What makes the problem even worse is that visuals and performance are actually the most important aspect of Ni No Kuni II. Both share a cartoon art style and feature a massive world to explore, and I’d argue that DQXI did a much better job of translating the experience to the smaller screen. It’s even more disappointing when you compare it to the likes of Dragon Quest XI, which Ni No Kuni II should really have taken its porting cues from. It looks incredible on Switch - right up there with the console and PC versions I’d simply glance at the map and head straight to the next explorable location, minimising the time I spent experiencing the poor performance. These sections are a total mess, and actually discouraged me from exploring the world.
While the choppiness is apparent most of the time, it’s definitely most problematic while exploring the open world. Do we need HD shadows? Is maintaining that same draw distance on the smaller screen really necessary? Could we drop the resolution a teensy bit further? Ni No Kuni II on Switch could absolutely take a little hit visually and still look amazing on the small screen. This is actually a problem, rather than a good thing though. Compare them side-by-side and it’s a little blurrier, but looks identical besides. As I suggested at the beginning of the review, it looks incredible on Switch – right up there with the console and PC versions, with the resolution the only real noticeable difference. I’d argue that more could be done to address these issues though. I also should point out that I’ve primarily played it in handheld mode, as I can’t quite stomach the TV experience Switch offers in 2021. Instead, I’m relying on anecdotal evidence to draw attention to Ni No Kuni II’s issues. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not Digital Foundry, and I don’t have access to the technical wizardry that those super talented folks do. It’s in desperate need of a 30fps cap, and adjustments to ensure it stays at this more consistently. The problem is an uncapped framerate, which seems to hover anywhere between 40fps and 20fps, which makes for uncomfortable viewing. Never to the point of game-breaking, but it’s such a constant distraction that I never quite managed to lose myself in its world. Visually, Ni No Kuni II does a fantastic job of bringing that incredible art style to the Switch entirely intact, but it’s not without considerable sacrifice. To give you an early idea, it really is a mixed bag. Suffice to say, this review will focus less on Ni No Kuni II as a game, and more on the experience of playing it on Switch. The sequel to the excellent original, which saw RPG veteran Level 5 partner with the critically-acclaimed Japanese animators at Studio Ghibli, has been available on PS4 and PC since its initial launch in 2018. Chances are, you know if you’re interested in playing Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom on Switch already.
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