In addition to the revamped combat mechanics, Kingdom Hearts 3 features the series’ most diverse lineup of Disney characters to date thanks to the first-ever inclusion of Pixar. Having Sora, Donald and Goofy hop in a Grizzly River Run-inspired water raft ride or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad-esque coasters is both a great crowd control tactic and stunning spectacle to behold.Īt the same time, Sora’s traditional method of summoning is back as well, letting you perform dazzling team-up attacks with Disney friends like Simba ( The Lion King), Stitch ( Lilo and Stitch) or, for the first time, Ralph ( Wreck-It Ralph). While some Keyblades have fairly similar powers, the majority of them feel marvellously useful and distinct.įurther adding to the dynamism of battle is the Attraction Flow, a new summoning system which cleverly draws from famous Disney theme park rides. Bigger baddies, meanwhile, may require you to get up close and personal with the Toy Story-inspired Favorite Deputy, which can turn into a cartoonishly big mallet capable of causing huge amounts of damage. On the other hand, you might want to adopt a more ranged playstyle with Twilight Town’s Shooting Star Keyblade, which turns into a pair of blasters that can pepper foes from a distance. A subsequent transformation lets Sora ride a Pegasus-guided chariot and hurl lightning down on his foes. Previously, Sora’s weapons only offered stat boosts and the occasional support ability. Now, Sora can equip up to three at once and transform them mid-battle into much more powerful and unique versions after landing enough combos.įor example, the early-game Hero’s Origin Keyblade from Olympus ( Hercules) morphs into a shield which lets Sora block and absorb damage that he can then send back at enemies in a devastating parry. While Sora’s standard melee, magic and evasive maneuvers are back, Kingdom Hearts 3 truly shakes things up with the addition of Keyblade transformations. That’s where Kingdom Hearts‘ tried-and-true hack-and-slash combat comes in, now more layered, engaging and awe-inspiring than ever. As in previous Kingdom Hearts games, Sora and friends will have to travel from various locales inspired by iconic Disney films in order to protect them from Organization XIII. That said, getting to the grand finale will take a while. For the most part, outside of the frustratingly vague and contrived epilogue and secret ending, Kingdom Hearts 3 manages to offer a fulfilling resolution to practically every character’s story. The central bonds between Sora and his friends are genuinely touching and lead to some particularly moving scenes, especially towards the end of the 30-hour adventure. Still, if you can look past the convolution and oftentimes hokey dialogue, you’ll find a surprisingly heartfelt story about enduring friendship. Even longtime fans likely will, at times, struggle to keep track of all that is going on. Unfortunately, this means that series newcomers will find it quite difficult to follow along, even after watching recap videos in the game’s main menu. That’s Kingdom Hearts 3‘s plot explained in the simplest way possible without diving into the franchise’s overwhelming amount of characters and their many doppelgängers, time-travelling counterparts and the like.įactor all of that in, though, and the story becomes egregiously overcomplicated, especially for a property featuring the likes of Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear and Elsa. This time, the ever-effusive Sora (a returning Haley Joel Osment giving another great performance), alongside his friends Donald and Goofy, must unite the scattered Keyblade warriors to stop the villainous Master Xehanort and his Organization XIII from sending the world into darkness. Thankfully, after waiting nearly half my life for this game, I can safely say that Kingdom Hearts 3 - while not without its fair share of problems - is a largely satisfying and emotional conclusion to the sweeping tale that began way back in 2002.
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