A gaming franchise that has experienced burgeoning popularity in recent years isNi no Kuni,which debuted in 2010 on the Nintendo DS. Despite consisting of five games thus far, many know of only two: 2018’sRevenant Kingdomand 2019’sWrath of the White Witchremaster.The sixth entry in the series,Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds,is a mobile title developed by Netmarble that was first announced in November 2019.
Originally planned for release in late 2020,Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldsexperienced development delays, like many titles last year. It is now expected to have a global launch sometime in 2022, but pre-registration for the game is open in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong, where it will release in June for iOS and Android.
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The latest trailer for themobile RPGNi no Kuni: Cross Worldsreleased on April 28 and reveals additional details about the game’s story. The video shows no gameplay footage, but rather focuses on introducing the game world and characters through in-engine cutscenes. All of the text in the trailer is in Japanese, perhaps making it difficult for many in the West to understand what’s happening.
For those who haven’t seen previous trailers forNi no Kuni: Cross Worlds, one of the first noticeable things about the game is that the visual style seems ideal for a mobile release. The cel shaded graphics for which the series is known, with artwork inspired byStudio Ghibli movies, carry over well to mobile platforms. Netmarble already has experience making the style look good, having used it in previous titles likeThe Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross.
Unlike previous titles, which had a classic fantasy RPG mise en scène, the sixth gamefeatures a more sci-fi setting. Previously releasedtrailers forNi no Kuni: Cross Worldshave revealed that the game’s protagonist is a real person living in the world of Ichi no Kuni who signs up to become a beta tester for a virtual reality title calledSoul Diver.This VR game takes place in the world of Ni no Kuni, based on the same one used inDominion of the Dark Djinn,the first entry in the series, andWrath of the White Witch.
Once in the world ofSoul Diver,the player is greeted by the holographic image of an AI character named Rania. A glitch occurs soon after and inexplicably transforms Rania into a “real” woman, but before either Rania or the player character can make sense of what has happened, the game crashes and the screen goes black. Rather than returning to the real world, the protagonist awakens to find himself in a burning city and must set out for the castle to save the Queen, an alternate version of Rania’s real form.
Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldsis scheduled to release on Android and iOS devices in 2022.
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