mini game where you build your kingdom more than the base game.

 

[Lord Azrael]

This game is mediocrity incarnate

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

Figured someone in here can answer this. How does the first Ni No Kuni run on Switch? I remember hearing that some people were experiencing glitches on the Switch version at launch.

 

[danhz]

I liked it, enjoyed the combat, story, the OST, its clearly not a deep game, really lightweight.
How era feels about NNK2

Spoiler

 

[Genetrik]

I am currently playing it and I bought it during the last sale. I am enjoying much more than the first game because I loathed the battle system in that one.

Had the same decision to make as OP and back then only bought the base game since I am pretty sure I will be burned out once I have finished it.

 

[GenericGhost]

The game was okay. I finished it.
Some progression is locked by what level your city was and I don't like that.

 

[Amakusa]

Don't listen to the jaded people in this thread, OP!
Ni No Kuni 2 is a wonderful game with a charming cast and I experienced great joy helping young Evan on his adventure. It hits the right notes to make you care for your party without delving too deep into JRPG tropes.
I do have to admit though that I played it after it received its content updates which added a lot of extra missions and background lore to the characters. The base game might have been lacking, I wouldn't know, but unless you play without the possibility to upgrade the game to its latest version, most of the criticism directed towards it isn't true anymore.

Personal tastes vary of course and even the most beloved games have their haters, but the version I platinum'd last year was a good game by any objective measure.