Gogo

It's gotten over 30 perfect scores from reviewers , both popular and not. Which is beyond me, since the game is clearly not 10/10 material (normally I'd say that's just my opinion, but this is an exception). The story can be a 10/10, but the gameplay is nothing fancy. I'd say the game deserves nothing higher than an 8.5.

Or he distracts us with fighting 10 forms of No Heart; by the time we reach his throne room, he's already died of old age.

Sex and drugs. Unfortunately, there goes my PS4 money

Maybe all that's necessary is that all necessary 20 keyblade wielders clash. Just because BBS' method had results doesn't mean there doesn't exist a shortcut method. Hell, Xemnas' KH was a shortcut method to a KH. He (almost) got results, but they would have paled in comparison to the real deal.

BBS' X-Blade was a result of fusion, not just clashing. Otherwise, the entire climatic fight should have created an X-Blade by then.

That implies that MX's plan is to cluster 20 people together, just like Ven/Van, all into one body...I don't think even MX is capable of that kind of planning.

No. It could be, as a plot twist, but there's nothing that indicates that Master Keeper is a keyblade that does anything that could be described as "returning hearts."

...Wouldn't that be more of a problem with the hair/clothes combination? Considering how his DDD hair should be the same as his KH1 hair. Or am I misinformed Edit: Derp. Dunno how I missed that.

No matter how amazingly symbolic the X-Blade's forging could be (and believe me, I've come up with quite a few ideas as to how it draws from older concepts in the series), it doesn't change how it caused a lot of unnecessary confusion, compared to what could have been if it weren't in the series. For instance, it begs the question: If the X-Blade of BBS was fake, why did it even exist in the first place? What is BBS' method's relation to the real method?

This just in: Confused, old man beaten to death by a group of teenagers

Seeing how this is the end of the Xehanort Saga, odds are he's going to meet some form of demise at the end of KH3. Now, the first thought that comes to mind is the idea that he'll be doomed to some sort of personal hell, such as eternal sleep or destruction of his memories. Let's think outside that, though; what if MX dies of old age? Think about it. The man who tries to be God, spending countless years orchestrating plans and backup plans to preserve his life and set the prelude to the keyblade war, breaking through time and space, and becoming one of the most (if not the most) powerful and fearsome figures in the KH Universe, is dying with his last breaths of a cause so simple, yet one that applies to everyone. In the end, he's reminded of the mortality he tried so hard to deny. Screw some fantasy-esque, personal hell that any angsty teenager can come up with. this is MX's deepest fear: the cold and absolute nature of death. On the other hand, it could also be pulled off terribly; as in, he dies before you even get to use him as a punching bag. There goes several side-games' worth of pent up anger. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

My first impression was that it looked like a level-grinding gold mine.

Actually, AtW referred to "meeting" Sora in CoM. Given the hastiness of the MoM, the transition from KH2 to DDD was relatively quick, so Sora should still be 15 at the end of DDD. How long exactly the gap between DDD and KH3 will be is up for debate, but I doubt it'll be as long as a year.

"Open-ended concepts" seems like a fair way to put it. I wouldn't exactly call the X-Blade's true requirements or time-traveling examples of retcons (given that, with enough critical thinking, you could arguably come up with reasonable excuses for those concepts being in the series), but I'm willing to admit that Nomura busted an arm and leg to come up with justifiable explanations. Otherwise, ideas such as those would at least have been referenced throughout the series. Not bad, though. It does make sense for several of the concepts to have been designed as open-ended.

You guys gotta admit though, there are some patterns that have surprisingly lasted throughout the series for several titles, maybe a couple lasting as far back as KH1. I remember a while back that I was discussing with some other people that KH may have taken some concepts from the Monomyth, so I'm thinking Nomura had a vague idea what to do with the series from KH1 to CoM, and then he started developing the series, as we know it today, KH2 onward.

"Catering to fandoms" can sometimes actually mean "writing as planned." In a series as intricate as KH, having a character with a role as significant as Lea's can lead to a lot of complications: Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Obviously, Nomura put a lot of time and effort into making his return worthwhile and making sense of it. I don't mind Lea's reappearance since it worked out in the long run, but I'm still a bit salty that the whole thing was a bit of an unnecessary risk.

Just saiyan, I'm leaning more towards it not being a keyblade. "Blade" tends to imply the "weapon-aspect" (for lack of better wording) of a keyblade, or at least the special keyblades. Keyblade of Peoples' Heart, X-Blade. Not saying that it can't be a keyblade; it's just that I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't.

I count two; that last one I can't really help since Lea's the only noticeable moment of Nomura giving in to fan service that I can recall (or that he's ever admitted to).

Nomura: Due to popular demand, we decided to make Lea the new main protagonist! (Laughs)

I don't think it's a matter of recreating hearts (if that was what you were implying) so much as it'd be about bringing them back to the RoL. Wherever the heart exists freely, the body is sure to follow, hence "body restoration." Worked with Riku in the RoD (at least after his body was freed), and maybe even AtW in the RoD as well. Furthermore, "pure heart" implies that Sora is special inherently, which shouldn't be the case; up until the middle of KH1, every miracle that he's pulled off should have been purely because of his own doing, and no outside forces/special powers. I doubt it, otherwise it'd be called "Keyblade to Return Hearts."

KH1 introduced the Keyblade of Peoples' Heart. BBS Introduced the X-Blade. Now, KH3 introduces the next plot device of the series: The Key to Return Hearts. Based on its name, we can speculate that it's integral to the salvation of the tormented ones and, by extension, the data that AtW hid within Sora. There's clearly more to it than that, though (assuming that it's what its name implies); what exactly is this key, how will Sora obtain it, and what could it be used for in KH3? My own idea is that it's meant to restore bodies (as unusually straightforward as that sounds). It may have been used when Kairi restored Sora's body in KH1; AtW would then discover the Key after studying the body that the Key gave to Sora. If the Key's true purpose is exactly that, then I can see it being used to recreate not only protagonists like Roxas and Xion, but also Vanitas, if put into Xehanort's hands. What intrigues me is that this is the first time that such an important key isn't also a keyblade.

Shipping be damned, I think romance would just unnecessarily distract players from the actual values of the series. Sorry, Sora, but I want you in the forever friend zone (or gay best friend zone, which is virtually the same).

Lea (if he does become one). For the sheer amusement of the raging fanbase that brought him back in the first place. Not that I have anything against them, I'm just a complete ass like that.

Ugh I can't multiquote on a phone :x The idea of everyone getting an X-Blade was, like I said, partially a joke. The main point is that KH would be needed to turn the tides. That would explain why it's not 7 vs. 7; the scenario is set up so that the 7 GoL NEED KH to save the universe, and it's that desire for divine intervention that would give KH a reason to appear. Sora couldn't overcome Riku's darkness by himself. Aqua couldn't defeat Venitas by herself. Ven couldn't survive with a fractured heart by himself. The entire idea of KH being in the RoD, that within the deepest darkness is a light, reflects the idea that KH will save them when they need it the most.

Let's start by drawing parallels between the Kingdom Key and the X-Blade, since there has to be some reason why the design of the X-Blade draws inspiration from the Kingdom Key. According to MX, the X-Blade is forged when seven Guardians of Light clash with thirteen Seekers of Darkness. Clearly the GoL will be at a disadvantage, since they're very likely to be overwhelmed by the darkness. Key word: Overwhelmed. Now, everyone remembers the iconic scene where Sora gets the Kingdom Key for the first time. Overwhelmed by Riku's darkness, all hope seemed lost until Sora was rescued by the Kingdom Key at the last second. In what would have been his final moments, Sora was desperately looking for something to hold onto, and it came to him when he needed it the most. So, this is how I imagine the final battle will play out: [*]The 7 GoL and 13 SoD clash. No KH. [*]The 7 GoL are getting completely demolished (followed by 13 Xehanorts rubbing it in your face). No KH. [*]The 7 GoL show clear signs of fatigue and desperation. No KH. [*]Realizing they're fighting a losing battle, Sora calls out for KH in desperation, knowing that they can't win this battle alone. Lo and behold, KH appears from the heavens. [*]Every GoL gets an X-Blade and goes trigger-happy (partially joking with this one, despite how awesome it'd be to see this. Key point is that KH turns the tides somehow). Honestly, I don't think I can imagine a more fitting ending than this. Having both the Valor to go against all odds and the Wisdom to accept that you can't save the universe by yourself is a theme that will clearly be present throughout the course of KH3, not to mention perfectly defining what a true Guardian of Light would be. And, of course, the pure, delicious irony of it all. MX would have doomed himself the day he began his conquest for KH; Destiny has defeated him.