Merilly

Exactly. It's best in my opinion to find a delicate balance of having surroundings which are familiar but also adapt them to suit the game and the narrative. Some Disney movies otherwise wouldn't be that suitable. Not to mention that we haven't seen the entirety of Hercules' world. I doubt there's only one statue of Zeus in the entirety of Greece. So the gaps that we have can be used creatively to enhance the worlds created by Disney without modifying them cimpletely and beyond recognition. As you said, it's kinda boring to just revisit the same old places 1:1. Of course I love seeing iconic buildings and settings, but the cuts would be drastic and unrealistic otherwise, especially when we consider how large worlds will be. I doubt major cuts can happen often this way to move from one area to the next. Additionally, this is stilk SE working on it with original chadacters, so they shoukd be allowed to twist some things around a little. I mean, they're making entirely new plots for certain worlds to fit everything in. Either way, I'm happy with how Olympus is turning out. I honestly have no reason to doubt the legitimacy of this screenshot because, quite frankly, it doesn't show anything groundbreaking. It doesn't confirm we will meet him in person and apart from that, there's not that much to see. Why bother faking something like that? Monsters Inc. was a different matter because it was a new world that wasn't confirmed so you could get a lot of reactions out of that, but this is basically just an empty area, safe for a statue and SDG.

Yeah, I can understand that side of the argument as well. Even with the engine change it's been 4 years and while that is still within regular production times of big titles, the early announcement made the wait much longer than for other games. Because there's a difference between knowing a game will come eventually and a game definitely being in production. Another delay may make people, especially the more invested fans, even more enraged. Despite the hype, with some people there is also this underlying feeling of sitting on a box of dynamite ready to blow any second. Then again, Breath of the Wild got delayed more than one time and not only a month but years. It makes me wonder if half a year would be really so bad if the game is good in the end. I also want to play it sooner rather than later, yet I think that, especially due to the high expectations, having an incomplete/inconsistent game might be worse for the franchise than having to wait. I'm not expecting the greatest models ever, just consistency and looks which do not make me want to laugh and that can carry emotion. Other companies manage that too, even with new engines. Still, I get your argument. It's been a long time for fans and while 0.2 was nice and all, it was not KH3. And perhaps you are right and they are more done than what is assumed. I'm just a bit concerned with the inconsistent looks which should be gone by now. I've never seen a game struggle with that this late into production. Also the comment that they hadn't even started with some worlds at the beginning of the year made this sentiment not a whole lot better. Percentages are a fickle thing to describe progress but it was not a positive outlook. Yet again though, you are right that this may reauire just a littke bit of fine-tuning and that their order may have gotten messed up with the new technology they had to work with, etc. Disney's involvement could have also made things harder than necessary. I second that it wouldn't be surprising if Disney did that. While I love some of their works, they also made questionable decisions and their contracts and expectations for their own properties (despite owning KH and its original characters as well although not designing them) may even exceed our own for the game. They are very protective of them and the larger a franchise gets, I feel the harder it becomes to please them because it's not just a little niche game a few people enjoy. In the end, I just hope we get a game that can be called KH and won't become one of the worst games. It already can't live up to all of the expectations in my opinion, but as long as it manages to wrap things up nicely, get the characters to look right and makes the gameplay enjoyable, it doesn't have to be better than the rest. It just needs to fit in with the rest of the franchise. With 0.2, people could overlook a lot of flaws but KH3 is what everyone has been waiting for and it would a shame if it would disappoint beyond repair because they were not granted half a year or so more. There are just feelings a patch can't fix later on and that is the first time playing a game, not to mention one people have been waiting for for such a long time, and being let down because the quality is not up to par with the rest.

I'm also not counting the one that was already announced since this is just an extended version or rather, the one we got now was more of a teaser. I'd say around 3 after that, though I guess it depends on how long they're gonna be. E3 granted us a lot of trailers for just one event and although I don't think that will always happen, I do believe there's more to show. Since all Disney worlds are meant to be revealed and I think they will do so with a trailer, we can at least expect one more out of that, though my personal guess would be two. (Perhaps three if 100 Acre Wood returns because I do not want that to be part of an already fewer amount of worlds.) If each gets a new trailer we would have two more. Then another as a final launch trailer. I do expect some sort of advertisement too but that likely won't contain anything new. 4 trailers, counting the confirmed one, with all of them spanning 2-3 minutes would already be a good amount. That would be nearly one per month, which is enough at this point, considering we're close to release. While it's true I can simply not watch them, I would like them to retain some mystery at the very least. I also prefer the shorter trailers over long ones. They're easier to analyze and watching them again is nicer in short, condensed trailers than those spanning 6 minutes. They can't reveal too much story without spoiling excessively and while gameplay is nice and all, there's obly so much they can show without being repetitive or showing absolutely everything. I played the demo, it's still Kingdom Hearts and it's also nice figuring things out on your own. The rest is done by tutorials (and obnoxiously glowing walls).

I tend to agree. I like vast worlds but in regards to the overall story, more diversity may be better for the story. I can't say for sure of course but I hope they're not too extensive because it's still Kingdom Hearts. Especially seeing the Disney and Pixar characters look really good makes me wonder if Disney has been focusing too much on their own priorities. Judging by interviews, it seems like working with those two has become harder than for past games and while this is merely me being suspicious and not a confirmed fact, I can't help but think that Disney's involvement may have become harmful for KH because more than anything, they care about their own characters to look good and may prioritize that over the game's original cast. As I said, that's just my own suspicion but Disney seems much more interested in KH3 than they were in any other game of the franchise. Interviews of the past claimed that Nomura barely received any restrictions from them but more recent interviews make it look like it's a struggle working with them and their expectations about how things have to look like. That's just my opinion but it seems like there was pressure to make characters originating from Disney look great first before focusing on the actual main characters. I guess it would be better if they had stayed more in the background if they really have become more involved. I also think it's no shame to discuss concerns. Not everything is peachy so far and for a game nearing its release, it just seems like there are many construction sites left, even if a lot of them are minor. But they add up. I also talked with other people about this (someone from Nintendo too who told me his favorite game was actually Kingdom Hearts despite working for them ) and they also said that the expectations may become its downfall before even getting a chance. I love the hype and I also have countless hopes for the game, but I can't overlook things which are simply bothering me just because it's my favorite franchise. At the ebd of the day, it may have been better to give them a little more time.

I'm not too fond of VR to be honest. I'm still experiencing major headaches, migraines and vertigo from that type of technology so that won't be something I'll invest in anytime soon. It's so bad that I can't even watch videos of VR games, so I dearly hope this won't contain any new, canon information. Apart from that, it didn't look that good so far. At this point, it seems like a waste of resources in my opinion, although we haven't really seen enough for me to judge it yet. I feel like if they have time to do something like that, it could be used more productively for other games.

That's one of the things I dislike the most. How inconsistent they are. One moment they look fine, the next they change a lot. In 0.2, which was admittedly not their primary concern, the lighting and therefore also the models could change from one frame to the next, including skin tone, textures of skin, etc. where I asked myself "where did that change come from all of a sudden? The light source didn't change."I don't want that to be the case for KH3. For example, Xigbar's face is looking a lot shinier than before and like plastic again although it looked a lot smoother before and did not glow. I just think that the cutscene between Young Xehanort and Young Eraqus looked better overall because, despite less focus on lighting and shadows, they worked a lot more on expressions, like movement of the lips, eyebrows, eyes/eyelids and overall face, even the more miniscule movements which make them look organic and natural even if they aren't actively noticed by some people most of the time. And they also made sure the skin looked less like an overblown balloon at times. Yeah, the hair was less structured than now, but it fit together nicely. It seems that now that their backgrounds are more detailed, they are focusing too much on shadows and other details which can make a comic style look strange and artificial. A lot of animations in that style tend to keep lighting to a minimum to better showcase what the character is feeling. The better you see the face and the eyes, unobstructed by too many shadows, the easier it becomes to display emotion and pick up on them as the viewer. That's probably why anime/manga and also western animated shows and movies can move people and make you feel for a character that doesn't look realistic in our sense. I feel they should focus on that more again. I love the detailed worlds and everything but if the characters, which carry the story no less, suffer from that, I wish they stuck more to the old scheme of simple but effective. Don't get me wrong, overall it evolved in a positive manner. But when I look back at the reveal trailer with its simplistic and bright colors and scarce lighting, it looked more like Kingdom Hearts. It did not necessarily look better but the faces were more alive before they focused too much on backgrounds and the like.

4 months may be enough but then again, I've never seen a game that had those kinds of issues this close to release. Something like models is usually among the things nearly finished before the first trailer gets shown because they are meant to appeal to the watcher. Maybe it was poor editing, but Sora's reactions were really bland at times or even delayed and quite frankly not like he would usually react. Expressive features were always a strong point for Kingdom Hearts but so far, it seems like they paid more attention to lighting and everything else but the facial expressions, especially the eyes. They were much more prominent in the 2015 E3 trailer than they are now, likely because they've been made smaller. I'm not saying they won't make it, I just think it's unsual to play a game and feel like it is more incomplete than most others releasing later. I absolutely adore Kingdom Hearts, but that's also why I'm concerned about certain things. It's looking a lot better than it did 4 years ago and while some things were subjectively made worse, the improvement is astounding. But 4 months is not that long after all. Then again, that's just my subjective opinion. I'd rather like a simpler look but with more attention to those kind of details that are important to deliver emotion.

Probably to not disturb the music... I'm not too fond of Chikai being slapped into every single trailer since its reveal, regardless of whether the song fits or not. I'd rather like to hear some more of Shimomura's new scores and battle music. Other than that, I still feel the faces and movements are a little static at times in cutscenes. Especially eye and face movement is not nearly as lively as before and I sure hope that one Xigbar scene did not suffer from the same problem of overdoing the lighting once again such as 0.2 did. (Where the skin looks plastic and inflated.) Xemnas' hair is also still practically glowing, the skin too dark and his face is still too broad and the eyes a little small in my opinion BH6 is looking pretty good so far, despite San Fransokyo looking a bit too similar to Monster Inc. during the night since both are big cities. I sure hope they're gonna be set apart more clearly in the end since we o ly caught glimpses so far. I'm also interested in how the scaling of buildings will work. The artwork suggested that Baymax may serve as some sort of helper to fly, but whether that will really be implemented is not yet clear. Young Xehanort also looks quite a bit better. In the demo he still looked comparably strange, but perhaps that was fixed now due to the repeated comments about that. It may sound overly negative, but after playing some other games releasing next year, or rather set to release, I still believe KH3 could use quite a bit more fine-tuning. I'd also like to play the game as soon as possible, but especially games like DMC 5, while not the same style, felt much more complete than KH3 in most aspects. And after talking to some people, the game is done without having a specific release date, unlike KH3. I don't know how reliable that is though, judging from just a demo. Either way, while still having my personal issues with certain things, it's still coming together nicely it seems. I'm just concerned they will rush the last parts just to get it out. Not to be overly negative, I still enjoyed the demo a lot and like quite a bit of what is presented, the game nust doesn't seem that complete yet. For example, Sora's reactions are not nearly as expressive or lively as before and what always intrigued me most about KH was how expressive the eyes, eyebrows and faces in general were. KH3 doesn't contain that to such an extent where the eyes are constantly showing a natural movement but remain unusually static instead. That's probably what bothers me most apart from model issues.

Something new. I have nothing against these titles and I'm actually interested in some but I'm not yet inclined to even consider buying a Switch because there are so few games on the console. Be it ports or new games,even just smaller ones, would be a good step in the right direction, though I'd simply like something fresh since Nintendo and its associated companies recycle a lot too. Of course the console is fairly new and it'll take a while to get going, especially in the third party department, but I'd like to see morenof future titles which are not close to release and is not a sequel/prequel to something. E3 didn't really present much of interest to me. Super Smash Bros. is a nice game and all, very fun to play with others, but it's not exactly innovative. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee strike me as projects of little effort and budget which do not even attempt to use the hardware's potential. It's also a bit too early for a new Mario and Zelda title to be revealed, considering how long they workednon Breath of the Wild and the next one has to live up to what BotW created as a standard. So yeah, I guess I'd like to see more new games like Octopath Traveler, not only for the Switch but in general. Abother game that s focusing a bit more on story would be nice too. I'm looking forward to Bayonetta, too and would certainly like to see some of that. Or if not anything new, maybe some interesting spin-off idea for an existing franchise. The only thing I don't want to see is extensive material on Super Smash Bros. It's basically the same game as the others before with tweaks here and there and a new character thrown in but there's no need to showcase everything. I think the concept is clear.

That's true. It's a much faster mode of transportation but I guess those two games could justify those methods better since the Organization uses the darkness to get around which is not bound by restrictions apparently and KHUX was still playing at a time where the worlds were not separated and shut off by walls. I still prefer those two overall simpoy for their convenience but the Gliders were a neat little thing, especially since they did not have that many battles and were just used for some cutscenes. The Gummi Ship is something I found okay as a child and for KH1, but after that, it just felt very out of place somehow when much more convenient travel alternatives were shown and even the Disney villains weren't using such a... colorful toy. The blueprints in 2 were a little better but it still gives off the impression of pre-school activities. When I saw it in UE4, that impression grew even stronger because it simply does not fit in with the rest of the visuals anymore in my opinion. I'm not sure they eveb like the designs that much anymore so mayhe the customization will give it a different look. Nomura is a fan of mecha after all so maybe it will become a little different if the player wants it.

It's basically the same with how the Collector's Editions of FFXV appeared on ebay for pre-order after they were sold out from the only source that had them available. I'm not saying that there aren't some official retailers which still offer them for the regular price at some location but it's hard to find it for a reasonable price online and from a reliable seller nonetheless. Not that I would consider buying this from overseas. Sony's customer service is so-so here and if there's an issue, it will become even more expensive really swiftly with shipping costs. Limited stuff like this is always gone really fast but to be honest, I don't really see a point to buy this unless someone was planning to buy a console anyway. If I wanted a special type of PS4, I could order a skin for 10$ or something. It may not look as fancy as an engraved one but it's still personalized and cheaper. Don't get me wrong, that PS4 Pro is awesome, but my regular one is working just fine...

Personally, I like the Gliders from Birth by Sleep the best. They gave the Keyblade another layer of functionality and they weren't quite so childish as the Gummi Ship. I also just dislike the Gummi Ship segments because they felt rather boring but since they were obligatory, there was no way around them. I don't hate the Gummi Ship but it's not exactly my cup of tea and I'm rather fond of agile vessels. (Although the need for three people or more is there. I just never felt the need for customization with gummi blocks... I lked playing with them as a child but that was a little too colorful for me.)

I believe Nomura said in an interview that we would finally get to see the real Kingdom Hearts, so I would deem it possible that it will be the final world. It woukd be appropriate, considering the game is called Kingdom Hearts and in a lot of games, we came really close to various versions of it. But what it will look like... I have no idea. Looking back at KH1 and 2, it might be something freaky or twisted. Or really simplistic since it's probably made of light. Either way, I eould like it to be Kingdom Hearts itself. I mean, that's what it all leads to, right? Juet seeing a glimpse of it again just to have it vanish may be a little anticlimatic since we had that so often already.

If it could be helped, I would prefer not having any DLC at all but that's just wishful thinking. The fact that they're considering it, or rather have to consider it due to space and perhaps time restrictions, makes it very likely. However, I'm hopeful that Nomura sticks to the whole no season pass idea and will release it in just one bulk. Since the series is supposed to go on after 3,I'd rather they spent their time on the next title than DLC, unless it's absolutely necessary. Then again, the story should still be finished and not be added in smaller portions through DLC. FFXV really suffered from that. As for the time frame, I would think as soon as possible but not any sooner than the time they need for polishing it. I can t really say what time frame would be ideal since I don't know how long the game will be and how big the DLC will be. I personally think it should be within a reasonable period, meaning that those who buy it in the first 2-3 weeks will be finished with the main game before it comes out. That's always hard to estimate since some can only play an hour a day or even less and others will rush through the game, but I think 2-3 months would be suitable depending on the content, perhaps half a year. What they do with irrelevant and optional stuff afterward is of no real concern to me.

I bought it last week during gamescom so it's only natural they should be shipped out soon. I hope you get yours. The stand of Sora's BA figure is somehow too long for the figure...

I don't think they would receive a clear answer to that question. Anything in that regard has been shot down either with comments such as that they can't tell and we should look forward to their reveal or were really vague. At this point I'm rather happy when they ask things that have a potential of being answered rather than the big questions all of us have but simply won't receive a satisfying reply to. I also thought that some fans were overly dramatizing KH3. Yes, it will be darker but that doesn't mean it has to become a tragedy where everyone dies and isn't brought back to live this time. That was to be expected since you can't really have a climax without at least keeping a level of drama and intensifying it. But it's still Kingdom Hearts and it's a relief that there will be plenty to laugh about again. Because that's also an important aspect of the franchise that shouldn't get lost by implementing dark and edgy themes which seem forced rather than fitting or profound. Either way, I'm happy that it will apparently retain what made the franchise what it is. I've heard many pleas to make it darker but I agree with Nomura that the games all had plenty of dark moments. Of course not to the degree of other games but it doesn't need to contain that to make it a great game.

I wouldn't call it excited but I am curious about Spider-Man, LiS2, Spyro, and TWEWY, though the latter two merely due to the bostalgia and seeing how things changed. I do have the games here, so I doubt everything will be a new experience. Still, I'm happy they are getting released. I'm not too convinced of Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee yet. Seems like a lot of wasted potential to throw out a half-hearted game at full price without putting in much effort. It fails to impress me as a current gen title, even if it's just some sort of remake. Game Freak should have enough funds to do something more and also innovative but since they sell, it seems like the plea for a better story and revised gameplay falls on deaf ears. Smash Bros is a fun game to play with friends for me, I really liked the previous games too, but that game especially is hyped up more than I can relate to. It's basically the same concept with little changes here and there, but likely nothing that would make me go "whoa, I did not expect that!". I'd still buy it if I had a Switch and if it was pre-owned. So yeah, I wouldn't say I'm excited for any of these titles. I'm interested in some of them but it can't really compare to the excitement I have for some other games getting released in the future.

While it's not completely impossible for something to appear there since FFXV did receive a new trailer at gamescom, it doesn't have much of a history for appearing there apart from demos and already published footage. Then again, Paris Games Week didn't really have any news before either and they dropped the opening for 0.2 out of nowhere, so who knows? I'm personally not expecting too many changes to the demo either. Mainly because the demos look fairly good and, apart from the glowing walls and the floatiness, most people didn't take that much issue with it. I'd rather have them focus on the main game than improving the demo anyway. I like that they're taking criticism into consideration, but there's no necessity to go out of their way. 0.2 was a special case because the models really didn't look good and gave an exceptionally bad impression of the end product, so an improvement there was needed more than for KH3's demo in my opinion. Despite this rather bland outlook from me, it would be a lie to say I'm not wishing for something to appear. I always do. But I'm also a realist and try to keep my expectations as low as possible because this way, I won't be disappointed. It definitely has a chance but until proven otherwise, I'll just treat this as another station for their marketing without any news. It's a big event that I'm glad I'll be able to attend, but I also know it's not always regarded as such in terms of big revelations, probably due to its proximity to E3 and being located in Europe, which is not often treated with the same importance as NA or JP.

You're right, it's not, but it's undoubtedly the largest and as mentioned before, SE is located there. I can understand the frustration, but they cannot be everywhere and close to everyone, so they have to choose the location which will benefit both the company and the people the most. And that would be London in this case. Just as it is in other big cities in other countries. It also depends on the events taking place there and what would be most sensible marketing-wise. For example, it's coming to Cologne in Germany and not Berlin, the capital, because of the gamescom taking place in the former city. Since that is an event with a large target audience and both national and international attendees, it makes sense to do it there. I can imagine that a lot of people would like to play jt but can't because of distance. I'm also driving 500km to Cologne (though not solely for KH3), but this type of marketing also costs lots of money so they have to select the places which reach the largest quantity of potential buyers while still covering an adequate amount of different countries to appeal to people who are not so well-versed in English to follow everything online. In the end, London is not only the best choice because of its size, space and reach, but also out of convenience. Traveling far also is a matter of organizing transport for example and the people who get to play mainly receive the opportunity for free. On the contrary, SE often even has to pay for their booths. Marketing is an investment and KH3, while having evolved from a very niche game, is still not as big as other titles which could afford extensive marketing.

For me it depends mostly on the games and whether I desperately want to play them but otherwise, I wait around a year or until the first price drop. If there is more than one game I'd like to play, that is. I only buy consoles when there's something interesting for me to play after all and not just a single game either. Other than that, I like to wait and see if the console is prone to technical problems. I want to spare myself the hassle of exchanges, repairs and lost save data as much as I can. Of course it can always be an exemption at any point of time, but a lot of consoles have shown issues for more than one person in the weeks after their release and while it usually means no monetary loss, it still causes problems I'd rather avoid.