Sections
Birth by Sleep, originally released for the PSP, is a great prequel that succeeds in expanding the Kingdom Hearts’ universe and lore, even if it never quite justifies the existence of its three main stories, which encourage the player to basically play the same game three times even though it does not always reward them for the commitment.
The story follows the separated journeys of three friends, starting on the eve of an important exam. It’s night-time and the young Ventus is training with his childhood friends Terra and Aqua, who will need to prove they can become Keyblade Masters the following day. Before each one goes to bed, Aqua gives them pendants that symbolize [...]
Vampyr is a third-person action role-playing game that excels in making its mechanics, systems, and presentation mirror its protagonist’s inner struggles. It associates vampirism with disease and corruption, immersing the player in a hostile and claustrophobic city, whose inhabitants are at the mercy of predators of every kind – including the protagonist.
The game starts with a discussion on mortality, with death being described as a relief and a blessing. This immediately frames the protagonist, Dr. Jonathan E. Reid, as a damned character: his vampire condition is not a superpower, but a curse. This notion is further reinforced by the tragic events of the opening: a young [...]
—> The following review will comment heavily on the events of 358/2 Days. Beware of spoilers.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is a bigger, bolder sequel that goes all out in everything it does, delivering a more complex story and action-focused combat system. It has its obvious share of faults – at this point, it wouldn’t be Kingdom Hearts without them – but the game still has its heart in the right place: the story it tells, although bizarrely convoluted, remains tragic and moving.
The plot follows Sora’s awakening after the events of Chain of Memories, and his fight against Organization XIII, which is trying to form Kingdom Hearts by collecting hearts released from [...]
Kingdom Hearts is an ambitious crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy that, ironically, is at its best when it’s not covering either brand, but being its own thing.
The protagonist is a boy named Sora, who lives on an island and dreams of traveling with his friends, Kairi and Riku, to discover new places. One day, they start to build a raft to go sailing, but before they are able to depart, their homeworld is engulfed in shadows and, after a battle against a monster, Sora wakes up in another world. There, he meets Donald and Goofy, who are looking for a key that is supposed to help their king, Mickey Mouse.
The game begins with an uncanny atmosphere. It asks some [...]