Sacred Heart Cathedral's student-run newspaper. We've got issues.

The Emerald

Sacred Heart Cathedral's student-run newspaper. We've got issues.

The Emerald

Sacred Heart Cathedral's student-run newspaper. We've got issues.

The Emerald

The Review: Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts 3D was released mid-summer this year and immediately became a runaway bestseller and the biggest hit of the season. Well, it was MY biggest summer hit, at least. I’ve always loved the “Kingdom Hearts” series, and this title only strengthens that affection. For those unfortunate people who have yet to bathe in the light of Kingdom Hearts, allow me to fill you in.

The “Kingdom Hearts” series is essentially a giant crossover between Square-Enix and Disney. The story is about a boy named Sora who travels through various worlds based off of Disney movies. Throughout the games, he is accompanied by Donald and Goofy – Goofy is decked out with armor and a shield, and Donald’s a mage. As weird as this premise sounds, I assure you it is plenty of fun.

The story of KH3D itself is… complicated. This game is the 7th in the series, and the series has never been known for its simplicity. In order to grasp this game’s story, it requires the understanding of the plot of every other Kingdom Hearts game. As such, I won’t even attempt to explain it.

The gameplay is accessible to all. You play as Sora and his best friend Riku. You will switch between the two heroes once your “Drop Meter” hits zero. These two characters follow different storylines and are played slightly differently, providing a little pinch of variety. Besides your basic attack, the main method of combat is Command Slots. All magic, items, and special attacks are single commands. You put four commands in a “deck” and then cycle through them in battle. This provides a nice range of customizability.

The main gimmicks of the game are Dream Eaters and Flowmotion. Dream Eaters replace Donald and Goofy  as your party members for this game. There are two types of Dream Eaters: Nightmares (the ones you beat up) and Spirits (the ones that help you beat Nightmares up). Dream Eaters can be created by fusing materials that enemies drop when you destroy them. Leveling up and raising the Dream Eaters is a process that can be controlled entirely by you. Some might appreciate the personal and customizable aspects of raising your own party members, but I personally miss the stability and personality provided by Donald and Goofy. Flowmotion is a new addition to the Kingdom Hearts series. Whenever you dash into a wall or pole, you will trigger Flowmotion. In Flowmotion, you are able to grind, jump between walls, fly through the air, and execute powerful attacks. Going at high-speeds through worlds is immensely fun, and quite honestly, makes me feel like Spiderman.

The graphics in this game are the best I’ve seen in both the KH series and on the 3DS. The worlds are amazingly vibrant and creative, and the characters are the most expressive I’ve ever seen in the series. The 3D is rather eye-catching as well, especially with the special attacks and effects. The voice acting is nothing too spectacular, but the Kingdom Hearts series was never known for its voicework. The music, as always, is catchy and enjoyable.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance is an amazing game. The gameplay is great, the graphics are stunning, and the worlds are fun and creative. The story is lost on anyone who hasn’t played Kingdom Hearts to its fullest, but even then I would still recommend this game. The game itself is just that fun.


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