A few months later, was KH3 a failure?

[Nukara]

Reading these topics, I dined in most cases, which most KH3 did not like. People do not just do not like the game lbi call it the worst of all. All even long-lived forum say that KH3 is bad plot. Is all this true? ((
I like KH3 in the absence of shortcomings, which is why it is a shame to hear the words of people that they were disappointed in KH3, that KH3 destroyed the franchise.
Is KH3 really a complete failure in every sense? ((

 

[Muke]

Eh, to be honest, if someone thinks KH3 is a failure just let them be? There is never a true answer. KH3 is not objectively a failure. For hardcore FF fans who enjoy KH and play it for the FF aspect, KH3 might be a failure. Those who looked forward to a fighting Kairi might also say it's a failure.
On the other hand, people who wanted to see RAX hug each other might think KH3 is wonderful.
It's up to the individual.

Personally, I would not call it a failure as, in my opinion, that's too harsh of a word. Personally, I would say it's a disappointment for sure, especially regarding character writing and the story overall, sorry. I was also disappointed in the gameplay.
Keep in mind being disappointed in something doesn't always mean it's horrible etc., I do enjoy the gameplay but I am still disappointed.

 

[Twilight Lumiair]

Depends on what you mean.

If you're talking a complete financial failure, then no, definitely not. KH3 is one of the highest selling games in the series (though I suppose that's to be expected), so I definitely wouldn't classify it as such in that sense. Is it a failure as the finale of the Xehanort Saga? Well, for me, absolutely. Without question. But that's an answer subject to change depending on who you're talking to. Overall though, it's a fair assessment to conclude that the game is at least incredibly flawed and divisive in several (very important) areas, some more so than others, but it's not a "complete" failure when looking at the overall reception. Needless to say, it certainly does fail in a lot of ways, hence the divisive opinions, but in the end, many were able to see enough light in it.

 

[VoidGear.]

The things that actually mattered to me in terms of a finale to the saga were all pretty damn disappointing. Namely story and characters. Especially in the latter parts (=the only that mattered), they practically did everything wrong that they could've.
Even the mediocre/okay gameplay can't save that, and with how badly the game is balanced, there's not too many good things for me personally to point out.

 

[DarkosOverlord]

Is KH3 really a complete failure in every sense? ((

No product that nets that much money can be considered a failure in every sense.
I get that you don't mean it that way, but it's still no. KH III delivered good moments and experiences for many people, and as a person who has been very vocal about disliking it I'd never claim that it "destroyed the franchise".
It's not like Kingdom Hearts was this perfect and peerless franchise before III, if anything KH III didn't manage to redeem what negatives other titles brought (looking at you, DDD).


I feel like we've been here before and I remember you starting a few threads about dealing with other fans' negativity, so: I won't tell you to not let that get to you because it seems to do so, but try to keep in mind what you may read here or elsewhere isn't necessarily what the majority thinks nor what's objectively "right".
Also, no opinion or judgment is etched in stone: the opinion about KH III now is already distinctly different than what it was a few days after people finished it, and it might keep changing. What YOU feel about the game might change too. Or not.

It's not just Kingdom Hearts, many games went through a phase where what the majority thought about them changed even drastically.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Not a financial or critical failure, no. It still has very good user ratings online and good reviewer scores and it is the bestselling game of the franchise and still remains the bestselling game of the year so far.

The game is very divisive among fans, though, which is normal for a new entry to a long-running franchise. The game disappoints on various levels for a game meant to close out a saga, and there are a lot of narrative missteps taken that definitely weaken the game...like every other game in the series. But this is just personal opinion and personal opinions are a dime a dozen.

By time a new game releases, KH3 will likely be remembered more fondly by fans but still have it’s flaws.

I’m not sure why you tend to think in absolutes about KH. A lot of your topics are like this, and it’s always a much more nuanced, complicated matter.

 

[NoWay]

I actually enjoy KH3’s critical mode more than KH2’s critical mode.

 

[Xblade13]

It depends on who you ask. For many, certain decisions in the storytelling are definitely not perfect.

Myself though, I suppose I'm in the minority on this site... Personally I feel the series has been at this quality since KH2. Everyone here praises the crap out of that game but to me that is where all of the series current problems originated. KH1, CoM, and even Days to a point all had emotion and weren't that terribly complicated with the plot. The writing was good, and even though the gameplay of 2 and 3 is praised to high heaven I personally preferred the slower, more strategic pace of the first game. KH2 was where awkward dialogue started for me. KH2 was where the series began valuing the gameplay over the plot. I guess for me, I'm part of the small group that hates that one.

Personally I like 3 better than 2, because at least in 3 there is a little emotion in the Disney aspects.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

From a commercial point of view? No. The game is far from a failure, and rather cemented itself to make the Square Enix Trinity: FINAL FANTASY, Dragon Quest, and KINGDOM HEARTS.

As a closure to Xehanort's Saga? Yeah, it failed miserably. Though it did pretty good settling up the next saga... *sigh*

From a gameplay and battle mechanics point of view though, even though it isn't the same as KH2, since this is the "Osaka Team", I think KH gameplay has hit another peak since KH2FM, which is why I say it's not worth comparing both games: I think that, at times, they can be a little too different.

So overall, I'd say the game is the opposite of a failure.

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

Financially, no.

Morally, yes.

 

[Elysium]

I don’t think so. Of course it isn’t commercially speaking. It’s an improvement on KH2 without a doubt. KH3’s gameplay is a peak for the series, imo.

I think it’s a great game, barring a few things that stick in my craw: low number of worlds, not being able to fight many of the Disney villains, no tournaments, Namine getting little attention, but the absence of Radiant Garden and the FF characters will always be my main, recurrent criticism of KH3. Everything else I’ve mostly accepted for what it is.

I actually enjoy KH3’s critical mode more than KH2’s critical mode.

A shame it wasn’t in the physical release. Sounds fun.

 

[Nazo]

Obviously the answer will be different depending on who you ask because this question is inherently subjective and there's no right or wrong answer. I know people who hated this game and have abandoned the franchise because of it, and I also know people who think the game was pretty much perfect. For me personally, no, KH3 was not a failure. It didn't live up to my expectations, but I also didn't expect it to because I knew they were too high. But no amount of trying to be a realist could stop me from being way too excited for this game.

There were critical story choices that I thought were poorly executed, but that's par for the course in this franchise. As a whole, I was pretty satisfied with how KH3 wrapped up the Xehanort Saga. There were things I wish had been handled a bit differently or given more time to breathe, but regardless, I respect Nomura's vision and love it all the same.

 

[SuperSaiyanSora]

I'll be the hot take here and say, not at all. But it depends on who you ask and what their wish list was when going into KH3. I thought it was amazing! But as you can see here, many people felt that it missed the mark on many things, and neither of us are wrong. It's just a matter of where we were expecting this to go, given everything presented to us so far.

Do I think it's a perfectly executed game? No, it has things it can improve on plot-wise, but I still love the game quite a bit. To give context though, I'm also somebody that doesn't mind the convoluted plot points and honestly wouldn't even be mad if the next title became Kingdom Hearts Versus XIII or something LOL, so keep that in mind. So I'm WAY more willing to forgive the ridiculousness that occurs in this franchise more than others might, and that's perfectly okay.

Honesty though, hearing opinions on the other side of the fence, they've provided a lot of really interesting ideas in terms of where the story could've went and I can't lie, I really do wish we could've explored things more. But at the end of the day, this is the game we ended up getting and I can only hope that Final Mix should be the remedy to a lot of people's relatively soured feelings towards the game.

It's similar to Final Fantasy XV. The game came out late-November 2016 and while many people enjoyed it, it left a LOT to be desired (literally). You could argue that it's the worst in the franchise, or one of the best. It really comes down to what you like and whether it hits all those points for you. Sure, DLC shouldn't be used as a way to "fix" something that should've been "full" at release, but it's way better than leaving it as-is and never seeing any fleshed out changes and improvements.

At the end of the day though, what's important is your personal experience with the game. You're allowed to have any opinions and praises/criticisms you want about it, as long as you can also acknowledge that your opinion isn't law and that your mileage may vary.

 

[Face My Fears]

A shame it wasn’t in the physical release. Sounds fun.

It's a free update patch that you can download.

Anyway, KH3 definitely wasn't a failure. At the end of the day, it is doing amazingly well financially. It had TONS of media buzz and the fanbase and newcomers showed out to partake in its release. It is a visual masterpiece. The music is top notch as always. It basically delivered above and beyond in all areas that are objective and only "failed" in the area that is subjective IE story. Some people (like me) enjoyed the story and didn't think it was a failure. I definitely think some things could have been done better, but I won't say that it's a failure. Other people think the story was horrible. It's their right to have an opinion. At the end of the day, I don't think there's any KH fan or regular player who can say they didn't enjoy SOME aspect of KH3 - and if that is the case, then I wouldn't call it a failure by any means.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

It's a free update patch that you can download.

He can’t.

 

[Face My Fears]

He can’t.

How come?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

How come?

I’m assuming he has bad internet, likely to regional issues cuz ISPs suck hard

 

[Face My Fears]

I’m assuming he has bad internet, likely to regional issues cuz ISPs suck hard

That sucks, I'm so sorry for him. Couldn't he just leave it to download overnight? If he can post on here, his internet must be good enough to download it. Maybe go to a library and download the update, put it on a USB drive and then put it on his PS4?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

That sucks, I'm so sorry for him. Couldn't he just leave it to download overnight? If he can post on here, his internet must be good enough to download it. Maybe go to a library and download the update, put it on a USB drive and then put it on his PS4?

I don’t know what internet he has but I know when I had a basic AT&T plan, I couldn’t really leave anything to download overnight. It would take days on my internet speed and then I’d get throttled, which was fine because I work 12 hour days so I’m never home. But I had the privilege of being able upgrade to another service provider with waaaaay better service.

I imagine what he has is significantly worse off.

 

[Chaser]

That sucks, I'm so sorry for him. Couldn't he just leave it to download overnight? If he can post on here, his internet must be good enough to download it. Maybe go to a library and download the update, put it on a USB drive and then put it on his PS4?

This would be a great solution if we could download patches outside of the PS4 (very handy for those day one patches available before a game releases) but unfortunately, if anyone was to do this, then they'd have to take their PS4 to the library and hook it up to their systems.