It’s been fourteen years since we saw the last mainline entry in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, and in that span of time we’ve seen six spinoffs and four collections, all just getting fans more and more excited for the inevitable third and final game. Get ready to rejoin Sora, Donald, and Goofy, on their final quest to collect the seven Guardians of Light and defeat Xehanort once and for all!

The Kingdom Hearts series has been long known for its convoluted story and lore. Kingdom Hearts 3 does it’s best to bring newcomers up to speed with a five-part video series recap and in-game character dialog. The unfortunate part is that if you’ve not played all the games leading up to the finale, some of these interactions and explanations might just confuse you and muddy the water more. Longtime fans can rest easy with the knowledge that Kingdom Hearts 3 wraps up Sora’s adventure with a satisfying conclusion, while at the same time laying the groundwork for a new title in the series.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is the definition of style over substance. Most of the moves are implemented by mashing the X button and using the occasional Cura or Firea spells to mix things up a bit. The worlds are gorgeous but felt empty, and the secrets that were once synonymous to the series were mostly cut out. There are few side quests in Kingdom Hearts 3, such as looking for well-hidden Mickey Mouse faces and the usual chests, but I felt less inclined to explore in these wonderfully designed worlds. That’s a shame for a big Disney fan like myself.

The worlds this time around are mostly focused on more recent Disney properties, with areas like Arendelle, San Fransokyo, and the return of Pirates of the Caribbean. This could be a turn off to some but I loved six out of the eight worlds. The two that just didn’t vibe with me would have to be Arendelle from Frozen and Toy Box from, you guessed it, Toy Story. 

Arendelle felt empty and the environments felt bland and repetitive. The only slightly entertaining bit was the sled riding minigame, and after two or three attempts, the novelty wore off. I didn’t even think to go back to it. Unfortunately, my most anticipated world, Toy Box, suffered from the same issues but without a slightly fun side activity.

However, all eight of these worlds have been made with as much love and respect as possible, and all feel authentic to their source material. Disney character models have been lent to Square Enix to double down on the details in these worlds. Kingdom Hearts 3 is also an extremely pretty game, with a bright and colorful art style. Everything just pops and is a feast for the eyes; water spells shimmer in the light, blizzard spells crack and send off little snowflakes, and thunder rumbles and cracks while lighting up the arena. It’s a gorgeous spectacle to behold.

Kingdom Hearts 3 tends to lean towards being a tad too easy, which did affect my enjoyment of the game. In my 30 hours of gameplay, I never died once and was only close to death once during the final boss. This lack of difficulty isn’t helped by your AI companions, who will heal you as soon as you reach half health, and the abundance of ways of healing yourself and your party.

For example, you can use a simple Curea spell, a potion, or even use a link attack (Kingdom Hearts version of summons from the Final Fantasy games) which will not only restore all health to your party but will also render you invincible for a small amount of time.

Having played every game in the series, I have become intensely familiar with the ways of the Keyblade. In previous games, I was always using the weapon with the highest attack power, but in Kingdom Hearts 3 I was delighted by the new addition of having the ability to equip up to three keyblades and switch them on the fly.

This time around, each Keyblade has two forms. One form is the regular Keyblade and the other form can range from twin pistols to a spear, and even a missile launcher. This prevents the game from feeling stale and monotonous, and when changing the weapons, the fun little cinematics will keep you entertained.

This brings us to a mainline Kingdom Hearts staple, the Gummi ship segments. Through the series, the Gummi ship has been very hit and miss for me. In the first game, I would dread traveling to new worlds due to the frustrating controls and confusing upgrade system. In Kingdom Hearts 2 they made the gummi ship portions more enjoyable by putting it on rails, and in Kingdom Hearts 3 it’s a mix of both. When exploring the space between worlds you can freely move, collect treasure, and find various iconic Final Fantasy themed constellations.

In battle, however, you are put on rails to fight the heartless. These missions are replayable for a better score, and the better your score, the higher the chance you get to unlock Gummi parts to improve your ship. Upgrading your ship is easier than ever too. You can buy blueprints so you don’t have to mess around with creating your own custom ship, and upgrades allow you to travel in space faster and have more armor and health. So having these improvements make the Kingdom Hearts 3 Gummi ship the most enjoyable in the series.

The wait has been long, and at times frustrating. As a long time fan, I can’t help but be overjoyed that we finally have Kingdom Hearts 3 in our hands, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel disappointed at the empty worlds, the lack of difficulty, the weak minigames, and the lack of end game content. However,  with a fun, although shallow, combat system and a fantastic story that ties all the games together with a satisfying and emotional conclusion, Kingdom Hearts 3 will no doubt be remembered for years to come!

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Kingdom Hearts III

$45.49

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Great Story
• Fun Gameplay

Cons

• Lack of Difficultly
• Lack of Side Content

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