First debuting on the PlayStation 2, the long-running Kingdom Hearts series
has had several spin-off titles and collections
across a wide number of platforms including the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and the PSP.
However, there hasn’t been a proper numbered sequel since Kingdom Hearts II in 2006.
Now, over a decade later, Kingdom Hearts III serves as the culmination of the entire series
thanks to its engaging combat, wonderful Disney worlds, and strong resolution.
The story picks up after the events of Dream Drop Distance
when Riku, Mickey, and Lea rescue Sora after he is captured by Xehanort,
which results in him losing his powers.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy then set off to several different worlds
in an attempt to regain the power Sora has lost as well as to perfect the power of waking
in order to finally defeat Xehanort in the ultimate battle between dark and light.
Plot points and characters from the previous games are heavily featured throughout Kingdom Hearts III.
The story is extremely rewarding for those who have played every entry in the franchise, however,
newcomers or anyone that has only played a few of the past games
will have a hard time understanding what's going on.
The Memory Archive, available on the title screen, attempts to bring players up to speed on the plot,
but while it’s a nice addition, a lot of details are left out.
Kingdom Hearts III is a delight to behold.
Never have these characters and worlds been more detailed or felt more alive.
Spells and attractions are awe-inspiring spectacles of bright colors,
and the cut-scenes provide a truly cinematic experience.
The game also runs fairly well for how many things can be going on during combat,
but there are definitely moments when there are noticeable performance drops.
It never really diminishes the overall experience,
and there is an option to cap the framerate to 30 frames per second by setting the graphics to stable mode
if you prefer more consistency.
The combat features the same fast reaction-based encounters found in the previous entries.
Most of the systems from past games return, such as Shotlock and Links,
but there are also some new, exciting features that completely change the combat.
Each of Sora’s Keyblades can now change into new forms,
including a giant rocket hammer that smashes foes or
two arrowguns that shoot magical arrows.
You can also summon and ride several Disney attractions
like tea cups or a pirate ship to aid you in battle.
Some of these transformation cinematics are a bit long,
but the attraction, link, and keyblade cinematics can all be turned off in the config menu.
Alternatively, you can cancel the attractions mid-sequence
if you don't feel like finishing their entire cycle.
Another new addition comes in the form of team-up attacks between party members.
For instance, Sora can launch into the air and throw Goofy into a group of enemies
or the gang can be swung around in Rapunzel’s hair.
Along with Sora’s new arsenal of weapons, he also has the Gummiphone
which has apps that keep track of things like your photo album, character and enemy files,
the story so far, and collectibles.
You can also play the Classic Kingdom mini-games here
which look like Tiger Electronics handheld games.
You probably won't spend much time on them, but it is a neat touch.
Traveling to different Disney worlds and fighting alongside each world’s characters
is one of the main draws of the series, and Kingdom Hearts III
presents some of the best worlds in the entire franchise.
Each one feels completely different, offering up unique elements that keep the game feeling fresh.
In the Toy Story world, Sora can hop into toy mechs to battle enemies,
and in Arendelle from Frozen, he can ride Goofy's shield like a sled.
The Scope of each world is massive compared to the previous games.
Areas are huge and rarely have zones that you need to load into.
This is particularly impressive in later worlds, although we’ll refrain from showing too much.
There are some rewards for exploring as well.
Along with the usual treasure chests to collect,
there are Mickey-shaped emblems to find and take pictures of.
Food ingredients can also be collected and used at The Bistro to interactively cook dishes
that can give a variety of buffs such as a temporary boosts to health, magic, or XP gain.
The Gummiship once again makes a return, but unlike the previous versions
that strictly played like an on-rails shooter,
players are now mostly free to fly around huge zones
collecting treasures and parts used to customize the ship.
There are still enemies to battle, but once you engage with one on the map,
it loads into an on-rails encounter.
It’s the best implementation of the Gummiship yet, but if you haven’t enjoyed it in past titles,
it can still feel like an annoyance that you’ll want to rush though.
Though Kingdom Hearts III does nearly everything better than its predecessors,
it does drop the ball in a few areas.
The Hundred Acre Woods for example almost feels like an unfinished zone,
consisting of basically one mini-game that has to be completed three times in a row to progress.
The Final Fantasy series is also barely represented with only a few nods here and there.
The overall story doesn't suffer from their exclusion, but it is disappointing
since Final Fantasy characters were involved in the story for Kingdom Hearts I and II.
Nevertheless, Kingdom Hearts III brings the entire series to a climax
and serves as a satisfying conclusion to the Dark Seeker saga.
New additions to combat like attractions and Keyblade transformations
are wonderful spectacles, and the worlds you venture to
are some of the best ever in the franchise.
Though some of its story may be lost on those who haven’t kept up,
it rewards those who have stuck with it over the years.
It may have a been a long time coming, but Kingdom Hearts III delivers on its promises,
and it’s easily the best game in the series.
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