Akihiro Hino: ‘Ni no Kuni II a huge improvement to the first’

Akihiro Hino, CEO of Level-5 and general director of the Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, further discussed the newly announced RPG during a developer video released by PlayStation.

“With the first Ni no Kuni, we created a fantasy story by incorporating the renowned charm of Studio Ghibli,” Hino said. “In order to craft a unique and enchanting experience, we wanted to use video games and animation as a story-telling medium. By doing so, we can create a truly immersive fantasy RPG that embraces the visual facets of Japanese animation.

“Despite the game having several Japanese themes, we’re confident fans worldwide will be able to enjoy this world to its fullest. These fantasy worlds influenced by Japanese culture form the alluring stories fans come to expect. I really admired Studio Ghibli’s artistic and narrative style, so I thought if I could create a game with that style as its foundation, everyone could enjoy it, and that motivated me to make the first game. We pushed ourselves to integrate and enhance Studio Ghibli’s artistic styles into the game.

“Our love for Ni no Kuni inspired us to create a sequel, so we did. I can say that the sequel is a huge improvement to the first. We’re taking on a lot more challenges than before, so we can bring new features to fruition. The sequel fulfills the ambitions we had after the first game’s completion. You can expect deeper stories, rich in dramatic sequences you wouldn’t have expected from the first game. The story is about a young boy’s journey to become King, through which he experiences many hardships, making both friends and enemies along the way. He’ll receive help and provide even more, all contributing to his growth as a person and as a King. We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished in this story.

“Of course, there are exciting game systems, compelling stories, and beautiful visuals in the game, but we also want to unify them in a way that enhances these characters and breathes life into the world. I hope players will genuinely fall in love with our characters and this world.”

Watch the developer video below.