"Dont assume your dreams are just fantasy. If you can imagine a world, believe in it... and dive in."
We are nearing the end of May and that means one thing. E3 is next month. What can we expect at E3? A lot of things apparently with the recent retail leaks. I will not spoil any of them here but with a recent announcement made among the Kingdom Hearts series, fans of the title should be jumping out of their seats. Square, the leading developers for Kingdom Hearts 3, have said in multiple press conferences that the official release date for Kingdom Hearts 3 is on the way next month. You can see how things are lining up right? The decade long wish of the next installment in the series (that is not some weird spin off), and the major E3 event... it is finally coming together in perfect harmony. Communities are still in an uproar saying that this is just a hoax or that they will still withhold the release date until the next decade rolls around. Personally, I believe we need to shut our mouths and rejoice that this product is finally coming into light. Not only are we getting a release date but this game will be in everyone’s hands in less than six months. I am not a die hard fan of this series but with the recent trailers and press releases for this title, I can tell you hardheartedly, I quickly became committed the intended saga.
Now just like with Spryo the Dragon, I did not play Kingdom Hearts when I was younger. I dabbled in my uncle’s Playstation 2 at the time and played their saves for a few moments but never actually finished the first two titles. The spin off series, whether they were great or bad, were not something I was interested in either as I grew up. I wanted to focus on the core game-play of Kingdom Hearts and not get into the weird unnecessary narrative complexes that Square games can typically have. Japanese role playing games are very hit or miss with me and after sinking time into Kingdom Hearts 1, I am ready to finish the sequel to prep for this new installment. That is how committed I am to this game. The game-play is pretty straightforward and the cast of characters are ridiculously heart-warming and nostalgic. Kingdom Hearts is an RPG genre based game with some simple implementation to make it more accessible for a variety of players. It features a Final Fantasy theme blended heavily with Disney characters and it is a beautiful combination.
Last night I literally went to Halloweentown and my heart wanted to cry in joy. Seeing Jack Skellington and the theme song playing side by side in this digital interpretation was a delightful treat. Speaking of the score, Kingdom Hearts 1 has an incredibly addictive and symphonic soundtrack that captivates a true sense of the whimsical fantasy. Hopefully Kingdom Hearts 2 follows suit in this expectation. Let us take a moment and actually appreciate that a true installment to the series is on its way to properly close out this saga. Before I continue, there will be a lot of spoilers. Spoilers regarding information, content and teasers that have been released for Kingdom Hearts 3. If you do not want to see any of this, you better click away now. If you are perfectly fine with this or are already staying up to date, please come gush with me. LOOK AT THAT PIRATE SHIP.
The "Pirate Ship" splashing it's way glamorously into the heartless.
The Story: I have no idea what is going on in this crazy world. There are so many games to try and fill the narrative and honestly, I am not going to even be touching them like 365 Days or Dream Drop Distance for exaample. From what I have gathered in my play-through of Kingdom Hearts 1 so far though is that the power of friendship and hearts are an important role of power in this world. And you know what, that’s all I really need to know. This game captivates me for the adventure that comes along every scene. Not so much the elaborate story in the background. It could potentially get me hooked when I hit the sequel on it’s narrative but for now, I will stick with this cute directed scenes followed by exuberantly animated characters. The trailer released back in 2015 gives a tiny bit of context about setting the stage for this world. Hell, this may only be a slight piece to the puzzle too that Kingdom Hearts has in it's timeline.
The E3 Trailer from 2015 sets a small stage for it's fans over a lovely game of chess.
The Game-play: It still looks like the magical world of Kingdom Hearts… with so much Disney pizzazz. The command list is still present with a bunch of magical attacks and crazy basic attack combos for combat and world traveral. Goofy and Donald continue to tag alongside you as well. Then whatever world you explore, the companions of that realm will join you for combat. Which I am a huge fan of personally. I have not been too keen on subbing out Donald or Goofy for the world companions in Kingdom Hearts 1. It is amazing to see the party just come all together for Kingdom Hearts 3 and get everyone together without leaving a character out of the mix. I am not sure if Kingdom Hearts 2 implemented this so if it does, I apologize for the lack of knowledge. I am trying to stay spoiler free on it, even with game-play elements. Then there are the summons which bring more Disney idols into the fray. So far, I noticed Wreck it Ralph, the Little Mermaid then Wood and Buzzy on the infamous firecracker rocket. It is always great getting our heroes out into the crazy world of Kingdom Hearts, even if Wreck it Ralph looks a bit dull to use (is it just me that thinks that?). Lastly, there are these new crazy weapon gadgets and extra summons with Disney rides. Literally, Disney rides. I am talking Tea Cups, Big Magic Mountain and even the Pirate Ship. Like these things are decked out in the most gorgeous visual effects and the passionately developed environmental enhance the overall experience. It is visually breathtaking to say the least. Almost looks like overkill but with such a spectacle and vast world of surprises, I am completely on board with this new feature. It will be exciting to see what other summons and rides we will get on release.
The Worlds: This is my favorite section by far. I probably spoiled the game way too much by knowing about all these impending worlds but I am devilishly hooked. Each trailer that has come out has slipped out another major exposure to a brand new world. I was bound to know a handful regardless if I kept up with the press releases of this title (which I have). So far, Big Hero 6, Tangled, Hercules, Monsters Inc and a personal favorite of mine currently reside in Kingdom Hearts 3 so far.
The D23 Expo Trailer featuring "Tangled", "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc" game-play.
All amazing worlds. From the bits and bobs shown so far with some of these areas, it is insane how well they have been put together so far in their designs and faithful interpretations to the source material. Even if they could not get Tom Hanks for my good old pal, Woody. I would be insane not to have interest in this game after seeing these worlds take such a large breath of life. The orchestra, the spectacle, the performance, it is outstanding. It's surprising how long this game has been around yet I never have gotten such a recommendation that was beyond, you just need to play it. It is it’s own movie at this point with how well the animations blend together into the cinematic sequences followed into the natural flow of game-play. It is fantastic. The last world I have been withholding my tongue in has been the one that has secured my interest in getting this game the day it hits digital shelves. That world, would be Toy Story. Seeing the reveal trailer featuring the Toy Story universe blew my heart out of the water and almost brought me to tears with my inner child peaking. I seriously could not stop smiling seeing one of my favorite movies of all time come to life in Kingdom Hearts. Almost as satisfying seeing Michael Myers take shape in Dead by Daylight. It is the ultimate fan service and Kingdom Hearts has me hooked. Especially after watching the opening cinematic for this sequence. Major spoilers for the start of this world but I seriously could not help myself. Sora (the main character) seems like an amazing protagonist and the minute Buzz and Woody jumped in, you did not need to convince me anymore to buy this game. It is literally enough to have me start the series from the start just to catch myself up to speed. If this video get's taken down, I will make sure to sub in a proper replacement. Remember, SPOILERS.
A spoiler filled peek of the built up "Toy Story" demo segment.
In Conclusion: Kingdom Hearts has some really cheesy perspective but that is wholeheartedly the point. I have missed out on playing this series and the only thing I would hear about this game would be the gripes and eager anticipation of it’s fans over the past few years. Now with Kingdom Hearts 3 on the horizon, everyone needs to step back and just be happy that the game they wanted is alive and will be in their possession sometime this year. I just came into this series last week and I do not want to leave it. Seeing my favorite characters come to life in this title is such an awesome perspective to witness and again, Toy Story sealed the deal. Beating Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 is on my to-do list before the third one comes out and it’s only making me more excited for this release date. Maybe I dodged a bullet playing this game a decade ago and not waiting as long as everyone else for the true end to the saga to roll in. Have a wonderful gallery of gorgeous imagery as well as you head off. It may leave a nice warm and cozy place in your heart.
Big shout out to one of my best friends in the whole wide world, Socio-Beat (yeah I am using your alias name, punk).Although I have had close friends recommend this game and tell me to hop on it, no other's word came even in close to compariso to the passion of what he proclaimed. The amount of love he has for this game could not have me feeling anything but positive when approaching topics surrounding this game. With his help, he pushed me harder onto trying this game and I am extremely thankful for it. I could have let this game fly over my radar as the next Kingdom Hearts title but I am in it for the long run. Even if I am not committed to the other titles. It is this passion in gamers and close relationships alike that keeps me hanging onto new experiences. And this is one experience that will keep me from going heartless.
This personal rant was in reference to upcoming triple A title, Kingdom Hearts 3. Note, all images provided were taken from official press releases advertising "Kingdom Hearts 3" or recorded in game with an owned version.
Disclaimer: I was not paid nor offered any incentives to write this personal rant by the accompanying publisher, developer or any outside force. This is solely for personal production and interest. My opinions and recommendations are based off my personal interpretation of the product and it's design.