Mastering the music of Ni no Kuni II

Whenever I’m asked about what makes a really good game, my answer always includes the statement “it needs to have a really memorable soundtrack“. The kind that sticks in your head and has you absentmindedly humming the tune as you play the game. If I can hear a few bars of a melody and be transported back to fond memories of the time spent playing said video game, then I know it was a good game. The creators have released their next chapter in the Behind the Scenes making of Ni no Kuni II and it focuses on the importance of creating a good gaming soundtrack.

The trailer teases viewers with a sample of Ni no Kuni  II’s soundtrack while discussing it with Joe Hisaishi, celebrated composer and musical director, well-known for his work on several Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) films. He discusses the challenges of creating music for games as opposed to films and expresses his excitement noting that the music, particularly during battle, will be something new and unseen for a role playing game.

Having worked on the first Ni no Kuni, Hisaishi talks about creating a new score that is “more intelligent” than its predecessor, and mentions his desire to raise the bar. Having fallen in love with many of Hisaishi’s works, including Howls Moving Castle, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Ni no Kuni, hearing him talk about his new project with such pride really gets me excited to experience his upcoming work on Ni no Kuni II.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom has been slated for a March 23 release this year and will be arriving onto the PlayStation 4 and PC (for Microsoft Windows). It’s already been delayed twice in the last year, so fingers crossed we don’t have to wait much longer, the suspense is killing me slowly.