In what is probably one of the most amazing announcements to come out of E3 for fans of Japanese RPGs, Bandai Namco has announced a remastered version of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for the PlayStation 4 and PC. The game is also set to make its debut on the Nintendo Switch, finally making its way home since its initial launch on the Nintendo DS as Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn.
Of course, in spectacular fashion, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered was one of the titles affected by the Bandai Namco leak literally days before E3, along with Tales of Arise and Elden Ring. That did not stop or dampen the excitement, though, as evidenced by Bandai Namco’s official announcement during the opening of E3 yesterday. Check out the official announce trailer below.
Initially released back in 2013, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is an enhanced version of Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn, a JRPG title developed for the Nintendo DS by Level-5 Studios. Even before its initial release, it was widely anticipated due to the fact that Level-5 collaborated with the famed Studio Ghibli. The Japanese animation studio behind movies like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke handled the game’s many cutscenes. Level-5 also took some inspiration for them in terms of the game’s art design, which is still one of the best I’ve ever seen in a JRPG.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch’s story was storyboarded by Studio Ghibli as well, and tells the charming tale of a young boy named Oliver who hopes to bring his mother back following a tragic incident by journeying to another world. It’s actually a very heartwarming tale for all ages, and if you’re looking to get into JRPGs, this one is a very good starting point.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered on the PlayStation 4 and on PC will carry new visual enhancements plus 4K capabilities, with 60 frames per second for both platforms, although this is reduced to 30 for the PS4 if you’re going for 4K. The Switch version, while not exactly the remastered version, is still quite a boon to have, especially for fans of the series who were asking for it to come back to a Nintendo console.
Both the remastered version of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for the Playstation 4 and PC and the original release for the Switch will be released on September 20.
