Finished the game so obvious Spoilers

I’m not even sure where to begin really....To be honest, the story had lost me so badly that I didn’t even feel anything when holding KH3. I didn’t feel anything hours into it. The disconnect was just too strong, the series had lost me.

That said, such low expectations helped out later. I had no hopes or hypes and I was able to enjoy myself on a smaller level for it. The Pirates world was damn fun as was Big Hero 6. Moments at the end also got emotion out of me despite not caring for many of the trios much.



Like this ^

Hot damn Roxas made a grand entrance. It was even neat to see Sora and his “spawn” stand together against an enemy. The fact Roxas, Xion and Lea broke down and cried was also very impacting. I may not feel much their game but even I couldn’t ignore the genuine emotion.

The part with Terra, Aqua and Ventus was also heartwarming. I had some attachment to Aqua so seeing her get her friends back was nice. This also had one of the moments that legit surprised me....TERRA WAS THE FUCKING GUARDIAN!



That used to be an old theory on forums and it’s true! OUT OF NOWHERE!

I also loved the moment of Lingering Will appearing. I’m a bit annoyed we didn’t see it destroyed or return to Terra at the end but at least they remembered it wanders the wasteland.

A part of me is confused, I think, due to how resolved it all felt I guess. People got their happy endings and now that Xehanort is gone all his time traveling (and clones) bullshit is gone with him.



Speaking of the Ending
I know many are mad about this due to their ship but I’m just really confused. If everyone was getting a happy ending why deny these two? Why not let them escape together or why not have them disappear together?

I dont ship characters and even I find it annoying they’re apart just...cause? Most seem to think they should’ve came back together but I’d be up for the idea they vanished together as well. If the next two games are about death since Shibuya and Versus13 are in it then, it’d be a perfect chance to star these two.

The other cast could breath, we’d see the price paid for spamming the power to essentially walk between death and sleep, and we’d have a simple premise. Sora & Kairi trying to return from Shibuya. That’s my take anyway.



As for Xehanort, I didn’t mind his ending. People said he got a happy one but I took it more like he just accepted he lost. Which he had.
Xehanort wasn’t going to win despite trying his best to do so. When the rest of the cast appeared any chances he had to fight more was shot anyway.

It’s rare to see a villain just admit they’ve lost and I can respect that a little. Sora has undone all of Norts damage (except kairi) so the only one really falling here is Xehanort. His loss even took it’s toll, his old body gave out and he’s gone. It was fine imo.

There was some other parts too that I didn’t quite understand the reasoning but it just slid past my recognition. I dont know if it’s my disconnect or what, I’m not ignoring good points others mentioned so much as they just dont bother me. My lack of hype just let me sit there like “ah ok.” aside my few moments I actually got hype or genuine surprise.



I dont know what else to say story wise. There was parts of confusion:

1) Why didn’t Vanitas just get over it or merge back into Ventus? His choice to be “darkness” and just fade away again left a sour taste in my mouth.

2) What in the ever living fuck did Sora do with the Xblade?

3) I did not expect the crack theory of Xigbar is Luxu to happen. Wow

4) Why bring Repliku back just to kill him again?

5) I’m glad data wasnt a broken tool. Reviving people was more complicated than anticipated. The replica idea only works if the lost heart is told awake and even then the heart has to be called to it’s memories or data of them.
So if there wasn’t digital work on Roxas memories his heart would’ve never jumped to that new body.

6) YEN SID PARTING THE FUCKING DARK SEA



So story aside it was ok, I had no expectations so no letdowns. In terms of Disney worlds, I did feel the writing was a step up for once. They still didn’t play into the main story well but at least each world was written more organically.

Instead of scenes of Sora just standing there as the movie happened there was actual script of him affecting that plot. It wasn’t perfect but it’s better than recent.



Gameplay
After starting a second run on standard, after that first run on Proud, I’m enjoying the combat a bit more. It’s something that hold on higher regard than any Command Deck title for sure. There’s some transformations I actually like, at least one good Link, and I found two Attractions I liked to use. (some shotlocks too)

The more I play it, the more I enjoy what I’m doing. It’s not the best in my opinion but I do like this 0.2/3 gameplay way more than command decks or cards. I’m also very happy the flow motion is next to nonexistent. I hated it in DDD because it was horrible for combat and too easy to activate by accident.

In exploration it’s fine but with KH3′s free running I question why leave Flowmotion at all.



I also hate this boss ^ It’s annoying. The entire segment of not having Aerial Recovery from the start is BS to me.

I didn’t try any of the mini games and I’m not sure if I ever will. I’ve never enjoyed the KH mini games and they’re usually forced on me in ways that make me hate them. Which, speaking of them, the titular mini game world Pooh was there and I dont understand why.

The world goes by so fast and most of your mini games are in that Gummiphone soooo why is it even here again? I fail to understand why Pooh keeps returning in KH after the first title.



Gummi Ships
I played around with this since it was closer to KH1 in design. I didn’t hate it too bad but I’d be lying if I said any of the gummi versions were great. The controls are very annoying at first even when you try to flip them.

For example, I flipped them to make travel better but once I did I realized I couldn’t do that in combat. When you go into combat the controls switch to KH2 and I couldn’t find a way to change them. Luckily you can flee battles and just travel around any enemies to a destination.

If you can find that destination anyway. I got lost more than once. Still, all that said, I find this Gummi stuff way more tolerable than KH2. In KH2 I’m stuck in a forced mini game AND.I.HATE.IT for that. Plus, like KH1, I feel like I’m actually traveling somewhere.

Ranking travel across the series, for me it’s: BBS>KH1>KH3>KH3D/KH2



So in summary, I still dont know how to feel. I felt this was better than any title after KH2, the titles that killed my love for the series, yet it also had problems. I didn’t touch on a lot of them because they were just meh to me. I expected them.

I was surprised by a few moments that was very fun but I think many are feeling what I’ve felt for years. It could be so much better and it’s infuriating just how easily it could be. How simple and few those tweaks would be.

KH lost my emotional investment long ago and my apathy right now is the outcome of it. KH3 was ok to me.



That said, I do feel a lot of rage right now is due to unrealistic expectations some fans had. It wasn’t entirely unwarranted since DDD and 0.2 did give them hope for Kairi. Still, a cast this large, the odds of proper focus in a series that’s had trouble giving it was casts of just three is expecting too much.

I also dont understand why some feel Aqua got shafted. I mean, I can see how Kairi was buuuuuuuuutttt- eh that’s another tangent for someone with the emotional energy to give it. I’m signing off, byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

Forgot to add my annoyance at the lack of Final Fantasy. I dont care why they were put in initially, half of the series is what they became. Their fading absence has been a huge irk for me, it's like half of the appeal was gone. I dont expect a new character every title or even many but I at least hoped to see Leon & crew in KH3 man. It's BS to me.

The closest we got to FF was the Yozora crap. Which is funny in it's own way and if that leads to FF inspired worlds, sure why not but for KH3 I was disappointed but not surprised.

 

The FF are like half the KH universe to me. I dont like many of the FF games I've tried but I feel a similar factor seeing them. That is true, I just would've at least liked to run into them or something.

Well most of the Org were turned back into nobodies so most of their deaths will just make them human again. Xemnas, Ansem and Young Xehanort are defeated and sent back to their eras. Master Xehanort is beaten down by Sora and, to my shock, actually admits defeat. It takes Eraqus talking him down but Nort admits defeat which didn't bother me too bad. Granted the old man may have been next to dead since he just sorta spirits away with Eraqus at the end.

So Nort and Eraqus, legit die.

Aqua is saved and Sora travels with her to wake Ventus. It works once her life is in danger, Ven snaps awake.
Terra is freed later. Sora helps Aqua and Ven fight Terranort and, I shit you not, the old crack theory of the Guardian being Terra is proven true. The Guardian rips off it's mouth wraps, starts talking in Terra's voice and Sora helps him take his body back.

Vanitas just fades away after defeat cause emo angst and the Lingering Will makes an appearance but it's existence is never resolved. Even the journal just notes it's Terra's thoughts and doesn't say what happened to it.

Xion is reconstructed by the Norts but upon facing Axel and Sora she turns on them. Roxas makes the best entrance by far, even I enjoyed the moment. Ienzo and Ansem the Wise use their data and Even's replica research to make new bodies for many cast members. They then place the memories in them and the moment a connection is made the heart goes to it and boom.
So Roxas literally bursts on screen the moment Xion returns to normal via this process.

Their final outcome is Roxas, Xion and Axel are alive and happy. We even see normal clothes for Xion and Axel.
Isa is also restored to humanity in the epilogue.

Ansem the Wise and his apprentices go back to normal. Ienzo is a prominent support character and I only mention them because Vexen/Even is revealed as a nort early on but goes turn coat. This made me laugh because I figured it was a double cross but...nope. Vexen and Demyx legit go turncoat. lmao

Namine is restored in the epilogue as well using a replica body. And Repliku dies...again. He was kinda brought back as this lingering heart ghost that real Riku was letting possess him. It never took control and Riku tried to help it but it chose to drag the evil Riku Replica (yes you read that right) with it into death and leave the replica husk for Namine.

------------

Basically, every villain is restored humanity, every trio is brought back and the only ones to really die is Xehanort and Eraqus.....and Sora.
Xehanort kidnaps Kairi in the final fight, kills her to make the last Xblade shard and then the epilogue is Sora using his power to wake hearts to bring her back.

The last shot is everyone on the islands having fun then Sora just fades away. The Secret Ending shows Sora waking up in Shibuya. During the game you visit the actual final destination for the dead and learn sleep and death straddle a thin line. Sooooo it's implied Sora used the power of waking so much that death took him. He abused a power he shouldn't have.

Ah and before I forget. Opening Kingdom hearts somehow brought back the Foretellers. Xigbar is revealed to be Luxu. This is all very condensed as well, have some shots:



Btw we NEVER find out what Sora did with this ^
He's given the key to kingdom hearts itself and they never tell us what he fucking did with it.



This is apparently KH's final destination for the dead ^
Eventually all hearts go here permanently.



This is about the best interaction you get ^



Rikuception ^

Annnndddddd while Sora has a decent reaction to seeing Vanitas' face we dont get that with Roxas or Ven. They glance at each other and that's it. Granted the world was in danger of ending but it's not even a glance of surprise it's more like "we dont have time to unpack this now".

There's also this hilarious thing called Verum Rex which is like this KH version of Vs13 which folks are joking is Nomura being salty. Want more detail? I condensed a lot of it down because a lot of shit happens in that final 3 hours.

 

Badly. I didn't expect anything of it personally and even I found it in bad taste. It mostly confuses me too. If someone had to die, just kill them both or let them both have a happy ending since everyone else is. This feels like reusing KH1's ending to me just to get angst.

The extra scene of Xigbar was enough for a sequel bait.

The worst part is Sora drags himself and his other friends back to the living earlier in the story and walks off okay yet he dies when he does so again to save Kairi. It'd have made more sense if he faded saving many people but eh.

No prob lol

 

Tbh I dont even know. Most are really mad about the ending, others are just shippers either elated or mad about it, but I had such low expectations for the game that I was numb even hours in. I was able to enjoy some things others hate as a result of that. The luxu reveal was enough out of left field and hilarious to me due to an old theory I once read that I'm both interested to see what they do but also wish there was a reboot of 1 in this graphics engine.

I've even got some good laughs trolling shippers from the ending like here: http://derekscorner.tumblr.com/post/182622126267/the-funny-part-about-the-riku-x-namine-thing-is
http://derekscorner.tumblr.com/post/182633893807

I guess I still feel really on the fence. I do think I'd have quit already if I cared as much as I used too or still read interviews. Right now I'm doing a standard run to see if any opinions change...plus it's just a waste to not play a 60$ game for as much worth as you can get.

The fact we're now free of Xehanort (finally) is enough appeal to at least see what a new title would have. (whether I bought it or not)

Makes me wish they'd at least have told us some of what Xemnas learned.

Nor were many others. Theories of the Guardian are old and got a surge with BBS, it was a nostalgic hit to see it happen for me. Some even compared it to a Darkling in design.

On one hand, I'm annoyed they called back to a concert thing but I was also a bit sad to know I missed talking to her in the Final World.
The LW moment was damn hype if nothing else.

Chirithy or UX as a whole holds little value to me so I forgot to mention it.I do now wonder how it can just leave the afterlife...or appear in the real world since it's a dream eater. o-o

Yeah but I would've liked to have seen it. Guesses are sound but this weapon has been built up since 2009, to have it just glossed over really annoyed me. It's something an ending should've addressed basically.

It was old, I think the thread was buried fast. I hope that person still remembers it, they now have the full right to annoy anyone on that site lol.

Eh possibly. Another "two ansems" twist for the sake of it. Albeit one that's far less damaging to anything. The worst part is he died again for no reason since Even was helping bring Namine back in the epilogue. He could've revived the replica lol

I think the combat is at least better than anything after 2 but I do think it's a bit "automated" if that makes sense. I dont mind it at all but it feels less technical than 1 or 2. It's something me and a friend were talking about, it's not a con so much as just something random to notice.
I didn't like the shield either. I ended up not using the second phase of many transformations since they weren't as useful as the first. Such as the bazooka vs the guns.

...I was planning on getting the Ultima weapon but now that I know I have to mini game, let alone go back to Arendelle, makes me severely hesitant. D:
It annoys me mostly because I've always disliked Pooh appearing in anything after 1. In this case, the world is so short, with a plot point that does nothing later, it's like a waste of dev time to add it when other things could've used it.

I've never been too fond of any but I always felt 1 at least gave me the feeling of travel. Like I was going actual places, 3's version brings that back making it tolerable. I ended up running from most fights due to the controls. I just hate the forced nature of 2.s I dont want to do a rail shooter, I just want to go to a world.

I gotta admire salt so strong he'd remake Vs13 within KH lmao

She was killed just cause though, that's the real issue really. Nomura got many hopes up with DDD and Kh2 and you can even see gifs of her fighting during those earlier segments (she's agile AF btw) so to just have her captured, again, then killed just cause wasn't good writing.
From what I could tell, the clash of hearts forged or summoned the shards to Nort so all he had to do was isolate one light to battle. There was no reason to kill her, he had no reason to "motivate" Sora at that point since he won by killing her.

it just paints a big portrait of angst for...angst? That or just an excuse to kill Sora so he'd wake up in Shibuya. At least, these are the ideas I see fans listing.
I was mostly confused by the decision. Everyone else had happy endings, why not just leave them together? Or, rather, why not let them die together. if we're going to shibuya, it'd be damn attractive to see a story of just these two in a Reapers Game. (to me anyway)

I'm essentially confused since it wasn't used for a decent reason. It just kinda happened to happen.

Which I get but that doesn't make it better to me. It'd have made more sense to die saving many than it would one. Kairi got nuked the first time with the tornado as well yet she kept Sora anchored and he then saved everyone else...which somehow made that odd time loop.
It feeds into my confusion above really. I dont understand why anyone had to die yet I also hate that they did and it wasn't used in a more interesting set up.

Despite that, I do at least like death isn't cheap. So many stories are prone to cheapening death and if nothing else maybe Nomura will do something interesting for once and make the next story about Riku & Kairi finding Sora.

As it is now, explanations dont really negate the sour taste that entire ending leaves. Especially since, as you said, Riku has that power, hasn't abused it, and should be able to find Sora.

I hadn't read the reports yet when I made this so I didn't leave her out so much as I didn't know she existed. lmao (then again I may have not bothered either since I'm so eh to it all)

I assumed the worldline was just the datascape of Chi. Xigbar also mentions code and we know UX is a digital construct. Timelines would explain that time thing with Sora though.

You think the girl is Ava or Skuld? If it is timelines or even just the datascape dying in some way, that may explain how so many Chi people appeared in Sora's world without memory.

Not just 2. They also set up her moment in 3 with DDD. The extra credits is her being summoned to train so you're given this impression "oh damn they might actually be serious" only for her to die...just cause.

It'd be neat if she's a key role later. Let all the other cast breath, dont even write them in, just have the next story of her and Riku finding Sora or something.

It was a pretty sweet callback in a way. Both to the fruit and that Kh1 drawing.

 

@Kitty What hurts worse to me personally is that Kairi can be seen to be rather agile and capable in gifs people are getting of gameplay. Like these two:

https://twitter.com/harukonohakaba/status/1090521410269700098
https://twitter.com/KelvinBelmont/status/1092977308669890560

Reasons I have a lot of ship names blocked on tumblr or twitter. Fans reach so bad or harass people over it. It's rather sad....people that are peaceful about it I dont mind. I call them "mild shippers".

Dont play it. I did for a while and it's honestly not worth it. Story updates are ungodly spaced out, you see Agrabah WAY too often and then there's the other reasons listed. It's much easier to just watch it's story scenes online.

I used to think a lot of it was nostalgia but I have had a friend or two come in later with Days or even Coded and play it. They dont consider it the best but they all admit Kh1 has a draw and atmosphere the other titles lack.

So, to some degree, KH1 does seem to have staying power. At most, what throws any off that come in late is gameplay. A common statement I'd see in KHi or KH13 was that Kh1 had the best handled story. Not in terms of it's content but in how it's written or the balance of disney vs original vs final fantasy.

They never call it grand or good but the best done when compared to its sequels.

Huh? I thought I sent links to me trolling. That sounds more akin to the old shipping post I made a year or so back.

Tbh he knows a lot he shouldn't with no real explanation why. I dont see Luxu telling him much since he's only there to get the Goatblade when Xehanort either fails/wins. Those final three reports seem to paint he told Nort nothing at all.

I only got the required Sora's. I did talk to a lot of the stars but I must've missed hers. =[

I'm largely confused because I figured the wielders summoned the Chirithy to them or something. I figured DEs couldn't cross easily of their own volition since it's hard for anything to get into the domain of sleep.

It's not that he feels Op to me but more like I press X once and he's done 5 moves in a combo. So automated in the sense that I'm holding X more than pressing it I guess.

it's not bad but it does seem to simplify it compared to Kh2 or 1.

The Pirates keyblade is pretty good. I like the second phase more but it's second one is far from useless. There's a fire variant!?

I probably will at least once. I wont do it more than that due to the means how.

Any time used on it was time wasted to me.

I thought that going in but Luxu appears later in the nobody Xigbar form rather than his reformed Braig one. And those pillars of darkness shoot up when someone is defeated rather than after they die so i took it to mean the clash was summoning the shards not the use or fusion of any hearts.

Nort axing Kairi would be considered a "conflict" since it's a fight he initiated that should lost to. If the hearts or death was needed I'd imagine both sides had to have causalities for every battle for shards to form.

Someone offered the idea you could have two scenarios in which she's his entry fee for the game. Made the idea even better to me.

Crap out of time. I'll reply to the rest when I get home tonight. Dx

 

I do too now that i'm aware of it. She's agile as all f**k.

Well the game does have this whole thing:



I can see why some shipping would be fueled. *they even threw in pedals lmao*

What makes it odd to me is the weird time loop moment. If MoM and Nort are right then time and fate should be immutable. Yet after that whole diving segment Sora brings them all back to before they died yet events changed due to Namine and the LW.

Did they alter fate or did they jump to a new "worldline"? I'd like to think UX is just a datascape since it's a code with a "virus" in it. It raises a lot of questions despite that....

The most interesting take away is that the chi era is meant to fall to darkness no matter what. Either Darkness, Brain or both may exist now solely because UX is a world trying to bypass the end of their world.

Speaking of this. I saw a theory on tumblr last night. No real proof or long list of such but the idea offered was Ava is hosting inside Skuld. Dunno to what degree but they pulled up the whole fact Ava was painted as the unintentional traitor since finding Luxu like she did sparked the bell which was the sign of the war.

She also acted odd after finding out what his role was and wasn't there at the epilogue of KH3.

 

Likewise. This is easily the best gif set I've seen yet: http://derekscorner.tumblr.com/post/182698755477/thechocobros-how-to-deal-with-the

 

The Pirates world shows just how big a change has happened over time. The most of any world imo. In KH2, Port Royal is very distracting and off-putting due to the mixing of styles but in 3? It blends like smooth butter and it's gorgeous. They even captured Jacks small facial twitches in scenes.

 

@Desert Warrior

So random bit. I saw this while finished the memory archive...which is weird to sit through with Hikari from Digimon voicing the cat...



We talked about it somewhere else and I've shrugged it off for years, and now, since it works like a real one. I'm mostly surprised they'd even reference it again. The only other time it was brought up was a off hand sentence in some 08 quote....I think it was 08. I quit keeping track.

If nothing else, the game is very pretty. All the worlds are like Toy Story or Monster Inc. It's finally reached that stage when the graphics of the openings are the same as in game.

Speaking of KH2, the forms appear in-scene just like KH2 apparently:

 

I have finished my Standard run and my opinion remains largely the same. I'm curious to see what they'll do with Luxu and a Nortless game but at the same time I've been so "meh" to the series for so long I also dont a care...if that makes sense.

Anyway here's a piece I call "Only in Kingdom Hearts".