Kingdom Hearts III Review (PS4)
Introduction
This is the latest Kingdom Hearts game developed by Square Enix, with several properties used from Disney and Pixar IPs. This game is developed using Unreal Engine 4, the same engine used to develop Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage.
This game serves as the conclusion to Xehanort Saga, with tons of story references to the previous Kingdom Hearts. I strongly encourage new players to play the games in the collections Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue before even starting this game, as this game's story heavily relies on your knowledge of many Kingdom Hearts games' stories for you to understand this game' story.
Story
This game takes place after Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Sora has now lost most of his powers due to an unfortunate circumstance in the previous game. He has now have to travel to other Worlds with Donald and Goofy to reawaken his powers in order for him to find other Guardians of Lights and t stop Master Xehanort's plans.
The story is decently good. Some pretty good plot twists, and the game's story basically solves a number of mysteries lingered from the previous Kingdom Hearts games. I do however, dislike the mishandling of a number of the characters in this game, such as Dilan, Aeleus, Kairi, Lea/Axel, Master Xehanort, Maleficent, and other villains. The characters from Disney and Pixar worlds are pretty good, with Rapunzel, Flynn, Mike and Sully being my favourite characters from both worlds. The absence of Final Fantasy characters however, are disappointing.
The ending is pretty good, but the story pacing was terrible. Tons of shocking reveals happen at the end in succession, and no proper story build-up compared to KHI and KHII's stories. For what it is, the game's story and ending help resolve several plot points, but also create many unanswered questions.
Gameplay
1) Introduction
This game plays more like the first two numbered Kingdom Hearts games, where you will control Sora to defeat his enemies along with Donald and Goofy. There are several new combat options and recurring combat options that can be used in this game.
2) Exploration and Progression Section
Simple progression. Complete a World's story by defeating the main boss of that World. You have to go through areas, initiate cutscenes, complete one or two minigames, and find a wave of enemies. While exploring, you can explore areas, find treasures, and initiate minigames. Most Worlds in this game have minigames, and some may even reward you such as a new Ability and a rare item.
Before you can travel to another world, you must travel to world via Gummi Ship. Your Gummi Ship is the main transport in travelling between Worlds. You will control the ship directly, and you can go explore to find new Gummi Ship parts and fight Heartless ships. Before entering a new world, you may have to beat a giant Heartless enemy, which may takes a lot of firepower to bring it down. Remember to upgrade your Gummi Ship whenever you can.
3) Leveling and Customisation Section
Leveling system is the same as KHII. Sora and the party members will gain a level by acquiring enough experience points, which is by defeating enemies such as Heartless, Nobody, and Unversed enemies. Upon leveling up, they may gain stats increment, or even a new Ability. Bonus Levels remain the same from KHII, where winning important battles will allow Sora, Donald or Goofy to gain either special abilities or stats increment. Abilities must also be equipped for them to take effect, where certain abilities cost higher AP than other types of abilities.
The equipment system also remains the same from the same game, where Sora and party members can equip armour pieces as well as accessories to have better defence against certain elemental attacks as well as new passive abilities. They can be found by buying from the Moogle Shop, opening chests, or synthesisng them. Sora also can equip up to three different Keyblades at the same time, and you may also choose different weapons for Donald and Goofy.
Synthesis also returns in this game, where you can craft new items and new equipment for Sora and the gang. The new feature is the Keyblade Forge, where you can upgrade a Keyblade's stats as well as acquiring new passive ability on that Keyblade. This is useful if you particularly like certain Keyblade due to it's nature, such as being physical oriented Keyblade or if you like it's Keyblade Transformations.
4) Combat Section
The combat system is mostly the same from Kingdom Hearts II combat system, but with some new additions from other Kingdom Hearts games as well as original combat mechanics.
First of all, you have access to Keyblade Transformations. Each Keyblade allows you to use Keyblade Transformation by filling up the Situation Command bar. Keyblade Transformation grants you new abilities in combat, such as new Finisher commands and new combo moves. Shotlocks also return in this game, and they are mostly unique to each Keyblade. Shotlocks can only be used if you have enough Focus.
You also now have access to Grand Magic, where it allows you to use powered up versions of elemental magic when you use them in succession. For example, hitting Firaga spells at enemies allow you to use Firaza, a powerful version of the Fire-class magic. Attraction Command is another new type of command where you can use to beat enemies with local attractions, such as carousels and ship.
In terms of movement, Sora has access to Flowmotion, where it allows him to run on walls, dash from walls, and spinning on poles. He also has access to Airstep, which allows him to warp to an enemy or certain objects from a distance.
Enemies come in different variety, and some are native to certain Worlds. Some may have different attacks, and some may have elemental resistances. It is up to you on how to beat them, whether with magic, physical attacks, and etc.
Boss fights also present in this game, so don't slack around when fighting them. Most of the time, the Heartless bosses are huge and require more finesse to beat them. Humanoid bosses are also dangerous in this game, so be careful with them.
5) Gameplay Conclusion
This game has solid gameplay, but I felt that there are still issues with it. First of all, some of the World designs have average layouts, such as Monstrocity and Arendelle. Twilight Town also suffers compared to Kingdom Hearts II. Secondly, the Attraction Commands should be an Ability that can togged in the menu, as that particular Command often shows up in combat whether you like it or not. Fortunately, you can switch between different Situation Commands (Keyblade Transformation, Grand Magic, etc) to lessen the error of choosing the wrong command. Thirdly, the game difficulty is not balanced enough in Proud Mode. The absence of the Critical Mode difficulty is notable as well.
Regardless, this game is fun to play, and tons of minigames to try out outside of combat.
Graphics
The graphics are amazing. The characters look really great, some great looking animations, and good environment designs. Solid framerate so far after installing the latest game update.
The Disney and Pixar characters look the best, with great looking character models around. The original characters may have
Sound
The voice acting is pretty good. Most of the actors return to voice their roles in this game, as well as a number of them from Disney and Pixar films. Some of the recasts are pretty hit-or-miss, such as Master Xehanort's voice actor replacement only did adequate job compared to other recasts.
The soundtrack is good, but I find that many of the game's themes are not as memorable compared to previous Kingdom Hearts games' soundtracks, such as KHI Final Mix HD, KHII Final Mix HD, and KH Birth By Sleep Final Mix HD. Many remixed themes from the previous games' themes are quite good, but the same can't be said with many of the new themes.
It is also noted that the BGM volume is quite low in this game, and there are no volume control options to make it louder. I sincerely hope it will be added as a later update.
Replay Value
This game has pretty good replay value. After completing the game's story, you can opt to complete Battle Portals, where tons of tough enemies can be fought in an area. Beating them will unlock rare accessories as well as secret reports. You may also choose to complete the synthesis list, complete Classic Kingdom minigames, complete world specific minigames, and find a certain amount of Lucky Emblems for the Secret Ending.
Conclusion
Overall, solid game. It serves as a decent conclusion to Xehanort Saga, but it is not without faults. Again, I strongly suggest that new players to play the games in the collections Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue to catch up to the story.
This game also shows that it was rushed, due to lack of more original Worlds and how rushed the pacing at the end of the game. Despite that, this game is still good. Recommended.
Score
Story: 7/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Final Score: 8.0/10 or 32/40
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Plenty of fanservice for Disney and Pixar fans.
- Decent conclusion to Xehanort Saga.
- Many heartwarming and funny moments.
- More involved Disney/Pixar worlds compared to KHII.
- Fun combat system.
- Many viable combat options such as Grand Magic.
- Impressive visuals.
- Good framerate.
- Good soundtrack.
- Good replay value.
Cons
- Relies on continuity and knowledge of previous KH games.
- Terrible story pacing.
- No Final Fantasy characters.
- Mishandling of many characters.
- Too many unanswered questions left.
- No Critical Mode.
- Poor selection of basic finisher moves.
- Questionable balance between Mystic, Warrior, and Guardian leveling paths.
- Many undeveloped worlds, such as Twilight Town and Hundred Acre Wood.
- Average final boss fight.
- No superbosses.
- Hit-or-miss recasts of voice actors.
- Not many memorable or unique themes.
**Screenshots are from official Square Enix site.
This is the latest Kingdom Hearts game developed by Square Enix, with several properties used from Disney and Pixar IPs. This game is developed using Unreal Engine 4, the same engine used to develop Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage.
This game serves as the conclusion to Xehanort Saga, with tons of story references to the previous Kingdom Hearts. I strongly encourage new players to play the games in the collections Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue before even starting this game, as this game's story heavily relies on your knowledge of many Kingdom Hearts games' stories for you to understand this game' story.
Story
Sora and the gang is back.
This game takes place after Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Sora has now lost most of his powers due to an unfortunate circumstance in the previous game. He has now have to travel to other Worlds with Donald and Goofy to reawaken his powers in order for him to find other Guardians of Lights and t stop Master Xehanort's plans.
The story is decently good. Some pretty good plot twists, and the game's story basically solves a number of mysteries lingered from the previous Kingdom Hearts games. I do however, dislike the mishandling of a number of the characters in this game, such as Dilan, Aeleus, Kairi, Lea/Axel, Master Xehanort, Maleficent, and other villains. The characters from Disney and Pixar worlds are pretty good, with Rapunzel, Flynn, Mike and Sully being my favourite characters from both worlds. The absence of Final Fantasy characters however, are disappointing.
The ending is pretty good, but the story pacing was terrible. Tons of shocking reveals happen at the end in succession, and no proper story build-up compared to KHI and KHII's stories. For what it is, the game's story and ending help resolve several plot points, but also create many unanswered questions.
Gameplay
1) Introduction
This game plays more like the first two numbered Kingdom Hearts games, where you will control Sora to defeat his enemies along with Donald and Goofy. There are several new combat options and recurring combat options that can be used in this game.
2) Exploration and Progression Section
Explore different Disney and Pixar worlds.
Before you can travel to another world, you must travel to world via Gummi Ship. Your Gummi Ship is the main transport in travelling between Worlds. You will control the ship directly, and you can go explore to find new Gummi Ship parts and fight Heartless ships. Before entering a new world, you may have to beat a giant Heartless enemy, which may takes a lot of firepower to bring it down. Remember to upgrade your Gummi Ship whenever you can.
3) Leveling and Customisation Section
Prepare for your fights ahead with new armour pieces, items and most of all, your Abilities.
The equipment system also remains the same from the same game, where Sora and party members can equip armour pieces as well as accessories to have better defence against certain elemental attacks as well as new passive abilities. They can be found by buying from the Moogle Shop, opening chests, or synthesisng them. Sora also can equip up to three different Keyblades at the same time, and you may also choose different weapons for Donald and Goofy.
Synthesis also returns in this game, where you can craft new items and new equipment for Sora and the gang. The new feature is the Keyblade Forge, where you can upgrade a Keyblade's stats as well as acquiring new passive ability on that Keyblade. This is useful if you particularly like certain Keyblade due to it's nature, such as being physical oriented Keyblade or if you like it's Keyblade Transformations.
4) Combat Section
Use Grand Magic, Keyblade Transformations, and Attractions to decimate your foes.
First of all, you have access to Keyblade Transformations. Each Keyblade allows you to use Keyblade Transformation by filling up the Situation Command bar. Keyblade Transformation grants you new abilities in combat, such as new Finisher commands and new combo moves. Shotlocks also return in this game, and they are mostly unique to each Keyblade. Shotlocks can only be used if you have enough Focus.
You also now have access to Grand Magic, where it allows you to use powered up versions of elemental magic when you use them in succession. For example, hitting Firaga spells at enemies allow you to use Firaza, a powerful version of the Fire-class magic. Attraction Command is another new type of command where you can use to beat enemies with local attractions, such as carousels and ship.
In terms of movement, Sora has access to Flowmotion, where it allows him to run on walls, dash from walls, and spinning on poles. He also has access to Airstep, which allows him to warp to an enemy or certain objects from a distance.
Enemies come in different variety, and some are native to certain Worlds. Some may have different attacks, and some may have elemental resistances. It is up to you on how to beat them, whether with magic, physical attacks, and etc.
Boss fights also present in this game, so don't slack around when fighting them. Most of the time, the Heartless bosses are huge and require more finesse to beat them. Humanoid bosses are also dangerous in this game, so be careful with them.
5) Gameplay Conclusion
Solid gameplay.
Regardless, this game is fun to play, and tons of minigames to try out outside of combat.
Graphics
Great looking characters and environments. Solid framerate too.
The Disney and Pixar characters look the best, with great looking character models around. The original characters may have
Sound
Good English voice acting. Good soundtrack, but not as great as the previous Kingdom Hearts games' soundtracks.
The soundtrack is good, but I find that many of the game's themes are not as memorable compared to previous Kingdom Hearts games' soundtracks, such as KHI Final Mix HD, KHII Final Mix HD, and KH Birth By Sleep Final Mix HD. Many remixed themes from the previous games' themes are quite good, but the same can't be said with many of the new themes.
It is also noted that the BGM volume is quite low in this game, and there are no volume control options to make it louder. I sincerely hope it will be added as a later update.
Replay Value
Good replay value.
Conclusion
Solid game with decent closure to Xehanort Saga.
This game also shows that it was rushed, due to lack of more original Worlds and how rushed the pacing at the end of the game. Despite that, this game is still good. Recommended.
Score
Story: 7/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Final Score: 8.0/10 or 32/40
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Plenty of fanservice for Disney and Pixar fans.
- Decent conclusion to Xehanort Saga.
- Many heartwarming and funny moments.
- More involved Disney/Pixar worlds compared to KHII.
- Fun combat system.
- Many viable combat options such as Grand Magic.
- Impressive visuals.
- Good framerate.
- Good soundtrack.
- Good replay value.
Cons
- Relies on continuity and knowledge of previous KH games.
- Terrible story pacing.
- No Final Fantasy characters.
- Mishandling of many characters.
- Too many unanswered questions left.
- No Critical Mode.
- Poor selection of basic finisher moves.
- Questionable balance between Mystic, Warrior, and Guardian leveling paths.
- Many undeveloped worlds, such as Twilight Town and Hundred Acre Wood.
- Average final boss fight.
- No superbosses.
- Hit-or-miss recasts of voice actors.
- Not many memorable or unique themes.
**Screenshots are from official Square Enix site.
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