Good:

Q: How do you get into battle? Random encounters?

A: In dungeons and on the overworld map, the player can see all enemies (unless they’re hiding in the forest).

Q: I’ve heard the battle system is like Final Fantasy XII? Is that true?

A: No, though I can see where people get that idea. 

...stuff...

but let’s simplify it to this: playing Ni no Kuni doesn’t feel anything like playing Final Fantasy XII.

Q: How does crafting work? 

A: What one might call “vanilla.” You put items in your alchemy pot and see what happens. If the chosen items can’t be combined, then you don’t lose your stuff.

Q: Are battles turn-based, action style, or real-time menu based?

A: Some portion of all of those.

Q: So up to nine monsters plus three humans in battle at the same time? Heath, how is that not easy?

A: Each human carries up to three monsters to stand in for them during battle; they can fight for themselves or send out a monster, but the humans and monsters share HP.

... stuff...

 If he’s got a monster out there with weak magic defense and the enemy uses a magic attack, look out Oliver, because here comes the pain — regardless of Oliver’s own magic defense stat.

...stuff...

Resurrection items are pretty expensive, and using them will take a lot of time, during which your surviving character will be the target of attacks, so bringing people back to their feet is hardly ever a gimme.

Q: What about escaping from battle and Game Over?

A: If you try to escape and fail, your whole party stands still and can’t select any commands for a few seconds, during which the enemies will do their best to make you pay.

When a game over happens (and it will happen to you), you’ll get the option of going back to the title screen or resuming from the approximate point where you died, with all of your EXP and items intact. The latter will cost 10% of your money, though.

Q: About how long is the game?

A: The main story will take most people 40.

Monster Raising stuff = All awesome sauce.

Damnit, I'm sold. When's it coming out?!

Where did you pre-order it?

Eh, Gamestop. Does that matter?

Next year?...don´t you mean the current year?

Yeah the pre-order bonuses are store-specific. Meaning in your case you'll get a steelbook case. Had you pre-ordered it from amazon.com you'd get the Griffy familiar.

What would you recommend as the best bonus?