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First announced in 2013's E3 event, Kingdom Hearts III had the longest developing period of the several installments in the franchise due, for the most part, to Square Enix's decision to change game engines. Some frustration grew, but the excitement never waned as the anticipated release date spanned from 2017 to 2018. Of course, for many, the most anticipated element in a Kingdom Hearts game is the roster of Disney inspired worlds; what films will be used and how the films’ plots will be incorporated into the Kingdom Hearts plot, utilize characters and locations from the film, the role of protagonists Sora, Donald and Goofy and more. After several years of the franchise containing the same roster with revamps to the extent the films allow, at last, in January 2019, Kingdom Hearts III was released with an almost all-new roster of Disney worlds, and the debut of Pixar inspired worlds. Is it enough, though? Do the new worlds introduced in Kingdom Hearts III live up to the anticipation? Here I’ve ranked the Disney worlds of Kingdom Hearts III from worst to best to best. 1. Arendelle (Frozen) The biggest and most successful Disney film since The Lion King (1994) and one of the most anticipated additions to Kingdom Hearts since its release was a big gimmicky mess that leaned too much on the film's massive popularity. Sora and company were more observers than participants in a worthless, hole-filled film plot adaptation, spending half of it scaling a mountain just to be thrown down and interacting with Larxene more than the film characters to the point of not establishing relationships with them. The 'Let it Go' number was included exactly as it was in the film as nothing more than an exploit. Despite being the central villain of the film Hans’ has two cameos, first walking to the palace with an unconscious Ela slung over his shoulder and wrapped in some dark aura, and then when Anna stops him from killing her. We only ever hear the name Hans once as the name of Anna's supposed true love with no connection made to this character who is threatening Elsa. Those who haven't seen the film were unable to understand the importance of this name or the character or that the two are the same. The events are just thrown out there quite randomly with no explanations. Kristoff's trust in Sora and company based on Anna's judgment bugged me; he has a whole song about how he doesn't trust people. The Organization’s angle of securing new princesses of heart fell flat on Elsa as it did Rapunzel because of the missed potential. Or perhaps because the popular theory was that she’d be manipulated or exploited for her powers, and instead, she was left to her self-imposed isolation with the littlest role in the world. 2. Kingdom of Corona (Tangled) A complete utter waste of the film plot with disjointed, almost non-existent storytelling and Sora and company as more observers than participants. There are no backstories or explanations to engage Sora and co. in the film's plot or its significant elements, causing some abrupt unclear reactions from him, such as his congratulating Rapunzel on being able to return to her real home. Flynn’s thug associates are absent from this adaption, their roles fulfilled by Marluxia. However, Mother Gothel still uses her film line: “Let’s go quick before they come to,” establishing a second participant who did not exist and Flynn being set up to appear to be ditching Rapunzel with the crown doesn’t have the build of Mother Gothel insisting to Rapunzel that he was just entertaining her for the crown which made it abrupt and confusing to those who have not seen the film. Rapunzel's magic hair and Mother Gothel's character lent themselves well to this installment's callback to the age of Fairytales and the Keyblade War as Mother Gothel had been using the flower for immortality for centuries, and that drop of light that became the flower could have been one of the few surviving shards of light from the war. Those opportunities, however, were ignored in favor of Rapunzel just being a new princess of light. 3. 100 Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh) The chance of pace from the redundant destruction of the book was weak, and the introduction of Lumpy had excellent potential for a plot revolving around the group’s reluctance to trust a Heffalump. Instead, there was no substance whatsoever. This world was a short and pointless waste of beautiful crisp illustrative graphics. I also don't think Tom Kenny does a good Rabbit at all. 4. The Toy Box (Toy Story) While this world is nostalgic to those who remember the Super Nintendo and PS games and informs the future of the franchise with the introduction to the video game Verum Rex, this long-anticipated world and Pixar’s official debut in Kingdom Hearts had to create a lot of flat excuses for Sora and co. to fit into a world focused on inanimate objects. No doubt to eliminate the characters that could not be voice cast, such as Mr. Potato Head and Jessie. The concept of a mirror image of the world to isolate the toys' hearts and harness the strength and vulnerability of their innocence is intriguing. Still, the lack of development left it feeling hollow. We didn't learn what this mirror world was made of or how it was made. Is it a data world like the other Twilight Town? I believe it should have been filled with Dream Eaters or Nobodies, not Heartless. Buzz and Woody switch their third film roles so that Buzz was the Andy-attached distrusting one to Woody’s openness towards Sora and co. and Buzz’s concern about being turned against his friends was inconsistent with the canon and off-putting. The latter would have been fantastic if this was set after the third film in which he was reset to factory/'real space ranger delusion' mode, but I believe Nomura had said it was placed between the second and third films, which made it random and nonsensical. Then we have one of the worst resolutions in the franchise to date when out of nowhere; the group accepts being trapped in the mirror world and separated from Andy. It went against their belief in the love of a child in the films, the second film in particular, which focused on a child's love vs. sitting in a glass case in a museum, and the former won out. 5. Monstropolis (Monsters Inc.) The teaser stills of Sora and co.’s monster forms were all that was needed for this to become one of the worlds we most looked forward to, and the use of the scream energy concept was perfect for reintroducing the creator of the unversed, negative emotions incarnate, Vanitas. The incarnate of the darkness in Ventus’ heart. His behind-the-scenes involvement represented by film villain Randall Boggs created an intriguing if not predictable build-up, which almost made it the best use of an Organization member. This was not quite as successful a post-film plot as San Fransokyo due to lack of development and inconsistencies. While we don’t see her, Boo’s voice in the film's last moment is indisputably older, so to involve her in this plot as the toddler, she interfered with the timeline's presentation. Additionally, Vanitas needed more backstory as Ventus defeats him in Birth by Sleep. The world was also quite empty as it consisted of so few characters. Granted, it might have been more difficult to justify Sora and co.’s alliance while screams were still the resource. However, using the film plot rather than a post-film original plot might have solved these issues since the Disney + series Monsters at Work had not existed, as Vanitas lends himself well to the role of Waternoose. 6. Olympus (Hercules) Although one of few returning worlds in this game, I felt it was more successful as a whole plot-based world than, for the most part, an optional extracurricular. Pairing Sora’s lost powers with Hades’ coup against Zeus, thus giving him a bit of Hercules’ role, flowed well and as the place where Hercules had his first success, using Thebes and in a state of rebuilding was a very symbolic way to set the scene. The titan boss battles were long overdue but waiting for the right technology was well worth it as the sheer scale. In particular, the Rock titan battle was stunning, although the wind titan battle was a little too similar to the Genie Jafar battle in Kingdom Hearts II, which is a lost point for originality. As a continuation of an established timeline within Kingdom Hearts, the Hades coup was abrupt and not quite connected with the previous uses of the Hercules-based world or Hades' character. A short flashback of the Fates explaining the prediction with the planets aligning would have helped this somewhat. The brief and exclusively film-based use of Zeus' character was the lowest point. Although he's not usually supposed to interact with mortals, I'd expected him, as an immortal god, to have original substance and experience similar to King Tritan in Kingdom Hearts I implying that he has met a Keyblade wielder before. Remember the 'Look inside your heart' conversation in the film? That would have been an excellent line to incorporate regarding Sora's quest to regain his lost powers. 7. The Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) Although I have not seen the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the film plot is quite prominent in this world as central conflicts and even an attempt to tempt Sora. The box containing Davy Jones’ heart being confused for the mysterious box given to Luxu by the Master of Masters in Kingdom Hearts Union X was a strong plot point not just for Organization XIII but because it maintained the main plot’s relevance within the film. In contrast to the prior version of this world introduced in Kingdom Hearts II, the landscapes here are the vastest and just gorgeous and is one of the few worlds in this game to give Sora and co. a form or costume change. The ship battles and the swimming underwater were a little less than appealing. Controlling the large ships was a challenge because of the weight and slowness. The water wall defense wasn't too effective since one can't shoot in the brief moment that it's up. Also, I felt the underwater controls were more complicated to remember vs. those of Atlantica in Kingdom Hearts I and II. It took me a bit of time to stop reflexively attempting to apply the Atlantica controls. 8. San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6) This breathtaking cityscape with Kingdom Hearts’ first-ever day and night cycle is one of the most authentic and vast worlds we've ever seen. The plot felt a little disconnected from the rest of the game but overall had the best incorporation of the film elements as viable Kingdom Hearts lore and character interactions that made Sora and Co. feel a part of the events. The return of the original Baymax, who had sacrificed himself to the void of dimensional space with the martial arts chip corrupted by darkness, is one of the best uses of a Disney character in Kingdom Hearts history, and Replica Riku provided some of the most Organization XIII action in the game. The one flaw was that when Hiro decided to destroy the martial arts chip and the team tried to tell him that it wasn't necessary, he needed to acknowledge that the chip's darkness was his own because he created that chip out of rage and a thirst for revenge. It would have been nice to explore the bridge more as well. Overall, the film choices were spot on, and there were some shining successes while some suffered from underuse of the characters and plot and favoring of the new princesses of heart angle that went nowhere. Going forward after defeating Xehanort for good, Sora’s journey is now continuing into a whole new realm. The fictional or “unreality” realm as his violation of the design in Re Mind to save Kairi’s heart has resulted in his being trapped in the world of Verum Rex. This video game informed his persona in The Toy Box with its main character Yozora and without his iconic companions Donald and Goofy. Does this mean that he is done in the realm of Disney? We’ll just have to wait and see. View full article

With today being the Kingdom Hearts series' 20th anniversary, I decided to reflect on which scenes in the games impacted me the most. It was a time-consuming process, and my mind will probably change in due time, but each of the following scenes is undoubtedly engraved within my heart. Of course, there’s nothing objective about this list as it’s primarily dependent on nostalgia and personal impact. Still, there's bound to at least be a few most of us agree on. Before beginning the piece proper, I'd like to credit the following individuals: Regular Pat for creating the handy Wayfinder Project, an amazingly convenient tool for finding most of the cutscenes in the series. Identifying the names of most of the aforementioned scenes would have been truly burdensome if not for this resource. Damo279, since the Kingdom Hearts Union χ screenshots I used throughout this piece are from his video compiling the game's final scenes. 20. An Unexpected Bond Re:Coded receives a decent amount of flack, and some of it is justified. However, its Castle Oblivion segment is arguably one of the most underrated finales of any Kingdom Hearts title. Data Sora confronting Data Roxas about accepting his pain, even if it consumes him, is one of the few times I was genuinely moved in this game. Despite this not being the Sora we’ve come to know and love throughout the series, he still is Sora. Further, Roxas’ lashing out afterward is starkly emotive. Frankly, just seeing an iteration of Roxas acting somewhat antagonistically toward Sora directly is noteworthy, especially in Re:Coded, where it is a spread-out, gradual process. Alas, if only the HD 2.5 movie showcased their fight instead of skipping past it. 19. 7 and 13 Due to its platform and genre, I don’t have as much of a connection to Kingdom Hearts Union χ as I do the other games, but following its plot, despite its sporadic updates, was a thrilling experience. The finale contained a bunch of bombshells, such as the final seen conversation between the Master of Masters and Luxu. The revelations regarding the truth of the Foretellers’ being trained to unwittingly harbor the willful Darknesses, Luxu’s immediate opposition to it, and the Master’s chilling attitude were immensely memorable, to say the least. As heinous as the Master’s acts are, the gray morality showcased here has me indescribably excited for his future endeavors and Luxu’s actions. 18. Disorder This is most likely the strangest entry on this list, but this is easily one of the most standout scenes in 358/2 Days and the series as a whole. Roxas finds himself on Destiny Islands and sees Xion in the distance. However, after approaching her, she removes her head and reveals herself to be…Zexion? From then on, it becomes a disturbing mishmash of Riku’s and Zexion’s final conversation from Chain of Memories, with Roxas morphing into various other figures. After realizing that this is essentially a nightmare of Xion’s comprising her struggling with her identity, its oddities become far clearer. Due to its somber subject matter and the legitimately chilling sound design, this is honestly the most unnerving scene in the franchise, and it will likely always stick with me. 17. Fall to Darkness Back to Kingdom Hearts Union χ, the finale contained yet another notable scene; the Player’s false betrayal toward Ephemer and Skuld. The sheer shock value of this scene alone, alongside the eventual reveal of Ephemer and Skuld being the final bosses, was jaw-dropping, to put it mildly. Even as an onlooker of this game, I was amazed by the boldness of this twist, and the eventual reveal of the Player faking it all to deceive the Darknesses makes this initial occurrence even more notable. This scenario reminds me of the classic phrase stating that to deceive your enemies, you must fool your friends first, and while that happens here, it’s severely tragic. Skuld and Ephemer aren’t aware that the Player was not taken over. Moreover, the Player perishes soon afterward. A bitter, sudden farewell for all parties involved. 16. Phantom Promise or Not Chain of Memories has some of the best showcases of Sora’s characterization, and this scene of him, Donald, and Goofy confronting Marluxia exemplifies it. Marluxia threatens Namine to eliminate Sora’s memories which would lead to his demise due to the inherent connective tissue memories boast in this series. However, Sora doesn’t fear this at all. In fact, he dares for the erasure to occur. His faith in himself and his friends piecing himself back together displays how selfless and open-hearted he is. Honestly, reflecting on moments like this when Sora’s selflessness and love for others ultimately led to his eventual banishment makes exchanges like this somewhat ominous. 15. Closing the Door The Kingdom Hearts I ending sequence is classic and its placement shouldn’t require much explanation. Admittedly, I can’t deny that my love for this scene, and many forthcoming ones, primarily stems from nostalgia. Still, the effectiveness of Sora and Kairi parting ways, the worlds’ restorations, and the beginning of "Simple and Clean" hitting as soon as Sora’s and Kairi’s hands leave each other is such magnificent timing. It’s simply a fantastic ending sequence that undeniably struck many of us since our first viewings. 14. Darkness' Call Despite its mixed reception, I adore Dream Drop Distance’s endgame for a multitude of reasons. One of those reasons stems from Riku’s final conversation with Ansem, where Riku frankly acknowledges his mistakes, even questioning his fittingness for the Keyblade. His honesty and lack of fear here say volumes when speaking in front of Ansem Seeker of Darkness himself. Additionally, the revelation of Riku being a Dream Eater is a noteworthy, excellent twist. Riku’s growth is stellar, and seeing it so transparently depicted here is remarkably satisfying. 13. Place to Belong Days has several impressive scenes, with one of the more memorable ones being Axel’s confrontation with Xion in front of Twilight Town’s mansion. Axel is really the star of this exchange, as his simultaneous adoration and frustration with Xion and Roxas reach a boiling point. “…I’ll always be there to bring you back” is an iconic line, perfectly encapsulating Axel’s fervent desire to keep the three of them together for as long as possible. 12. Vexen's End Speaking of Axel, him eliminating Vexen in Chain of Memories is, as the kids say, ‘kino.’ Throughout this title, Axel remains a consistent enigma. His true allegiances are shrouded in whatever personal goals he’s pursuing, and it isn’t until this instance that the sheer strength of his determination is showcased. Personally, I find him burning Vexen in Re:Chain of Memories more brutal than the chakram stab in the GBA version. Regardless, Axel’s absence of hesitation makes this a grim departure, and Sora’s exclamation at who precisely these black-robed fellows are aligned with those of us who experienced this game before Kingdom Hearts II. 11. My Friends Are My Power! My favorite scene in Dream Drop Distance is right before Sora’s final boss in The World That Never Was. While there is a fair amount of exposition here detailed between Xemnas and Xigbar, I found it to amplify the already present tension emitted from Sora’s shock. It also made the tragedies that took place in Days more prominent in efficacy. Still, even in the face of these veiled truths, Sora’s cheesy yet effective faith in his friends allows him to strive further, even taking Xigbar aback. That visual alone of Sora with the other central cast members makes this scene a top pick. 10. Kairi Awakens Of all the moments in the original Kingdom Hearts, Sora’s Sacrifice is the most emotionally impactful. Even when removing all context, the imagery of Sora stabbing himself to restore the Princess’ hearts is astounding. The musical choice here is also notable, resulting in this scene being one of the first I think of in relation to this title. Roxas’ and Namine’s eventual creation also stems from this sacrifice, making it truly hallmark. 9. Dreams Connected Putting an opening here may be cheating somewhat, but this is my favorite visual sequence for any Kingdom Hearts introduction. The well-timed musical beats with the imagery are sublime. It also excellently recaps the previous two games in engaging, distinct ways. 8. Light Expires The Guardians of Light all falling was an appalling sight. From Donald’s Zettaflare to Riku’s final stand, everything here was a bombardment of surprise. However, what elevates this scene for me above all else, is Sora’s emotional breakdown, highlighting his disconcerting sense of self-worth. As it turns out, his reliance on others granting him strength has been too severe, tainting his self-image. Ultimately, seeing Sora, of all characters, lose himself in such a state exemplifies the bleakness of this tragedy. 7. You Admit it / Candid Words The Days trio reuniting provided an indescribable sense of catharsis that few pieces of media have managed to make me feel. Roxas, Axel, and Xion are my favorite of the trios, primarily due to how 358/2 Days' pacing was handled. Its slow-burn focused on the growing friendship between these three, and it was heart-wrenching to see it all ripped away by the end. Honestly, just seeing these three crying and laughing together brought me to tears. 6. Lost Masters The Kingdom Hearts III Epilogue remains one of the most startling sequences in the series, especially with added retrospect from Kingdom Hearts Union χ. Xigbar being Luxu puts so many prior oddities into newer, wilder contexts, and several scenes make inestimable more sense. I still vividly remember my shock when seeing Luxu pull off his hood and my mind scrambling to arrange puzzle pieces into their proper place. 5. Birth by Sleep This is an unoriginal and almost cheesy pick, but the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix still amazes me. It’s a visual treat boasting intense combat and the masterful “Fate of the Unknown.” When I was younger, I viewed this scene on YouTube countless times, transfixed by what this breathtaking cinematic alluded to in the future, or as we’d come to learn, the past. 4. Blank Points Blank Points needs no words. It expertly weaves in prior series elements, culminating in a tear-jerking finale where the burden Sora bears is evident. The swapping between multiple perspectives and times amplifies the weight Sora carries. Following the melancholic atmosphere Birth by Sleep tends to embrace, Blank Points provides a profound sense of hope for the future. 3. I've Been Having These Weird Thoughts Lately Yozora remains an enigmatic existence. Still, the Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind Secret Episode gave us a decent lens regarding his personality and what to potentially expect from the future. And, the scene when losing against Yozora probably gave us more than what any of us expected. Between Sora’s crystallization and Yozora waking in a recreated shot from Final Fantasy Versus XIII, I was quite literally speechless for longer than I’d like to admit. Then, of course, the addition of the original Kingdom Hearts opening quotes was the cherry on top, ultimately providing a distinct sensation reminiscent of my childhood memories of magical wonder with the series. 2. Tears If there’s one scene that made me cry unrestrained, it was this one. Xion’s acceptance of her fate, combined with the fading memories and Roxas’ mystification at the events before him, is almost too much to bear. Further, Xion’s hopeful grasping for Roxas to fulfill her wishes despite the memory conundrum is endearing amidst all the grief. A scene is undeniably effective if it still impacts you after dozens of viewings, and this cleanly fits that bill. The updated scene in HD 1.5 with the shown battle between the two is also very much appreciated. 1. Kingdom Hearts III Ending Kingdom Hearts III’s ending managed to make me feel what I thought was impossible with an entry this long-awaited; simultaneous satisfaction and yearning. The sheer sight of the vast cast playing together on Destiny Islands always causes me to have a joyous smile when combined with the phenomenal “Don’t Think Twice.” Furthermore, the updated visuals near the launch of Re Mind only enhanced my appreciation for this segment. Finally, and most notably, Sora’s fading by the end left me hooked. While I completely understand the distaste for this final shot, I've remained enthralled by its implications and what the future will be like with this altered cast. With the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary event arriving April 10th, 2022, us fans will certainly have a whole new era of Kingdom Hearts to look forward to. I, for one, can not wait, and am eagerly looking forward to making more memories with this franchise. Which Kingdom Hearts scenes are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

In the first three days since its Japan release, Kingdom Hearts III had no trouble topping the weekly video game sales chart in the country with over 600,000 copies, selling almost 2.5 times more copies than Resident Evil 2 in second place (which released on the same day). In the following week, commencing Monday, January 28, Kingdom Hearts III kept its number one position selling 91,019* more copies, adding to a cumulative 701,096* copies sold in Japan as of February 3. This includes both individual and bundled versions of the game. Kingdom Hearts III became the most downloaded game on the PlayStation Store in January despite releasing only 3 days before the end of the month. It was also the Players' Choice Winner of the month and the top PlayStation game in the Australian charts in its first week. It took the top spot in its first week also in video game sales in the UK. Square Enix have reported that the game sold more than 5 million copies worldwide within a week of its international release, including digitally and across all platforms, making it the fastest selling game in the series. Before its release, Kingdom Hearts III (PS4) was the most pre-ordered game on Amazon and remained the #1 bestseller entertainment software on the website until the end of the month. *This data was collected by Media Create. A higher cumulative number of copies sold is reported by Famitsu, who report that Kingdom Hearts III sold 81,795 copies in week commencing January 28, adding to a cumulative sales of 722,201. View full article

Hi Everyone, My name is Steven I'm a level 209 member of Vulpes currently ranked at 31 for lux and I like to keep my ranking with the top 100 players. That being said, I'm looking for a new party. My party is good but we never talk just play the game and once in awhile help with raid bosses. I would love to join a team that's dedicated to not only bringing lux but constantly talking about ways to help each other, kingdom hearts, medal strategies, and so on. I would love to join a more enthusiastic party and make some new friends in the process. Thank you guys!