I forgot how ludicrous Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is. Level 5’s Studio Ghibli-inspired RPG dropped onto Xbox Game Pass earlier this month with all the downloadable content and a bunch of new visual improvements, so as a lifelong weeb it was my duty to revisit the game. I reviewed it way back in 2017 as a baby games journalist, so to settle back into the shoes of Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum and US President Roland Crane brought forth a warm feeling of nostalgia. Ni No Kuni 2 is a saccharine delight, but it also starts with our own world being wiped out in a mushroom cloud of nuclear annihilation. Hooray...?

Roland Crane is driving towards an unknown city as he receives a phone call, warning him that an international conflict has worsened, and his country must now prepare for war. A few seconds later and we see a missile fly overhead, wiping the sprawling metropolis off the map as our main man’s motorcade is reduced to a heap of smouldering ashes. As Roland crawls from the wreckage he is surrounded by a bright blue light that transports his dying body into a new world. Yes, this is a modern day RPG that begins with a cutscene not unlike Sarah Connor’s visions of Judgment Day in Terminator 2. Very badass.

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Presumably billions die, and Ni No Kuni 2 completely ignores it as the US President is given a snazzy new outfit, sexy ponytail, and advanced combat training as he’s airdropped into a new realm known simply as Ding Dong Dell. Surviving a nuclear blast only to wake up in a world filled with a lion-tailed prince, talking rats, and Welsh Mushroom people sure sounds like the wildest drug trip imaginable, and here we have a game that somehow sells us this ludicrous premise while also making us care.

President Crane is quick to help out protagonist Evan, the Prince of Ding Dong Dell, against the corrupt forces of Mousinger, stating that he’s dealt with similar coups in his own kingdom before. He’s also carrying a gun, and is quick to blast away his enemies instead of talking things out.

The best part is how this out of pocket introduction isn’t addressed much ever again, or at least I don’t recall it being brought up much across the adventure. Roland empathises with Evan, as he also feels like an outsider from another world eager to prove himself, but the idea of ever returning home is seldom discussed. I suppose he’s the President and the nuclear holocaust just broke out, so this is a pretty sick get out of jail free card, all things considered. Roland is now able to stake his claim on a new world, or least become a figure of guidance for his new friends.

Ni No Kuni 2 aims for a Studio Ghibli vibe even if the animation house isn’t officially involved this time around, drawing clear influence from its visual aesthetic and the presence of a narrative that’s all about friendship, self discovery, and the immense value of family. It works, and remains an excellent JRPG all these years later, but I can’t take my mind off its utterly baffling introduction. I

It takes seconds for Roland to endure a nuclear blast, get transported to another world, and start shooting at talking rat people like it’s the most natural thing ever. Dude just goes with the flow and never stops to question what the fuck is happening and couldn’t care less. Biden, take note.

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