How's everyone enjoying it?

[kuraudoVII]

Ohh right, that one. It's almost awesome enough to motivate me to do all that stuff to get it. Almost.

Take it from me, when doing it on Critical Mode, it actually kinda does feel like a genuine accomplishment. A right pain in the ass, but still an accomplishment.

Alright, and here's one final question. Critical mode is basically the same difficulty as Proud but the only difference is the HP bar limit, right?

As far as I know, not only do you have less HP, but I do believe that enemies hit MUCH harder than they did on even Proud. That one midboss you fight right before freeing Lumiere, Cogsworth and the rest was easy enough for me on Proud. On Critical, he WREAKED me so bad that I actually had to be rescued by Mickey.

Actually, Beast's Castle in Critical Mode (both visits) is pretty challenging since the damage output from the Heartless and Nobodies are really high for up to that point.

In the end, it really depends on where you are at on your playthrough. It's incredibly easy at the beginning due to the added 50 AP, but there are certain parts of the game that will test your patience. Just play strategically and you will manage to unlock that smexy secret ending.

 

[Blackdrazon]

Alright, and here's one final question. Critical mode is basically the same difficulty as Proud but the only difference is the HP bar limit, right?

Not at all. Critical Mode in FM+ is very different from the other modes. Enemies deal way more damage to you, you deal a little more damage to them, you get a bunch of skills up front... it's all designed to create a more skill-based game than the original. And of course, the secret ending is easier to get... minding that you'll have to complete those challenges on Critical.

If you don't mind some minor spoilers, the full list is here.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

 

[robvandam111]

Alright, and what if I train my butt off to the max level with almost the best equiptment. Will the game still be as difficult as you guys explained? That's basically the only trophies I need by the way, I was already done with the rest.

 

[BlackOsprey]

Alright, and what if I train my butt off to the max level with almost the best equiptment. Will the game still be as difficult as you guys explained? That's basically the only trophies I need by the way, I was already done with the rest.

It levels out at that point. I played Critical mode for my first playthrough of KHII, and even though the game walled me at several points, I still managed to beat it. By the time you hit 99 and have the best equipment, you'll be very used to the limitations and increased difficulty. Only the toughest foes like Data Org or LW will give you a lot of trouble, because you'll be able to nearly one-shot most enemies you'll come across in the worlds.

Plus, Critical gives you a bunch of great abilities and a ton of AP from the very start. Your HP and damage output may be small, but you also have a ton of assets to balance that out.

 

[LightUpTheSky452]

The one at Memory's Skyscraper was the last one that I finished precisely because the timing for hitting it is a pain.

Glad you managed to beat Xemnas on Critical. The beginning of that final battle is horrible since he always seems to land the first hit every time. It was one of the few instances where I honestly regretted picking the sword route. Thankfully, it all evens out by level 99, which is good since that's the level most of us were at by the time we tackled the Data Organization members battles.

He was one hit killing me at the beginning so many times that I thought my game was glitching. But apparently that's one of the problems with KHIIFM in II.5 unfortunately?

Anyway, level ninety-nine and spamming Limit Form finally allowed me to take care of him fine (how I love Limit Form! It's the best Form ever, I think), so no complaints there anymore. And thanks for the compliment on finally defeating him, kuraudo. I really appreciate it!

…I will complain about the Absent Silhouettes, Data battles, Mushroom XIII, and Terra fights that I still have to take on, though.

Ugh. As if getting 100% in the original KHII wasn't enough of a challenge (and something I promised myself I'd never attempt doing again, because I got SO sick of KHII after doing that, and couldn't even look at it for a number of years), but I'll do it for that Birth by Sleep secret ending. It’s worth it. LOL.

Also, I'm glad I was able to kill that Mushroom in Port Royal a lot easier than I thought I would. It was still challenging, but once you realize you need to keep pausing and unpausing the game to see where it goes, it becomes a bit more manageable

 

[hlc1988]

He was one hit killing me at the beginning so many times that I thought my game was glitching. But apparently that's one of the problems with KHIIFM in II.5 unfortunately?

Am I the only one who has had no problem with the Xemnas fight what-so-ever? The reaction works for me. Maybe its just people's timing that is off? I'm not the best gamer either so I would have thought I'd have the same problems as experienced gamers...

 

[BlackOsprey]

Am I the only one who has had no problem with the Xemnas fight what-so-ever? The reaction works for me. Maybe its just people's timing that is off? I'm not the best gamer either so I would have thought I'd have the same problems as experienced gamers...

I've heard that it glitches so that the reversal command doesn't always activate when Spamnas tosses you into the air. It's never bothered me too much thanks to Second Chance and Once More.

For me, Xemnas has to be one of the easiest bosses in KHII. I beat him on first or second try without that much frustration. He was nothing compared to Roxas.

 

[Anagram]

I've heard that it glitches so that the reversal command doesn't always activate when Spamnas tosses you into the air. It's never bothered me too much thanks to Second Chance and Once More.

For me, Xemnas has to be one of the easiest bosses in KHII. I beat him on first or second try without that much frustration. He was nothing compared to Roxas.

It does glitch REALLY bad. Nearly every time I've fought him it went wrong. Damn Mansex and his freaking reaction command sequences!
A minor annoyance otherwise but a bad BAD thing on critical.

 

[kuraudoVII]

He was one hit killing me at the beginning so many times that I thought my game was glitching. But apparently that's one of the problems with KHIIFM in II.5 unfortunately?

Anyway, level ninety-nine and spamming Limit Form finally allowed me to take care of him fine (how I love Limit Form! It's the best Form ever, I think), so no complaints there anymore. And thanks for the compliment on finally defeating him, kuraudo. I really appreciate it!

…I will complain about the Absent Silhouettes, Data battles, Mushroom XIII, and Terra fights that I still have to take on, though.

Ugh. As if getting 100% in the original KHII wasn't enough of a challenge (and something I promised myself I'd never attempt doing again, because I got SO sick of KHII after doing that, and couldn't even look at it for a number of years), but I'll do it for that Birth by Sleep secret ending. It’s worth it. LOL.

Also, I'm glad I was able to kill that Mushroom in Port Royal a lot easier than I thought I would. It was still challenging, but once you realize you need to keep pausing and unpausing the game to see where it goes, it becomes a bit more manageable

It seems like only yesterday that we were talking about that fight earlier in this thread, doesn't it?

One little, yet PIVOTAL piece of advice: remember how you needed to pause and unpause the game in order to beat that Mushroom? Well, I have some oh so lovely (he lies) good news for you: A certain Data Gambler of Fate will force you to do the exact same thing. Once he hits less than a quarter health left, he WILL use that [I]oh so lovely[/I] (he lies again) timing mini game. This wouldn't be a problem if not for the fact that the timing for that game is F***ING BULL****! I literally got so frustrated that I had to take a break and play some Birth by Sleep as a result. Once I came back and calmed down, I realized that I could cheese my way to victory by constantly pausing and unpausing the game to beat Data Luxord.

One more thing: Once he goes into Desperation Mode and is nearly ready to initiate that [I]oh so lovely[/I] (he lies through his teeth) timing mini game, GO INTO LIMIT FORM. Once Luxord is staggered from being hit by all of the cards after winning the timing mini game, you will only have a few seconds at best before he begins his Desperation attack again. A nice Strike Raid works wonders on him. :P

Alright, and what if I train my butt off to the max level with almost the best equiptment. Will the game still be as difficult as you guys explained? That's basically the only trophies I need by the way, I was already done with the rest.

As BlackOsprey already mentioned, once you get to the higher levels, it will even out. If you did the same thing I did and picked Sword, however, prepare to wait until level 85 before receiving Once More.

Am I the only one who has had no problem with the Xemnas fight what-so-ever? The reaction works for me. Maybe its just people's timing that is off? I'm not the best gamer either so I would have thought I'd have the same problems as experienced gamers...

I thought that my timing was it. I thought that my TV lagged and that caused the timing to be off, but no. It's definitely the game.

It does glitch REALLY bad. Nearly every time I've fought him it went wrong. Damn Mansex and his freaking reaction command sequences!
A minor annoyance otherwise but a bad BAD thing on critical.

THIS. I legitimately died (as in I hit Continue instead of Load Game) only once, and it was SOLELY due to not having the damn reaction command working properly and not having Once More to save me despite being level 80 (granted, I could have went into a Limit Break with Riku, but still).

 

[hlc1988]

I feel like I should try KH2 out in Critical mode just to see if I get the same problem with Xemnas... I've always played in Standard or Proud mode.

 

[LightUpTheSky452]

Oh, no! That Luxord fight sounds awful, kuraudo! I'm definitely dreading that now--even more in that it's apparently glitchy!--but thanks a bunch for the tips!

Who knows... maybe I'll get lucky when I challenge it and end up winning easily. I mean, last night I was able to defeat Sephiroth in one try on Critical (something I'd never tried before, and was actually quite worried about, but really it was a breeze), and finally got past a lot of the Mushrooms, so anything's possible, right? -crosses fingers-

 

[LightUpTheSky452]

I miraculously just managed to win against the entire Mushroom XIII Challenge (I'm actually in shock that I did so; maybe magic has been released onto the world, since we're getting KHIII stuff tomorrow. LOL.), and now I'm going to try and defeat Terra and the Data Battles to unlock the Birth by Sleep secret ending.

A bit of a (possibly) stupid question, though: do you also have to also defeat all the Absent Silhouettes in order to get it, or is that something else entirely? Just somewhat confused about the difference between them and the Data Battles, I guess.

Edit: And sorry for the double post. I'm only just now realizing that I was the last one to post in the thread before. Oops...

 

[kuraudoVII]

I feel like I should try KH2 out in Critical mode just to see if I get the same problem with Xemnas... I've always played in Standard or Proud mode.

At the very least, try it out on Critical for a different kind of experience. This game actually requires you to strategize in order to win.

I miraculously just managed to win against the entire Mushroom XIII Challenge (I'm actually in shock that I did so; maybe magic has been released onto the world, since we're getting KHIII stuff tomorrow. LOL.), and now I'm going to try and defeat Terra and the Data Battles to unlock the Birth by Sleep secret ending.

A bit of a (possibly) stupid question, though: do you also have to also defeat all the Absent Silhouettes in order to get it, or is that something else entirely? Just somewhat confused about the difference between them and the Data Battles, I guess.

Edit: And sorry for the double post. I'm only just now realizing that I was the last one to post in the thread before. Oops...

Congratulations on getting that last freaking Mushroom. That one was a doozy.

Anyways, yes you do need to beat the Absent Silhouettes in order to gain access to their Data Battles in the Garden of Assemblage. If you haven't beat any of them, you're definitely going to need to beat them now. Start with Zexion seeing as he is the easiest to read and has the lowest health bar. I initially tried to beat Marluxia first, but I attempted the battle as soon as the second visit to Beast's Castle and was overwhelmed by his absurd (for the time) number of health bars and his attacks.I should note that when you start the battle, he casts Doom on you and a number appears over your head. The number will begin at the level that you are currently at (it was initially level 37 or 39 for me) and it only goes down when an attack lands on you. He also has a fair number of insta-kill moves as well. REFLECT is your BEST FRIEND for this battle and all optional battles from here on out. If you have the Guardian Soul keychain, it has an effect that increases the damage from Reaction Commands. I ended up needing it after I beat Zexion (the only Silhouette I beat with the Kingdom Key).

Also, semi-random question, have you cleared the Cavern of Remembrance in order to gain access to the Garden of Assemblage yet?

 

[hlc1988]

I think I may give Critical a go in my next playthrough for KH2 since you guys are giving me good enough reasons to attempt it. though I certainly won't be trying to get 100% on that mode which I always like to try to do.

I'm currently playing Birth By Sleep - on the Mirage Arena... what is the best way to defeat Iron Imprisoner 4 in Keepers of the Arena? Aqua is nearly level 40 (I haven't even done the final battle at The KeyBlade Graveyard yet). And I'm having trouble with the Unversed mission for Deep Space and Never Land. What is the best way to complete these?

 

[Blazingblue]

I love 2.5 I remember when KH2 first came out everyone hated it or it had a lot of mixed views but I remember it being loads of fun!

 

[kuraudoVII]

I think I may give Critical a go in my next playthrough for KH2 since you guys are giving me good enough reasons to attempt it. though I certainly won't be trying to get 100% on that mode which I always like to try to do.

I'm currently playing Birth By Sleep - on the Mirage Arena... what is the best way to defeat Iron Imprisoner 4 in Keepers of the Arena? Aqua is nearly level 40 (I haven't even done the final battle at The KeyBlade Graveyard yet). And I'm having trouble with the Unversed mission for Deep Space and Never Land. What is the best way to complete these?

I never attempt that particular mission on the Mirage Arena until after I have already beaten Aqua's story, the Final Episode and the Secret Episode. Those sorts of battles and missions I tend to save for after I beat the main campaign so that I can tackle them unimpeded.

Anyways, no matter the character, I always beat Vanitas' Lingering Sentiment/Will before fighting the harder Arena Missions (usually beginning with "A Time To Chill") so by the time I am fighting it, I already have the Void Gear with me. From there, I Thunder Surge my way to victory with a side helping of Curaga and Rhythm Mixer.

 

[Divine Past]

I think I may give Critical a go in my next playthrough for KH2 since you guys are giving me good enough reasons to attempt it. though I certainly won't be trying to get 100% on that mode which I always like to try to do.

I'm currently playing Birth By Sleep - on the Mirage Arena... what is the best way to defeat Iron Imprisoner 4 in Keepers of the Arena? Aqua is nearly level 40 (I haven't even done the final battle at The KeyBlade Graveyard yet). And I'm having trouble with the Unversed mission for Deep Space and Never Land. What is the best way to complete these?

I just spam triple firaga. Once you time that he only does 3 rotations of his spinning attack, you can hit him with about 2-3 triple firaga because he's expose. Also when he summons the cage, spam the shotlock.

 

[hlc1988]

I never attempt that particular mission on the Mirage Arena until after I have already beaten Aqua's story, the Final Episode and the Secret Episode. Those sorts of battles and missions I tend to save for after I beat the main campaign so that I can tackle them unimpeded.

Anyways, no matter the character, I always beat Vanitas' Lingering Sentiment/Will before fighting the harder Arena Missions (usually beginning with "A Time To Chill") so by the time I am fighting it, I already have the Void Gear with me. From there, I Thunder Surge my way to victory with a side helping of Curaga and Rhythm Mixer.

I should probably do the end of her story sooner rather than later as I think I'm in danger of defeating the final boss in a few hits. I wanted to finish everything as much as possible on Aqua before proceeding to THe KeyBlade Graveyard. I've managed to do "A Time To Chill" though. I will certainly take your advice though!

I just spam triple firaga. Once you time that he only does 3 rotations of his spinning attack, you can hit him with about 2-3 triple firaga because he's expose. Also when he summons the cage, spam the shotlock.

I will keep that in mind next time I give it a go!

 

[Divine Past]

I should probably do the end of her story sooner rather than later as I think I'm in danger of defeating the final boss in a few hits. I wanted to finish everything as much as possible on Aqua before proceeding to THe KeyBlade Graveyard. I've managed to do "A Time To Chill" though. I will certainly take your advice though!




I will keep that in mind next time I give it a go!

I should clarify the last part, when he does the spining attack, he will approach you 3 times and then finish the move with like a spinning blast, at that point you hit him with triple firaga and cartwheel towards him as fast as possible so you can hit him more firaga. This will usually take most of 1 life bar away every time. And since he loops the attack a lot, it shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Blazingblue]

I don't know why but I always get emotional when I beat any of the KH games, is it because of the music?