You ever write a whole blog post only to discover it doesn’t have an intro? That’s what I just did. Well guess what? I’ve spent the last hour and a half writing about Disney role-playing games so I deserves a little slack just this one. Enjoy my further adventures in the depths of Kingdom Hearts.
Dream Drop Distance
Originally created for the 3DS the aptly named Dream Drop Distance has the thankless job of tying all the events of past titles, particularly Birth by Sleep, and Recoaded together while setting up the big finish on the horizon. At the same time it introduces brand new staples to the series and a weirdo Pokemon style monster element. Perhaps due to it’s handheld nature, 3D is much more fast paced and manic than many of its predecessors as the 3DS and later PS3/PS4 ports allowed the game to run much more quickly than KH fans were accustomed too. That same processing power allows for a grander scope as worlds feel huge this time around.
The idea for this one is that both Sora and Riku are taking on the mark of mastery exam to become keyblade masters and learn the power of waking. To do this they must journey to sleeping worlds and fight against and alongside critters called Dream Eaters. Along the way they must contend with yet another form of Xehanort who has some plans for Sora.
It’s commonplace for folks to joke about the story of Kingdom Hearts being nonsensical yet by and large I’ve never really had trouble following it. Sure I’ve had some questions and would definitely like some further details on a few aspects but I generally get what their aiming for. That’s not always the case with 3D as several important aspects of the plot are hardly explained, or if they are it’s out of order and purposely vague. The time travel stuff and rules for sleeping worlds are strangely the worst of it since they are explained over and over just never in a way that really makes sense.. Other bits like the true purpose of Organization XIII or the recreated people are easy enough to suss out so there’s a weird balance of good and bonkers. I suppose the story falls pray to the same thing as game-play in that the handheld approach made for a story that was meant to be taken in with smaller chunks. Heck, some of the story sequences are skipable. Personally I’m of two minds on this ones plot as I found Sora’s end to be a bit aimless. Riku on the other hand gets a chance to shine which makes his side of things much more interesting as we watch him become a true hero in his own way.
There’s a lot of new game-play twists this time around, some awesome while others are a tad wonky. Take Reality shifts for example. Each world has a special battle command that alters combat in some way. I enjoyed a few like the three musketeer comics and hacking in Tron but the initial power of launching objects or Notre Dame’s faith-lines are sorta nonsensical. Another big edition is flow-motion which adds an element of jet set radio style navigation to the game as the boys can now boost off walls, grind rails/pipes, and whip around polls and large enemies. Several attacks are made available through these moves, the most useful being a downward slam that damages all nearby enemies. Can’t forget that every new world begins with a dive which plays out like a skydiving battle. I get the impression these scenes likely worked better with the added depth of the 3DS screen. On a television they can get cluttered and distracting and some of the dive bosses are just lame.
The biggest shift in game-play comes in the form of spirits. Since the boys aren’t traveling with trusty companions like Donald and Goofy they instead rely on pokemon/digimon/any sort of mon beasties to fill the party slots. Don’t just think of these guys as party members though since they are also the closest thing to equipment and are the primary source for commands and abilities. It becomes a weird juggling act between keeping your upgraded partners equipped for the stat boost or working one someone new for possibly greater bonuses.
3D is a very odd entry in the franchise. It stands apart from a lot of what came before yet doesn’t really set the tone for what’s to come either. The story is vital but not the most emotionally gripping. Battles are fun though the spirits aren’t as memorable sidekicks as proper Disney characters. All that said I still very much enjoyed the adventure and found the difficulty/fun balance to be much better with less random bullshit, save for Chernabog. I can appreciate all the unique ideas when taken right in the center of this marathon. It’s on the lower end of the series for me but still a far cry from the weakest entry.
0.2 A Fragmentery Passage
Released as part of the 2.8 package that brought 3D to traditional consoles, Fragmentary Passage builds on the concept for Birth by Sleep’s secret episode. That means you’re back in control of Aqua immediately after her previous adventure though with some twists. What makes this one so unique is that it’s the shortest title in the franchise, roughly three hours, meant as a proper set-up for part III. I can’t really say much about the story since it’s all a spolery bridge between Sleep and KH III though I will note it marks the introduction of elements from the mobile phone game into proper series lore.
As this was meant to offer a tease of what was to come with number 3 we see a shit back towards original KH combat. Some later additions like Lockshots and Flow-motion are here but each has been refined and altered. Yet another new game-play component arrives in the form of grand magic. Essentially this is a bonus for spamming magic attacks by granting the free usage of an upgraded spell. Throw a bunch of firaga at the enemies? Here’s a freebie firaja to finish them off. There’s also a reworked version of the form changes from Sleep, allowing Aqua to mix things up after building enough momentum.
As I always like to discuss the wishy washy difficulty of this series I feel it best to point out that I think this is the first entry I never saw a game over screen during. With the others it could come down to factors like trying out a secret boss or getting caught unprepared for a big battle but I soared through this one and got that lovely undefeated trophy. That’s not to say it’s too easy however since some of the bosses, mainly the last one have got a couple shitty moves up their sleeves.
For better or worse, Passage is a specialty title. Something to play for a night or two in order to wet appetites for the big kaboom to come. It’s done well-enough with plenty of tweaks and enhancements to make for a solid little adventure, even Willa Holland’s performance has improved. Plus it did the job of getting my hyped for KH III.
X Back Cover
Also released as part of the 2.8 package is this CG movie that details some of the events of mobile phone game that I never played. The whole thing is the ultimate prequel of KH lore set long before anything else we’ve seen. The universe is young and a wise man in a black coat assigns roles to different guardians who lead their own guilds in what will eventually become the keyblade war.
As with most Square CG stuff the craftsmanship can’t be denied. Locations and characters are beautiful to behold. Animation is top notch. And unlike the previous movies this one is just around an hour making for some easy viewing. Obviously if you’ve never played the mobile game then some of this is gonna feel over your head but the film gives just enough so anyone can have some understanding of this wing of the franchise.
While it is certainly neat to get a glimpse this far back into the KH world the ending of this video leaves one wondering what, if anything, from it matters. There’s just so much tossed at the viewer with damn near zero answers. Who’s the master? (Sho-nuff)? Who’s the traitor? And as Brad Pitt once so eloquently put it, what the fuck is in the fuckin’ box? At least that was how I felt after watching it but what was more important is that it was finally time for the big goal.
Kingdom Hearts III
For as much as this series play-through was to get back in touch with a beloved franchise and experience titles I’d missed the real end-goal was finally taking a shot at KH III. Not only was my curiosity peaked to see how all the elements of the series introduced after part II would be foalded into a numbered entry but there was also the matter of how all these plot threads could be wrapped up. Then there was one bit of extra curiosity to contend with, all the whining since it’s release. To a certain extent I had to avoid some of those complaints to dodge spoilers but I’d heard plenty that barely made sense, that the game was somehow “rough” and “too easy.” Complaining that a game with multiple difficulties is “too easy” ranks among some of the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard so my brow was naturally raised in suspicion for most of that discussion. I’ll come back to that later. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to play the game in full, what’s the response? Man this thing is goddamn outstanding.
Recovering from the events of Dream Drop Distance we find our heroes facing down a sort of Search for Spock scenario. The big endgame against Xehanort is coming and many of the lost or fallen cast-members must somehow be recovered in order to put up a proper defense. Beyond that Sora still hasn’t master the power of waking and must seek out that ability while dodging multiple returned villains and visiting new Disney lands for clues.
One of the big concerns for me with this one was the selection worlds to visit. Several of them are based on properties I can’t stand like Monsters Inc and Frozen. Most of them still work out quite well with the aforementioned two being among the weak links. I was amazed at how enjoyable Toy Story turned out to be, the associated keyblade is one of the best in the game. Frozen oddly provides one of the best guest characters in the form of Elsa’s hulking snow monster. And while I’ve not seen the film itself the Tangled section made it seem like that might be an alright flick.
As for game-play additional features from the handheld titles seep their way in with the return of shotlocks, flowmotion, and grand magic. Combine those with new abilities team-up attacks, link attacks (basically summons), form changes for each keyblade (sometimes two), the ability to freely swap between 3 keyblades, and utilize Disney theme park rides and there’s never a lack of options for taking out enemies. Oh and did I mention there are a total of three quick command windows available for customization? Even better you never need to swap out characters as Donald and Goofy can stay in combat along with any number of guests. The flow is much closer to earlier games but but all the possible techniques make battles a joy.
Outside of combat there are a variety of other pursuits like cooking mini-games, sailing a pirate ship, or the return of the gummi ship that plays out like its own space-exploration title. You can hunt down lucky Mickey symbols, play over three Tiger handheld style games on your phone. Search out constellations to photograph. It took me close to thirty-four hours to finish the story and there’s still plenty leftover to complete should I feel the need.
So how does this rank as a conclusion for this ark of the franchise? Well the presentation is some of the best you’ll find on the PS4. Damn thing’s gorgeous and generally runs at a silky smooth 60 FPS. Music is outstanding (except for Let It Go, ugh). Plus there is a ton of story to witness. Much like the first game you often play through a Disney world and then get some development of the main plot. That’s the case here but some of these story sections are over twenty-minutes long. The final hours provide so many moments for this massive case with some touching bits and a weirdly tender look at who Xehanort really is. Some plot threads are left open for the next era but this core clump is successfully put to bed with heart and class.
So what about that supposed “too easy” difficulty? This is much easier than its predecessors but it is not too easy. I actually read one review, written by possibly the worst game reviewer I’ve ever seen, where he claims that seeing his first game-over screen at the ten-hour mark was proof of the adventure lacking challenge. If you saw a game-over screen then there’s clearly some challenge. And what sort of ninny falls that early in the game? This altered difficulty helps the game a ton quite frankly as there are still some small moments of bullshit but players are given enough wiggle room to power through should they suck at whatever novelty has been thrown their way. Honestly the final three bossess are pretty mean too.
I’ve spent some time looking into the negative response from some gamers and yea… they’re full of shit. There’s accusations of it not having enough content which clearly isn’t real. There’s the aforementioned difficulty debate which is BS. Then there’s the weird conspiracy theorist types who seem offended by Disney stuff which begs the question of why the fuck they’re playing these games to begin with. Without a doubt this is one of the best experiences on the recent generation of consoles and if you try and tell me it’s bad I can only assume you’re a liar, spoiled child, moron or a little of each.
KH III was more than worth the wait. I watched the final credits, after scenes, and secret ending with a full sense of accomplishment and emotional trauma. I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here which means I’m in luck since I still have to play through Melody of Memory. I’ll report back on that one and some other thoughts on the franchise in a later post. As for tonight I need a walk and some Ultraman Taro. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
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