Guide: Ni no Kuni II Combat - Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most Out of Your Party

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom's combat system seems pretty simple at a glance. Accessible controls make it easy to understand, and sometimes, levelling up your characters gives you all the advantage that you need in order to defeat a tricky opponent. However, there are some finer points that may not be immediately apparent, and in this guide, we're going to break down how to make your party more effective on the field of battle.

Dat dodge roll

Let's start off with a simple tip that everyone should take to heart: dodge rolling is pretty much your most important tool. Hitting L1 while holding a direction will make your current character roll. This evasive technique has invincibility frames built into it, meaning that if you time it correctly, you can avoid incoming attacks entirely. The window for doing this is quite generous, too.

Dodge rolling is your best form of defence, and you should be spamming it. Many enemies have ranged attacks, allowing them to shoot projectiles from a distance, and these attacks can catch you out of you're not paying attention. As such, it's best to always be on the move.

Dodge rolls should be weaved into your own combos, too. Many enemies retaliate quite quickly if they're not stunned by your attacks, so whacking them a couple of times before rolling to safety is the best way to work out a foe's attack patterns. And, of course, this works great against big old boss monsters.

Your standard dodge roll is good, but it can be even better. Once you have access to the tactics tweaker a few hours into the game, you're able to upgrade your dodge roll to make it even safer. Doing so increases the window during which you're invincible, and this can make you incredibly difficult to hit.

When the going gets tough, switch it up

You can switch between your current party members at any time during combat as long as they're not lying on the ground unconscious. By hitting either up or down on the directional pad, you jump from one ally to the next, and this can be a huge help when you're up against specific enemies.

For example, some foes shrug off physical attacks but are weak to magic, so switching to Evan so that he can let loose with a magic spell or two is a good idea. Generally speaking, the artificial intelligence does a good job of covering your back when it comes to stuff like this, but if you want the job done quick, it's sometimes best to switch things up.

Each party member has their own set of unique abilities and spells, too, so it's always worth experimenting. Some techniques are perfect for taking out whole groups of foes, while others are better suited to dishing out big damage against boss enemies with multiple hits. The bottom line is that if you're having trouble against a particular baddie, try a fresh approach with a different character.

Pay attention to your weapons

In Ni no Kuni II, each character can have up to three weapons equipped at once, and during combat, you can cycle between them by hitting L2. At first, having three different weapons equipped at any one time may seem like overkill, but the system gives way to a surprising amount of tactical depth.

For starters, you can put together specialised loadouts depending on the situation. You could try equipping a fire sword, a water sword, and a dark sword, for example, so that you have access to three different elements at the push of a button. Given that some foes have glaring elemental weaknesses, this can really come in handy.

You'll also notice that during combat, each weapon has a percentage next to its icon. With every successful attack, this percentage increases, and once it's at 100 per cent, the next special move that you perform will be enhanced. It may do extra damage, or it might extend the number of hits that it has. Always pay attention to what percentage your weapons are currently sitting at, and then unleash your buffed abilities when the time is right.

Higgledies can be a huge help

Higgledies can be the difference between victory and defeat during the game's tougher battles. These little elemental creatures will act on their own in a fight, but you can issue them commands when the time is right. Whenever you see a bunch of them crowded together inside of a glowing circle, run over and hit X to call upon their powers.

What happens next all depends on which higgledie you have in your party, so remember to check their abilities in the party menu. Some summon healing circles so that you can regain lost health, while others go all-out with high damage attacks or sustained bombardments. As a general rule, you should always be looking to see if your higgledies are ready to lend a hand.

Be warned, though: if an enemy has you in their sights, sometimes it's best to stay away from your tiny allies. A powerful hit from a bigger foe can send your higgledies flying, preventing them from unleashing their abilities. When this happens, you'll have no choice but to wait for them to regroup, and this can take some time.

Take a break now and then

This might sound a bit weird, but trust us when we say that hanging back is a perfectly acceptable strategy. When you're finding it hard to get in on an opponent or you're running low on hit points, seriously consider backing off and just running about the battlefield for a bit.

Because enemy attacks tend to hit quite hard (reminder: that's why you should be using your dodge roll), just running into the fray and whacking out as many combos as you can is usually a bad idea. You'll end up getting clobbered from all angles -- especially if you're fighting against a group of foes.

As such, actually retreating and biding your time is often the way to go. Breaking off from the fight can force your opponents to concentrate on other party members, allowing you to catch your breath in relative safety. What's more, watching how your computer controlled allies deal with the enemy can give you hints on how to best tackle the situation yourself. Indeed, sometimes it's best to just sit back and watch.

... And maybe throw out a few projectile attacks now and then just to help out.

How are you finding the combat in Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom? Do you have any tips or tricks of your own? Feel free to whack some monsters in the comments section below.