KH3D AnsemTheWise reviews: "Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance"

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

DC's having that contest and I haven't properly reviewed anything in a long time, so my mind just went "What the hell?".

 

Name: "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance"

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Developer: Square-Enix

ESRB: Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence)

Players: 1-2 (local multiplayer for Flick Rush minigame)

DLC: Unknown/Unlikely

Retail Price: $39.99 ($54.99 for the Mark of Mastery Edition)

Gamestop/EB Games Used Price: $34.99

 

"What is the essence of the human heart that weakens us, or empowers us? What if the challenges of our past were, in fact, a map to the light and darkness that battles within us all?"

 

When your mind dreams, it reflects on past experience and random thought to create a reality within itself, like a storybook. But what happens when your heart dreams? When everything you know and love, everything that you hold dear in your heart becomes reality around you as you slumber?

 

In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, you play as series protagonists Sora and Riku as they embark on their Mark of Mastery exam, a trial set by Master Yen-Sid to prove their abilities and gain the title of "Keyblade Master". This intrepid journey is brought forward by threat of the return of longtime series antagonist, Xehanort, the Keyblade Master who has worn many faces to clash with wielders of the light. With him come the leader of Organization XIII, Xemnas, as well as Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. But are they mere obstacles in this test, or does something more sinister lurk behind the scenes? And that young man in the black coat with the silver hair...

 

Dream Drop Distance, like past entries in the series, brings more to the table than just new worlds. New enemies means new friends, and both come in the form of Dream Eaters. While Nightmares try tot ear you apart in a purple and blck fury, your Spirit Dream Eaters follow you around with green and yellow cheer. Any normal enemies you encounter can be created as party members using synthesis materials dropped by their fallen bretheren and raised for both combat and friendship. As you play with and raise your Dream Eaters, you will unlock Abilities and Commands such as Firaga and HP Boost. But Dream Eaters are only one piece of Dream Drop Distance's delicious cake of content. The latest entry in the series brings faster gameplay, and you'll need a means to keep up with that. Flowmotion delivers what you need, allowing you to grind along rails of all kinds and even kick off of walls, setting you up for devestating attacks along the way. While this gives you a huge advantage, it can also hurt you a little. Many regions in the new world The Grid are equipped with multiple grind rails, meaning there's a good chance you'll accidentally step on one while fighting enemies and woosh, you're off. Flowmotion also activates if you use Dodge Roll up against a wall, a feature that while convenient, can spell doom if accidentally activated (as shown in personal experience). Combine all of this with new worlds and characters, including Tron Legacy, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and even The World Ends With You and you've got a recipe for success.

 

As always, the music will have you humming long after you've turned the game off (assuming you ever do), whether it be the always popular Traverse Town theme with a soothing jazz feel or "The Nutcracker Suite". Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher return to voice their KH personae, as do past VA's in the series; Quinton Flynn, Paul St. Peter, Corey Burton... everyone comes back for another round, even Leonard Nimoy. One of the complaints for Birth by Sleep was the script; it wasn't quite... right. Dream Drop Distance comes at this with a vengeance, sporting possibly the best script in the series. It definitely has one of my favorite lines: "So we did what the Keyblade did, and moved down the list". Now that I think about it, there were a few times when playing that I actually laughed, but it wasn't like they're running around telling jokes. Witty writing works wonders.

 

As for where Dream Drop Distance stands in relation to the series, it stands as a converging point. Everything comes together with Square-Enix's latest entry; Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts II, even the first game. While it actually answers few questions, Dream Drop Distance brings much to light, even if only to the characters within its story while bringing up many more questions, especially near the end.

 

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is brilliant, possibly the best of the series, though it is far from a paragon. Many Commands have been altered even though they worked perfectly well before (I'm looking at you, Sonic Blade) and the player can even be considered overpowered in relation to enemies and bosses... but in the end, you'll be taken away by this title. Many of my favorite boss fights, not only in the Kingdom Hearts series but all-together, come from this game, and I know that it definitely ranks among my favorite games. Say what you want about this title: "It's amazing", "It's so-so", "Birth by Sleep was better", but I don't care. Just know that I'll be dreaming for months to come.

 

Score: 9.5/10

 

 

Have something to add or an opinion that differs from mine? Shut up. Let me know by posting below!

[Uncle Dolan 963]

Birth by Sleep was better.

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

I suppose it would be in the DDD section, since it is about the game, but I figured it wasn't really about the game, right?

 

Anyways, thanks for moving it, DC!