Merilly

This won't contain any spoilers, but after finishing KH3, I really don't know what all this negative fuss was about. I was expecting them to do something horrendous which would tear apart our entire conception of Kingdom Hearts but got nothing that bad. KH3 has flaws. Tons of them, just like every other game. There are quite a few things I personally would have done differently, paced in a different manner or excluded in favor of more story (like minigames), but for me, it was not nearly as atrocious as some people claim it to be. Of course people can continue to believe that. It's their opinion after all and I can't tell anyone how to experience a game or how to deal with their expectations. We had a long time to envision how the perfect game would be for us. And KH3 doesn't come close to what I imagined. But it is still Kingdom Hearts in every way by doing that. It's not much different than any of the other titles in that regard. Even KH2 had tons of complaints when it came out. The prologue, people complaining about mashing triangle too much and beating enemies without actually doing something, having so many cutscenes that you sometimes couldn't take one step, the Disney worlds being too detached from the overall plot way too often, etc. People tend to forget that they complained a lot about KH2 too when it came out. Despite not having a lot of expectations. KH3 could have never lived up to the hype without being 200 hours long. And even then it wouldn't have been perfect for all of us because we all wanted different things and focused on different aspects of a game, be it gameplay, story, graphics, etc. KH3 isn't what I wanted and I can't glorify my gripes to make it such. Certain aspects bug me and others were just downright not explainable. However, it also had a lot of good things. I laughed so much. More like in any other KH title. I still got some things I wanted. What was shown was good, even if it could have been more. In some aspects it was even more than I could have asked for. All in all, it just falls in line with the rest of the franchise as not making it more dramatic than KH actually ever was. And for that, I am actually glad. More than anything, I am sad to see this saga go. It isn't as bad as a final goodbye to a franchise since it was confirmed to continue way before its release, but it's close. It has been 5 1/2 years since its announcement. Times where this site blew up from every little bit of information given. That time was wrought with so many emotions. For now, we have to bid this farewell. Maybe until the next DLC or the next game. Maybe the wait won't be as long next time now that they somewhat have the engine under control. But I'll look forward to doing it again all over with all of the excitement, worries, happiness and fears.

I think that depends on the expectation and what the individual considers satisfying. I've seen very mixed feelings even from the most die-hard fans. Some found it to be everything they needed, others are unhappy with just about everything. There's just no way to please everyone and I think if it seems more satisfying to the general public, it's because they didn't have extremely high expectations which are simply impossible to fulfill. I can imagine that the general public was not satisfied by the story since they wouldn't be able to understand everything. Which is not to say KH3 doesn't have flaws. I do have quite a few gripes as well. And there's also the possibility to just dislike something. But I dare say some of that loathing for some is due to overblown hype.

I don't like any of them. I already thought the ones in KHUx were a pain (much like a majority of the people I'm in contact with), but the amount of minigames in KH3 is ridiculous and probably among my biggeet gripes with the game. It's no secret that I loathe minigames and I still wonder what made them think that KH3 needed even more than the rest of the franchise. When you ask people what they like about the franchise, I've never heard the minigames being mentioned a whole lot except for a few side remarks somewhere down the list perhaps in a few select cases. Most of the time people expressed their frustrationnor simply didn't care for them. I really would have appreciated if they had toned that down a little and traded it for something else. Like a quest system, more interactions between original characters, some original worlds being a little larger, a good coliseum like in KH1 or at least an arena like in BBS, or whatever else to make it feel like KH3 isn't 40% minigames (if you were to do all of them)... I'm not even debating to try any of them unless they have to be done or provide something extremely valuable and even then it would mostly be a pain in the neck and nothing to enjoy.

I agree with Dustin Lübbers on this. "The" game is a standard that cannot be fulfilled, not only because the entirety of what fans would have wanted would have gone way past the amount they could fit into one game without passing the 200 hours mark but also because each fan has a different concept of what "the" game would entail since everyone loves different things, cherishes different characters and needs different things for a game to be amazing. Some need more gameplay, other more story. Some want more focus on this character, others want to know more about that one. Quite a few want a happy ending, others prefer a tragic or at least bittersweet one. That's simply the problem. When we say it isn't "the" game we were hoping for, we have to be aware of the fact that it could never be what we're hoping for. Not only due to the amount of time and lore adding to the difficulty of resolving everything in a satisfying manner, but also because that's super subjective. For some it may have even exceeded their expectations and it's 90% what they had hoped for. (Since 100% is only possible if you wish for merely a few things, which is fairly unlikely at this point in the franchise.) There's really no issue with being disappointed in certain aspects of the game or even a lot of decisions they made. I also have my gripes, just like with any game out there. But we can't glorify the other KH titles as if they didn't have exactly the same issues or others for that matter. I also had to stop myself at times and remind myself that the franchise has done that time and time again. And that does help. Once I made myself aware again that I wasn't disappointed with how the other games handled it, the thing which I was disturbed about became different. It was still an issue, there's no justification for that, but it falls in line with what KH has always done. Does it make it better? No, but it makes it easier to accept. I have my own gripes with the game. Things which have disappointed me, things which I would have liked to be resolved differently and things which could have been improved from my subjective point of view. But there are also many things which have made me happy, which made me laugh at how silly and how much KH it simply was, and things which left me in awe. I think the best way to treat this game is to be open to have our perception of what would have been perfect challenged. This doesn't mean that we should support everything blindly or put some sort of artificial halo above the game and ignore its flaws. It just means that we can still find a lot of brilliance in something even if it defies our desires. Our perception of what KH3 should have been has changed again and again over the years with each additional game. The KH3 we've been waiting for after KH2 isn't the same as the one we've expected after DDD. Mainly because so much has happened in the meantime. There was no Master Xehanort in KH2. The most we had was the secret ending which I remember many believed to be hinting at KH3. Actually, there was not much to envision after KH2 because the story had been pretty much concluded with a few loose ends here and there but all in all, everyone was together, the bad guys defeated and the worlds safe. Had a KH3 followed then, people wouldn't have had much time to really expect anything. There would have been little to theorize about. But now that we've been given all that time, our own view of KH has expanded to a point where no game would have become "the" game everyone was hoping for. Because that wouldn't be attainable after so many different theories and desires and after throwing so much into the games which followed KH2. Which isn't bad, but once you realize that it can't achieve what everyone wants, it becomes easier to accept certain things as just being there. Maybe not as ideal as we imagined for ourselves, but a lot was still acceptable, regardless of what I personally would have wanted. Long story short: I believe KH3 doesn't have more flaws than any other KH game. Not necessarily fewer either though. In a lot of aspects it's pretty much what the franchise is known for, be it positive or negative. I'm not taking anyone's right away to be disappointed or hate the game either. I just think that at least some people wouldn't be as negative if they wouldn't cling to their expectations to such a degree and be a little more open-minded to the fact that the game could have never been perfect with how much hype was built up over the years. Some things always have to suffer or have to be crushed beneath that heavy weight since you cannot have everything in a game that's been in development for roughly 5 years. Even my own idea of what should have been in KH3 to make it perfect would have easily spanned 200-300 hours all in all. Now imagine adding all other opinions and reaching a common ground. The game would have never been finished.

I can't and won't tell you to think differently but saying you feel like you were betrayed is heavily exaggerated and not reasonable. If anything can be betrayed, it's your own expectations of what the perfect conclusion should have looked like but quite frankly, that's no betrayal. You are free to dislike it and criticize it as I have seen plenty of others do, but claiming this feels like a betrayal is exactly the reason why some outside the fandom think the fans indulge in a huge sense of entitlement. As I said, I have nothing against people criticizing and hating the decisions they made. It's impossible to like everything and seeing the game through a thick layer of pure fanatism isn't healthy either. But let's not act like we have any say in the matter of how it should have played out. We can be disappointed or frustrated but as some said, many years of expectations are bound to backlash because by now, we all have had expectations of some sort, be they high or low. I don't want to say something to every point but rather generalize something. Like others said before, after years of predictions it made sense the game would be fairly predictable. If you want to see that as a negative aspect, be my guest, but I don't see much value in incorporating shocking plot twists just for the sake of being shocking, not because they actually make sense in the end. As for the people who are so intent on having their favorite pairing confirmed by bold declarations of love: Nomura said in an interview years ago that this series is primarily about friendship. It's the main topic. Ship whoever you like but suddenly trying to determine the worth of the game based on whether character x kisses character y in a game that clearly has a different focus than a sloppily written romance is simply not understandable for me and shouldn't even be part of any list on why the game is bad. Not when romance outside of the Disney universe has never been such a huge deal in Kingdom Hearts. That's something I believe should be left to the imagination of the individual player. I'm not saying you don't have some valid points. Some are fine to criticize or even show some anger about. It's just that I feel some criticism is worded in a way that makes little sense, especially when comparing it to previous entries. For example, it's fine to criticize a lack of socializing or empty areas as a whole but it's not like all other KH games did not suffer from the same issues, hence not making KH3 worse than any other game in the franchise and making a comparison in those aspects impossible. KH2 has just as many empty areas as KH3 does, if not more. Outside of SDG, there's not a lot of out-of-context socializing done throughout the games for any of the original characters. I also wish for more in that area, the criticism is certainly legitimate, but KH3 is not any worse in that aspect than the other games.

I chose standard because some enemies just have ridiculous amounts of health from early on which naturally make the fights longer (though not necessarily more difficult) since the damage output is fairly normal in comparison. I'd say it's about the same difficulty as in 0.2 with it being a little more challenging than the rest of the franchise but still mostly comfortable. I also chose that setting because I just prefer my first playthrough to be balanced and fairly smooth. I'm no hardcore gamer and some of the new mechanics take time to get used to, especially since Flow Motion has been nerfed into the ground. Even worse than the demo. I'd also like to get through the story swiftly to avoid spoilers while still enjoying it on a calm level where I don't feel my wrists are falling off or I'll have to level excessively to get by. The conditions for the secret ending are also not that harsh in comparison to KH2 on standard. I will probably do a proud mode playthrough after finishing though. The story aspect is the most important one for me so that's the best option without it being too easy or too hard/long-winding for a first time playing the game. I want to take in as much as possible and I feel that's sometimes hard if I have to concentrate a lot on battling.

I don't think this is a spoiler, but I recommend watching/reading the two most recent story updates from the Japanese KHUx. A dialogue in the prologue makes much more sense when you've seen it. It's not absolutely vital for the understanding but I can imagine that any question less is welcomed and you won't have to guess anything. If that's a spoiler, I'm sorry. >_<

Exactly. Stores all over Europe are allowed to and usually we aren't exactly the favored part of the world in terms of games. From what the employee told me, the permit came from Square Enix Europe themselves, so I don't see an issue to make that a worldwide thing.

While I am happy I got my copy today (or yesterday here), I don't really get why they don't just greenlight it for all retailers. GameStop Germany received permission and it's a part of an international chain, I don't really see what's so problematic. It can't be marketing as initially assumed since they wouldn't have allowed it to be sold then... At this point they should just get it over with...

Just got the call from my GameStop that they're allowed to sell KH3 from today onward so I can pick up my pre-order. So if anyone lives in Germany and doesn't want to wait: They have the game.

While there might be a bit of drama at first, I agree that it probably won't be that drastic. I'm not shipping anyone in KH since it's about friendship for me primarily, but if I know one thing for sure, it's that the canon has hardly ever stopped those die-hard shippers from defending their OTP to the death. They might be a little upset at first if there's something but will probably go back to business afterward.

A store in my vicinity lists it as in stock, too. I doubt they would if they don't have it, though I'm fairly torn about getting it.

Score aside, I actually didn't think the review they did was too bad. The person seemed to know the games and painted a mostly positive picture of the game while addressing a few things where they found room for improvement. I'm usually also critical of IGN, but I can't say it was a bad review. And after reading some spoiler-free comments about certain story/character decisions causing people to be angry, I wouldn't deem the score that bad. Reviews are always, at least partly, subjective but at least this time, I think they chose a person who actually knows their way around KH and expressed genuine enjoyment of the game even though they also remained critical of certain decisions. 8.7 is not a terrible score and we do have to consider that KH3 will also have flaws. A 10/10 is something I can't see, especially after seeing how glaring that glowing wave effect on the walls is without an option to turn it off. Since it disturbs the visuals, that's already a few points off for me on a personal level. Either way, if you read the review, I wouldn't consider it a bad review. The score they chose seemed to be justified based on the impression the reviewer got. Of course some of these are subjective but they gave it a better score than some of the others. I'm not going to defend IGN as a whole, but this review in particular could have been much worse. They chose a person who's familiar with the franchise and that person tried to give a mostly balanced insight on what to expect without resorting to spoilers while still attributing that some things are just what the franchise is known for without actually critcizing the aspect. And some of the points they mentioned, which likely affected the rating, would make sense to me if they're true. How many points they remove for each of the negative aspects can be debated but 8.7/10 isn't demeaning at all, especially if you read how they came to that conclusion. I also read the Polygon one and it didn't appeal to me either. I have nothing against criticism but some of the statements didn't make sense. Of course they can criticize that the areas feel empty for example but the way it was presented made it seem like the other KH titles weren't and that only KH3 suffers from that. All in all, they seem to contradict themselves in some aspects which makes it hard for me to consider it a good review. It's not balanced either because they made it appear like one of the worst games that have come out, barely mentioning a positive aspect. Now, some may consider it as such, but I think that reviews should be balanced and I doubt that KH3 only consists of negative aspects. Someone in the comments section mentioned that Polygon only ever gives good reviews for dark and socially/politically critical types of games and that review did make me think that, too since especially Sora's cheerfulness was called unnerving. I'm not saying everything they say has to be wrong in the end, but it just didn't feel written in a way that was neutrally analyzing the game but rather a rant of all its shortcomings. In the end, reviews are nice thing to read to get different opinions but shouldn't be taken into account when it comes to the decision of playing/watching it. Some people like this, others hate that and another faction couldn't care less about the same choice for the game. It's just personal preference, which is why these should always be taken with a grain of salt. What we can't forget either is that this game generated so much hype over the years that we're bound to be disappointed in some way or another. Not necessarily with the game in general, but certainly with some of their decisions. I'm actually surprised it received many good scores with how high the expectations are for this game and how many people were angry at story decisions in a thread in the forum. (Which is legitimate but I expected to find some of that in the reviews as well and have it affect the score.)

To be honest, it's healthy not to glorify every little decision they made. Even if it's just a subjective feeling or objective plot holes, it's valid to be a fan who will look at it from more angles than just the superficial halo some are putting above the games. Every game, or even any type of fiction, has flaws and I see no issues to name them, even if others think differently. I mean, you're doing it in a neutral way which is totally fine. I tend to do the same and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I find it more questionable when people have only positive opinions because I find it hard to believe they'd like everything, just as I question why some "fans" only complain since it makes me wonder why they even continue playing the franchise if it upsets them so much. I'm not worried by a single post but rather by the collective amount I've seen without searching for it. It just feels like a lot of negativity even if it may not be the same for me. The problem here are my own doubts I had from the very beginning and these post were merely adding fuel to a fire that was already burning. I've been worried about how the characters could have their stories resolved from the point they added up more and more after BBS. It's basically like Infinity War. If you throw this many characters together, a lot of which have been the main focus of a game or more, it becomes hard to do all of them justice. And even if games can have more volume than a movie, it shouldn't feel like you can only walk one step before the next cutscene happens or have 15 minute-long scenes to sit through. Either way, I still value having read your opinion. My anxious feelings weren't created by your post alone and I think it's actually good to be prepared. I will always take reviews and opinions with a grain of salt because games only have few objective criteria and many subjective ones. It still interests me what others think of this or that though, regardless of my own opinion potentially differing from yours in the end so I'll look forward to actually being able to discuss them in the future.

That's one of the things I've been extremely worried about. Disney's increased involvement and them being a lot more critical with the content of KH3. If we compare the interviews from previous games where Nomura said they more or less allowed everything except for a few things and newer ones where he said it was difficult, it's obvious that Disney played a huge role in this. I'm not hating on Disney but from the very beginning of KH3's development, it felt like Disney was pushing its own properties more than KH's original content. Now, KH does belong to them officially, but we all know that they haven't been that interested in the franchise until KH3 rolled around since it was something they considered small and because they didn't develop it, it was a side project at best. I just found that all Disney characters looked significantly better in the beginning compared to original characters and that perfectionism isn't easy to work with. Both Pixar and Disney are great with animated movies. The problem is that I fear they know little about the limitations of video games and demand more than is realistically possible. I actually don't play it for the gameplay alone, not even for the most part. I do enjoy it of course and it's fun but what made me choose and stick to KH over the hundreds of other games was its story. Because other games have brilliant gameplay as well. Of course you are right that a game is ultimately hard to enjoy when the gameplay is terrible because it's what we do for a majority of the game. Then it would make more sense to make a movie or series rather than a game. But in terms of RPGs, I mostly play them for the story. Still, you are right that an epic boss battle or combat in general does not signify good writing but simply great work in terms of gameplay. Btw, thanks for sharing these things (such as subjective ratings and explanations) without spoilers. I am curious what people think about the game but don't want to be spoiled too much so that's a really good thread for that. It's great that you, and everyone else who has replied to this, are very careful with your wording so nothing gets accidentally spoiled. It at least provides some clarity, which is admittedly hard to achieve without revealing too much.

I won't look it up either but I have to admit that these verdicts don't sound so promising. While some of you did write they still enjoyed the game, it doesn't really sound like it's a good game if I read some are prepared to leave the franchise. 'Enjoy' just sounds like something you can say to a lot of games which doesn't make it good, special or even worth it as the climax to a saga. I'll still want to experience it for myself and form my own opinion but if so many people criticize certain aspects, it would be a lie to say I'm not anxious if this will be a terrible game in terms of story and could potentially ruin the franchise. There's only so much an epilogue can fix after all. It might be able to complete the ending but might not be able to make everything concise. Maybe they should have taken more time to work on the characters instead of adding things no one really needs or wants like a plethora of mini-games. I just hope it will not be as bad as some say. It's not like I don't believe either of you but some things can't be objectively stated and applied to everyone. And especially for those who have been hyping it up to the sky, I feel like expectations not being met could also add to it, which makes me question how much KH3 can achieve of those.

I went to the one in London in 2017 and Munich in 2018, so this time it will be Cologne :D. It's actually convenient for those attending the gamescom since it's taking place on the last day of the convention. I already booked a room and will immediately buy the tickets when they become available. >_< I'm so excited since I absolutely adored the other two concerts. Even if there weren't many differences, but hearing it live is just such an emotional experience and both times, they performed just brilliantly. The one in London felt a bit more precise but they were still so worth it. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't gone and has the possibility to attend one. It's well worth the money and a unique kind of experience you won't be able to witness every day.

Uh, aren't those scrunchies? Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I saw pictures of people wearing them, so they're not handkerchiefs.

More and more leaks... I'm just going to browse incognito from now on. I don't think I've gotten too spoiled since it was one sentence out of context where I'm not even sure it's from the game or just some video title so it's still good. Clearing the watch history didn't work out for me, probably because I've subscribed to content creators which post KH stuff even when I haven't watched a video in weeks and clicked a lot of cat videos and the like. And I don't want to remove my subscriptions for that. But incognito mode works fairly well. I have to turn it on again from time to time but it does work. One more week. Come one, time, run faster. =_=

There's nothing bad about that. I think many of us have something which they've found through another medium, be it a band or game or maybe just through friends. But it's possible to then stay for the music because you liked it, regardless of KH being involved and then it isn't important how you found out about the artist but rather that you stuck with them. Which doesn't imply that you've got to like every single song but I can't deny that I also became interested in other games due to them being mentioned elsewhere and not because I actively searched them out. Sometimes I wasn't even interested in it at first. So yeah, the reason may not be that important, but I still find it interesting to know somehow what lead people to their likes and dislikes. So it's nice of you to share that. After all, no one's a worse fan just because they found out about her through KH.

That's not what I meant. I meant whether her success in general is also due to KH since the games have been around for a very long time and I'm not sure if all her fans simply found out about her due to coincidence or ads or something or whether KH also fueled her success. This wasn't meant to be demeaning or insulting her own work and talent, it's just an objective question which interests me since it's not that common that an artist who sings primarily Japanese songs is that recognized on an international level.

I wonder if this would have still been the case if it weren't related to KH. I know she has a fanbase outside of the franchise but I'm not sure if that would be enough to reach a #1 ranking in the international charts. I don't mean anything bad by this despite my dislike for the songs but if it weren't for KH, I wouldn't even know Skrillex or Utada exist. It's still good for them and I don't think it's undeserved, regardless of personal preferences.

I think there's nothing wrong with having that mindset. Everyone is different after all and for some it means more hype, for others it's the point where they draw the line. I personally make it dependent on the game. KH3 is special to me and nothing beats playing a game for the first time and knowing just the things they have given us through official means. I'm not as drastic to avoid those as well but I still want the experience to feel special, which it can't be by knowing the entire plot. I will also play it with my friend and it's the first time we'll be playing a KH game together where we are both on the same page. Since I introduced her to the series merely two yeard ago and I've been a long-time fan, I of course knew everything and she nothing. For me, that's a very personal reason why I don't want to see the leaks. We'll be experiencing and reacting to everything together while knowing the same things and if I already know more again, it would ruin what we have planned. Another factor is that seeing more and more snippets could potentially confuse me as to where to place them. However, that's still up for the individual to decide how much they want to know. I'm not even against leaks in general if the copy is legal if the leakers and those who watch their content would respect the wishes of others to remain unspoiled. If they had remained in their spoler corner and would tag it appropriately (and maybe not upload it to YouTube with its algorithm), I doubt anyone would bother to make such a fuss about the leaks. Unfortunately, some people just like to ruin it for others. But I still won't think that anyone who watches them is disrespectful to the developers since they don't exactly get harmed by people playing it early. At least in no way I can think of right now. It's probably too subjective to find a reason which encompasses every person's own view on the matter with just one explanation. You are free to watch them and I don't think there's anything wrong with that opinion. I think many people just value that feeling of excitement that comes with playing or seeing something for the very first time. That's not something that can be replicated by normal means and it's a different emotion compared to the second or nth time playing a game. Knowing what will happen won't necessarily diminish the joy of playing it yourself, but each bit of knowledge removes a little from that feeling mentioned above and of the surprise some moments might carry. It's not the same for everyone and not everyone shares the same level of excitement or is even invested in the franchise the same way, but I can understand most views on the matter. I can only tell you that a lot of people cherish the experience of a first playthrough of a series they love without knowing everything a lot more than others. And if that's what it takes for them to be happy, I think it's just as reasonable as being curious and indulging in the leaks?

To be honest, I would always ignore reviews or opinions before playing the game and just play it yourself first or maybe watch someone else play a few minutes if you aren't sure whether to buy it. The thing about opinions is that they're just that - opinions. No one can tell you what to enjoy and what to dislike and even if 90% say the game is terrible, you can still be among those who had a blast playing it. A review or opinion won't affect how much fun you had/have playing it. It's not the first time people hates a game and I still loved it or that many people enjoyed it and I found it terrible. Another factor is that people are also out to just troll others. Not by spreading leaks but by making people anxious that the game will be trash. Which it can be for some but we can't forgot that the higher the expectations are, the harder it will be to satisfy them and some take even the tiniest disappointment as a reason to dislike the game. It also depends on who the person is who said that. Are they fans deeply invested in the series? Casual players who've only played some games? New players who complain that they don't understand what's going on? Either way, Twitter isn't too much of a problem for me since I don't follow a lot of people and those I do follow wouldn't share them. YouTube and Tumblr in particular are very dangerous though since they recommend content based on your searches too. I haven't watched a KH video with my account in ages and still got leaks recommended. But it is possible to avoid them and it's worked so far, at least for YouTube. The rest will be something I'll avoid until the game is out. Once it is, you won't see me online much anyway until I'm done.

I'm suffering with you... The last days are stretching on like chewing gum but eventually, we'll also be done with that. 8 more days, a little more than a week. It's not worth it to ruin the experience for that for sure. Though we have to be careful with the leakers trying to compete against each other for a fleeting moment of attention and with more and more people getting the game early.