Theories on how we will start at Lv. 1 this time?

[kybldmstr94 55]

Tetsuya Nomura has said in interviews past that it continues to get harder to make reasons for Sora to begin at Lv. 1. For instance in CoM it is because Sora's memories were tampered with. In KH2 it is because he had just spent the year asleep and forgot his skills. In DDD I think it was because of the fact that they were in the dream world and it was the Mark of Mastery Exam.

 

So now that Sora is continuing his journey from DDD into KH3 what do you think the "reason" will be that his stats will be low and he is starting at Lv. 1 attributes and cannot perform all of his magic spells?

[hatok 6,413]

dream magic

will make it so that he is level 1 on account of there being dreams in the previous game which are magic

Edited May 29, 2015 by hatok

[Dave 5,715]

Sora will pull his achilles tendon at the start of the game, and have to spend a few months in rehab. Then, once his muscles are all mushy, he will have to start from scratch.

[BlankShell 638]

Plot twist: save data from the inevitable PS4 DDD port can be imported into KH3 and Sora starts off at whatever level you were there.

[Sorarocks93 678]

Nomura will have to change his stance on that because it just brings out problems. I mean, what is he going to do in the next saga?

 

Or he could just ignore it lol and act like nothing happened.

[Col.Random 3,683]

They could start off with Kairi in her final stages of training(basically consider her level 1 at that stage) and then continue the story with focus on her for a bit of time until she reaches a certain point or place. From there on they could just take Sora

Edited May 28, 2015 by Col.Random

[Gamerazor247 877]

I mean Sora did just recover from the darkness in 3DDD...

[Deadpool 1,200]

1. Getting all corrupted in DDD for a while.

2. Level 1 critical runs are canon.

3. He was wiped clean in real life for DDD, and he wasn't able to carry any dream world skills over to real life so he's still a blank slate.

4. Sora has to take another Mark of Mastery or something dumb like that, wiping him clean yet again.

[Headphone Jack 1,147]

I feel like starting at level 1 is one of those things that should be left as a gameplay aspect and not need a story related reason as to why it exists. It's not like starting over at level 1 in KH3 with no reason is going to ruin the game.

[Sakuraba Neku 660]

Since Sora failed the Mark of Mastery, he will have to start at level 1.

Riku will be already level 99 though.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Sakuraba Neku

[Jermaine 79]

They could start off with Kairi in her final stages of training and then continue the story with focus on her for a bit of time until she reaches a certain point or place. From there on they could just take Sora

This is probably the best way to do it.

[kybldmstr94 55]

I feel like starting at level 1 is one of those things that should be left as a gameplay aspect and not need a story related reason as to why it exists. It's not like starting over at level 1 in KH3 with no reason is going to ruin the game.

You're right it is not important just a fun thing to think about. Nomura has said that because it's a game we of course have to start at Lv. 1. But it is good to have a reason. Even if the reason is silly it is still nice to have a reason other than "just because"

[Veemon 1,540]

The darkness grows stronger and the heartless become more powerful. That's how they'll make Sora and co. Level 1 again.

[Komali 594]

New clothes make Sora forget all abilities he learned so far.

[kybldmstr94 55]

The darkness grows stronger and the heartless become more powerful. That's how they'll make Sora and co. Level 1 again.

 

I actually really like this reason.

[Ven983 490]

I think that level 1 is more of a representation for Sora's skill in the game to come, not necessarily a representation on his strength throughout the series.  Like in DDD, he is level 1, but his skill is far more superior to Sora level 1 in KH.  I only really mind that when a character is completely nerfed down back to the basics.  As long as I can tell Sora has progressed as a keyblade wielder, I don't really care what level he is.

[Sorarocks93 678]

 

2. Level 1 critical runs are canon.

What even...?

 

Since Sora failed the Mark of Mastery, he will have to start at level 1.

Riku will be already level 99 though.

I honestly doubt that, because that will mean that we won't be getting him as a party member because he will be too strong.

 

Unless.... we play as him in certain fixed parts of the game.

[RikuFangirl2008 1,368]

Perhaps, because of the things that he learned about himself, and the mistakes he made in DDD.  He might start to create his own style of fighting, something new, something that is so--"Sora". 

I keep thinking there is more to that visit to the dream world, to thank the Dream Eaters. I keep thinking someone "new" might be there to teach him some stuff, like that Attrraction Flow thing. Perhaps the Dream Eaters might help him out teaching some new moves or something. 

[hatok 6,413]

3. He was wiped clean in real life for DDD, and he wasn't able to carry any dream world skills over to real life so he's still a blank slate.

that kinda makes Yen Sid's intention of teaching them the "proper" way to wield the keyblade completely useless

 

Nomura will have to change his stance on that because it just brings out problems. I mean, what is he going to do in the next saga?

 

Or he could just ignore it lol and act like nothing happened.

No, he really won't. You have to start somewhere in an RPG

 

Since Sora failed the Mark of Mastery, he will have to start at level 1.

Riku will be already level 99 though.

the MoM Test doesn't actually give you any power or skills though

[VisitJoan 2,713]

I feel like starting at level 1 is one of those things that should be left as a gameplay aspect and not need a story related reason as to why it exists. It's not like starting over at level 1 in KH3 with no reason is going to ruin the game.

 

You guys are putting way too much thought into to this.  We start at level 1 each tie because it is a game and it would be impossible to play otherwise.  In the "real world," the levels wouldn't exist.

[HeyMouseSayCheese 1,133]

You guys are putting way too much thought into to this.  We start at level 1 each tie because it is a game and it would be impossible to play otherwise.  In the "real world," the levels wouldn't exist.

 

In the "real world", things like HP and MP and Commands don't exist either, but they're still vital for us to understand what's going on. Besides, it's basic storytelling- you can't just keep having characters suddenly becoming less competent every time a sequel comes out unless there's a good reason, like say, they've been sleeping for a year and their memory is totally firetrucked up.

[VisitJoan 2,713]

In the "real world", things like HP and MP and Commands don't exist either, but they're still vital for us to understand what's going on. Besides, it's basic storytelling- you can't just keep having characters suddenly becoming less competent every time a sequel comes out unless there's a good reason, like say, they've been sleeping for a year and their memory is totally firetrucked up.

 

But the idea of health does.  In the real word we can only take so much damage before we have to stop fighting or we'll seriously get hurt.  Experience does too, but no one says that level 1 for KHIII is the same as level 1 in KHII and KH - it's compared to the end of the game that matters.

[HeyMouseSayCheese 1,133]

But the idea of health does.  In the real word we can only take so much damage before we have to stop fighting or we'll seriously get hurt.  Experience does too, but no one says that level 1 for KHIII is the same as level 1 in KHII and KH - it's compared to the end of the game that matters.

 

It's comparing the end of the last game to the beginning of the new game that really matters when we're talking level 1- by the end of KH2, for example, Sora was basically an unstoppable god of destruction, able to take out entire armies of Heartless and super powered zombies people. In DDD, it's presumed that since he went back in time and entered the Realm of Sleep, so he's not as tough as he is awake, which is fine. It's not like he just suddenly didn't know how to fight anymore without any explanation, there's at least some sort of reason, and that's important.

 

So in KH3, they're either gonna need to have a good story reason for him not to be super OP off the bat, or make the enemies he fights obscenely strong (in-universe, anyway, not so much as gameplay difficulty) right from the beginning, and I don't know how likely the latter option is.

[hatok 6,413]

But the idea of health does.  In the real word we can only take so much damage before we have to stop fighting or we'll seriously get hurt.  Experience does too, but no one says that level 1 for KHIII is the same as level 1 in KHII and KH - it's compared to the end of the game that matters.

However, health in games is arbitrary. You take x number of hits and you die. It's not like getting hit in the amr in KH will disable the arm, or getting hit in the head gives you a concussion

Same deal with EXP. If you,say, go to the gym, you don't just keep lifting weights and then suddenly BOOM +2 strength or something.

Reality is only a vague basis for most games

 

It's comparing the end of the last game to the beginning of the new game that really matters when we're talking level 1- by the end of KH2, for example, Sora was basically an unstoppable god of destruction, able to take out entire armies of Heartless and super powered zombies people. In DDD, it's presumed that since he went back in time and entered the Realm of Sleep, so he's not as tough as he is awake, which is fine. It's not like he just suddenly didn't know how to fight anymore without any explanation, there's at least some sort of reason, and that's important.

 

So in KH3, they're either gonna need to have a good story reason for him not to be super OP off the bat, or make the enemies he fights obscenely strong (in-universe, anyway, not so much as gameplay difficulty) right from the beginning, and I don't know how likely the latter option is.

The reason Sora and Riku were weaker in DDD was because Yen Sid had them unlearn all of their old skills in order to relearn them "properly" (Read: exactly the same)

Something I DID like about DDD is that Sora and Riku gained stats in much larger increments than in previous games, and their keyblades also had higher stats to start with. It's a subtle way of showing that even though Sora and Riku regressed, they're gaining back power faster than before, so it leaves no doubt that the end result is them being stronger than when they started

 

But KH3 still needs a reason why Sora ca't one shot a basic Shadow

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

I'll go with Steven Drake's reply, as it's the most logical reason.  In Kingdom Hearts III, there's no doubt that the Heartless, Nobodies, etc, will be stronger than in previous games, which leads me to think the following.

 

At the start of the game, Sora could already have a few of his higher level abilities, such as Sonic Blade, Zantetsuken, Strike Raid, etc.  But wait, he'd be a tad bit overpowered, wouldn't he?  That's the question you'd all probably ask.  My answer would be that the Heartless and other foes will be way more stronger, and as such, they wouldn't be that easy to kill.  And hey, as Sora levels up, he could learn entirely new abilities that have never been in the series before, so that way, we could get most of Sora's most potent abilities at his mid level 20's!  At least, that's what I think!

Edited May 28, 2015 by Shigehiko