Borrow or Buy: Ni No Kuni 2

I absolutely loved Ni No Kuni, so I guessed that I would love Ni No Kuni II.  I haven't finished it yet, but I have logged almost 50 hours of gaming time.  This is a long game and if you're going to go for all the trophies, most of which are hidden, you are going to need way more time.  Let's talk about the game itself before I give the verdict!

Skills Used:
Logic:  Like most JRPGs, there are battles to be fought and won, so you need to decide what weapons are the best to be used in particular circumstances.  There are also skirmishes where some parts of your party have an advantage or disadvantage against your opponent, similar to rock paper scissors.  You can look at the list of opponent's parties to see which is the best to bring.
Decision-Making:  In this game, you have a kingdom to run!  At the beginning, it is going to be hard, but gets easier as you go.  Don't worry, you can't really mess it up, so don't agonize over your decisions.
Cartography:  As usual, exploration is a HUGE factor of the game!  Not only is there a huge world to discover, but also tiny smaller worlds.  In addition, you can use portals to zap yourself from place to place, but you have to find them first.  Also, it is really important that you know how to read a map as there is a mini-map that is very useful.

Overall, this game is a lot of fun!  The art is amazing, but the cut scenes are kind of chunky since you have to advance the scene yourself.  It really is too bad that studio Ghibli wasn't involved this time.  The gameplay is very traditional for a JRPG in terms of battling monsters and levelling up.  You have no control over what stats your characters level up in, but they do learn new skills along the way!  Take your time with this game especially with the exploration.  Asides from a few side quests, there is no time limit with what you are doing.  Yes, you have to go to another place, but be sure to explore places thoroughly.  If you see an entrance, go in it as otherwise you won't have the name of the spot on your world map.

I would love to be able to buy it, but at $70 for a new copy and a 2nd hand one not all that much cheaper, I will continue to borrow until I am done the game.