My KH experience

[Ginalea00]

Hello first time posting here, I thought I'd share my unique experience to the series.

I was a huge fan of the first Kingdom Hearts and played it at least 20-30 times when I was 8-12. It was like an obsession and I talked about it constantly. Being a huge Disney fan, this game was like a dream. I memorised the cutscenes and every world layout. I knew the story off by heart to the point where I knew KH's Atlantica story better than The Little Mermaid's. I tried Chain of Memories but didn't like it as much so I only played it once. Then tried Kingdom Hearts 2 (I was around 13 so getting old for Disney now) and remember not liking the story as much because it wasn't as magical but still played through it twice and enjoyed it. So then I stopped playing the series, and games in general for a few years. Went back and played the first game once for nostalgia and I still remembered all the scenes. Wanted to try Kingdom Hearts 2 because I didn't remember much about it but couldn't find my copy of it. Never played any of the spin offs because I didn't own any of those systems.

Finally after many years I played Dream Drop Distance for the first time. Wow the games have come a long way from my days. I don't think I understood a single thing that happened in the game. Even after reading an online summary the plot still made zero sense. And I mean zero sense - I had no idea if where they were going was real, was it time travelling, were they just visions? And what the heck was the Traverse Town world with the countdowns on their hands? Had no idea who they were or what they were talking about here - that guy randomly growing wings and flying off wtf And just everything was a riddle and I had no idea who the guys were that were stalking them (I remember killing them in previous games) and just everything about it just felt like a mess of randomness. I just remember being a 10 year old enjoying, understanding and loving the simpleness of KH1 and now at 22 I felt this new game was an awful mess! The game I remember was Disney Magic and this one had the magic sucked out of it and how could kids possibly understand this mess!

I gave the the game the benefit of the doubt and decided that I didn't understand anything because I had skipped over the side games. I then decided to watch some YouTube cutscenes from 358 Days and I couldn't last for longer than 10 minutes because I felt so out-of-touch with the KH universe. There was just no Disney Magic. This just doesn't feel like the game I played 20-30 times as a child and memorised completely. I am hoping to get back into the games but I felt Dream Drop Distance was so awful, like why did Ursula randomly attack the Destiny Islands, and why were Sora and Riku on the raft this time? It was a shocking experience seeing something I once adored and not understanding or liking any of it. I understand every single thing about KH1 but virtually nothing from any other game.

Thinking of of watching the cutscenes on YouTube starting with Chain of Memories but the game's future does not look that great.

 

[Max]

First of all, welcome to the forums Ginalea00! Hopefully you enjoy your time here with everybody, and maybe your love for the series in general can be resparked here.

So yes, jumping from KHII to Dream Drop Distance would be both a very confusing and maybe not so enjoyable experience story-wise, as you are missing A LOT of story in between. The reason being, the "spin-offs" that you never played aren't actually spin-offs, every single game in the series has relevance to the overarcing story, and I wouldn't recommend skipping over any of them. Some people didn't have much of a choice during the initial releases of these games since they were spread over so many systems, but fortunately all of the games have been collected into, well, collections for the PlayStation so that players can experience the whole story before Kingdom Hearts III.

Now don't get me wrong, Dream Drop Distance can be a confusing game regardless, but seriously playing the other games would help immensely, mainly Birth By Sleep and parts of Coded would put more of Dream Drop into context (considering you've already played the initial 3 games).

As far as the complicated story and kids not enjoying it, the series is still seeing a lot of success and I believe kids are still able to enjoy it. On a whole though, I believe the series has been growing up with its fans, so for those of us that started with the first game all of those years ago and have remained interested in the story with each passing year and game, we've been piecing all of this together for a long time. Some fans lost interest along the way, their tastes changing and not caring so much for the newer games though, and there is a possible chance you may end up falling into that category.

Again if you're interested, you'll be able to make something out of Dream Drop's story if you put in the time to fill in some more of these blanks from over the years, but there is also the chance that as you start to do so you may find that the series really isn't quite what it used to be, and maybe it won't really be for you like those first few games from back in the day. But you'll never know until you try.

 

[Ginalea00]

Thank you very much for the reply. Sorry to be very negative but I remember really loving this game and everything about it. I loved the friendship between Sora, Riku and Kairi, and Riku's change of character. Then teaming up with the Disney characters, seeing Wonderland for the first time, flying around Neverland, and squaring off against Maleficent who is my favourite villain of all time. I loved seeing Maleficent as a villain again and manipulating Riku. The storyline was pretty simple and it felt like a magical adventure - also nostalgia.

I've been watching cutscenes from Chain of Memories and my main complaint is the storyline seems less magical. Firstly, the worlds aren't real (well I think they are visions, not absolutely sure haha) so it feels sort of unnecessary like I'm talking to a fake Aladdin. The same thing with Dream Drop Distance which I also assume the worlds are visions and not real?? Haha Once again it's not very clear. Also the Organization are not as compelling as Maleficent and Ansem, and the storyline is not very magical. I know it's not a main game and I remember KH2 being a lot better.

 

[Max]

Yeah, Chain of Memories was more a game to fill in gaps in the overarching story between KH1 and KH2, so it didn't focus very heavily on the Disney worlds. You also just have to consider that CoM was originally a GBA title, so they had to work with what they could.

From the sounds of it, if you wanted to play a newer title with more of that story feel of the old games, I recommend Birth by Sleep. It's still not exactly the same, it has a revamped battle system and you have to play as 3 different characters to get the full story, but the game involves visiting classic Disney worlds and dealing with their characters and villains (Maleficent is in this one, and you get to take a look at her before her rise to power in KH1). It also has basically a singular villain, Xehanhort, and his right hand man-of-sorts, Vanitas. It serves as a prequel to the first game, but sets up for events of the newer titles.

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

Welcome to KHInsider, the most magical place on Earth! *throws glitter*

I know the feeling of a series losing that special something, but when it comes to KH I feel it's not so much the magic is lost but misplaced due to Square Enix seeming to not quite know what to do with the Disney properties after KH1.
But also with any series change happens and the beginning almost always has a different feel than its later installments.

I do find it a little odd that you don't understand what the worlds in DDD are as it's made pretty explicit: the worlds Sora and Riku visit are worlds that didn't completely return after Ansem's defeat at the end of the first game and are in a state of sleep and because of this they are in the Realm of Sleep.
The worlds are 100% real but dream of their lasts moments before being shallowed by darkness.

The kids with the countdowns on their hands, Neku, Shiki, Beat, Rhyme and Joshua are from Square Enix's DS game The World Ends With You.

In TWEWY the characters are dead and are put in the Reaper's Game, where for one week they need to complete missions in Shibuya under a time limit (the countdown on their hands) or they get Erased.
Neku Shiki, Beat, Rhyme and Joshua are players and the main characters.

As for why Joshua (the guy who sprouted wings) sprouted said wings? It's because he's a god-like being called a "Composer" and is the guy in charge of Shibuya's Reaper's Game. In DDD he was able to use his powers and Rhyme's Reaper Game entry fee from TWEWY (her dreams) to grab what he could of the TWEWY cast when their world fell and took refuge in Traverse Town after it appeared for him.

No one can explain Ursula's appearance.

 

[Ginalea00]

Thank you for the replies. I actually understood that the worlds were in a state of sleep but it was more not understanding what these dreams are. Like I assumed that Quasimodo, Jiminy, etc. were just illusions (I know they said "dreams" but are they basically just illusions that have been created, the same with Chain of Memories?) And I don't believe the Traverse Town storyline was explained well at all.

You don't have to answer any of those questions, because the whole game just seemed like a confusing mess. As I said, I'm going through Chain of Memories and will watch each game's cutscenes in order and see how that goes.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Welcome to KHI! I'm going to recommend an order you should watch/play the series in because I think that is causing a bit of the confusion you are experiencing.

KH1FM
CoM/Re:CoM
KH2FM
Days Theater
BBSFM
Re:coded Theater
KH3D

Go at it like that and you might feel less...overwhelmed by the changes of the series. I do understand the frustrations of the series losing that magic. I enjoyed KH2 for what it was back in 2005/6, but it wasn't good and at this point I really dislike the story despite all of the fond memories I have of it so I definitely get where you are coming from.

For me, it was Birth By Sleep that really brought me back to the series. It feels the closest to what KH1 had tried to do because it better weaves the main characters and plot to the Disney worlds they visit. In a time when I had lost hope over the series, it revived my faith in it quite a bit.

And personally I love Re:coded but it can be a hit-or-miss for fans.

KH3D is probably one of the most divisive games of the franchise due to how confusing it gets at the end, but the first 10-15 hours of the game should be the easiest easy to swallow even though you haven't played any games in years and haven't caught up to the rest.

Fudgemint answered the question about TWEWY, but I figured I could expand on it a bit more. If you have a DS/3DS or an iOS/Android device, you should really play TWEWY. It is one of the best under-appreciated games ever with a solid story, and would definitely help you understand the TWEWY cast in KH3D a bit better.

The reason they are in the game is because TWEWY was made by a lot of the staff that made BBS and worked on KH3D (and now are working on KH3). They didn't really know how to work FF characters into KH3D, so they decided to take a fresh approach by including the TWEWY cast.

If you have more questions about TWEWY or what is going on with the characters, feel free to ask.

I've been watching cutscenes from Chain of Memories and my main complaint is the storyline seems less magical.

Well, the game was made pretty much on a dime. I thought for what it was, it was a charming game and I really attached to characters like Namine and Axel, and definitely gained a better appreciation for Riku. Are you watching CoM or Re:CoM?

Firstly, the worlds aren't real (well I think they are visions, not absolutely sure haha) so it feels sort of unnecessary like I'm talking to a fake Aladdin.

They are visions built from Sora's memories, yes. It can be a bit unnecessary...yeah idk how to justify it lol It's an interesting concept if you think about how the game is essentially focused on Sora's memories being deconstructed, but at the end of the day only Sora's encounters in the Castle Oblivion and Twilight Town portions of the story are meaningful. The rest is just meant to provide a familiar setting to the audience so they can swallow the new story.

The same thing with Dream Drop Distance which I also assume the worlds are visions and not real??

Yes and no? The world is real, but the world is merely dreaming the events that led to its destruction over and over in an endless loop until it is saved. The residents of that world are also sleeping alongside the world, except for the obvious ones like Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Pete...

So...the experiences are real. It is still up in the air how Sora and Riku's weird and confusing journey has actually affected the people from those worlds, though. (Ignoring the TWEWY cast because their situation is unique) Maybe they won't remember anything at all, or they will have like 2-3 sets of memories based on their experiences, or they will only vaguely remember things but remember Sora and Riku.

Or it won't even matter because KH3 might not even revisit those worlds and characters lol (maybe TWEWY...)

Also the Organization are not as compelling as Maleficent and Ansem, and the storyline is not very magical. I know it's not a main game and I remember KH2 being a lot better.

Well, can't say much about the magic thing. Fudgemint is pretty much on the ball when she said it is due to the fact that they forgot how to weave the Disney storylines into the main story, so all of the Disney stuff in most of the games feels tacked on.

I think at the end of the day it all depends on how much you WANT to enjoy it and how much you actually do enjoy. My best suggestion is to kind of let go of the preconception that it will feel magical and try to focus on the characters themselves. Don't try to think too hard about the story. Like...accept that it is going to be confusing and weird and you might find yourself having a better time.

If you have questions we are here to answer them!

 

[Grizzly]

Welcome to the forums! This is the right place to be for your problem/issue for sure.

I understand your issue with the series losing some of that Disney magic, too. KH1 isn't my favorite in the series, but it does certainly capture that Disney Magic better than any of the others. I do feel that it has gotten better in that department recently, though. Part of your confusion is certainly due to you experiencing things a bit out of order, and the best way to tackle that issue is to play the series again, starting with KH1. I just recently finished going through it all again last week myself. The order I played it in was:

KH1FM
CoM/Re:CoM
Days
KH2FM
BBSFM
Re:coded
KH3D (I didn't replay this, as the PS4 version is coming out in December)

I personally recommend playing (or watching the theater of) Days before KH2, as it gives a lot more context to one of my favorite moments in the series, and really amplifies what makes that particular moment in KH2 so special. Birth By Sleep should treat you well, especially if you are looking to recapture some of what made the series special in the first place.

I think at the end of the day it all depends on how much you WANT to enjoy it and how much you actually do enjoy. My best suggestion is to kind of let go of the preconception that it will feel magical and try to focus on the characters themselves. Don't try to think too hard about the story. Like...accept that it is going to be confusing and weird and you might find yourself having a better time.

This is really the perfect piece of advice. Don't go in with plenty of expectations, as the series is often weird and nonsensical, but still retains bits of magic that make it what it is. There are some truly spectacular moments, but the less you find yourself waiting on those to happen, the more you'll be able to take in the series and its smaller moments as a whole. Without those tough expectations, the special moments in the series will catch you off guard in the best possible way.