Kingdom Hearts 3 (2019)
"Believing light and darkness must remain in balance, Master Xehanort seeks to spark war against the "tyranny of light" to restore equilibrium."
- IMDB
7 years..... Where kh4 at?
At E3 in 2013, the announcement teaser for Kingdom Hearts 3 dropped. Which was good timing because that was the summer I decided to become a fan. For the next 6 years, I’d catch up with all the lore. Watch and/or play the games. Memorized lines, music, and Utada’s songs. I was and still am an avid follower of the X Keepers. I started watching HMK since I saw one of his reaction videos and was like “bro he’s like me” and became a fan of the others a couple years later. I lived up to the title of KH fan by expecting a KH trailer at every gaming event and proudly wear my clown makeup to this day. And when Square Enix showed up with a pop up event at Disney Springs, I was there and played the Kingdom Hearts 3 demo a month before it's release and preceded to carry my sister’s keyblade around every where we went that day.
So needless to say - I hunkered down in January 2019 and dedicated a whole day to Kingdom Hearts 3. It was one of the most major events of the decade and I was very happy with what I experienced.
I think it’s best to start off before the game even starts. Like hello? Face my fears? Don’t think twice? The opening movie! And then the opening chess scene with Drake Bell and Benjamin mother effing Diskin. How are you not hype already.
Olympus
As excited as I was to hear the Coliseum music play at the Tokyo Olympics, I have always hated Olympus. I did like the Underworld in Kingdom Hearts 2, but other than that I was just never a fan. And now here we are, we are in the real world. Thebes is the best way to introduce the scale of the game and the interactions within. Kingdom Hearts 3 was objectively revolutionary in terms of world design – like these worlds are massive!
And imma just talk boring game details because I can already tell I’m about to ramble. Some people are a bit possessive over how the worlds used to be. They prefer every world to be a series of little rooms and I get it. It kinda blends into topic of open world games and issues that come with them. Nothing is perfect. But dang. The general world design in Kingdom Hearts 3 is the exact direction I'd want the series to go to. The secrets. Character or environment interactions. Changes in music. Not to mention treasure hunting in the later worlds.
Combat. Have I turned off attraction flow since that option has become available? ........ yeah, maybe. Not that it's bad, I mean it came in clutch when I needed it to. But probably my least favorite aspect of gameplay. Now when it comes to Kingdom Hearts 2 vs Kingdom Hearts 3 combat overall....... I’ll admit I go back and forth. Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora is perfect but I also love how you handle Sora in 3. Flow motion is still a thing, of coursed nerfed down from what it was in Dream Drop. I love the flow chain parkour thing. Shot lock form Birth By Sleep is here yassss. Keyblade transformations! Keyblade SWITCHING. Like Kingdom Hearts 2 elitists really need to shut the f up okay because Kingdom Hearts 3 has some solid mechanics. Stop whining. It’s FUN.
The only complaint I'd agree with the Kingdom Hearts 2 elitists is the difficulty of the game. I feel like you have to go the extra mile to make it hard, even after the Remind update. But Remind.... that’s where that argument ends and we’ll get to that later.
Alright back to the story.
Twilight Town
Bro got demoted for some reason and I don’t know why. The world is massive in Kingdom Hearts 2, it would’ve belonged. I understand there was no story purpose outside of the mansion and Remy’s restaurant but still.
OH REMY YOOOOOOOOO I remember watching Skywardwing’s reaction at D23 2018 when they announced Toy story to be a world. Thee way he cried and screamed toy storyyyyy lives in my head rent free. Like not only was it freaking TOY STORY but Pixar is FINALLY in the series. FINALLY.
Toy Box
This was the part of the demo I played at Disney Springs. Gigas do get annoying, but sorry Dean, I still love Toy Box. Top 3 worlds in the game for me. Literally the 2 worlds with the worst gimmicks are still my favorite and that says a lot about the rest of the world's design and experience.
But yeah, hearing Yoko’s cover of You Got a Friend In Me is healing for the soul. This is also the first time we get not one, but TWO Disney characters in our party. Another revolutionary mechanic Kingdom Hearts 3 has brought to the table. The team attacks with these guys, just running around with Woody & Buzz. Like I was born to love this world okay. I loved the toy store like these kids in this town are spoiled. That Yuzora trailer was a fever dream. I can’t believe one of the most insane lore twists was casually dropped like a fake Final Fantasy trailer like this.
Also shout to Woody for putting Ben Diskin in his place. Boom. Roasted.
Tangled
This is objectively the best world in the game. It’s beautiful. Breath of fresh air. Enjoy exploring it now because there are exclusive world interactions with Rapunzel while she’s in you party. Like we splashed each other with water way too much when I played. Oh hey Marluxia. The fact that this was the same voice actor as Blooregard Q Kazoo was still fresh in my mind when the game came out. The dancing mini game was pleasant. And Zachary Levi in MY kh game omg.
Monster’s Inc.
Meh... It could’ve been better but it was still pretty great. It’s like how Captain Hook's pirate ship was called Neverland. Monsters Incorporated was called Monstroplis. I loved being able to explore the building with all the doors and stuff. Riding the rails, like that was dope. Mike and Sully were our party members. Boo was hanging around. And the story was new. I didn’t mention this with Toy Box, but worlds in this game don’t always follow the movie and we’ve heard that some of what happens is actually canon. At least Roy Conli said this about Big Hero 6.
Oh. Never ever ever forget..... yeetus vanitas....
100 more like 1 Acre Wood
Devs were like "I guess we can bring it back." But all we got were 3 mini games and a room that was essentially the size of an outhouse compared to the all the other worlds. My sister and I did grow up with the Heffalump movies so we literally cried when we saw Lumpy in the reveal trailer no cap.
Arendelle
I’m literally so gay for Elsa it’s not even funny. Idina menzel in MY kh game???? Yassss queen. There’s hefty debate on what went down behind the scenes with this world. I firmly believe the labyrinth was supposed to be a part of Elsa’s castle and not even Bob Iger can make me believe otherwise because it just felt so out of place. Also, again, they said Arendelle but it was just the mountain. Other than that, it was okay. But Jonathan Groff in MY kh game???? I need rozen 2 in Kingdom Hearts now. Because you know they’ll put Elsa as a party member right? I mean I need that. I need that for my lesbian soul.
At World’s End
Where..... where do i even begin. Doing the Davy Jones story was literally the #1 thing I wanted for Kingdom Hearts 3 so when I say I fell out of my chair and started crying when the E3 trailer dropped I'm not exaggerating. Was it perfect? No. I mean, you jumped straight to At World's End so you needed to know Dead Men's Chest before playing this game and you also need to know At World's End because Sora spends half the story on his own side quest. But the graphics. Seeing scenes from the movie recreated. The homies in their pirates outfits. The whole damn Caribbean just there for us to explore. There’s like what 60 treasures just hiding out?
Here’s the thing. You are meant to relax and enjoy this world. The boat gimmick sucks, but it you go to every island, hunt for crabs and treasures, max out the ship upgrades and then the rest is a piece of cake.
They noncanonically kept the kraken alive so we can fight it. And the boss fight........... There’s been a lack of Disney bosses in this game but they did not disappoint when the devs let us fight Davy Jones on his own bloody ship. And when Davy Jones stabbed Will, Sora literally, no – no he literally threw hands. Jumped on that fish’s back and clocked him. That..... was iconic.
I’ll admit I cried a lot playing this world. I mean my 9th birthday party was pirates themed, At World's End is one of my earliest movie theater memories, I’ve worshipped Johnny Depp my whole life. Going from that to Kingdom Hearts 3, I was emotional. Again, it wasn’t prefect, but my gods it was good enough.
Also, Luxord.......... Loooooxord. Like since effing when?
San Fransokyo
Hi Disney Fans. Roy Conli, you produced Treasure Planet. You know what you have to do.
Big Hero 6 was such a gift as a movie. Sora’s adventure with the gang is the best sequel possible. As you know, the Baymax we meet is Hiro’s Baymax while the Tadashi’s og Baymax was left in space. Well Replica Riku took it upon himself to find og Baymax and throw him at us as a boss fight. That was lowkey pretty epic. The Caribbean and San Fransokyo are have gotta be the largest worlds in the game. And when you’re not experiencing the story for the first time, that's pretty freaking great.
The real game begins.
The biggest flaw to this game is the pacing. This is another thing that Kingdom Hearts 2 did better for sure. It would’ve been so much better if, instead of the half assed Winnie the Pooh segment or even right after the segment, we did the whole Aqua segment all at once. Have everyone fight her, then Sora saves her, and she rests in Yen Sid’s tower. Then after Big Hero 6, go to the Land of Departure and have a REAL boss fight with Vanitas. Aqua was really shown to be weak for the sake of plot. But Ventus..... ma boi.... I’m literally crying.
Now it’s time to go to the fated land for a series of solid boss fights. The concept is pretty cool. Fighting multiple people at the same time, teaming up with other party members. I’m honestly glad you’re forced to fight them with Sora here. It’s cool to fight as the others later, but this is still Sora’s journey and he not only is he ending all of these half xehanorts, he’s also ending their arcs as members of Organization 13. It has to be Sora to do this.
Xigbar, Replica Riku. Marluxia. Luxord. Larxene. Done, done, and done.
You get to Saix...... You can stop now... Xion..... Now I'M done. Get outta here. Axel reunites with his kids. Roxas is a beast. Oh, and Kairi sucks because plot apparently.
Then Vanitas & Terranort......I think as a Kingdom Hearts fan you’re pick for the saddest Kingdom Hearts game will wither be Days or BBS. One or the other and nothing before, after, or in between. Neither is the correct choice, they’re both effing depressing. But which ever game you find the most depressing dictates how much you cry when the Seasalt trio and Wayfinder trio reunite.....
I’m lesbian for Aqua so you know I was absolutely sobbing during this segment. The shadow talking in Terra’s voice was wild. That was just a silly fan theory but they effing did it.
The nort trio fight......... I literally had to pause to dance before doing this battle. Omg. Ben Diskin’s theme is already a bop but you throw it in a medley with the other nort themes. Like Yoko was smokin something. This is one of my favorite fights in the game for sure.
Zetaflare
How did I skip a whole part of the game???
Before you even get to the boss fights the team gets smoked. And what the actual duck was that Donald? This is an iconic scene and you end up canonically living it 3 times and I ain’t even mad. Rage Awakened is right. Lingering Will coming in to bust some moves like that is iconic.
The final world.
Gave me chills seeing that title screen. Tell me how this is the location of the Kingdom Hearts 2 cover art? And namineeeeee gurllllllll.
Also Ephemer hello????????
Scala Ad Caelum
Duuuuuude Remind exists so you can explore later and so glad it does. But for now, it is the place of the final battle. It would’ve been cool to be forced to defeat all the norts, if you notice they all have the weapons and abilities of the real Organization 13. The fight with Xehanort itself was not bad. To be fair, in Kingdom Hearts 2, I did defeat Xemnas first try but I died at least twice to Xehanort. I feel like it should’ve been the other way around.
It’s hard to really analyze the end when ReMind is the true ending. Either way, it still doesn’t sit well to see Kingdom Hearts 3 be such an open ending. Remind re played the ending sequence, inserting Sora into these moments and that was awesome and the context was much appreciated. This game was meant to be the conclusion to Xehanort’s arc, which it most certainly is. All the people whose lives he ruined had happy endings and are seen together on the beach. So, in a sense, it was pretty conclusive. But not in the way Kingdom Hearts 2’s ending felt like a finale for Sora. The ones who hated the ending did not want a cliffhanger of any kind. They wanted Sora to be on that beach with everyone else. And even after Remind explained why what happened happened, Sora is still left out of everyone’s happy ending. And i get it...... but.......
Is that you Luxu? You look different.
Sora doesn’t need an ending because his journey is not over. We got the Lost Masters hanging around. Xigbar is Luxu - like all of his scenes will never hit the same again. Sora is in Tokyo and so is Yuzora for some reason. Nomura knew people would be unhappy with Sora’s ending here but he also wanted to let you know..... it’s for good reason.
Remind was the best game of 2020
Like it was more than a DLC, and it basically completed Kingdom Hearts 3 in the same way Kingdom Hearts 2 Remix completed Kingdom Hearts 2 – cuz I KNOW everyone hated vanilla Kingdom Hearts 2. So shut up Kingdom Hearts 2 elitists.
I loved exploring Scala. Playing as Roxas, Aqua, & Riku. Peak. Kairi actually making an effort. Extra scenes with Xigbar. More footage of Terranort vs Lingering Will – Sora actually participating in that fight. But ooooooooooooo my gods the guardians fight..... that was everything i wanted from Kingdom Hearts 3 to begin with. Their interactions, like please. I need more of this. I actually cried.
Then they gave Master Mickey a moment. I was raised by a Disney mom. I was groomed into a life long obsession with everything Disney. I feel like there are too many Kingdom Hearts fans out there that want a Disneyless Kingdom Hearts. Like shut the f up and go play Final Fantasy. It all started with a mouse. We literally wouldn’t be here without Mickey. So as he stood against all the darkness, I was behind the controller sobbing profusely.
Now I never attempted the data battles in Kingdom Hearts 2 OR Kingdom Hearts 3. But I watched others play it. Soraalam has never streamed so much since. Like he’s a master speed runner boss fighter and it took him HOURS to fight each boss. It really meant a lot to me to see him struggle because this what the fans wanted. We were heard. And these are objectively some of the best fights in the series. But Yuzora..........The intro. The fight. Luxord. I mean... what is happening.
Overall
Kingdom Hearts 3 is one of the most meaningful gaming experiences I've had in my life. It’s not even just the game. It was the journey to release that was just so special and could never be replicated again. From the moment I saw the reveal trailer to Remind’s release, there will never be anything like this again. Every theory video, trailer, trailer reaction, Dean’s analysis videos, Everglow’s entire channel, and everything and everyone in between. Kingdom Hearts 3 is an experience and you just had to be there............. I want Kingdom Hearts 4 NOW
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★