Well, here’s a shocker. I was all ready to play Ni No Kuni II: The Revenant Kingdom as its royally crowned princess or queen, but I hadn’t considered that maybe the protagonist is a guy!

But it turns out he is! Evan is his name, and he’s actually the king of his land! I didn’t realize I had fallen so far behind on the game’s coverage, so that’s where these new character biographies that detail the three central characters come in handy. I can finally catch up on what’s going on with this game.

Evan

Previously a king of Ding Dong Dell. After the death of his father, he was crowned as king. He’s bright and kindhearted, but due to his withdrawn personality, people doubted he’d make a good king. It wasn’t long until he was chased out of Ding Dong Dell following a coup d’état. After being separated from Alfini, who was both a mother and sister figure to Evan, he decides on becoming a king. In his adventure, the young king declares that he’ll unify Ni no Kuni, and builds his own kingdom.

Roland

In Ichi no Kuni (the “regular” world) he’s a 48-year old president of a large country. As a young leader, he has exceptionally high approval rating. In Ni no Kuni, he’s a 20-year-old young man. He’s extremely straightforward and has a strong sense of justice to go with it. He can also be a bit too stubborn at times. He has a bit of a complex of uncertainty that makes him wonder if he’s doing the right thing for his country as its president.

Tani

Daughter of Gatto, the boss of the Sky Pirates. After being raised by the bossy Gatto, Tani has gained a bit of a strong-minded personality from the Sky Pirate boss. She actually likes cute and girly things, but she doesn’t show it since it doesn’t suit her character. She was abandoned as a child and isn’t blood by blood to Gatto.

Higgledies

The Hiddledies are “Spirits of the Heart” that can only be seen by the pure-hearted. They exist not only in humans, but so in the hearts of animals, water, wind, and such, to whom they lend their power. They can help out in battle or help you reach areas you can’t get to on your own.

Gameplay looks like Pokémon meets Pikmin

Bandai Namco’s new gameplay trailer also gives a look into the combat, and don’t be surprised if these two franchises come to mind. Check it out below.

Ni No Kuni II: The Revenant Kingdom will be released on the PlayStation 4 and PC in 2017.