Merilly

If critical is even available from the start... But that's not a difficulty I'll start with. I like my first experience to be a balanced one without too much frustration, especially because the game appears a little more difficult than usual if I take the demo into account. I want to have a relaxed and fun time, so standard all the way for the first playthrough. Though you are free to choose your own of course. There's nothing wrong with wanting a challenge right of the bat, I just prefer to experience the story first without too many interruptions to that.

Stay strong! 9 more days to go. Always remember that we waited years so 9 days are nothing in comparison.

Seems like more and more people are getting their copies early, which is why I'm probably avoiding Twitter, Youtube and the like earlier than originally planned. To be honest, I could probably get it through connections as well but I don't see a point in this case. I want to finish the game when the epilogue is already out and not before and then having to wait a few more days to complete the experience. It would feel lacking without the epilogue included and not really satisfying. When I start on the 29th (or maybe a day earlier), I likely won't be finished by the 30th (if I am, then the game is too short ) so that's fine but if I were to start now, it's possible for me to get to the ending before.

You're right but in the end I have to question these people with "does it really matter now?", because despite also feeling some disappointment here and there, I always believed that the game will come out when it's done and regardless of what was said and couldn't be kept (despite me being rather certain that they did try to stick to their announcements and weren't intending to mess up), the game would essentially be released at some point. I'm not saying people can't be angry but in regard to some announcements, it was simply ridiculous to which extent some were indulging in their wrath and what they believed they were entitled to. People were yelling for a release date, pressuring SE to the point where they could not post anything without someone asking about it and telling them to hurry up. And then they were furious when things couldn't be done as intended because they just revealed the information to shut them up? This double standard is terrible, even if it only pertains to a few individuals. But I digress. In the end I firmly believe it's simply not worth it to let negative feelings persist and potentially affect the experience of the game. I want to play KH3 without lingering on topics which are ultimately without relevance at this point since the game will release in 10 days for us and 6 for Japan. I don't think it will be in anyone's favor to let any of this affect our joy in just playing the game, without feeling forced to needlessly dwell on the drama involved during development which has little to do with the game on its own. But that's just me and I can't order people what to feel. Speaking for myself, I won't let any of it ruin my perception of the game and my excitement for it. The only thing left to feel conflicted about would be the game and it will speak for itself. It will defy and confirm expectations, will disappoint in some regards and pleasantly surprise us in others. That's all that will matter to me at this point and not some unshown trailer which won't really tell me anything about the game I won't know by then or a minor delay.

Sorry I'm just a little bit exhausted by people throwing around strong words like "betrayal" and "lies" when anything relating to KH doesn't go their way, even for the slightest of mistakes or misunderstandings. It makes me question whether people actually know the definitions and connotations of those words. It was disappointing and everyone has the right to be frustrated and be vocal about that in a civil manner, but we don't know what actually went on behind the scenes so such words are putting down a company's reputation to an extremely low level for a comparably little issue. It was just a trailer. They didn't say they would save the earth and then willingly proceeded to destroy it behind our backs while we supported their superficially good cause. That would be a betrayal. In the end they messed up. There's no way to make it sound better or defend that. They broke a promise, regardless of it being intentional or not and of course that's not something to praise them for. But we can't forget there are people working there and people make mistakes. I still find it hard to accuse them of ill intentions when that obviously would immediately backfire against them. Long story short, words like "betrayal" and "lies" are extremely harsh and most of the time simply wrong. I just find such reactions over the top when we consider it was just a trailer, probably the one we saw above. No harm has befallen us as a consequence except for wasting some time in the worst case. And I don't think it's necessary to still get worked up over a missing trailer 10 days before the international release. The only thing that was betrayed were our expectations and that's our fault as well.

While that situation was terrible, I'm actually more disappointed that Europe receives no bonus for buying from there whatsoever. While Europe usually gets the short end of the stick in both games and merchandise, some similar retailers at least provide a bonus as well, even if they aren't the same. I'm not chasing after goodies, I'm just disappointed that Amazon cares so little. However, I think it's time to let go of that ordeal. You don't have to forgive them but the game is nearly there. They messed up greatly, no denying that, but it was still just a trailer. No one really got harmed except their own reputation. It's not a betrayal either. It was a lie in the worst case though we can't even be sure of that since we don't know what actually happened. There needs to be an intention involved for those terms to apply.

I just saw a KH3 commercial on TV for the first time. It feels so real now and so close...

I like the way it is presented but I prefer the BBS logo in terms of font. Of course we will have to wait for the animated version but the font is so generic somehow and doesn't really suit the state of this world with those simple golden letters. Except for its surroundings, it doesn't really look threatening at all, whereas the other world names blend in with the theme of their world quite nicely. It's not that important but I just enjoyed how it was set up in BBS with the Kingdom Key and the harsher letters, despite the rest looking very good in this one too.

That's a nice idea for newcomers or those who aren't certain yet since for most of these dates, the game is already out and there probably won't be extremely long lines of people waiting to play it anymore since they can just buy it. Other than that it's not really of interest to me since the location I could visit is open on the release day and one day before and it's really not worth it to wait when I can just play it in full. I kinda think itbwould have been nice if they did that a little earlier. While it's a smart move to avoid too large crowds and get people to spontaneously buy the game, it doesn't make much sense for fans. Though since this is a marketing decision, fans were never the target audience anyway, considering they're likely to purchase it regardless.

While that's a possibility, I do question why they just said nothing then or evaded the answer. These two answers were pretty clear and not evasive at all. Especially on Twitter, they could simply choose to say nothing, yet Leon's VA took his time to answer. It seems strange for them to lie in order not to break the NDA instead of remaining silent from the beginning so they won't risk anything. Another option would be that they were replaced. I doubt that since there doesn't seem be a reason for that, but in that case they wouldn't have recorded anything. I'm also a bit skeptical because they talked so much about FF characters not being as important anymore (which I couldn't disagree more with, otherwise we could say the same about Disney), as though they were trying to convince the fans that their inclusion is unnecessary and prepare them for the fact that there won't be much FF in KH anymore. Of course I hope for the opposite because it's obvious many of us enjoyed their part more than other interactions, but they made a huge deal out of it nonetheless. I've said it before, but I'd be severely disappointed if Winnie the Pooh made the cut but Radiant Garden, even as a possibly small world, didn't, along with its characters. There are so many plot opportunities wasted in favor of having another minigame world.

While I hate to even suggest it or entertain such a thought, it might be part of future DLC if it is indeed not part of the game. Mainly because Radiant Garden would not be wasting a Disney world while still handling those FF characters carefully (whatever Nomura means with that since there were no issues with their implementation in the past and I doubt many of us wish for them to be present the whole time either.).

You just have to press the eye icon in the editor. Though I don't know whether that's the same outside of the mobile website.

Just saying spoiler won't stop people from accidentally reading it. Other than that I've also said enough why FF also belongs in KH and not just Disney, especially considering KH3 is about resolutions and the whole Radiant Garden thing was not resolved in my opinion. Not gonna rant about that again either. It won't make me hate the game but it would be a missed opportunity.

Why though? I'm not against it or anything since it's your decision but I'm curious why you want to wait. Personally, I won't be able to finish it in under two days (unless it's even shorter than the other KH games which I doubt) anyway so there won't be any harm in starting already. It would only bother me if I would reach the end beforehand and therefore be denied the pleasure of the epilogue in my first playthrough. Apart from that, I also miss the times where games were complete. I realize they want to protect people from leaks but why do those without a good internet connection need to suffer? It may not be that common anymore but even with leaks there shouldn't be much of a problem to bridge that gap. I'm at least hwppy they won't do it later than that. A game should be complete upon release. While I will play through it again anyway, the epilogue is something I don't want to see added in after I'm done since the first time playing is a one in a lifetime thing and something like this spoils it. Leaks or not, if the epilogue and secret ending are considered the only thing they want to protect as the biggest spoiler, something is wrong with the game or their perception of what fans consider a big spoiler.

I think especially the fans should be aware that the novels aren't canon since they know the series. If the novel diverges from the original source's core concepts, it can't be canon (which doesn't refer to the stories we don't see in the game but rather the ones we do see and are differently presented than the game. These moments should be sufficient for fans to determine those novels aren't canon). We don't know if the Vanitas part, or any extended content for that matter, is canon or not since we were never given much information on him, but I treat the novels in such a way that they're a nice option to get an overview of the series and provide some fodder for thought but as a fan I know to treat any information not given in the game as unconfirmed. Especially because once one "false" information is described, the novel has to be treated as separate from the game as a whole, despite also containing content that happened in the games. As I said, the moment the first novel diverged from how canon scenes played out, for example how the manga describes Nobodies for example, a fan should know this isn't canon but a spin-off at best. I'd see it as more critical when someone only reads them and then plays KH3 first for example, believing the novels are 100% accurate. I don't think all fans even know of the backstory of Vanitas in the BBS novel and those that believe he can turn good merely see that as a possibility why he could be and not as a fact. It's an interpretation and I've rarely seen anyone who claims that this is 100% true. Just like some people ship characters and see certain scenes this or that way. (I also think a few are under that impression because his theme plays in the Heroes and Heroines medley from the Orchestra World Tour.) I believe many people are considering that certain characters could potentially get redeemed due to their circumstances. Vanitas was part of those before the novel even came out because many liked him and would enjoy seeing more of him and have him interact more with the main cast. But most adaptions have to be considered on their own. I firmly believe that many people know that and that some people even buy them because they are different. I have never seen an adaption which could be considered canon unless specified as such by the developers because it's near impossible to stay a 100% true to the source and still expand the experience. That's why I don't like people comparing movies to the book they're based on (cue words: "based on"). That can only end up diminishing the experience. Long story short, especially the fans of the series should be aware neither the novels nor the manga are canon. I trust that most have enough common sense to identify the "flaws" in comparison to the games created by retconned and altered information and immediately come to that conclusion themselves.

That's because they aren't canon but adaptions. Those tend to diverge from the canon quite a bit in some cases, which sometimes isn't that bad because it can be interesting to see a new perspective from time to time. I wasn't too fond of what the KH2 manga did to Xemnas' personality in the last few chapters either since it was vastly different from his in-game depiction for example or how some concepts are completely different from the games, but both the novels and the manga should only be seen as a free interpretation of the events and what might have happened in-between. That's why I wouldn't say it it tends to muddy the canon but that it's simply a different take on certain aspects pertaining to the characters. You can like or dislike what they did with it, but many would find it boring to just read what happened in the games 1:1 because then they could just play the game. I have a similar mindset, even if I don't enjoy some of the differences, but it's nice nonetheless in other circumstances.

It's likely there will eventually be one, considering they're currently releasing the other novels in English by the same author/artist. It might take some time though since I imagine they will first finish those.

There's currently no pre-order bonus for Amazon Germany as far as I'm aware and this particular Keyblade comes with the digital download from the Playstation Store.

Everyone is free to decide to watch these leaks, indulge in discussion, etc over them. I couldn't care less if they do that in their own little corner. Of course there's no denying that the way the copies were received is not acceptable but it's true that people are overreacting to this in particular when people buy stolen goods all the time, sometimes without even knowing it, and there's no huge blow-up over that if it's not KH. It is still illegal and I'm not condoning whatsoever but in terms of leaks in general, no matter the source, I'd be fine if only people were fair enough to stay in their spoiler corner and maybe not post it on Youtube before release. Of course they aren't and that's why it's problematic. There's no reason to share it on Youtube with diliberately spoiling thumbnails and titles. As you said, I'm kinda sick about this whole debate of who is a true KH fan and what makes them true. There is no true or false fan since by a most simplistic definition a fan is someone who likes the series, regardless how he acts toward other fans. No one can strip anyone off the title of fan because of them doing something that person deems unworthy of a fan by their own established standards. Quite frankly, what they believe makes a true fan doesn't matter and this elitist thinking is terrible, especially when they alleviate themselves above others by giving themselves the right to determine who's worthy of being called a true fan. It's deplorable to force spoilers on those who do not wish to see them. Not gonna justify that. But I also believe that witchhunt some people keep doing with threats to a leaker's life, joke or not, are just as illegal, if not more, and not funny. Legal action could be taken against anyone commencing to hunt people down, insult them or post death threats. Just because this is the internet doesn't mean everything can be said without consequences and attaching an edited photo with Sora holding a gun, while fairly harmless on its own, becomes a death threat by law if it's below a caption addressing a person. Sorry for derailing your status like this, Zeldablade. You did absolutely nothing wrong and I support your helpful advice to keep the fanbase safe. I'm glad you weren't exposed too much to leaks and could avoid them in time and also warned others about them again since they've begun flooding the internet excessively now.

While I can understand that worry, wasn't it similar with most other KH games, too? Even after KH2, which had about the most conclusive ending of the series so far (minus the secret ending), people were yelling for a continuation because they knew there was more to come. I think the same will happen with KH3. It will likely have an ending that's similarly satisfying as KH2 was but will still hint at more with a secret ending or some small cliffhanger. I really can't imagine it will be anything along the lines of KH1 for example since Nomura also said the game was about resolutions. If there's too much of a cliffhanger that wouldn't really be true.

I feel you... It's really getting worse by the day. I've never considered myself endangered to be exposed to leaks to such a degree since I'm not even the most active and did a lot of precautionary measurements, but seeing that it even happens to those who've not done much to invite it makes me nervous... I don't want to go dark this early to be honest. I can't really afford it right now but staying on the subscription page is probably the best option for Youtube.

I'm also a bit disappointed that it's so expensive compared to the US version. It would be fine if it was also priced at 399€ like usual when the US has it for 399$, but 70€ more is a bit much. It would be better to get the same version for roughly an equal value, considering the Dollar is weaker than the Euro currently.

Today was the first time Youtube recommended me leaks. And not one but many despite a lot of security measurements being taken on my part to prevent it. Some of them were just recently posted but luckily, I don't feel like I have been spoiled since I didn't see much before removing it from my feed. I didn't even search anything KH-related recently. It just came out of the blue, without a warning because the title was creatively working around my filters. Stay safe, folks. It seems like the next few weeks will be hard. But I guess we all knew that. Though I still feel I'm not prepared.

I don't think that has anything to do with how much he thought about KH3. At the point the interview was given, a lot of KH3 was already planned and it makes sense to think about the future by then, too. KHUx is likely setting the stage for what's to come and while I hope that a lot will be a fresh start, he has to take the rest of the games into account as well to avoid too many inconsistencies. When I'm writing stories, I constantly have to think about the future so it feels woven in naturally and not like something I made up while writing just to sell more, so to speak. I know many series who fell because their creators didn't think about the future in time and hence lost their quality because they couldn't come up with anything fitting or became really inconsistent. There's nothing wrong with coming up with things on the go, this will happen with any work, but Nomura has been saying since forever that KH3 won't be the last of the series and Sora will continue to be the protagonist, so it doesn't surprise me that he will have thought about it extensively, too. But all of that doesn't mean that less work went into the present project. It's just normal to make plans for the future. I dare say KH3 has been the same way before it was announced. A good part was probably drafted by the time they made DDD. This franchise is so big that the next title can't be something entirely new where they can do whatever they want. All this material has to be regarded while making a new plot fit into the overall narrative without seeming too alien.

I'd be fine with even fewer as long as they are incorporated well. KH2 also had the flaw of being too focused on Disney plots, be it original or not, without connecting it to the overall plot. The Organization members were mostly present in the second half on the revisits and even then, their appearances were really short in my opinion to feel them as a threat looming above everything. This time, it seems like it will at least feel like their presence can be felt a good amount of the time and since we have so much to cover, there don't need to be too many optional worlds. (I still hope Radiant Garden as a original world is playable though...) It's fine if Xehanort's influence can be felt in the atmosphere often. Not every single time since it will still have its funny moments but leading up to a final battle, the confrontation needs to be felt.