Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance was the demo I dedicated most of my time for at E3. I wanted to make sure I completed both Sora’s and Riku’s story so I can get everything I could from the demo. At Square Enix’s booth, sadly there was never a line to play the game after the first day. On the plus side, though, I could play the game for 40 minutes straight without any worries.
The main thing I focused on when playing was the localization. I have to say, they have done a fantastic job as they always do. Voice acting was top notch. Even with Sora having a young face, Haley Joel Osment’s post-puberty voice didn’t bother me this time around as it did in Re:COM and Coded (the magic a simple wardrobe change can do). David Gallagher also does well in Riku’s expanded role in this title. The translation team also did a fantastic job, using English idioms and characterization to make the game feel as though it were made originally made for English speakers.
What really impressed me was the amount of shots that had fully animated facial expressions. It seems with each title that comes out the generic talking animation is utilized less and less. With this title, the emotion put into the characters body movement and facial expressions (and everything is animated to the English voice actors) brings out these voice actor’s talents even more. There were moments where Sora looked so sad it broke my heart. They have done a great job localizing the game for us, and with the sheer amount of scenes they would have to adjust the animation to release only 4 months after Japan’s release is really amazing. They have honestly kept to their promise of having faster releases for the overseas editions.
To add, with each new title we are seeing less need to button mash the attack button. For KH3D, I considered the attack button a last resort. There are so many ways in this title to deliver the pain to the attacking Nightmares. With the Free Flow attacks, command deck, Dream Eater links, and Reality Shift, there was little need to use the standard attack combo. The battle system is very fluid, making fights against mobs that much more enjoyable.
I was also struck by how many boss battles there were in this demo. I got to fight on a carriage against a T-Rex Nightmare, fought against a room of Elephant Nightmares where using Free Flow with the environment was key to victory, battles the Beagle Boys twice (once with Sora, and once with Riku), fought a giant Badger Mole Nightmare, and then a final battle against Pete and his minions. It is great increase from past titles, and kept me entertained and on my toes since each battle required different strategies.
And for those worried over headaches with 3D, I can say I played the entire time without turning the 3D off and never had a problem. However, this varies from person to person, and if you already own a 3DS you probably already have an idea of how much your eyes can tolerate the 3D screen. If you’re like me and never have problems playing other games in 3D, then you’ll be fine with this title even with all the flashy attacks.
Overall, I am very impressed with the game, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a diehard KH fan. Square Enix has really gone far to improve the battle system to make this title unique to its predecessors. I have tried to include everything in this impression without boring you with repeated information, but if there is more you want to know, please ask me. And don’t worry; I’m not spoiled so my answers won’t include any spoilers either. And on that topic, no spoilers in this thread please. I hope you guys will be buying KH3D this summer. You certainly won’t regret it ^^
Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance was the demo I dedicated most of my time for at E3. I wanted to make sure I completed both Sora’s and Riku’s story so I can get everything I could from the demo. At Square Enix’s booth, sadly there was never a line to play the game after the first day. On the plus side, though, I could play the game for 40 minutes straight without any worries.
The main thing I focused on when playing was the localization. I have to say, they have done a fantastic job as they always do. Voice acting was top notch. Even with Sora having a young face, Haley Joel Osment’s post-puberty voice didn’t bother me this time around as it did in Re:COM and Coded (the magic a simple wardrobe change can do). David Gallagher also does well in Riku’s expanded role in this title. The translation team also did a fantastic job, using English idioms and characterization to make the game feel as though it were made originally made for English speakers.
What really impressed me was the amount of shots that had fully animated facial expressions. It seems with each title that comes out the generic talking animation is utilized less and less. With this title, the emotion put into the characters body movement and facial expressions (and everything is animated to the English voice actors) brings out these voice actor’s talents even more. There were moments where Sora looked so sad it broke my heart. They have done a great job localizing the game for us, and with the sheer amount of scenes they would have to adjust the animation to release only 4 months after Japan’s release is really amazing. They have honestly kept to their promise of having faster releases for the overseas editions.
To add, with each new title we are seeing less need to button mash the attack button. For KH3D, I considered the attack button a last resort. There are so many ways in this title to deliver the pain to the attacking Nightmares. With the Free Flow attacks, command deck, Dream Eater links, and Reality Shift, there was little need to use the standard attack combo. The battle system is very fluid, making fights against mobs that much more enjoyable.
I was also struck by how many boss battles there were in this demo. I got to fight on a carriage against a T-Rex Nightmare, fought against a room of Elephant Nightmares where using Free Flow with the environment was key to victory, battles the Beagle Boys twice (once with Sora, and once with Riku), fought a giant Badger Mole Nightmare, and then a final battle against Pete and his minions. It is great increase from past titles, and kept me entertained and on my toes since each battle required different strategies.
And for those worried over headaches with 3D, I can say I played the entire time without turning the 3D off and never had a problem. However, this varies from person to person, and if you already own a 3DS you probably already have an idea of how much your eyes can tolerate the 3D screen. If you’re like me and never have problems playing other games in 3D, then you’ll be fine with this title even with all the flashy attacks.
Overall, I am very impressed with the game, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a diehard KH fan. Square Enix has really gone far to improve the battle system to make this title unique to its predecessors. I have tried to include everything in this impression without boring you with repeated information, but if there is more you want to know, please ask me. And don’t worry; I’m not spoiled so my answers won’t include any spoilers either. And on that topic, no spoilers in this thread please. I hope you guys will be buying KH3D this summer. You certainly won’t regret it ^^