KHUX Keyblade evolution appearance differences

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

Anyone else kind of notice how they sort of limited the Keyblades' evolutionary appearances in Unchained compared to the PC version of X?

 

Like with Starlight, there are at least 5 forms of it in X, with it's evolutions taking place at levels 11, 21, 31, and 41, and each level makes the blade look more and more badass. But in Unchained so far all we seem to get are just are the base form, then it skips to the 21 form at level 4, and then it jumps all the way ahead to it's level 41 form at level 11. And as far as I know, the level 21 form is supposed to look exactly the same as it's level 11 form in Unchained X.

 

While I understand that the important thing that matters most in the Keyblade evolutions is the stat boosts and larger medal capacity, from an aesthetic perspective this is really disappointing. I mean, not only am I not allowed to see a much more comprehensive evolution of the Keyblade's power and design from beginning to end over a larger and much more fitting span of time, but I'm also just randomly given the most ultimate form of the Keyblade's design within a matter of days. It's like getting the gold medal at the Olympics just for showing up, it's not nearly as satisfying and doesn't feel half as earned. I would have really liked to have seen the progression that the Keyblade goes through in X, but why is it that they seem to be condensing everything, especially when they clearly have room for at least one additional evolutionary design?

 

I know I'm essentially looking at a bunch of apples and am complaining that at least half of them aren't as green as the other half, but sometimes small little touches like that can make a huge difference, especially when you already have proof of it working so well in an already existing version elsewhere in the world. If I had my way I would have made nothing different between X and Unchained, yet for some reason they want to make so many things different in what is supposed to essentially be the same game. Why try to alienate peoples' experiences like this? It's kind of making X look like the "superior" version of the game, and now instead of making that experience available to everyone they're just going to end it before the year is up. Talk about a lot of wasted and missed opportunities.

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

Yes, I noticed. They completely skipped the first and third upgrades, going straight for the second and third.

For anyone who wants visual aides

 

Starlight in Kingdom Hearts x
Base+11+21+31+41

Starlight in Kingdom Hearts Unchained x
Base+4+11

 

Personally, I think they should have kept all the upgrades, have new slots unlock at the second and fourth, and have slots "Power Up" (when they start glowing) at the first and third.

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

Yes, I noticed. They completely skipped the first and third upgrades, going straight for the second and third.

For anyone who wants visual aides

 

Starlight in Kingdom Hearts x

Base+11+21+31+41

Starlight in Kingdom Hearts Unchained x

Base+4+11

 

Personally, I think they should have kept all the upgrades, have new slots unlock at the second and fourth, and have slots "Power Up" (when they start glowing) at the first and third.

I agree, that would have been much better. It's especially going to be inconsistent when we encounter Epherema (and maybe, hopefully, doubtfully, Skuld), his Keyblade is in the 4th state of Starlight, but what would the point be of having that model when you don't even get access to it and you essentially look stronger than him? That's just so frustrating story wise, he's supposed to seem more experienced than the Player character, if you happen to have gotten your Keyblade upgraded that far due to a large amount of grinding, then fine, but if it's just through a typical story progression and you've already skipped to the ultimate form of the Keyblade, the one that comes after Epherema's, then it really throws off the whole experienced friend thing.

 

Again, I get that this is nitpicking, but in a series where they usually pay attention to small details like that (well, except for a few instances in the HD ReMIXes), it's really boggling to see this happen. This is like the 3rd re-release of something so far to have a design inconsistency for a potentially plot-related element. It's not as involved as, say, the changing design of Ventus' Station of Awakening from start to finish, but it's still a physical representation of the main protagonist's growth. It's little mistakes like this that get me upset that they messed up Ven's starting station in BBS HD, they made it look like symbolically that the was already as complete as he was after becoming friends with Terra and Aqua BEFORE actually meeting them (yeah, those Wayfinders wouldn't make any sense to anybody without the context they are provided with by Aqua in a later scene, Ven wouldn't even know about them yet, so why would his heart suddenly have an image of Wayfinders on it!?). This stuff they're doing right here is a similar mistake, they're making it look like you've already progressed so far on your journey when really things have just barely even started. I would have at least liked to have gotten my ultimate Starlight form at least some point after I meet Epherema for the first time, by all means I should still have the simple looking gold blade and blue guard motif.

 

I'm really starting to wonder whether this was a technical issue, like space constrictions due to having to fit it into a mobile phone server, or if it really is just more stupid mistakes made over the aesthetic details of pre-established KH lore and iconography, which is unfortunately something I've been noticing a lot lately with the recent re-releases as of late. I know it's a small thing to get hung up over, but as an artist it just bugs me so much, especially when half of the meaning behind Kingdom Hearts' lore comes from the silent symbolism of it's various icons, particularly it's symbols, Keyblades, and Stations of Awakening. To mess those up in what is supposed to be a "better" and more definitive version of a pre-existing game is like mistakenly giving Spider-Man's symbol 6 legs instead of 8 and making it look that way for a whole comic book issue or movie. It doesn't change much of the events that happen, but it can sure frustrate die-hard fans and can be very distracting.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Hero of Light XIV

[Takuya 49]

As far as the difference between the 2 games go, that's always how Squeenix has operated the KH franchise. "Oh here's a KH game America! Ok now here's the same game but MORE STUFF for Japan"As for the keyblades, it would have been weird to shove all 5form changes into 20 levels. Japan has 41 levels in which to space those out in. Since NA only has 20, that means a form change every 5 levels, which in my opinion, would have been way too quickly.

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

As far as the difference between the 2 games go, that's always how Squeenix has operated the KH franchise. "Oh here's a KH game America! Ok now here's the same game but MORE STUFF for Japan"As for the keyblades, it would have been weird to shove all 5form changes into 20 levels. Japan has 41 levels in which to space those out in. Since NA only has 20, that means a form change every 5 levels, which in my opinion, would have been way too quickly.

It's not Japan vs NA Its the browser version vs the mobile version.They removed stage 1 and 3 from the JP version of Ux as well. And you're still evolving it every 5 levels or so, so you're at the ultimate form well before the level cap. Again, in Ux it evolves at +4 and +11 and the current cap is 25.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Isamu_Kuno

[Takuya 49]

It's not Japan vs NA Its the browser version vs the mobile version.They removed stage 1 and 3 from the JP version of Ux as well.

That makes me think either A. memory issues or (more plausibly) B. different target market.Looking at it from a business standpoint, the mobile gamer market has a far shorter attention span and time investment than a typical PC gamer market. There's plenty of time consuming mechanics within the game currently, maybe they thought 41 levels per keyblade was too much for mobile, and saved themselves some extra work by cutting some forms out in the process. I dunno, that's really the only logical explanation I can think of, and I'd still like to thing Squeenix is making (semi) logical decisions

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

That makes me think either A. memory issues or (more plausibly) B. different target market.Looking at it from a business standpoint, the mobile gamer market has a far shorter attention span and time investment than a typical PC gamer market. There's plenty of time consuming mechanics within the game currently, maybe they thought 41 levels per keyblade was too much for mobile, and saved themselves some extra work by cutting some forms out in the process. I dunno, that's really the only logical explanation I can think of, and I'd still like to thing Squeenix is making (semi) logical decisions

But the problem is Stage 3 is the form that Skuld's and Ephemera's take, but we can't get it and instead our Keyblades are more advanced than theirs by the time we meet them even though they're supposed to be more experienced. I haven't seen them in Ux but unless they made theirs already at the ultimate form in Ux it kinda messes with the flow.

[Takuya 49]

But the problem is Stage 3 is the form that Skuld's and Ephemera's take, but we can't get it and instead our Keyblades are more advanced than theirs by the time we meet them even though they're supposed to be more experienced. I haven't seen them in Ux but unless they made theirs already at the ultimate form in Ux it kinda messes with the flow.

I see your point and understand the problem here. I'm gonna venture a guess and say that a marketing-esque team made the decision to cut some stuff short to appeal to mobile markets, without/over a more lore-esque team, and hence we get these disconnects.Maybe I'm just trying to cover Squeenix's butt too much and they just genuinely messed up and weren't detail attentive, who knows.

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

I see your point and understand the problem here. I'm gonna venture a guess and say that a marketing-esque team made the decision to cut some stuff short to appeal to mobile markets, without/over a more lore-esque team, and hence we get these disconnects.Maybe I'm just trying to cover Squeenix's butt too much and they just genuinely messed up and weren't detail attentive, who knows.

I just hope that when/if Ephemera or Skuld show up in Ux, they have the ultimate form of Starlight so it's not quite so canon-breaking. Though I still wish we had Stage 1 and 3 so the evolution would seem more gradual.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Isamu_Kuno

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

The way I see it, the US is like the middle child among the fanbase. Japan is the eldest sibling and gets literally anything it asks for. US barely gets as much, and even when it gets something extra just for compensation, the Japanese older brother will complain that he didn't get it too and then daddy Square will cave in and give it to him as well, PLUS MORE! (not saying that the Japanese fan base is like that, lol, I honestly have no idea how they behave or how they perceive us...hopefully favorably) Meanwhile poor baby sibling UK (and others) hardly get anything half the time and it almost always gets things last and not even in words they understand half the time. Square Enix makes great parent, lol. X)"

 

But seriously on the whole mobile gamer market, how many people other than Kingdom Hearts fans are going to play this game, seriously? Like the furthest removed I can think of would be casual fans or friends of fans, otherwise a majority of your market is going to be the core KH fanbase, and they would literally put up with anything that requires a bit longer of an attention span than what most mobile gamers are used to. I certainly would have been able to put up with how many levels I needed to reach, so long as I got those two additional transformations half way through. But whatever, I guess in the end we just have to be good children and accept what's given to us...even though our dumby head older brother is getting most of the cool stuff and we hardly get as much attention and half the time mom doesn't even put our stuff up on the fridge (the fridge being Disneyland, Disney being mom, lol). >3<"""

[Takuya 49]

The way I see it, the US is like the middle child among the fanbase. Japan is the eldest sibling and gets literally anything it asks for. US barely gets as much, and even when it gets something extra just for compensation, the Japanese older brother will complain that he didn't get it too and then daddy Square will cave in and give it to him as well, PLUS MORE! (not saying that the Japanese fan base is like that, lol, I honestly have no idea how they behave or how they perceive us...hopefully favorably) Meanwhile poor baby sibling UK (and others) hardly get anything half the time and it almost always gets things last and not even in words they understand half the time. Square Enix makes great parent, lol. X)"

 

But seriously on the whole mobile gamer market, how many people other than Kingdom Hearts fans are going to play this game, seriously? Like the furthest removed I can think of would be casual fans or friends of fans, otherwise a majority of your market is going to be the core KH fanbase, and they would literally put up with anything that requires a bit longer of an attention span than what most mobile gamers are used to. I certainly would have been able to put up with how many levels I needed to reach, so long as I got those two additional transformations half way through. But whatever, I guess in the end we just have to be good children and accept what's given to us...even though our dumby head older brother is getting most of the cool stuff and we hardly get as much attention and half the time mom doesn't even put our stuff up on the fridge (the fridge being Disneyland, Disney being mom, lol). >3<"""

Gotta say, I love your family metaphor. It's freakin gold because it is so true lmaooYou're probably right on the market thing, but it's never a good idea to close out an entirely new market based on a "well they might". Maybe they were trying/hoping to rope some new blood into the franchise?

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

Gotta say, I love your family metaphor. It's freakin gold because it is so true lmaooYou're probably right on the market thing, but it's never a good idea to close out an entirely new market based on a "well they might". Maybe they were trying/hoping to rope some new blood into the franchise?

They literally should have just given us X. That would have been so much simpler.

[Takuya 49]

They literally should have just given us X. That would have been so much simpler.

*gasp* But that would be treating us the same as Japan! Are you mad?!

[Guest]

I actually prefer the three stage leveling up system. It means that your keyblade has a more noticeable visual difference.