Good first impressions matter, and how a game opens can convey how the next few hours will play out: mechanically, conceptually, narratively, fundamentally.
Looking back at Kingdom Hearts 0.2, we lay out how it has better level design than Kingdom Hearts III.
Well I wouldn't go that far. I'll just say I would have made many different decisions and Disney's hand was too heavy on this one. (frozen)
I don't know how the Pirates level was so bad tho.
Visually the Pirates world was amazing tho, gameplaywise... I honestly can't even remember.
I’ll agree it was a major letdown. They need to go back to KH I & II roots and allow for steady progression and platforming with more depth to the rpg mechanics.
It was such a letdown and the worst part is they have continued to do the same old mistake, making the story complicated and requiring you to have played other games to understand the one you are playing or future ones.
They added stuff from the free to play game Union X as the basis for the next big story, you even had a character from that game show up to help Sora in a small cutscene and all I thought was "who the f*** is this?"
Rather than finish the story with what they had, they rushed to the finish to get the Xehanort story over and done with only to create a new story which would require knowledge to understand. I mean you don't even have a good reason for jumping from world to world, just "Oh yeah, find the power of awakening".
They should have finished everyone's story and either get new characters or do something in the end which would have isolated the next chapter to just Sora, Donald and Goofy.
Oh and I'm kind of annoyed Nomura has shoved in ideas from Final Fantasy 13 Versus as Verum Rex...why not keep them and do a new IP in the future which isn't limited by Kingdom Hearts by child friendly restrictions. With the secret ending he even made Verum Rex a real world, not a video game.
i dont know if it did or not.
for me, it just gave us more questions than answers and that bothered me to no end.
but all in all, was good. very impressed by the pirate level
There is just no excuse for KH3 being as bad as it was. Did Disney pressure it and contribute to it being bad? Yes, but even without that, it was just a huge letdown filled with retcons and suddenly making it so everyone survives and nobody can really die. Some people said that the DLC will make it better, but I will not pay 30€ for a 4h DLC. And when Oblivion and Oathkeeper were finally added, I decided to try again, but I couldn't make it trough Hercules world without being overwhelmed by cringe.... And seeing how they went for a rhythm game as Kairi's main game entry, I doubt there's much future for the franchise...
KH3 was probably the worst KH game in the series. Visually, it was stunning but the gameplay was far too easy and the story was extremely bad. It seemed like Nomura really didn't care much for the main KH storyline anymore and just wanted to set up for KH4 which would combine a new KH storyline with concept ideas for VersusXIII that he's still salty about not making.
I agree, that KH0.2 had better level design. In fact, I'm willing to bet KH0.2 was originally going to be part of the game somehow. The Realm of Darkness is a major plot point and the first time we get a very in-depth gameplay in the realm is KH0.2. The other KH games only had final bosses or small fixed dungeon sequences. But in KH3, we get next-to-nothing. Just a repeat of the beach boss battle from 0.2.
Like I was saying above it's annoying Nomura shoved in Versus ideas with Verum Rex rather than just making a full on new IP without being restricted by the KH franchise. Nomura made Verum Rex a fictional video game within the Toy Story world but now after the ending it's actually a real world that will play a big role in the future games. Seriously, what's the point.
Seeing Sora disappear was a little emotional, probably would have been more if they the lead up (the entire full game) was better executed but to then see him fine and dandy in the secret ending was just "Oh...he's okay, never mind".
If they just left it with Sora vanishing then I'd have been more excited to see where the next game would have gone.
As max said on YT doing his top 5 games of 2020. Square level designs are that of ps2 level designs.
Wait, I though the game was called Kingdom Hearts 2.8? Is 0.2 Birth By Sleep a regional variant for the name? Interesting how 2.8 + 0.2 add up to 3. Weird. I feel like I missed something!
No, it's a separate title, though it's definitely on the short side.
I think we're all missing things with the naming convention for this series. I don't know what drug to take to follow any of it. But, thanks for pointing that out nonetheless. That's one of few things that actually makes sense regarding the names.
KH2.8 is a collection title similar to KH1.5 and KH2.5.
It has KH3D remastered plus a new short game called KH0.2 which basically takes place from shortly before KH1 and ends at the end of KH1. KH2.8 also includes a movie based on the KHχ game.
The numbering in this franchise has rarely made much sense. I mean, the prologue of KH3 is given its own number too (KH2.9).
That's where I was confused! I was lumping it in as its own game. I gotcha, thank you for the clarification :)
Very confusing naming conventions, good Lord.
In Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 (0.2), there a secret boss rush fight that you can unlock in New Game+. All you have to do is find all 12 Zodiac Relics.
The foundation for Kingdom Hearts III has been laid.
Enjoyed the gameplay, but the story was sort of lacking. Back Cover was completely pointless aswell. I wish they had announced a release date for 3 after you beat 0.2.
I was expecting that too lol. Back Cover was too far back in the timeline, gaving us mostly info we knew. But I did appreciate 3d and 0.2
The biggest thing about Back Cover is Luxu with his key and box. You can see him in the first scene of 0.2 (time travel? inmortal?) and will probably be in KH3
