Thirteen years. That’s a long time to wait for a game, but I managed to do just that and not lose my sanity waiting for Kingdom Hearts III. Now that it’s finally here, I can say with the utmost happiness that it was worth the thirteen year wait.
Picking up directly after the epilogue of Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Final Chapter Prologue, KHIII puts us back in the shoes of series protagonist Sora. The Keyblade War that antagonist Xehanort and franchise villains Organization XIII have been planning is near, so Sora and his allies must gather their forces in order to put a stop to their plans. Riku and Mickey journey to find Aqua who’s been lost in the realm of darkness, while Sora travels across the Disney worlds with Donald and Goofy to attain the Power of Waking, an ability he needs so that he can face off against Xehanort.
The Kingdom Hearts franchise is known for having a confusing story that has a lot going on. While there’s a lot happening in this game, what with the large number of characters and classic Kingdom Hearts buzzwords such as “hearts”, “darkness”, and “light” being thrown around, the story is pretty easy to follow. That being said, if you’ve been able to make sense of the story so far, Kingdom Hearts III shouldn’t be too difficult to understand. If you’ve typically had trouble understanding just what the hell is happening in these games, then maybe you’ll continue to have the same issue here.
When it comes to the story, Kingdom Hearts III delivers… for the most part. One thing that the series has always had to do is juggle its original story with the many Disney stories that you end up partaking in. In the first game, the original story would be intertwined with the Disney stories very naturally. This happened less so in subsequent games, with the original story being pushed moreso during the cutscenes between worlds and in the KH original worlds such as Twilight Town and Radiant Garden. This trend continues in KHIII, which is a bit disappointing since there are only two original KH worlds to explore in the game (Twilight Town and The Keyblade Graveyard), so most of the time you’ll be playing in Disney worlds. Of those two worlds, Twilight Town really only serves as a hub that you come back to every now and then for a short period of time, and the Keyblade Graveyard comes at the end of the game when the majority of the game’s original story is happening.
What this means is that if you’re looking for a lot of the story surrounding the original KH characters, you’ll only be getting it in between worlds in about ten minute chunks until you get to the end of the game. Once you complete the final Disney world, it’s nothing but original story for the remainder of the game and it’s all worth the wait in my opinion. Even though the final hours of the game are when some of the most confusing and mind boggling things to ever happen in a Kingdom Hearts game take place, it all comes together and makes enough sense that I was never totally lost as to what was happening.
Another issue that I had with the story was that certain points were brought up during the story that seemed really important, only for them to not be addressed by the end of the game. Some of these things are expanded upon in the collectible Secret Reports, but even these don’t clarify too much. Kingdom Hearts is known for asking questions that serve to tease the future and let the fans speculate for years to come, but some of these things were annoying and honestly a bit disappointing too.
I’ve been highlighting the negative points that I had with the story so far, but don’t get me wrong. I still really liked the game’s story! From start to finish, I enjoyed every second of it. The Disney worlds each had a fun and compelling story to play through as well. Some of them were just the story of the movie that you ended up playing through, whereas others had their own brand new story made just for the game. The Toy Story world has you working with Buzz and Woody as they try to find their missing friends, whereas the Big Hero 6 one takes place after the movie. Being able to partake in these brand new adventures with these characters was really fun and went a long way towards making these familiar places feel fresh and new. It also helps that these new stories were interesting and didn’t feel like a drag to get through. Even in the worlds where the story was straight from the movie, seeing the KH twist on things made it all just a bit more interesting.
Looking past the Disney side of things, the main KH story is also pretty good. Even though the main narrative is given to you bit by bit between worlds and doesn’t really take center stage until the final act of the game, it’s strong enough and compelling enough to make those waits between info drops not feel miserable or like annoying obstacles.
There’s been a number of side entries into the series since the release of KHII in 2006 that have added a significant amount of lore. Like I said above, there’s a number of different characters to keep track of and a lot of talk about hearts and darkness. But that’s Kingdom Hearts for you, and you know whether you like it or not. Thankfully the game delivers it in a easy to understand fashion when necessary throughout the story. How is this formerly dead character now alive? Well let’s explain how that happened now so you know why all these other formerly dead characters are back. What’s an Unversed? We’ll tell you what it is and explain how they’re made in this world so that you aren’t totally lost. There’s also a section in the game’s main menu called the Memory Archive that contains videos explaining everything that’s happened so far in the series. It’s a quick and easy way to familiarize yourself with events and characters if you need a refresher so that you aren’t in the dark as you start the game.
The game also has the unenviable task of bringing the Xehanort arc of the series to an end, bringing a close to just about every plot point you can imagine that’s played a role in previous games. Somehow it manages to do this in as clean a way as possible, while also teasing a few things for the future. By all means it’s not a perfect ending, but it’s definitely a satisfying one that is sure to put a smile on the face of many fans.
The many different character interactions and developments were high points for me. Seeing Sora meet up with Buzz and Woody from Toy Story was one of my favorite moments in the game. The way that they worked with each other and simply conversed with one another is something that I’ll never get over when it comes to this series. The core set of KH characters continue to shine for me. Sora is and always will be one of my role models when it comes to his undying love for his friends and his practically constant optimistic attitude. Riku continues to be a fantastic character who’s done some messed up stuff in the past, but is continuously doing what he can to make up for the past and become a better person. Axel (or Lea, whatever you prefer) doesn’t get too much time in the game, but he’s always a joy whenever he appears. He even has some lines that damn near break the fourth wall.
If there’s anyone in the game that deserved better treatment it was Kairi. Yet again Kairi gets the short end of the stick in this game. It’s especially disappointing after she got her keyblade in Kingdom Hearts II and then went to go train after the end of 0.2 – A Fragmentary Passage. It was looking like she would finally get her time to shine in the spotlight and truly step up in a big way, but unfortunately that really doesn’t happen.
Gameplay is the other core part of the Kingdom Hearts series and it shines brighter than ever before here in just about every area. Let’s start off with the world design. There are less Disney worlds in this game than any past one, but that’s not a bad thing at all. The worlds in this game are dense and take a while to complete, ranging from 2-3 hours, sometimes a bit more. You may have less Disney worlds to visit, but you’ll still end up with a completion time that’s closer to the 30 hour mark, especially if you take your time to explore in the worlds since that’s something you can actually do now.
In past games the worlds felt more like Disney themed hallways or boxes that you went through while music from that world played in the background. It wasn’t bad for the time, but we always wanted more from the world design. We wanted to feel like we were actually in the place that we were visiting. That feeling shines through for the first time ever. Worlds in KHIII are typically made up of 2-3 vast open areas that you can explore and make your way through. Some of these areas still end up being linear, but the majority of them aren’t. Even the linear ones though have a level of personality to them that makes the world feel authentic.
Take the Kingdom of Corona from Tangled for example. This world is one of the more linear ones as it has you traveling through the forest that Rapunzel’s tower is in all the way to the actual kingdom itself. In past games, the forest itself would’ve been broken up into about four areas that weren’t that big, with each one being separated by loading screens. Here though, each area of the forest is large and full of room to explore, collect items, and interact with different things in the world. Swimming in a pond will elicit a short conversation between the characters, using magic on dandelions will get a reaction out of Rapunzel. It feels more like a real place as opposed to the worlds of the past.
Then you have some of the more open worlds such as The Caribbean from Pirates of the Caribbean. Here the game becomes a bit like Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. You have an entire ocean available to explore on your boat and multiple islands to go to and find their hidden secrets. Not only can you explore on land, but also underwater. What made this all the more impressive was the fact that it was all seamless with no loading between going on and off the boat. It’s truly massive and a little overwhelming, but I appreciated the increased scale of the worlds.
One thing that went a long way towards the worlds feeling more alive was the fact that there were actual NPC’s walking around and going about their lives. It’s not Skyrim levels of NPC simulation, but it’s still pretty cool. This has always been something I wanted from the series. Places just felt so empty having only the characters the you interact with be the people that exist in the world. Going to worlds where there should be people and seeing them completely populated with NPC’s that comment about a number of different things was a much needed addition, so I’m hoping that this continues in the franchise.
Combat has been improved in this game and I’m a huge fan of it. If you played 0.2 – A Fragmentary Passage, then you got a taste of just how the combat in this game feels. The combat system goes back to how things were in Kingdom Hearts II for the most part, but it also brings in elements from Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance. Combat abilities, modifiers, and enhancers are all unlocked through leveling up or after completing certain story moments just like in KHII, so if you weren’t a fan of having to create abilities and then level up said abilities to unlock another ability (like me), then you’ll be happy to see that’s all gone. What has been brought over though are the form changes from Birth By Sleep and Flowmotion.
Instead of having your drive forms, each of your Keyblades has a unique transformation that you can trigger with a Situation Command (this game’s replacement for Reaction Commands) after performing enough combos. These transformations dramatically change the way Sora attacks enemies and offer a short advantage in combat. Some Keyblades have more than one transformation, but they all end with a powerful finishing move that can put some real hurt on the enemies. Each Keyblade having a different transformation gives you incentive to try out different Keyblades and see which ones you like to use.
That’s easier to do than ever now that you can actually have three Keyblades equipped at the same time, and switch between them whenever you want. This allows you to mix and match your Keyblades and use the right one for the right situation. What this also allows you to do is take advantage of the combat system and put Keyblade transformations on hold after activating them by switching to a different Keyblade. Doing this will keep the transformation paused where you left it until you go back to that Keyblade, an incredibly helpful strategy for many encounters in the game.
Keyblades are also able to be leveled up as well. This is a very welcome addition to the game because it allows a Keyblade you got at the start of the game to still be viable and useful at the end of the game. Or you can upgrade a Keyblade that may be lacking in one area and make it more powerful so that you can use it however and whenever you want. It’s a change that I can’t believe wasn’t introduced into the main series already, so I’m happy it’s here and I really want it to stay.
Flowmotion is also back and it’s nowhere near as overpowered as it was in Dream Drop Distance. While there are many things that you can Flowmotion off of, it can’t be abused to the same level as before and it isn’t as powerful. It’s just one of many options you have in combat and I actually found myself using it far less than in the past. Summons return as well in this game, but I didn’t really use them. I’ve never really used Summons in any game though because I always preferred getting my hands dirty myself.
Magic is powerful in this game, and I actually found myself using it way more than I ever did before. Part of the reason is because you can actually be mobile while using magic, so no more having to stop and leave yourself open to punishment in order to fire off a Blizzard spell or to heal. The final new addition to combat in this game is Attraction Flow. After performing a certain requirement, you can activate a Situation Command to use a Disney theme park attraction in combat. These range from the spinning tea cup ride to the rocking boat or a carousel. These Attraction Flow rides are strong, but they do last for quite a while and some aren’t as fun to use as others (looking at you rocking boat). You’re able to cancel them at any point in time, but after a while I just found myself not using them.
Combat is also helped out by the fact that your party members are actually good and helpful this time around. While they aren’t as strong as you, they aren’t just dead weight and actually hold their own. And yes, Donald does heal properly in this game! For the first time though in the series, you’re able to have more than two other people in the party, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice Donald or Goofy to have the guest character in the party and can have a full crew of five. It’s great to have that many people fighting together, and it’s even better that they’re all competent members of the team.
The other gameplay aspect that I haven’t touched on is the much maligned Gummi Ship. It was pretty bad and boring to use in the first game, and although it was improved and more fun in KHII it still wasn’t that great. Kingdom Hearts III flips all that on its head and makes the Gummi Ship a lot of fun to actually use.
You still have to use the Gummi Ship to travel between worlds, but instead of being in an on rails segment, you’re able to freely fly around space to each world. There are asteroids to explore, items to collect, and constellations to photograph. While there are enemies to fight, you don’t actually have to partake in any combat outside of a few forced boss fights. Here’s the thing though: combat in the Gummi Ship is fun too! The normal enemy fights never take more than 1-2 minutes to complete, so they’re always done real quickly. I frequently found myself spending an hour or so between worlds just exploring with the Gummi Ship and collecting items to upgrade my Keyblades.
It took me about thirty hours to play through the main story. Unfortunately once you finish it, there isn’t much to do post-game. There are mini-games for you to do and hidden fights that unlock the secret boss (sorry to disappoint but it’s not Sephiroth). Other than that though there isn’t much to do other than start a new game. While the original version of KHII also had barebones post-game content, the Final Mix version had a number of things available to do, so it’s a shame that KHIII didn’t launch in the same fashion as that game. Here’s hoping that the upcoming ReMind DLC adds a good amount of content for us to chew on.
The game is also very easy. I played on Normal mode and was able to easily get through the game. Even playing on Proud mode the game still isn’t too difficult, so if you want a sizable challenge Critical mode is the way to go. It’s long been the hardest difficulty for the series and is sure to give you the challenge that you want from the game.
It goes without saying that Kingdom Hearts III is an absolutely stunning game. The characters look fantastic and the many Disney worlds in the game look very close to their movie counterparts. The game had my jaw all the way to the floor on so many occasions that I had to take pictures over and over again.
The music is also another standout effort from series composer Yoko Shimomura. The new tracks in this game are great, and the returning tracks that get new renditions are beautiful. When “Dearly Beloved” started up as the main menu loaded I just had to sit there and let it play for thirty minutes because it was so beautiful. Since we’re talking about audio for a moment, the voice acting continues to be great. I was genuinely impressed with the voices for the Disney characters and had to look up the actors for them because they sounded so much like the actual voices from the movies. And for yet another first in the series, every line of dialogue is fully voiced, so there aren’t anymore text box conversations happening.
Kingdom Hearts III isn’t the perfect game that we all were hoping it was going to be, but I don’t think it was ever going to be. The game is a lot of fun to play with some exciting combat, and interesting and engaging worlds. It’s utterly gorgeous and continues the series tradition of having some of the best music in gaming. Although the story is pretty good and wraps things up in a satisfying way for the most part, the pacing and treatment of some characters could’ve been better. And it’s a shame that there isn’t much to do once you beat the game. Even with those problems though, it doesn’t keep the game from being a great finish to this story that’s been years in the making. After all these years I finally got to say I played Kingdom Hearts III, and it was a great game to play.
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