During the all-virtual 2020 Tokyo Game Show event, developer Level-5 and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment presented a first look at the gameplay of upcoming mobile role-playing game Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. A thematic sequel to the console RPG Ni no Kuni and its own sequel Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, Cross Worlds will add a science fiction twist to the previously fantasy-focused setting. The player will step into the role of a beta tester for the virtual reality game Soul Diver, which will lead to them entering the fantastic world of Ni no Kuni.
The gameplay demonstration introduced five playable classes: Destroyer, Engineer, Rogue, Swordsman and Witch. Japanese YouTuber Masuo, who was given a chance to play the game during the event, created a Swordsman character who was instructed by an imp-like creature called “Cluu” to complete a mission which involved traveling through a landscape ravaged by falling buildings in order to reach a castle and rescue a queen from an enormous monster. Upon rescuing the Queen, who turns out to be a woman named Raina who may also have come from the “real world,” the player is tasked with embarking on a quest to save the kingdom of Evermore.
The control system of Cross Worlds seems fairly simplistic and easy to master. The player uses an on-screen “slide pad” to control their character, while swiping the device’s screen alters the camera angle. On-screen buttons prompt players to perform attacks, dodge obstacles, use timed special abilities, and possibly even receive special assistance from a “Familiar,” who will follow them around on their journey.
Cross Worlds already looks gorgeous – just like previous Ni no Kuni titles, it features animated sequences inspired by (and, in some cases, designed with the help of) the legendary Studio Ghibli. So far, the game has only been announced for release in Japan, but the presence of English and Chinese-subtitled videos on the official Cross Worlds YouTube channel hint that a release in other markets may be possible.
