Are the side games vital to understanding the full KH plot?

[LongLiveLife]

As stated above.

I've only played the main series, but never got any of the side games, mostly because I didn't have the necessary consoles. Now that they've more or less Re:done Chain of Memories for the PS2, and I have a DS, are the other games essential to understanding everything in Kingdom Hearts?

I'm considering getting them, but I want to know if I'll be getting my money's worth. Any and all advice is appreciated!

 

[Silfarion]

Chain of memories is crucial to understand every details. However, days are not necessarily part of the story. If you just want to story around Sora, then I recommend only getting CoM. Days only if you want to smallest details.

 

[KeyofEvil'sBane]

they are side stories because they are not vital towards the overall plot, but they are helpful for insight into more minor details. For example, Days lets you see Roxas's motivation for leaving the Org. (It also explains why he left the Org., but still fought Riku in TWTNW)

 

[LongLiveLife]

Hmm, seeing then as I tend to go OCD and overachieve in everything I do, I think I will get these games. Now, would it be better to play the games in chronological order (based on the game's position on the KH timeline), according to release date, or play the main series first then play the side stories? Or does it not make a difference? As I understand it, there is some overlap in the events of the side stories and the main games.

 

[Izayoi]

CoM is pretty big, and BBS if you consider it a side game.

 

[teardrop]

The side games aren't essential to the understanding of the KH plot. They help explain some details you may have questions about and tell the stories of characters you otherwise wouldn't have known about.

As to whether you should play them in chronological order or some other order is totally up to you. I played KH1, KH2, Days, and then COM. Seemed to work out fine for me, but you may want to do chronological order.

 

[HeartSeams]

Honestly, it all really depends if you want to know the complete story. None of them are -crucial- to understanding the main line of games (KH1, KH2, etc.) not even Chain of Memories, but you definitely will get a far bigger portrait of the series as a whole with them. If you care about knowing the whole story, and the answers to many of the mysteries, you'll probably want to look into the games.

And it would be better to play according to release date, as that's how the mystery/answer system is set up.

Kingdom Hearts
Chain of Memories/Re:Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts II
358/2 Days
Birth By Sleep
Re:Coded

 

[LongLiveLife]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

And it would be better to play according to release date, as that's how the mystery/answer system is set up.

I think I'll go with this though, it makes the most sense to me. Though, wasn't Coded released on mobile phones in Japan right after KH2? Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[HeartSeams]

Thanks everyone for your replies.



I think I'll go with this though, it makes the most sense to me. Though, wasn't Coded released on mobile phones in Japan right after KH2? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Coded started releasing after Days came out and finished releasing after BBS came out.
But the game is being remade for the DS as "Re:Coded" and is expected to come out in North America shortly after October.

 

[Magnus]

Unless you really can't get enough of the gameplay, you'll only want to actually play through BBS/KH/KH2. You can easily get up to speed with the story by watching the cutscenes from R:CoM and Days on YouTube.

 

[HeartSeams]

Pfft, you'll want to play through them all if you like the games. Simply put.

I would suggest CoM over Re:CoM though, personally.

 

[Magnus]

Pfft, you'll want to play through them all if you like the games. Simply put.

I would suggest CoM over Re:CoM though, personally.

It was just my opinion. There was no need to "pfft" me. :/

 

[HeartSeams]

It was just my opinion. There was no need to "pfft" me. :/

I was "pfft"ing at how forceful the post seemed to be.
There wasn't much evidence of it being "just your opinion".

 

[Magnus]

I was "pfft"ing at how forceful the post seemed to be.
There wasn't much evidence of it being "just your opinion".

It is usually assumed that when people post on a forum, they're expressing their opinions unless otherwise noted.

 

[HeartSeams]

Like I said, it seemed pretty forceful.

 

[Allister Rose]

As stated above.

I've only played the main series, but never got any of the side games, mostly because I didn't have the necessary consoles. Now that they've more or less Re:done Chain of Memories for the PS2, and I have a DS, are the other games essential to understanding everything in Kingdom Hearts?

I'm considering getting them, but I want to know if I'll be getting my money's worth. Any and all advice is appreciated!

well i dont think the side games are too important to overall, but they do help out certain aspects of the story that the main games don't explain much.

 

[Gram]

well i dont think the side games are too important to overall, but they do help out certain aspects of the story that the main games don't explain much.

this^ basically.

they explain some things more but arent really needed.

 

[LongLiveLife]

I remember first playing Kingdom Hearts II when it was just released and not having any idea what was going on (then again, I was a mindless 14 year old at that time), so I'm pretty sure they at least explain some things about the main plot. I mean, the whole concept of Organization XIII just flew over my head then. Am I the only one who felt this? Or did the rest of you know immediately what was going on, having played the side games as well?

I'm gonna do a replay just for the heck of it, maybe time will have been kind to me.

 

[HeartSeams]

Well, most people start with KH1... going to KH2 from KH1 and skipping CoM isn't as bad as jumping in right into KH2.

 

[LongLiveLife]

Well, most people start with KH1... going to KH2 from KH1 and skipping CoM isn't as bad as jumping in right into KH2.

Oops. That's what I meant - I played KH1 then KH2. I was referring to my first playthrough in the previous post. And I'm gonna replay the entire series.