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gamer-chick-reviews · 6 years ago

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OneShot (PC) Minor-Spoiler Review

Hey! This time I will be reviewing a PC game, OneShot that I discovered on Steam in early April. It was on sale and the description intrigued me, so I decided to give it a go. I think players who have played other RPG maker games will like this indie game because it has the same feel.

For this review, there will be minor spoilers. I will layout my thoughts on certain aspects of the game, but will not reveal major plot points such as the ending. In the plot/gameplay section, I will be discussing the games setting or the world of the game to a minimum.

Hope you guys enjoy the review!

Description: (Quoting from Steam)

“OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.”

The world is set up into four locations: the barrens, glen, refuge, and tower. The barrens is the outer most location that consists of abandoned structures, a factory, and toxic fumes in certain parts of the area. The glen is a forest like setting that consists of a village, the ruins, and some buildings for research purposes. The refuge is a city area that consists of the library and is also where your final destination is: the tower where the child you guide needs to put the new sun.

Plot/Gameplay: (10/10)

OneShot can also be described as a save the world type of game. The player is guiding a cat-like character named Niko, who is said to be the messiah of the world. Prophecy says that Niko is the one who will restore the world’s sun by bringing the new sun, the light bulb, to the tower.

When the description says that “The world knows you exist,” it means literally. This aspect was one of the coolest and most fun in the game because I really appreciate it when a game can put the player into the world. It creates a lot of interactive gameplay mechanics, and OneShot did just that.

The name the player uses in their Steam account will be the name used in the game. Players can also change their name in the game at a certain scene if their Steam account name is not the one they want to use.

See below…

Furthermore, the gameplay is easy with simple controls. The player can open up the menu to see these controls whenever they want. I always like that they do this because sometimes RPG maker games will show you the controls once and then never bring them up in the menu again.

The other part of the interactive gameplay that I enjoyed was that it has players solve puzzles using your computer. Documents will show up in different places in your computer for you to find and help Niko in each area. This was something I had never seen in a game, so that was a very satisfying feature. The puzzles themselves were not very difficult, but I still found them fun. I felt that the creator put a lot of thought into them and there was a good variety as well.

Another feature that I liked was the save function. In the game, the player can either exit out of the game anywhere or use the bed to put Niko to sleep. The bed function is used regardless for story purposes because Niko can get tired after each area is complete. I think these were great times to just take a break from the game, but it is also a good addition because it gives the player more background on Niko. I actually found these new scenes adorable and deep because the player gets to interact more with Niko. Both the player and Niko are in this journey together where there is a sense of urgency to complete the mission to restore the sun. However, these scenes create a more relaxing and calm atmosphere where we can take a break from that urgency.

Overall, the story itself was fun and bittersweet because of all the interactions between the player, Niko, and the other characters that you will both meet along the way. There is no doubt that you will get attached to Niko. Niko is a simple character, but is also very lovable and caring towards others. I was definitely absorbed with the game mechanics and story.

Music/Sound: (8.5/10)

I thought the music in this game was pleasant. It created an ambiance to the different areas. I wouldn’t say it is an OST that I would listen to frequently, but I do think the music matched the game well.

The game also comes with two sound tracks one being the original and the other being the Solstice OST that was released when the Solstice DLC patch was released.

Graphics: (10/10)

The artwork in this game is very satisfying. It’s all in a 2D style, but incorporates both 8-bit graphics and drawn graphics.

The 8-bit graphics are throughout the regular gameplay but are also in some CGs. They really bring out the dark ambiance because of the loss of the world’s sun. It feels like a very dystopian kind of setting, where the areas are dark and muted. The brighter colors bring out more of this neon effect to show that the world still has some light in the darkness.

There are a good variety of backgrounds because of the four different areas. They all have that dark look while others have more of the neon colors. The barrens had the least amount of light, where only lanterns and the water were brighter colors. One of my favorite areas was the glen because I liked seeing the greenery and lights on the trees. The villagers in the glen all wore different colors, so I thought that was nice to see in contrast to the darker setting.

Lastly, the other CGs of the game revolve around Niko’s dreams. This happens when using the bed save function mention in the gameplay section. The colors in these scenes are much softer, which was nice and very dream like. They brought out a lot of nostalgic feels and a heartwarming atmosphere. I honestly love the drawing style they did for Niko’s dreams.

Verdict: (10/10)

I give OneShot a 10/10.

The player involvement in this game really sold it for me. It was a fantastic idea and story that made you become attached to Niko and the world. The story plot twists were very satisfying. I found myself absorbed with how the story would play out and if the player and Niko were really making a difference in fulfilling this mission to help this world.

I hope reading this review gets more people to play the game. Thank you to those who read this review as always. If you know anyone who enjoys playing video games, feel free to share this review with them. Happy gaming!

#oneshot #oneshot game #video game #video game reviews #chick reviews #pc #steam games #steam #pc games #little cat feet #degica #degica games #indie game

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gamer-chick-reviews · 6 years ago

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Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (PSVita) Non-Spoiler Review

Hiya! Time to rate an otome game. I have played a couple otome games, but this will be my first review on one. Some of you might find this game familiar if you have played the first in the series: Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly. I played the first game last year, so it has been a couple months. You don’t need to play the first game to play this game, but there are some references to the first game. Players can always play Black Butterfly after Ashen Hawk.

For this review, there will be no spoilers. I will layout my thoughts on certain aspects of the game and will talk about the characters. In the character section, there will be brief descriptions to give players an idea of the characters personalities. If that’s something you want to experience for yourself, feel free to skip over that section.

Alright! Hope you guys enjoy the review!

Description: (Quoting from the PlayStation Store)

Uncover the secret – Unite the clans

In a town ruled by opposing clans and overshadowed by superstition and legend, a child is born with the dreaded mark of a witch.

She conceals her identity until the theft of a mysterious relic brings to light a series of staggering revelations.

The mysteries she will uncover could restore order... or destroy everything that she knows...

The Psychedelica series is an otome game that focuses heavily on the plot/mystery aspects rather than the romance. The romance plays a secondary role, but there are still alternate endings for each character. If you have played the first Psychedelica game, then you will notice some bias for the poster boys. I felt that it was more subtle for Black Butterfly, but I would say that it really shows in Ashen Hawk. Players might not like this, but I would say to give the game a chance because the plot and characters really shine in these games.

Characters: (9/10)

The characters in this game were all very likeable in different ways. Since this is a non-spoiler review, I cannot go into too much detail on each character, but I do feel that each one was delivered well based on the circumstances they were put in. I think that left a big impression on me because for each character, their ending is not necessarily happy or consequence free.

The Psychedelica series does a good job on showing each characters personality outside of the main plot through extra events you can obtain throughout the game. I found myself liking some characters more than others due to these extra events. However, each side story added a lot of texture to the characters and overall showed their dynamic with the main girl.

Some background before getting into the characters is that they focus on two opposing clans: the Wolf and Hawk clans. They both manage the town, but do not get along. Other characters are residents of the church and tower. Only the main cast will be described, while some side characters will be briefly mentioned.

Jed/Eiar (Jed is the name she uses as a man, while Eiar is her real name. Both names can be changed. Voice actor: Tamura Mutsumi)

Jed is the protagonist of the game and a resident of the tower. I am going to refer to her using her male name because it is mostly used throughout the story. It shows above that Jed is not her birth name but is given to her to disguise her gender because she has the mark of a witch. Jed is very independent, which causes her to not rely on others very often. She works as a handyman to make a living and is skilled in housework such as cooking. She is seen as a very reliable person, and often takes care of others. In search of the missing relic, she is often seen to long for what it would have been like if she did not have to hide her gender. This shows a different side of her where players can see more of her desires and thoughts, which can sometimes cause her to be a bit self assuming toward others. Overall, I thought that Jed was a strong protagonist because of her many skills and witty personality. I did not agree with some of her actions, but it was all very believable with how the plot developed.

Lavan (Voice actor: Hino Satoshi)

Lavan is the eldest son and heir to the Wolf Clan. He is loved by everyone, but keeps a distance from others at the same time. His closer relationships are basically with Jed and his family. He is good natured and skilled in combat. He often puts the priorities of the clan above his own feelings. He is pretty much the older brother type character.

My thoughts on Lavan were that I felt for him, but he was my least favorite of the group. I already had a feeling that he would be my least favorite, but I got to say the voice actor did a great job with his character. He wasn’t my type and his ending was alright. I just had vibes from him, and I am sure you will too. I think they made it pretty obvious.

Levi (Voice actor: Saitou Souma)

Levi is the second son of the Wolf clan who is in charge of the vigilante group. He is hot-headed at times when provoked by the Hawk clan, but he is an overall cheerful person. He thinks of Jed as a younger brother, but Jed often ends up giving him advice instead.

Levi is my favorite in the game. My first impression of him with the short description given was that he was going to be one of those short-tempered manly guys who like eating meat. A typical stereotype you see in anime. Not going to say if he was or not, but Levi went up a lot for me as the game progressed. Some things I can say are that I really like that his relationship with Lavan was not a basic sibling rivalry. They were brothers that supported each other. Levi had a lot of texture and flaws, but I like that as a character he accepted his flaws.

Lugus (Voice actor: Furukawa Makoto)

Lugus is the son of the current Hawk clan leader, Olgar, and the next heir. He has an intense expression where others find it difficult to approach him. He is seen doing his father’s bidding and does not care about the town residents opinions of him. Of course, there is a lot more to Lugus than this. He is a man that respects his father, and cares for his younger sister, Ti.

Lugus was probably my second favorite in the game. He is that cold type that is actually soft and adorable. He is also the poster boy of the game which is obvious from all the promotional art and the alternative game cover. It is also pretty obvious as the story progresses since there is some romantic bias. I honestly thought he was a great character, so overall poster boy material.

Tower Overlord aka Ashen Hawk (Voice actor: Hirakawa Daisuke)

Ashen Hawk is a free spirited man that does not remember his past. He is also a resident of the tower and is often scolded by Jed for his lazy behavior. Because of his behavior, he does not like troublesome things and does not go out to meet others. He is also one of the only characters that knows Jed is a girl.

My first impression of Ashen Hawk was that he was going to be the flirtatious type. He is, in a way, and often teases Jed, but he has a lot more layers than that. I found his interactions with her to be fun and sweet. He is very much like a guardian figure to her. Ashen Hawk is a bit of a mystery, so I cannot reveal much.

Hugh (Voice actor: Namikawa Daisuke)

Hugh is a mysterious traveler who comes and goes as he pleases. He takes an interest in the heroine and wants to see how her story plays out.

Hugh was my third favorite. I got the feeling as the story progressed that he was strangely easy to talk with. He drops a lot of hints to the first game and often tells the heroine stories from his travels. His character was actually pretty confusing, but most of his story was sorted out as you got more endings. He has got to be the most beautiful character in the game. I found myself liking him more in the common route and other people’s endings rather than his own.

Plot/Gameplay: (9/10)

The description and character section of this review basically shows the general story that will unfold. The beginning of the story is a very long common route that branches into different endings. In these games, you are usually required to complete the common route first to get character specific endings. It is all set up in a flowchart system that you will see below. I like this system a lot because you can skip over parts of the story faster. The plot consists of 10 chapters, but some endings can end in early chapters.

There is also a map function of the town that consists of different side stories and events. The events in pink are considered “Town Memories” which can be described more as questions that you ask the people of the town. It is almost like a trivia add-on because it even asks some of the main characters their favorite food or hobbies. The events in blue are considered “Short Story Episodes” where Jed/Eiar can interact with the main and side characters of the game. Lastly, the green events progress the main story. There is also an antique shop in the tavern of the town where you can buy extras that will reveal more of the mysteries of the story. I liked having this shop, but you had to gather town memories which got very repetitive. I suggest that you do all the town memories in the map before progressing in the main story or short story episodes.

The story itself was enjoyable because of the good balance of plot twists and character interactions. There are some clichés, but I would not say that they are bad. I felt that this game did a good job using some of these clichés. Some of the plot twists can be easy to predict, but I still found it fun and engaging. I am sure that you will have inklings about certain things and character. I had so many, and I ended up being right for the most part. I was still surprised even when I had an inkling about something, so that also left a big impression on me. I was definitely absorbed in the story and found myself wanting to know more as I progressed.

Music/Sound: (10/10)

I enjoyed the music in this game and felt that it was all thought out with the setting of the story. It sounds pleasant, lively, and dramatic depending on all the different scenes in the story. The transitions for the music were all on point.

The songs with lyrics were my favorites. The opening song “Haizora no Shizuku” by Akiko Shitaka feels very dramatic. I love her unique voice that I have often recognized in other games (The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince). The ending song, “Vermelho” by Eiko Shimamiya is also pleasant to listen to. I ended up really liking this song once I heard it a couple more times.

I also want to add that the voice actors did amazing with their characters. I think they all did equally well. I have to applaud Lavan’s voice actor though for reasons I cannot go into much. Let’s just say some of his extra events really gave me vibes from his voice actor.

Graphics: (8.5/10)

The artwork in this game is really nice. The soft colors match up with the snowy setting and look really clean. Like in their first game, they would add an animated effect to the characters to create movement in a 2D setting. I honestly like that they did this because it really gets you to picture the scene.

Another aspect that was great was that Jed gets a character portrait in the game. This was nice because the game gives her and the other characters great expressions. Jed has this amazing smirk that I really enjoyed seeing, while the others had a variety of expressions during extra events.

The backgrounds of the game were all nice as well. I thought there was a good variety since the town, forest, and tower were pretty much the main areas you could go to. The map of the town was actually a surprise to me that I ended up liking because it gets the player to have a more interactive experience within the game.

Lastly, the CGs of the game were all very beautiful. I could really feel the atmosphere from them and how heartfelt exchanges between characters were. The setup of the gallery also puts all the CGs together, so there are no separate character menus or repeated CGs like in Black Butterfly. Some character endings did not have a final CG for their romance, while there were moments where I felt there could have been a CG added. Although some characters did not get a super romantic scene or kiss CG, I felt like their interactions made up for that. Of course I was still a bit sad, but I do appreciate that these games put a lot into their plot and characters.

Verdict: (9/10)

I give Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk a 9/10.

If you are a fan of Black Butterly, I would say that this game definitely does not disappoint. I think it is worth the buy for new players as well because of the variety of characters and overall plot. I want to say again that this game can stand alone, but if you like to notice references than I suggest you play Black Butterfly first.

I had a lot of fun with this game, and felt that all the endings were interesting and matched up with each characters circumstances. It was not all happy times, so be prepared for some feels. I am hoping that there will be another installment in the future.

As always, thank you for reading this review. I hope you enjoy this game if you give it a go!

#video games #otome game #otome game review #psychedelica of the ashen hawk #psychedelica series #chick reviews

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gamer-chick-reviews · 6 years ago

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Remember back in the day when we only knew Roxas as the BHK (blonde hair kid).

#kingdom hearts #kh #thoughts #nostalgia #roxas

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gamer-chick-reviews · 6 years ago

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The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince (PS4) Review & Discussion (Spoiler Warning)

Hello! Here again with another video game review. The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince came out on February 12th in the US for two consoles. I became interested in the game ever since my visit to Akihabara, Japan last year. It turns out that the game had released around the time I had went, and I immediately took a photo of the game to look up what it was about.

During the time, it was only released in Japan, so I was hoping that it would get licensed in the US. After a few months, I heard the creator wanted to get it licensed and eventually it did. I’ve been looking forward to this game for a couple months now, so it was great to finally get to play it.

For this review, I’ll be talking about the game in parts. It will be similar to my KH3 review, but not as long due to Liar Princess & Blind Prince being a shorter game.

Hope you guys enjoy!

Graphics:

The game’s adorable art style is what got my attention. I remember reading somewhere that the game is hand drawn (please correct me if I am wrong). The art style is cute and really emphasizes that story book theme. I love theme based things, and it added a lot of charm.

Most of the colors are muted to highlight the black outlines and shading. I really like this approach in the art style because it creates bold figures that can be easily identified within all the games stages.

Overall 10/10 for the graphics.

Music:

The soundtrack for the game is fantastic. It sounds very whimsical, and it really matches the mood of the story.

The transitions for the music is on point. I noticed this especially when it introduced the Witch of the forest. You could get that mysterious vibe from the Witch and the forest stages, while the music would change into something more heartfelt and soft when the Princess and Prince interacted.

The ending song was amazing as well. I think it’s the same singer who sings the opening of an otome game called Chronostacia. I first heard the song in the trailers for the game, so I thought it would be the opening song. I am happy that it played at the end though because it felt more fitting and powerful.

I also want to add that the narrator’s voice is great because she changes her voice slightly when she is portraying the characters. It’s very much like if someone were reading the story to you out loud.

Overall, the music gets a 10/10

Gameplay:

If you are ok with escort type missions, then you won’t mind Liar Princess & Blind Prince’s gameplay. It’s similar to the game, Ico, but in a 2D side-scrolling perspective.

The gameplay is simple, but it was still fun and challenging. I like that the puzzles were not too hard or too easy. It was just right to me.

Puzzles where you would direct the Prince from farther away were the more challenging stages that I had the most fun with. The creators thought of some creative puzzles and ways to use the environment of the forest. I specifically like how they used the flower buds to hit switches or attack enemies. There were also the riddle based puzzles that I felt added a lot of variety.

I did notice a couple glitches in the game. Enemies would spazz out or get stuck in certain parts of the stage. The Prince would also glitch a bit where the Princess could not grab his hand, or he would still look like he was running if dragged by a wall as you are jumping to a higher plane. There is also a slight jump lag that can get a bit annoying, so expect a few retries. I would say good timing is what will get you through some of the puzzles. Other than that, the glitches were pretty minor.

9/10 for the gameplay.

Plot:

Most of the time, indie games can be a hit or a miss in terms of story. I think the ending can really determine how players will feel about these shorter titles. One example of a hit for me would be Journey by Thatgamecompany, while The Unfinished Swan by Giant Sparrow was a miss.

For me, the story of the Liar Princess & Blind Prince is truly sweet and meaningful. It’s wholesome and leaves you feeling very satisfied. In this part, I will make comments on parts of the story and the characters.

The beginning of the story is set up nicely and is simple to understand. I like that they mentioned that the Witch was the ruler of the forest from the beginning. This was a good detail to mention from the start because it shows that the Witch was not just added later for plot convenience to heal the Prince’s eyes. There is a lot of depth to the Witch as well from the flower collectables within the game. The player gets to see how the Witch changed as she continued to grant wishes. This is greatly seen when she comes to care for a human girl. She has a lot of texture because due to the human girl getting killed by the villagers in association to her, the Witch sees that taking human lives as a price is not worth it.

At the end of Chapter 1, it was nice to see the interactions between the Wolf Princess and the Prince. The creators did a great job with their scenes because most of them showed the difference in their personalities. It also showed how they got to know each other better.

In one of the first scenes with the Princess giving the Prince raw meat to eat, it really shows that the creators considered how the Princess did not know the common customs of humans. I thought that was a great detail to add, while it also shows how much they still need to learn about each other.

Other aspects of the story that I like were the scenes with the Family of Goats and the Moles. These scenes were meaningful to me because of how it showed the kindness of the Prince. I think the Princess was able to learn from his actions and overall reflect on their circumstances as they traveled to the Witch’s house. I want to add that the Family of Goats actions to not harm the Prince was great because it showed that they appreciated the help they got from the Prince and Princess.

The Ending (skip over if you want to avoid additional spoilers)

As you play, you know at some point that the Prince will find out that the Wolf is the Princess. The way they sorted out all the lies of the Wolf was great because it shows how the Prince’s words to apologize to the Witch about burning the forest has influenced her to atone for the wrong that she has done to him.

I also felt that the Prince was a fantastic character because he was able to forgive the Wolf and knew that her feelings were true. She had good intentions and he saw that.

The use of granting wishes in exchange for the clients’ most important thing is a plot device that has always been interesting to me. If any of you have watched/read Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles or xxxHolic by Clamp, then you will see similarities within this games ending.

Overall, I am very happy with the ending of this game. It was adorable and heartfelt. I love the story’s simplicity, and it gives little life lessons that are important.

Verdict:

I give The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince a 10/10.

This game was definitely worth the buy! Both the story and gameplay were charming. I enjoyed going back to the game to obtain all the trophies. Those gave more of a challenge because the game has you try to not kill enemies or finish a stage within a set time. The flower and petal collectables were great as well to gain more knowledge on the Witch and see concept art of the game.

I hope this review gets players to try out the game, and thanks again to anyone who likes/reads this review.

#the liar princess and the blind prince #video game #ps4 #video game review

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gamer-chick-reviews · 6 years ago

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Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4) Review & Discussion (Spoiler Warning)

Hey, everyone. This is going to be my first video game review. The Kingdom Hearts series has been an important part of my life, so I really wanted to get my opinion and review of the game out since I felt like the third game left a big impact on me. I have played all the previous games more than once and was excited for the last of the Xehanort saga. I beat KH3 the week it came out, but I was surprised at how fast the playthrough went. Please remember that you can always disagree or agree with anything in this review. You can think whatever you want for any game, book, or TV show.

Moving along, the way I will go about this review is in parts. First, I will talk about the gameplay, which will consist of the new keyblade transformations, magic, attraction flow, flow motion, links, gummi ship, and mini games. Then I will talk about the Disney worlds and the overall writing of the story. I am not going to go into the visuals and music as much. Just know that I thought they were amazing as always. KH never fails with their music, and the visuals have improved tremendously. The opening was okay, but only because the song was off-beat. (I watched the Japanese opening, and the song slightly matched up better.)

After these sections will be comments on some characters. Then I will finish up with the expectations I had for this game and hopeful ideas for DLCs that could be added later.

So for every game, players have expectations on what will happen in the story or what they will do with the gameplay. Of course, KH3 is no exception; but like all games, the creators will not be able to put in everything that we thought of. So of course I came into this game knowing that every idea I thought of would not make it in the game.

Okay let’s get started…

Gameplay:

The gameplay of KH3 has truly evolved since the last few games. I think I enjoyed the game mechanics for this game as much as I enjoyed Birth by Sleep’s gameplay. It was all very flashy, and it was nice to see the creators bring back abilities from the other titles.

Keyblade Transformations:

This function in the game was absolutely fantastic. It was a big throwback to drive forms in KH2, but with more of a combination of past abilities such as shotlocks. I think that being able to switch out keyblades in battle was a great idea because most of the time in the previous games, we would not use a keyblade after we got a stronger one. This enables players to use the weapons they like the most because of the keyblade forge/upgrade system. Also switching out weapons in battle really reminded me of Final Fantasy XV. I enjoyed the form transformations, but I did notice some of them were copies of others. Even though this was the case, I still think each one was visually unique, so I didn’t mind that they had the same abilities.

Magic:

The magic in the game has really been well developed throughout the years. KH 0.2 was the first to introduce players to how magic would be in KH3. I like that they introduced water magic, while they also made Aero more like how it was in BBS. It was cool to see the magic change slightly depending on which keyblade transformation Sora was in. Other than that, I do not have much to say about magic.

Attraction Flow:

Attraction flow was a game mechanic that was advertised very early for this game. They were fun to use, but there were times where I did not want to use them in favor of the other finishers. I did not notice until after beating the game that I could have switched between commands using L2. This was thanks to another Tumblr user making a post about it. I can confirm that none of the tutorials say you can switch between triangle commands using L2.

Flow Motion:

Flow motion has become more controlled in certain aspects since Dream Drop Distance. Wall running was something new that they added which was pretty cool. I did notice while my sister was playing that it was very hard to control the spin mechanic from pole to pole. It would get pretty ridiculous and out of hand. So air stepping was not my favorite thing, but I’m sure others had an easier time getting used to it.

Links:

The links were visually pleasing and had a lot of variety based on the Disney characters that they used. I honestly did not use them as much, which is not surprising since I have not used summons as often since KH1 where they were very helpful for those secret bosses.

Gummi Ship:

So in most KH games, my sister and I were never really invested with the gummi ship mechanics. I still feel somewhat the same way, but I do think it has become much better compared to other games. Post-game, I had to do more gummi ship missions to make the Ultima Weapon, so I got time to really explore more of the gummi ship system. I think they made the gummi ship system easier for players and the open exploration is great for people who don’t want to just be dragged into a battle.

Mini Games:

There were a lot of mini games in KH3. Some of the ones that really stood out to me were cooking at the bistro, Verum Rex, and some of the Flantastic 7 games (That cherry game was the worst for me.) Some honorable mentions would be Flash Tracer, Frozen Slider, Festive Dancer and any of The Hundred Acre Wood mini games. I honestly would have been happy with fewer mini games, but I think it was fine that they wanted to add more. The Classic Kingdom games got boring to me after a while. I played the ones that were in Union X to get the Starlight keyblade and already felt like those few games were enough for me.

Plot/Writing:

Main Story Focus/Theme:

So we all knew that in KH3, we would have to gather our seven guardians of light, which meant saving Terra, Ven, and Aqua. While we needed to locate those three, Re:Coded introduced that there could still be a way to help Roxas, Namine, and Xion. Because of the need to find and restore these people, a big theme for KH3 was finding your way back home.

This is a really good theme because so many of these characters have been separated from their friends and cut off from the realm of light. I also love this theme because home to these characters isn’t just a place, it’s their friends and overall the people they love.

Disney Worlds + Twilight Town:

Sora, who is trying to regain his power of waking, decides to travel to different Disney worlds hoping that some spark will create that opportunity. But as Sora travels to each world, it becomes very noticeable that he is not making progress in regaining that power. Sora, Donald, and Goofy even repeatedly question why they are in some of these worlds. And sure, Sora learns a lot in each world about friendship and love, but I feel like he already learned some of these lessons in previous games.

I am going to go over each Disney world briefly to talk about the pros and cons of the story in each one. It can relate to the specific world story or the main plot. Some Disney worlds will be paired together such as the Pixar ones or Corona and Arendelle because of the Princesses of Heart aspect.

Olympus: This world was a great way to start Sora’s new journey. It ties with the main plot on how Sora has to recover his lost powers (specifically the power of waking that I want to delve into more later). The story of the world finishes up nicely and gives Sora a hint to getting his lost power back: the words “with all my heart.” This ties into how Sora just needs to wish for the return of his lost friends in order to create a connection that will bring them back.

Twilight Town: One of the best things about the story in this world is how much I came to love Hayner, Pence, and Olette more. I thought they were alright characters in KH2 and Days, but their actions for finding Roxas even though they never really knew him really showed how selfless they were.. I really liked that, but I was sad that the world became smaller. I also thought the world would be more relevant in the later parts of the story. One part specifically was when Hayner, Pence, and Olette saved Ansem the Wise (omg I thought things were going to go so badly). I expected to go back to the world after that scene, but we didn’t have to… But I found that out because I went looking for the Twilight trio like, “Hey do you have news for me?” but got nothing.

The Hundred Acre Wood: There was not much of a story in this world. The world was one area that consisted of mini games. Sora’s connection with Pooh somehow weakens. Things are resolved too quickly, and I felt that was really lazy for the writers to do. Why the connection weakened is not explained in detail, but I thought it might relate to the theme of finding your way back home. I say this because Pooh considers Sora a part of his home. This relates to how a place can only feel like home because of the people in your life. I think I expected more of a story in this world, but at the end of the day, Nomura just added it to put in one more Disney world.

Toy Box & Monstropolis: I honestly think that the Pixar movies had the best storylines. Even though I had heard from other reviews that the story in Toy Box was anticlimactic, I think that it was relevant to the plot. Sora, who has decided to restore Roxas and Namine, comes into this world where toys have hearts. I think this world in a way went into how replicas were going to be brought back into the story. This is relevant to the plot because both the Organization and Sora’s gang have thought of using replicas to bring back people on their side. For Monstropolis, the story leads to Sora finally finding out Ven has been inside his heart this whole time. I think the setup of Vanitas being in Monsters Inc. makes sense because of his connection to negative emotions and the previous use of scream power in the facility. Monstropolis also has a Disney villain that is working with one of the Real Organization members which is how KH1 and KH2 made Sora and the gang more involved with the world. Overall, the characters were more involved in these stories, which was better writing from the staff.

Corona & Arendelle: These two worlds specifically showed how romantic love became a big theme in the story. Sora explains via instapost that Rapunzel’s power gave him a new outlook on how powerful love can be. It’s not like any of his powers, so he is surprised that it was able to bring back Eugene. There are also flashbacks to the endings of Corona and Arendelle when Sora meets up with Kairi again in The Final World that shows how those worlds affected him. These worlds mostly followed their movie counterparts storywise, but I felt like some aspects could have been added to make the Organization members more relevant. Corona was my one of my most-anticipated worlds. It added great interactions with Rapunzel, so I think they did better with that than in Arendelle where Sora, Donald, and Goofy were just in the background. Elsa really did just end up figuring things out for herself like Larxene wanted.

The Caribbean: The story was choppy like Corona and Arendelle, but I think it was a good world to go back to due to the connections that Sora made in KH2. I think Sora got to see how relationships change in this world through Elizabeth and Will. I mostly say this because despite KH2 not being too long ago, a lot of time has passed in The Caribbean. Furthermore, the ending of this world had a lot of foreshadowing towards the KH3 ending now that I look back on it. This world is also the only one that gives a vague hint to what’s in the Black Box. Luxord specifically says, “But they did say the box contains ‘hope’.” Other than that, this world’s story was okay because its connection to Sora, but could have been better if it was not another movie rerun. It did end up being the world with the best exploration. The pirate ship function was satisfying and probably fulfilled one of Sora’s dreams.

San Fransokyo: This was my second most-anticipated world. However, it ended up having one of the shortest stories. I do applaud the original story, but it was lacking in some way. It introduces again how hearts can take shape in any being, and I love that we got to have two Baymaxes in the end. I noticed that there was little time to explore the city due to the urgency of staying on the world-specific story path. I heard Hiro speak so many times while I tried to look around. This world also confirmed that the Organization had started using Replicas due to the appearance of Xehanort-Riku which was relevant to the main plot.

Original Worlds:

So the remaining original worlds ended up being less explorable which was a bit sad, but some of them did hype up the story.

The Dark World: We only play this world as Riku twice and as Sora when we rescue Aqua. I think I can accept this since we got to explore as Aqua in 0.2. One thing I did not expect was for it to feel like Riku and Mickey could not manage their main mission. By having Sora be the one to save the day, it showed how Riku and Mickey were not capable. It would have been better if I we got to use Riku to fight Aqua and have Sora as support. It just left me feeling bitter for Riku, but other than that, the scene where Aqua is saved is very good. It was the welcome home that she needed.

The Land of Departure: This part was really cool, because Aqua was the third playable character. However, this moment leads into the power of waking. During Sora’s hour of need, Ventus says he needs to wake up, but Sora still does not have the power of waking. But low and behold, Ventus says Sora has always had the power, and that it will work if he calls upon it in his time of need. I think it was a poor way to reveal Sora got his powers back because it made it feel like going to the Disney worlds was just an excuse to have Sora travel around. It made me see that the Disney worlds and main plot became more separate, which I did not like. The moment where Ven wakes up is still great, and I was happy with his reunion with the others. The scene with Aqua was sweet, while I loved the “second chance” line he said to Sora.

The Keyblade Graveyard/ The Final World: This is basically the set up for the clash of the 7 lights and 13 darkness where parts of the main plot are resolved. So we get the 1000 heartless battle which is good. It was a great throwback to KH2. Then the group encounters Terranort who basically annihilates half of them. A lot of parts of this moment made me mad at the writing. I’m just going to list it…

So Kairi does not have her keyblade out, so Axel takes the blow for her

Kairi still does not have her keyblade out, so Sora just hugs her rather than blocking the hit. (Everyone had their weapons out, so I have no idea why Kairi does not have hers out,)

Cure/items apparently don’t exist in this moment, cause no one heals Ven or Axel (I saw Donald heal in a cutscene in the previous games so it just doesn’t make sense to me.)

When the heartless tornado arrives, Aqua just gave up which is very ooc.

After that Sora goes into his moment of weakness where Riku had to snap him out of it.

So I think this moment is okay, but I think Sora falling apart if Riku was taken too would have made more sense. Riku was still there with him, so I would think that Sora would not have lost all hope.

So next up is The Final World, where Sora goes after they all die from the heartless tornado. So Sora meets Chirithy, and Chirithy explains due to both his heart and body perishing, he has ended up in this place where people are at the edge of life and death. Having this world was interesting because it introduces an afterlife in the series. I also like that Kairi was the one helping to bring everyone back. It is great that she is helping and shows more of her powers, but it doesn’t make me feel much different about how her character was handled before this all happened.

As Sora is collecting himself in this world, he encounters different “stars” which are also dead people who are in this limbo. One of the stars is Namine, which I felt was great to see because she has not been in the game until this very moment. She tells Sora that she will figure out a way to find a connection to Terra. This is hinted in the KH First Breath Concert, so I was already aware that Namine would help bring back Terra. There is also one more voiced star, “The Nameless Star” who Sora meets. This character is probably from Union X (My guess is Strelitzia). I am not going to go into that much, but I will say that the cutscene with this star and Namine are missable. I found this out through different Youtube videos, because I did see these scenes when I played. I think that having those missable was not ok at all because those moments are all story relevant. It also ties to how Lingering Will changes the groups fate later, so having that scene missable can cause some confusion later if not seen.

Just a side note, but Nomura really does not explain the Power of Waking very well. To my understanding, it is supposed to wake sleeping hearts, so the way Sora uses it, is to bring back hearts that have perished. He is basically bringing people back to life. People can argue that Aqua’s heart was not sleeping when they needed to save her in the Dark World, but they still wanted Sora to get the Power of Waking because that power springs from a connection to another’s heart which would have been helpful in finding Aqua since Ven was in Sora. During that scene in the Dark World, Sora did not have that power, but in his case he was able to reach the Dark World because of his connection with Riku and with some help from the keyblade that Aqua left behind.

Anyways Sora is able to save his friends, and meets up with Kairi who is his “light in the darkness.” They are able to go back in time before facing Terranort. It was weird how everything played out the same, even though I’m pretty sure Sora was aware of the time traveling and what had happened last time.

Now the battle is back on track, and the scene with the keyblade wielders from the past and Ephemera happen. That was a really cool scene, and a creative way to put the player in the game. Also the part where Master Yen Sid helps was a nice touch.

After that is the Organization fights. Those were all fun, but the biggest flaw in that moment was what they did to Axel and Kairi (especially Kairi). The reunions were some of the best parts of this game. The Wayfinder trios reunion was the most satisfying and tied up Terra, Ven, and Aqua’s characters. I feel this way because Terra got his redemption, while Ven was able to keep his promise. I got more emotional during those scenes than the ending to be honest.

During those scenes, Xehanort kidnaps Kairi. Kairi becoming the damsel in distress again was such bad writing. She is killed in order to forge the X-blade and to provide Sora with more motivation (that was such bs). Sora’s reaction was good, but Riku’s was lacking (You guys just watched your friend die, seriously)

Also did anyone else think that Terra was going to finally get his talk with Riku before they went to close KH? I was hopeful, but I think because of the urgency I see now why it did not happen. I also want to add, that Donald and Goofy going with us to fight Xehanort was great for old times’ sake.

Scala Ad Caleum: The world was very pretty, but not explorable. It was just the world for the final boss battle. So this is where the big bad, Xehanort confronts Sora and tells him why he wanted Kingdom Hearts in the first place. Xehanort is redeemed, and goes with Erauqs because his old friend has convinced him to entrust the worlds light to these new guardians.

The writing for Xehanort was ok to me, but I explain my thoughts on it more in the character section.

Erauqs being inside of Terra was something I expected because of fan theories. I like that they did this because Erauqs was able to apologize to his students and help his friend move past his harmful ambitions.

As per tradition, I expected to fight a final boss with many forms like in KH1 and KH2. That did not happen in this game, so it was very underwhelming.

The End

Sora going alone to save Kairi was not necessary. This was a missed opportunity for Riku to go with him to search for their best friend. Cause again, Kairi is Riku’s friend too. They missed out on the chance for Riku to say “We’ll go together!” which is a meaningful line in the KH series.

All the happy endings were great. I like that Isa got to sort things out with the others. It was unexpected and even if he had not shown up I would have been fine, but it was a good add on.

Ventus reuniting with his Chirithy was cute.

Namine being her own person was good.

The beach end was fantastic, but I was left feeling complicated because Sora disappeared. It really changed the whole mood.

Sora saving Kairi off screen if Kairi really was there, is not okay. I feel this way because it makes the ending feel not earned. I want to know how Sora saved Kairi because it would have provided more closure and acceptance to his fate.

Epilogue

Xigbar being Luxu was a good reveal. I did not see it coming. I hope they can explain later how Luxu summoned the other foretellers. What was in the Black Box was not revealed but I expected that after a while. I do think that this scene was a good setup for the next saga. Since this part is heavily focused on Union X, I want to add my thoughts on the girl Isa and Axel befriended. I think it was a smart way of adding something from Union X but many questions arise. It creates another 2 boy and 1 girl trio in the series. There is not enough information for this new girl, but I do think the girl could be Skuld. My reasoning for this is through the secret reports.

Secret Ending

I don’t know what was going on in that secret ending. There are rumors about Shibya from TWEWY being involve as well as a Verum Rex world. I have played TWEWY so having it as a world is actually really cool. I feel this way because it is a great setup for bringing Sora back. The Verum Rex part is up in the air for me. I think it’s mostly because it isn’t its own game yet. And yes, I know it is what Nomura would have hoped for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. I’m very iffy about the secret ending because it did not feel like any of the other secret endings. It was also one of the first ones without text to reveal what might be coming next.

Characters:

Sora: Sora has matured a lot since the first game, but I did not like that they made him a basic bishonen character that had to “go it alone” in the end.

Riku (will be talking about Repliku too): Riku has had the best character development in the game, but his character changed a lot in KH3 because Nomura did not have it in him to give Riku scenes with his best friends. He did not have Riku talk to Kairi at all in this game. I am not counting that part in the beginning because that was a recap from DDD. For a character who had realized in DDD that he found the “strength to protect what matters,” he did not insist to go with Sora to find Kairi. Overall, this choice did not make sense with Riku’s character development.

Repliku: They tied the story and character of Repliku really well. Giving Namine that replica was very meaningful.

Kairi: They did Kairi so dirty in this game. They hyped her up since she got a keyblade. I know she has the least experience but that was no excuse for her not to have her weapon out at the Keyblade Graveyard. What was all that training for if she was just going to get kidnapped and killed?! Also the whole “damsel in distress” trope is horrible. Overall, wasted potential in this game to make Kairi a better character.

Terra: Terra was actually the character that got the most justice in this game. I think he redeemed himself, and it really brought a close to the Wayfinder trio. I wish we got him in our party too, but I know there was no time for it. But wouldn’t it be cool if we got to control the guardian during the Terranort fight?!

Axel/Lea: Well Axel also got a keyblade by the end of DDD. I’m not sure if it’s just because he got paired with Kairi, but he got sidelined in this game. Xemnas broke his keyblade, but somehow when they had to close Kingdom Hearts, he had it again. It’s disappointing because I went back on Youtube to see how Axel fights during those Organization confrontations. In a way, he can do his own keyblade transformation because his key splits into his chakrams. I love Axel, and I think he had great lines in this game, but that was about it.

Xion: Not much to say about Xion, but her return was unclear. I wonder why she decided to side with the Real Organization because it did give hints on her remembering that she betrayed them and was friends with Axel and Roxas. I was glad to see her reunited with her friends, but I wanted an explanation.

Namine: They would mention Namine, but she barely showed up. She was not in the opening either. I also wish we had gotten a scene of her just arriving on Destiny Islands because it would have shown more character interaction. I think it would be very meaningful because it’s her first time meeting people in a not serious situation.

Vexen/Even & Deymx: I think the real secret in KH3 was Vexen betraying the Real Organization to get his research to atone. That was good, and I did not expect it. Deymx helping was nice too, but after that they failed to explain where he went at the end. All we know is that he is involved with Union X.

Marluxia, Laxene, Luxord: Not much happened with them, and I expected it. It was just weird that Xemnas bothered to reveal that they were all involved with the Union X storyline with Deymx because he made it seem like he was going to use that to his advantage or just for a higher purpose.

Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Young Xehanort: I don’t have much to say about these characters, but I think ASD and Xemnas had really good lines at the end. When Riku said he would miss ASD, I thought that was funny because I sure wouldn’t but Riku can think otherwise. Young Xehanort had no chill in this game, he was intense in a different way, but it really made me wonder what else happened in his life for him to come to that.

Vanitas: I actually like how Vanitas just remained a bad guy. This rarely happens in stories, so it was nice to see. His smile at the end made me wonder if they might bring him back in the next games. I do not know how to feel about that, but I thought he was a cool character.

Xehanort: I mentioned before that Xehanort was redeemed. He is shown to have not been an all bad guy but that doesn’t change the fact that he killed/harmed people. He was a character with good intentions but that is no excuse for all the bad things he did. He basically instigated Erauqs downfall and he killed Kairi. He caused all these characters to suffer, so I felt that he could have had better atonement if he had figured out a way to get Kairi back to Sora.

Expectations:

Of course, I came into this game knowing that every idea I thought of would not make it in the game. I do think my expectations were high, since this was one of my most anticipated games for a long time. The writing of the game did affect what they were going to add and not add into this game. There were a lot of missed opportunities, but what’s done is done. I will list out just some things I wanted to happen before or as the game went on, and probably briefly comment on some of them. I will also list out things that I wanted but got out of the game.

Things that I got

Sea-salt and Wayfinder trio reunions

Roxas and Ventus finally meeting (I do wish that we had gotten to see them talk)

Sea-salt trio/Twilight trio getting to go to the beach (making it the ending was just amazing)

New outfits for some characters

Namine being her own person

Things that I wanted

Better character development for Kairi (Reasoning mentioned in character section.)

Roxas to be the equivalent of how Mickey saves Sora during boss battles in KH2.

I thought it would be great to make him playable since he is Sora’s other self. The trailers made it seem like he would be there for Sora in his moment of weakness, but that was not the case. I thought the line in Big Hero 6 would have more relevance, but it didn’t. I was still happy that he at least got to be one of our party members, but he did not get enough screen time.

One thing I must say is that if Nomura going to make Roxas a secret, then actually make him a secret. There was nothing building up to that. From the trailers, we knew that he was going to come back in some way which is what everyone expected. If they really wanted to make him a secret, then they could have restored him earlier and had him doing some behind the scene things to help the others.

More character interaction

For a game that is about friendship, so many of the characters did not get to interact with each other. This is mostly due to so many important events happening at the end of the game, so I can see why it did not happen. The pacing of this game was bad, so squeezing everything at the Keyblade Graveyard gave no time for casual talk.

It was also sad that the other main characters didn’t get to interact with each other because this would have been some characters first meetings with some of the other characters.

Destiny Trio interaction

I know from an interview that Nomura stated that relationships were going to change, but I think they mostly changed because Nomura did not give this trio screen time together. They are supposed to be best friends, and it did not feel that way due to Kairi and Riku barely getting to talk to each other.

Everyone knows Sokai was going to be a thing, and that’s fine. I pretty much felt like Riku had accepted it too, but I think they should have shown Riku supporting and being there for them because they are best friends.

Skateboarding in Twilight Town

This is just a fun mechanic that I wanted to see again, so it’s not a big deal that it was not added.

Final Fantasy Characters

I know Nomura said that KH3 could stand alone without FF characters, but they brought a lot of life to the world and had personal connections with Sora.

Selfies for Riku

Another not as important game mechanic, but Riku did have a gummi phone.

Thank Namine

After The Final World cutscene with Namine’s star, I was really hopeful to see the official thank you. I think it was either off screen or just did not happen, because Sora disappeared at the end.

More exploration of original worlds

Twilight Town got smaller.

Yen Sid’s Tower was not added which was fine.

Other original worlds did not have much to explore and were purely for the plot or boss battles.

I don’t think they will make these more explorable, but a DLC could be done.

DLCs:

Sora’s journey to save Kairi

Kairi and Lea training (can be playable or just some extra cutscenes)

Riku and Mickey retracing Aqua’s connections through the worlds she visited or more gameplay in the realm of darkness

More playable characters during the 1000 heartless battle or during Organization XIII fights

Replayable boss battles like in Re:Coded and 358 ½ Days

Critical mode for players who want more of a challenge (Proud mode was actually ok to me, and it is probably because I was not under leveled)

More post-game content such as extra super bosses

Extra cutscenes or some kind of content where we get more character interactions (This probably will not happen, but I just wanted to mention it). One way for them to do this can just be adding the characters in the Keyblade Graveyard. Then players as Sora can briefly talk to them using the triangle command. This is very similar to how we just talk to our party members in the Disney worlds.

So with all that being said I only expect maybe 2-3 of these DLCs happening. That being critical mode and super bosses.

Verdict:

I give KH3 an 8.5/10.

KH3 was fun and nostalgic. The sass was on point in this game, where it really showed the established relationships of some characters (specifically Sora, Donald, and Goofy). I enjoyed the gameplay, but the writing needs a lot of improvement. It is so flawed, and it should not be this flawed for an ending to a saga.

I want to thank those who read this review. It’s my first one, so I know I rambled and recapped parts of the story in some places. I hope those at least helped you guys remember parts of the plot. If anyone wants to discuss fave characters or ships, feel free to send me a message.

Thanks again and hoping to write more reviews on games, TV shows, and even books.

Next up will probably be the video game The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince.

#kh #kingdom hearts #kh3 spoilers #kingdom hearts 3 spoilers #ps4 #video games #video game review

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