Kingdom Hearts, the bridge between Disney and Final Fantasy

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role playing games that stars fan favorite Disney and Final Fantasy characters. This series has many installments, however it all started with the first game which was released in 2002. Most old games usually fail the test of time, but Kingdom Hearts is just one of those games that has never stopped impressing me.

Kingdom Hearts is a game about travelling to different worlds and fighting the heartless in search for your friends Riku and Kairi. You play as Sora and go on a journey alongside your companions Donald and Goofy, who are also searching for their King, Mickey. These worlds include fan favorites like Agrabah and Halloween Town. During your adventure you find other allies from each world who help you along the way. These take the forms of party members exclusive to each world like Aladdin or Jack Skellington for example. 

The gameplay has survived the test of time. It has really smooth combat diversity and even some phenomenal exploration. To put it simply, the combat flexibility comes from being able to change many variables from weapons and accessories to abilities. There are multiple ways to handle every situation and it is satisfying to find that grand strategy to beat an enemy after changing some of these variables. You have access to tools in the form of basic attacks, items, summons, and magic. Summons are especially interesting as you can bring forth another companion like Simba or Mushu that can give you that needed edge in combat

The worlds are masterfully designed in both exploration and detail. This is extremely apparent when players find out new things about the different worlds every time they play and are constantly rewarded for it. The game has multiple collectables across the different worlds that give a bigger sense of progression. Treasure chests give you cool items or accessories. Trinities give reason to back track as you need Donald and Goofy for these rewards. Finally Dalmatian puppies are scattered throughout the different worlds and returning them to their parents gives you phenomenal rewards.

The difficulty of the game is also handled very well. At the beginning, you can choose Beginner, Standard, or Proud Difficulty. The higher the difficulty level, the more difficult the game is. Beginner and Standard provide a smooth, stress free experience that any casual player can try. Proud mode provides that challenge for experienced players who want to adapt more to struggles.

The plot of Kingdom Hearts can be a little confusing or even convoluted at times due to the later entries of the series. After replaying the game, I can safely say that the plot is phenomenal when it comes to pacing and being able to understand the ideology behind the characters. The first game introduces a lot of things that are important in the franchise, however it is easy to understand and makes you want to come back for more.

To sum it all up,  Kingdom Hearts is a game that has survived the test of time. After replaying it, I recognized that it’s gameplay is fun and intuitive. The way each party member functions is diverse and promotes different playstyles and the reward for exploration is so satisfying. I would recommend this game to anyone who craves a solid single player experience and loves classic Disney movies.