@Lezard: Why should anyone keep doing something they find miserable and have found miserable for eleven hours? Perhaps, magically, the next eleven hours will be sooooo good that that amount of fail will be erased.
@Elgar: A professional reviewer gets tasked with actually playing a game completely before making their reviews... why should an amateur even be looked at if they can't at least do the same research?
@Alessar: Actually the specify that in the review if they did, and that's usually only for games with either large repetition scale or no feasible end point. RPGs have a very clear end point and almost entirely rely on the story for it's success. Why WOULDN'T you therefore finish the story? Believe it or not, even on heavy months, it's not a very large devourer of time to research the game correctly before putting up a review thousands, if not millions of readers will be looking to before buying their games.
Anybody who plays the KH games for their story or characters needs to sit down and read a good book once in their lives. I swear, between the blatant yaoi symbolism everywhere in KHII and the spinoffs, the unchanged (for the most part) Disney characters, and the blandness of the main plot, I can't see why anyone can enjoy these games for anything other than the battle system.
It's fan service to the highest degree. I'm okay with that. I don't gets no fan service reading Vonnegut or Chaucer. There's also a lack of zippers in most commendable literature.
I have it sitting on my work desk unopened ATM.
These stream of Kingdom Heart prequels are getting a little tiresome.
You know I wouldn't be surprised if they made a prequel to King Ansem or something :/
(DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD was starred
(DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD was unstarred
The only other KH game coming out in the near future is Birth By Sleep. That's a grand total of two games. While making an entire game about Roxas' time in the Organization might be a bit redundant, I hardly care because it was done well and made a lot of things very clear. Birth by Sleep is shaping up to be an amazing title, and I sure wouldn't mind some new characters. There's a lot to work with in the Kingdom Hearts mythos, and I'm fully confident it will have a great story. Besides, starting from the beginning ensures that it will be a lot less convoluted than a Sora/Riku/Kairi sequel would be.
@pressstart: How can you have a trend of "one game"? I mean, there's only one other KH game on a Nintendo platform, and that's the GBA one, which wasn't even capable of using the same assets as the PS2 titles.
@Dreamwriter:
Let's not forget that Chain of Memories introduced Organization XIII, Castle Oblivion, Twilight Town, Namine, DiZ, and a number or other aspects that were fleshed out in the PS2 follow up.
It's funny, I disagree with both of the things you hated. I didn't have many camera troubles and I love that song so the opener was very nostalgic. However, the rest of the game is not as entertaining. There are way too many repetetive cut scenes that never seem to end, the panel system is interesting but its not innovative, and I felt like the controls were clunky because there's no analog stick, only a d-pad. Not to mention there's even less of a story that is just prolongued by sending you back and forth to the same two Disney worlds for the first large portion of the game doing pretty much the same thing every time. And the worlds are stripped down and unpolished, which I'm not complaining about because it is the DS, but it was just not entertaining. For a game with a focus on disney worlds and such, there's not much there to be excited about. And there's too much Roxas and Axel eating Ice Cream on the top of a building. More than once I wanted to blow my brains out.
"I have to admit: I cried when Sora returned in KHII."
So did I Mr. Fahey...so did I...at least you did better then me, I cried in the opening title screen.
Not the opening FMV...the MENU!
Well, it's good to see that this game while not perfect was still a good jaunt. Now Mr. Fahey, without spoiling anything, do you think that this game adds some light for the upcoming Birth By Sleep game?
@[ZTF]Is my Name: Not quite. Ventus makes one very, very, very short split-second appearance in a single cutscene, but it's never explained or elaborated on. But that's the ONLY tie to BBS.
@Rachel Fogg: This game takes place between KH1 and KH2 (technically, between Chain of Memories and KH2). Birth by Sleep takes place 10 years before KH1 (I think it's 10 years). There's no direct connections.
Thanks for the replies, so there's a teeny weeny bit of BbS in this game..well, then my interest has piqued a bit. I'm really looking forward to BbS more but it's nice to know I really don't have to get this game in order to know what's going on in the next installment.
Ven shows up briefly, there's some more talk of the Organization members' lives before they were nobodies, more information about the chambers of sleep, awakening, etc., hints about Roxas and Sora's connection to Ven, and some other more spoilerific stuff.
@Rachel Fogg: I cried every time Axel was on the screen, and how convoluted the story was without Chain of Memories. Which I couldn't finish because I didn't own a DS and my Advanced was lost.
I also went WTF when they tried to pull heartstrings with Goofy getting hit by a rock. Goofy can't die. He is Goofy. He's a klutz and blows up all the time. Stupid idea. I thought it was poorly written in comparison to the first one, and needed an editor.
I agree that the graphics are spectacular for the DS, and that the camera gives you hell. The initial setting is GOD AWFUL, but the secondary setting makes it much easier. I HATE having to double-tap all the time to lock-on or lock-off, though, and it's impossible to run towards the camera when you're locked-on. Despite all that, I still sit down and play it. It's so much fun for the Kingdom Hearts devotee that it doesn't matter.
Also, this game HAS made me very interested in sea-salt ice cream. I wonder if it really exists...
I liked Kingdom Hearts 1, and really liked Kingdom Hearts 2, but I have heard from some credible sources that, while fun, this game is pretty much a big pile of retconning garbage.
KH2 already fit SO much story into the cracks of KH1 that I'm kind of scared of what this game forces in there.
Agree? Disagree? As of right now, I'm skipping this one until I find myself in a game lull (so....fall 2010?)
@LordThayer: Trust me, if you're worried about 358/2 Days overwhelming you with story, you're going to walk away very surprised. There's almost nothing to the game, narrative-wise. Crisis Core level WTFery, this is not.
@Archaotic: I would be a lot less apprehensive if it weren't for that new girl. I mean Organization XIII's.....XIVth member? It just smacks of the kind of "well, we could probably fit this plot twist in here" thing I'm afraid of. Although, I do know there is some complicated stuff going on with Kairi and Nomine, like the fact that she doesn't have an "x" in her name, nor is it a mixed up version of Kairi.
Its not so much the AMOUNT of story as it is the necessity. The Nobodies being created when someone becomes a Heartless was kinda cool, but definitely pushes the limits of the kind of thing I'm talking about (something not even hinted at in the first game) I'm just scared of what will happen to the plot if they continue down that road.
Fahey's review kind of negates RPGamer's review for me, so maybe I'll check it out sooner rather than later.
Final question: overwhelming amount of the word dark and heart?
@LordThayer: Well, the new girl is named Xion. And her true identity, along with why Roxas can use two Keyblades, are the ONLY plot revelations in the game. Otherwise it's pretty much just Roxas being emo for the entire game, and nothing major changes at the end.
Needless to say, if you played KH2, you already have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen.
@Archaotic: (and @ ZTF) Wow, seems like I really over.....under? estimated this game. That kind of makes me want to not-play it for a completely different reason. Ah, my OCD will probably force me to play it before the psp iteration comes out.
Edit: I appreciate the heads-up guys. Completely had the wrong idea about this game, it seems.
@LordThayer: The co-op does look fun, and if you're an Organization XIII fan it's probably worth playing, but if you're looking for meaningful plot development, 358/2 Days just isn't the right game for it.
Honestly I know know how....it was fairly simple for me, especially if you played the original VII then you pretty much know how the ends going to play out.
The only people that mattered are the cannon characters....everyone else was just static. Pretty static...but just static.
I'm very very happy Kotaku enjoyed the game as much as I did, but am I the only one who thought the camera was great? When it's mapped to the shoulder buttons anyways.
For as dull as the gameplay of the Twilight Town sequence in KH2 was, it was incredibly powerful from a story perspective--enough to make the rest of the game seem a little hollow.
I'm having a blast with my copy so far. I'm a little annoyed at what I see as slow story progression. What I mean is that I have to spend way too much time doing missions on the same worlds, running around the same maps over and over again. When you factor in challenge and missions modes, that drags you through them AGAIN. It's a little tiresome.
I too was upset at the reuse of Passion. I LOVE the song, but I felt kind of cheated that they couldn't write a new one for a new game.
The characters are great. It's fun getting to see how the Organization interacts. And more Axel is always a good thing.
Although.... My experience with Mission mode has convinced me that about half the members are totally useless. Some of them (Axel, Xemnas, Saix) are pretty sweet. Some of them are nearly unusable.
The technical limitations of the DS take perfectly good video game concepts and reduce them to a text-based set of chores. In the rest of the Kingdom Hearts series, I felt like every world was a large, bustling entity. 358/2 days felt like a recycled mission system amongst detached worlds with contrived landscapes (and it was). It WAS like the DS's Crisis Core, stripped down to only the missions you could access at every save point. I don't know whether to congratulate Square for getting the most out of a console that's about as impressive as a cell phone from the 90's, or chastise them for choosing it as their medium. Hopefully Birth by Sleep can redeem this, although my gut instinct suggests that they focused their money and efforts on 358/2 days.
@OrwellJames: Actually, the core KH team (well, the sections not busy working on Versus XIII) is developing Birth By Sleep, whereas 358/2 Days was outsourced to a third party developer called H.A.N.D. Trust me, the budget, the effort, and Nomura himself are all behind BBS. It's been in development since shortly after KH2 shipped.
@Archaotic: That much is reassuring; the story of KH never really clicked with me but the ambience and, of course, Disney nostalgia always did. I'd hate to see it ruined by spending the rest of its days in portable limbo. At least the PSP can deliver like a console can, even if it's not pretty.
@OrwellJames: Not pretty? I dunno dude, Birth By Sleep has the best graphics of any PSP game out there. The game essentially just looks like KH2 Portable. You have no reason to worry about the visuals.
I'm pretty psyched though, I've been looking forward to BBS ever since the secret trailer for it at the end of KH2. It's about time we get some new characters.
@Archaotic: I was speaking relatively to current-gen consoles. My main point was that the PSP has the graphical gusto and the controls to create a true console experience, while the DS is a FANTASTIC Sudoku console in contrast.
10/10/09
10/10/09
10/10/09
Perhaps.
10/11/09
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10/10/09
I totally contacted Square Enix PR and they straight up told me that they don't ever give out review copies. I feel hornswaggled.
10/09/09
10/09/09
It's fan service to the highest degree. I'm okay with that. I don't gets no fan service reading Vonnegut or Chaucer. There's also a lack of zippers in most commendable literature.
10/10/09
I enjoy a good book as much as the next person, but I don't need every story I read to be as mature and complex as Dune.
10/10/09
10/09/09
These stream of Kingdom Heart prequels are getting a little tiresome.
You know I wouldn't be surprised if they made a prequel to King Ansem or something :/
10/09/09
The only other KH game coming out in the near future is Birth By Sleep. That's a grand total of two games. While making an entire game about Roxas' time in the Organization might be a bit redundant, I hardly care because it was done well and made a lot of things very clear. Birth by Sleep is shaping up to be an amazing title, and I sure wouldn't mind some new characters. There's a lot to work with in the Kingdom Hearts mythos, and I'm fully confident it will have a great story. Besides, starting from the beginning ensures that it will be a lot less convoluted than a Sora/Riku/Kairi sequel would be.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Let's not forget that Chain of Memories introduced Organization XIII, Castle Oblivion, Twilight Town, Namine, DiZ, and a number or other aspects that were fleshed out in the PS2 follow up.
10/10/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
So did I Mr. Fahey...so did I...at least you did better then me, I cried in the opening title screen.
Not the opening FMV...the MENU!
Well, it's good to see that this game while not perfect was still a good jaunt. Now Mr. Fahey, without spoiling anything, do you think that this game adds some light for the upcoming Birth By Sleep game?
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Thanks for the replies, so there's a teeny weeny bit of BbS in this game..well, then my interest has piqued a bit. I'm really looking forward to BbS more but it's nice to know I really don't have to get this game in order to know what's going on in the next installment.
Thanks!
10/09/09
Nope.
Ven shows up briefly, there's some more talk of the Organization members' lives before they were nobodies, more information about the chambers of sleep, awakening, etc., hints about Roxas and Sora's connection to Ven, and some other more spoilerific stuff.
10/09/09
I also went WTF when they tried to pull heartstrings with Goofy getting hit by a rock. Goofy can't die. He is Goofy. He's a klutz and blows up all the time. Stupid idea. I thought it was poorly written in comparison to the first one, and needed an editor.
10/10/09
10/09/09
Also, this game HAS made me very interested in sea-salt ice cream. I wonder if it really exists...
10/09/09
Fortunately, I remembered finding this a little while ago: [kitsue43.deviantart.com]
Planning to make some myself soon. Seems like it'd taste like salt water taffee.
10/10/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
KH2 already fit SO much story into the cracks of KH1 that I'm kind of scared of what this game forces in there.
Agree? Disagree? As of right now, I'm skipping this one until I find myself in a game lull (so....fall 2010?)
10/09/09
10/09/09
Its not so much the AMOUNT of story as it is the necessity. The Nobodies being created when someone becomes a Heartless was kinda cool, but definitely pushes the limits of the kind of thing I'm talking about (something not even hinted at in the first game) I'm just scared of what will happen to the plot if they continue down that road.
Fahey's review kind of negates RPGamer's review for me, so maybe I'll check it out sooner rather than later.
Final question: overwhelming amount of the word dark and heart?
10/09/09
Needless to say, if you played KH2, you already have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen.
10/09/09
Edit: I appreciate the heads-up guys. Completely had the wrong idea about this game, it seems.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Honestly I know know how....it was fairly simple for me, especially if you played the original VII then you pretty much know how the ends going to play out.
The only people that mattered are the cannon characters....everyone else was just static. Pretty static...but just static.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
But I've never had a problem with the camera.
10/09/09
10/09/09
I too was upset at the reuse of Passion. I LOVE the song, but I felt kind of cheated that they couldn't write a new one for a new game.
The characters are great. It's fun getting to see how the Organization interacts. And more Axel is always a good thing.
Although.... My experience with Mission mode has convinced me that about half the members are totally useless. Some of them (Axel, Xemnas, Saix) are pretty sweet. Some of them are nearly unusable.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
I'm pretty psyched though, I've been looking forward to BBS ever since the secret trailer for it at the end of KH2. It's about time we get some new characters.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09