The Ni no Kuni franchise enters a new world. The new mobile game spin-off, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds includes blockchain tech in its global version, opening a play-and-earn opportunity while exploring the vast world for free.
Game Overview
Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds is a free-to-play mobile MMORPG based on the Ni no Kuni franchise. It is the third mobile game spin-off of the hit series and the first to feature a blockchain component. The game is developed together with Netmarble, a game titan from South Korea. Its global version includes a blockchain play-and-earn element where players can farm an in-game resource which can then be converted into crypto tokens. NFTs are also being planned for release later in 2022. In contrast to many blockchain games, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds is not built on any pre-existing blockchain network like Ethereum, Solana or Polygon but rather on Netmarble’s own MARBLEX blockchain. The game’s art follows the same Studio Ghibli treatment as the hit anime studio co-produced the game series starting from when it first came out in 2010
Gameplay and Mechanics
The game follows the player as they explore a parallel version of Rania. In Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, one can choose from a selection of 5 character classes:
- Swordman
- Witch
- Rogue
- Engineer
- Destroyer
Each character class can use 3 basic skills, and can also use up to 3 special or burst skills and 3 passive skills. Classes also use unique weapons, all specific to each class, namely:
- Swordman – Swords
- Witch – Spear
- Rogue – Bow
- Engineer – Rifle
- Destroyer – Hammer
Together with weapons, players can also use familiars to augment abilities and additional buffs of benefits. Both weapons and familiars belong different element categories, each with their own strengths and weaknesses against each other.
- Water – Strong against Fire, weak against Earth
- Fire – Strong against Earth, weak against Water
- Earth – Strong against Water, weak against Fire
- Light – Both Strong and weak against Dark
Familiars also have their own in-game mini-games in Ni no Kuni: Cross WorldsThe same element rule also applies to the many enemies in Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds and players can switch weapons on the fly to make use of all elemental advantages. Familiars also provide additional benefits depending on their type. Attack familiars mainly give damage buffs, Defense familiars mainly give defensive buffs while Support familiars give a bit of both.
Obtaining equipment
Weapons in Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds are available either via gacha or through a crafting system. The same system is also how players can acquire familiars, although instead of crafting, players incubate or hatch eggs. Both familiars and weapons can be upgraded and enhanced to improve their stats. Familiars also tied-in with a Familiar Forest mechanic, which lets players earn more resources via farming and familiar gifts
Aside from regular equipment, players can also obtain cosmetics such as costumes.PVP and PVE Modes
As an MMORPG players will spend most of their time battling monsters and completing quests. However, Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds does include more variations of PVE gameplay as well as PVP elements.
PVE in Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds include:
- Daily quests
- Reputation Missions
- Solo-player Challenge dungeons
- Conquest Missions
- Familiar Adventure missions
- Field Boss and World Boss raids
PVP on the other hand includes:
- 1v1 Duels
- Relic Wars – Massive and real-time PVP. The goal is to control various strategic points in a map and as the ‘real time mechanic’ suggests, players will have full control of their characters.
- Lava Valley – 3v3 team deathmatch, each team member has 3 lives, the team with the most number of lives after the time limit wins.
- Familiar Arena – 5v5 familiar vs familiar arena battle
A duel in progressThe Kingdom Mechanic
In Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds players can team up en masse through the social mechanic, Kingdoms. Similar to the traditional guilds, a Kingdom is where players can interact and as well as participate in more PVE and PVP game modes like:
- Kingdom Defense – Players team up to defend their kingdom against wave of enemies
- Kingdom Invasion – battle between 2 different kingdoms, players are form groups of attackers and defenders, no single member can be part of both formations, winners earn hefty rewards
NFT and Tokenomics
As of the moment, NFTs are still on the way for Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds. The game however, already includes crypto tokens running on the MARBLEX network. MARBLEX is NetMarble’s own blockchain network. There is no info yet if MARBLEX is based or running on any pre-existing blockchain network. There are 4 different tokens that make up Ni No Kuni’s blockchain coin ecosystem
- Territe
- Asterite
- Territe Token (NKT)
- Asterite Token (NKA)
Territe is an in-game resource that can be obtained by players through Chaos Fields, completing daily quests, completing questlines, and the Familar Adventure system. Territe is used for various in-game functions such as crafting and upgrading equipment. Players can only earn a set amount of Territe in the game through the Territe Energy mechanic. Players can swap Territe fo Territe Token (NKT)
Asterite is another in-game resource that can be obtained by reaching higher ranks in Lava Valley and Familiar Arena. Players can use Asterite and swap it for the Asterite Token (NKA).
The amount of Territe and Asterite that players can change or swap into Tokens follows a formula. Netmarble set this formula and will change on a daily basis. Territe Token is of infinite amount, while Asterite Token has finite availability with only 1,000,000,000 available. Players can only use Territe and Asterite tokens for tradess and use in exchanges, and there are no other utilities yet for both tokens. Players can only exchange a limited amount of Territe for Territe Tokens and Asterite for Asterite Tokens daily, and the swap or exchange can be done in-game.
The Team
Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds is developed by South Korean game development company Netmarble and published by Japan-based video game company, Level-5. Netmarble is known for many popular mobile games with a roster that includes Lineage 2, GunZ, Grand Chase and Arena of Valor. Level-5 is the original developer of the Ni No Kuni game franchise and as well as games from the Dragon Quest series and the Yokai Watch series.
Roadmap
Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds is now available to play for free on the Windows PC, Android and iOS platforms. Just recently, the game has launched its token ecosystem and is looking to launch a staking mechanic as well as an Asterite Shop. NFTs are also on the way, with the target launch to be quarter 4 of 2022 together with new content and Kingdom expansions.