I have a love hate relationship with... Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance. Hmmm... maybe hate is a little too strong of a word, but there is something that I really dislike.
Kingdom Hearts 3D is fantastic... for the most part. It's actually the 1st Kingdom Hearts game I had the time to play through (thanks to it being on the 3DS; I took it nearly everywhere... trust me on that). I know there are other versions on other handhelds... but this was the first time I gave the game a chance on a handheld. The 3D looks great (usually)... especially during the intro, (man) talk about one of the most beautiful intros I've seen on the 3DS... i'd have to give it to KH:3D.
After watching the intro... I was ready to get into the adventure and petition for a Kingdom Hearts theme park (or at least an attraction at Disney World). They pick you up, and ask if you if you're ready to take a flight into a story you won't easily forget... and your able to appreciate the story without feeling as if you have to play the previous versions to make sense of it. Why? (Keep reading.)
Well... if you access the "Mementos" option, in that section you will find "Chronicles" that allows you to read up on:
This action game not only looks great, but it also plays great (for the most part)... nothing feels rigid when it comes to movement. Attacks are also smooth once you get a nice flow and figure out what attacks work for you as you take on antagonists and dream eaters. Sometimes... you will need to switch up your combat and action commands for specific antagonist, because you will probably have to take on more than one of them a few times. Boss battles are a true test of patience... and not because of the boss, even though a specific character feels a bit overpowered for Sora, but the main problem is the camera.
If you have to lock onto a character in order to keep an eye on them, and then the lock is released and swings to the direction your character is facing... you are sometimes left in deep doo doo. Some fights will feel almost like you've gone super Saiyan while fighting an extremely quick enemy... and you shouldn't have to worry about taking on a camera also. Its not to the degree that it makes the game unplayable, but when you've chipped away at a powerful enemy only to have the camera cost you a victor... it soooo sucks.
(Something that may appear to be a large con... is the "Drop" gauge meter... but it doesn't have to be, you just have to make sure that it doesn't get in your way.)
Don't let that run you away from this awesome game though, especially since the replay value is there. You have the option to complete each world 100% as you progress through the story... or you can complete the story and then go back to complete every stage at 100%. Will anything else occur after you've beaten the game? See for yourself, and don't ignore the ending credits, etc. (especially if you're a fan of the franchise because there are some things that you may want to see).
More replay value comes into play in the form of street pass challenges that other players leave in various locations of a world... and you also have the option of leaving challenges (of various types), these are known as Link Portals. Challenges will test you to destroy a set amount of dream eaters in a specific time, or do something else in a specific way before the time runs out. While the street pass link portals can be fun and deliver replay value... the Flick Rush card game delivers the most replay value (for me at least), especially if you have other people to play with in wireless battles. This mini game uses the dream eaters from the main game and pits them against each other (yours against theirs... whether CPU or fellow gamer). Flick Rush plays great and it would've been great if they actually did more with this... even though it can be frustrating at times, but if you understand the rules, it can be a lot of fun and something to really get into (with enough people available).
Since you train and nurture your spirits... and they roam with you during your adventure (fighting at your side), they also gain EXP based on how often you use them, feed them... and all that good stuff. Having a nice strong team of dream eaters for flick rush battles, goes a long way... and there are multiple to choose from (50+ to be more specific). I have my primary set and they have gotten me through nearly all of the tournament cups so far with a gold rating... but its not a cake walk. Flick Rush is a pet battling card game hybrid, and the time it takes to build up the meter to make moves with multiple cards... is something that you have to take into account if you want to win with a good ranking. Practice in the long run... benefit you it will, young Padawan. I have to bring up one thing about Flick Rush that's a con (a very small con), which is the visual presentation given once the final strike is made in battle. The match goes from looking fine in 3D during the match... but once the final hit is made, things get blurry and even though you're probably happy that you've won (if you didn't lose), its hard to appreciate. There could've been another approach for that.
There are also extras to enjoy like the physical dream eaters collectible cards, playing mini games with them, building up and unlocking new skills for them, etc. Its pretty extensive and something that I've really appreciated. Dream eaters/Spirits are a joy to have in this game when they aren't knocking me off of a platform that took awhile to reach (after appearing out of thin air). In-game... your able to use your dream eaters in various ways, and since you're able to have two with you most of the time, you have the ability to let them not only assist you in battle individually, but they can also heal you, protect you, "Link" up with one for a powerful attack... or link up with both for a devastating attack or to become even more powerful for a very limited time (which comes in handy).Based on the various "Dream Pieces" you obtain, you are able to also put them to use in the spirits section outside of simply feeding and building up current spirits, because you're able to also combine specific ones to create new spirits (that you have the option to name). Paint is available to change up the look of the spirit, as well as other things that give them some individuality. What's cool about this, is that if someone is a fan of digital pets, they have an option to not only enjoy them in this game in the main adventure... but also in multiple other ways.
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| I won't be mentioning any other characters, so that you're able to enjoy the game yourselves... if you haven't already. |
Tip: I enjoy both playable characters... but Riku flows a bit better in battle, while Sora is a bit more goofy in movement. You have to know how to adjust to handling Sora in an effective way in order to progress successfully, but its enjoyable to consider various strategic approaches. Go near the Flick Rush battle area near the big meow dog shaped hot air balloon and practice moves to avoid any dream eaters from appearing.
As far as extra... I can't forget about these, especially for those of you that love cutscenes! You also have access to those in the Momentos section under "Flashbacks" & "Cutscenes". The cutscene section even gives you the option of viewing all the videos one after the other automatically in some of the particular categories. Though their not exactly long enough to sit back and relax with some popcorn a cup of Kupo Cola... its still pretty cool.
Overall, Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance is a fantastic experience... taking players further in the franchise (with the option of catching up on what happened in the past). Its one of those titles worthy of being added to your permanent library (if you like such games), very solid gameplay, the visuals are awesome, and there is plenty of replay value and substance. There is still more as far as replay value is concerned, based on an extra mini-game that I won't mention here... but you get the idea.
Price wise... the game was released at a reasonable price and is available for less than $29.99 on the Nintendo 3DS at this time.
Fun factor: 5
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 5
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 5
"5 / 5 Mushrooms"
