Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldsis a free-to-play MMORPG that was developed by Netmarble, a renowned South Korean mobile game developer. It was then published by Level-5, the original creators of theNi no Kunifranchise. The mobile game was initially only available to play in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan but has since been released globally.
Like the other titles in theNi no Kuniseries,Cross Worldsfeatures two distinct worlds — the “real” world and the more fantastical world, where the player will be spending most of their time. The game features a new storyline, distinct from those of older titles. Thus, apart from minor callbacks to its predecessors,Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldsis a standalone title and potentially a great entryway into the franchise.
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The Premise of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds
Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldsfollows the player character, who is a beta tester for the virtual reality game “Soul Divers.” The game is currently under development in a futuristic city, and in the opening cutscene, the player is seen lying within a large pod meant to transport them into the virtual game world. There, a holographic AI introduces theworld ofNi no Kuni: Cross Worlds, where the player can do anything from saving the world to becoming the ruler of their own nation.
Suddenly, Soul Divers glitches, and the AI is replaced with a girl that appears to be another player — Rania. She mumbles something about losing connection and a group known as the Mirae Corporation before the game world glitches again. Rania then promises tofind the player ofNi no Kuni: Cross Worldsagain, and the screen goes black.
When the player wakes up, they’re in the middle of a burning city that’s under attack by a fearsome dragon. With the help of a bat-like creature named Cluu, the player finds their way to the Queen, who bestows upon them an artifact known as the Guardian Stone. After which, Cluu and the player are teleported away to a field outside the walls of Evermore. This establishes that the world of Soul Divers is the same as theworld fromNi no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.
Having experienced the fall of the unnamed kingdom, the player must then travel to the Kingdom of Evermore to seek help in retaking the burning city and saving its Queen. All the while, the player must also uncover the secrets hidden in Soul Divers’ world, including Rania’s true nature and motivations. Finally,true to theNi no Kunifranchise, Netmarble hints that the two worlds are inextricably linked, and saving one likely means saving the other as well.
How Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds Compares to Past Titles
Unlike in past titles, players ofNi no Kuni: Cross Worldscan choose from five classes — Swordman, Witch, Rogue, Engineer, and Destroyer. The character’s name and appearance are also customizable. As for the game’s combat style, it’s similar to that of older titles in that the player attacks with their weapon in real-time but also has help fromNi no Kunifamiliars. Lastly,Cross Worldsis free-to-play, multiplayer, and has in-game transactions, unlike the past mainline titles of the franchise.
Most notably,Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldssets itself apartfrom the other games in that it’s reportedly part of a “blockchain ecosystem” and will make use of cryptocurrencies. Netmarble has publicly announced that some of its games were part of this ecosystem, includingCross Worlds. In a blog post, the developer also announced that players would be able to trade in-game currencies for MBX, its own cryptocurrency. This has garnered mixed reactions from the fan base, but it’s still hard to say whether it’ll greatly affect the game’s performance.
Ni no Kuni: Cross Worldsis available now on Android, iOS, and PC.
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