TheKingdom Heartsseries features one of the most heartwarming stories in video game history. It follows the life of Sora, a young Keyblade wielder who is forced out of his home into a whole new galaxy. His first journey saw him scavenging various planets in search of his friends, but he has since gone on to vanquish some of the greatest threats to the universe.
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Sora has experienced a lot of unexpected things since departing Destiny Island, but not all of what happened is looked back on with fondness. CertainKingdom Heartselements haven’t aged well at all, and though some were rectified in various remakes and remasters, it’s hard to forget the sour taste they left behind.
5The Combat Scenarios (Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days)
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Daysfeatures one of the most heartbreaking stories in theKingdom Heartsfranchise. It documents Roxas’s first and only year as a member of Organization 13 and the journey he makes tounearth his true identity. As the only Organization member who can wield a Keyblade, Roxas is tasked with venturing to various Disney worlds to release the hearts of all the Heartless he encounters. It’s an engaging story for the most part, but the gameplay is nowhere near as polished as it was in previous entries.
ThoughKingdom Hearts: 358/2 Daysallows players to use a variety of unique abilities, attempting to do so can be frustrating due to how the game is designed. Roxas will need toequip certain abilitiesbefore starting a mission as he will have no option to alter his arsenal after leaving The Castle That Never Was. This means he can easily run out of spells and potions during his ventures. To make matters worse, the boss fights are incredibly difficult due to how they were designed. Thankfully, those who do not wish to experience the game’s combat can watch the three-hour movie adaptation of the game included in theKingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix.
4Sora’s Response To Organization 13’s Goal (Kingdom Hearts 2)
The opening ofKingdom Hearts 2sees Sora awakening after a year of sleep to find he no longer has a goal. Upon encountering the Nobodies, however, he realizes that a new enemy has risen in the wake of Ansem’s defeat. He journeys with Donald and Goofy to Yen Sid’s Mysterious Tower, where he learns what Nobodies are: beings who lack hearts. The most powerful Nobodies can retain their human forms, but, like their primitive counterparts, they still lack hearts. Their sole purpose inKingdom Hearts 2is to reclaim the hearts they lost, but Sora has no intention of allowing them to do so.
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To reclaim their hearts, these Nobodies forma group named Organization 13and begin creating artificial Kingdom Hearts. Without Roxas, they are forced to rely on Sora to defeat Heartless and thus release the hearts trapped inside them. The more hearts that are released, the closer they come to achieving their goal. Though they appear evil, their goal isn’t overly sinister. Most of the evil acts they commit are in response to Sora’s attempts to stop them. The climax of the game sees Sora slaughtering each member of the Organization and ruining the Kingdom Hearts they created. Considering all they wanted was a chance to feel emotion again, Sora’s actions were a little insensitive.
3Kairi’s Slow Character Development (Kingdom Hearts 2)
Kairi was largely sidelined during the events of the originalKingdom Heartsin favor of Sora and Riku. She spends most of the narrative unconscious until she is awakened by Sora toward the end of the game. She then asks Sora if she can accompany him on his journey to confront Ansem, but Sora refuses her request as he believes “it’s way too dangerous.” Kairi reluctantly accepts his decision, but secretlyvows to help him in the future.
Kairi obtains her own Keyblade inKingdom Hearts 2and briefly uses it to defeat a group of Heartless. She firmly states"This time…I’llfight,“but most of the fighting is left to Sora and Riku. This is understandable as she lacks the necessary experience to take on the Organization, but this shouldn’t be the case in the sequels. Kairi is eventually chosen to be a Guardian of Light during the climax ofKingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. She is given a limitless amount of time to prepare for the upcoming battle against Xehanort, but she ends up getting captured by Xemnas during her first battle. Aside from theRe MindDLC, each entry in the series has failed to portray her as anything more than a damsel in distress.
2The Introduction Of Time Travel (Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance)
Prior to the release ofKingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, fans had no real issue with the plot. It was easy to follow and understand, butthe introduction of time travelleft many players confused as to what it meant for the series. Though most have learned to embrace the complexities that come with aKingdom Heartsgame, some despise the way it used time travel to progress the plot.
The climax ofKingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distancerevealed that the main antagonist of the game was actuallya young version of Master Xehanort. Before becoming the Seeker of Darkness, Xehanort planned for thirteen versions of himself to meet in The World That Never Was. This allowed previously defeated villains to return from the grave, rendering Sora’s past triumphs somewhat less impressive. Many felt that using time travel to resurrect these fallen enemies was a cheap move, and though it suited the story, it left a bad taste in the mouths of some fans.
1Kairi’s Visible Undergarments At The Altar Of Naught (Kingdom Hearts 2)
For the most part,Kingdom Heartsis designed to be an appropriate game for children to enjoy.Kingdom Hearts 2advertised itself as a game suitable for fans aged ten and up, but there are moments in the game where this rating can be called into question. Upon reaching the final room of the game, Sora gets the chance to converse with his friends before beginning the final battle. If the player positions the camera in a certain way while standing beside Kairi, however, they may notice an inappropriate design choice.
Kairi’s undergarments are clearly visible from below her dress. Though this might not seem like such a big deal on the surface, the fact that Kairi is only fifteen years old during the events ofKingdom Hearts 2is definitely problematic. Thankfully, developers corrected this unseemly design choice in theKingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix, but it’s hard to forget that it somehow made it into the game’s initial release.
