KHDDD's Worlds were a missed opportunity

This is a bit of a branch from my last tangent on KHDDD. (see here) In the old one I focused on characters but honestly this also extends to the worlds as well.

For example, why rehash Notre Dome? Instead, why not make it a very dark and warped Notre Dome that focuses on Quasi. You dont need to copy the movie, have this world be warped into a nightmare by Frollo.

Hell the worlds being empty could’ve been excuses in some cases due to distortion. Like, perhaps the people became nightmares themselves.

Imagine Wonderland as a nightmare world or imagine Phantasia (Symphony of Sorcery) being a world separate to Yen Sids tower. No real premise, it’s just a very trippy but dream like place.

Looking back, I wonder why they even threw in Yen Sids tower in order to access Phantasia.

There was so much room for creativity here, I don’t understand why it wasn’t taken. This title had the excuse to do far more with worlds than any of the past titles and it was wasted. (perhaps Disney was restrictive?)

 

What saddens me is that you're probably right. Granted I don't envision a hellscape when I think of a warped world but I was wondering as I made that post if Disney would even let a distorted one exist.

 

That's how it's a rehash, it's a shortened version of the movie. KH2 also had this problem which added to the "filler" complaint many have. KH1 was more creative in it's uses for the most part, mostly because it added the smaller worlds, at least somewhat, into the larger plot.
Nah, KH2 Agrabah was the same. The basic plot of movie two was Iago getting out, befriending Aladdin then being forced to help Jafar only for it to all turn around. The only real difference this time was Sora destroyed Jafar rather than Jafars lamp falling into lava and melting which killed him.

It followed plot points of Tarzan, some stuff was understandably cut. Can't exactly have Claton hang himself in the game like the movie. lol

The handheld games will vary. Chain of Memories had somewhat new plots but they were very short and often skipped. Riku's disney worlds didn't even have plot at all. In Days, you were supposed to be unseen so the plots were mostly original but not exactly huge ones. Mostly just Roxas and Xion stumbling around behind the scenes and watching the Disney characters from afar in the times they actually appeared. BBS was like KH1 to a lesser extent, some of it's worlds were KH2 copy and paste, some were KH1 level alterations.
Chi just has a bunch of filler missions and explains it's disney worlds away as "illusions" crafted by the foretellers books....which brings up the question of how the wielders are gathering light or even fighting heartless when it's all an illusion/lie.

I don't think they'd let it go hellscape as I said before but looking back on Disney in the past you're possibly right. They may not even allow small changes. As for the series target audience, I'm unsure. Nomura has said before it wasn't buuuuutttt it's also half Disney so even if not intended, people are still gonna get it for that aspect.
"My son wants a game, what do you have?" "We have this lovely disney series!" "Sold!"

 

Oh lol, point of mistranslation then. I would agree KH2 Olympus was a rehash of Hercules on the second visit but not KH1, but that's me. I really hope they do as well, it's something small but it goes a long way for a cross over universe. The fact we can explore outside and see the rest of Hercules' world is enough for me to be a little hopeful. Even if it's just using the "hades invades mount olympus" idea from the first movies final act.

Agreed! Fantasia would've been a good excuse for lots of things given the movie itself. I think that's because Chernabog in KH1 was not only a surprise but a true boss battle, as a kid that had seen it, seeing him appear there was imposing to me at 12.
His fight in DDD was just...a mini game. A three hit mini game at that. If DDD wanted to use him in such a way a better ideal would've been making RIku's drop sequence into the world that first fight then having a truly full boss fight later.