– Developed by LEVEL-5 with Animation by Studio Ghibli, the Eagerly Awaited Title Takes Japanese Role-playing Games to New Heights of Beauty and Brilliance –
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 18th October 2011 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S today announced that the game-changing Japanese role-playing title Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch™ is bringing its potent blend of preeminent anime talent and role-playing video game expertise to Europe in 2012 exclusively for PlayStation®3.
The unique fantasy RPG is developed by LEVEL-5, the studio behind the smash hit Dragon Quest VIII and IX, and the Professor Layton series. For the game’s characters and animations, LEVEL-5 collaborated with the legendary Studio Ghibli, the team responsible for countless anime masterpieces including My Neighbour Totoro, Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away. The in-game music comes from the hand of Joe Hisaishi, the composer of the scores to over 100 films including many of Studio Ghibli’s greatest productions.
“It was a momentous experience to create a game with artists who represent Japan as much as Studio Ghibli and Mr. Hisaishi do,” said Akihiro Hino, president and CEO of LEVEL-5 Inc. “We sincerely want to share this title with the entire world.”
“The incredible people involved in this game give it a pedigree that is rarely seen in video games, and it’s a fantastic addition to our line-up for 2012,” said Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President at NAMCO BANDAI Partners. “It takes a very hard heart not to be thoroughly enchanted by the amazing universe they have created together.”
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a heart-warming tale of a young boy called Oliver, who embarks on a journey into a parallel world to become a magician in an attempt to bring back his recently-deceased mother. Along the way Oliver encounters many new friends who help him learn and grow. He can also befriend the wonderful creatures that inhabit this parallel universe, turning them into pets that Oliver can raise and collect a whole menagerie of. Why, he can even use these critters to battle other creatures on his behalf! Join Oliver as he explores the vast new world and faces a variety of formidable enemies.
In the game, the beauty of Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn animation has been perfectly reproduced, with the cel-shaded graphics engine producing stunning real-time animations of a quality normally only seen in their industry-leading feature films. In addition, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch on PlayStation®3 brings a wealth of new content to the Ni no Kuni universe, with an additional cast of mysterious characters to meet, new areas to explore, and a whole different perspective on the involving story.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is scheduled for European release in 2012. For more information on NAMCO BANDAI Partners’ entire line up please visit www.namcobandaipartners.com.au