Things that KH Does Well

[Audo]

Thought it would be nice to have a little positivity thread~

For me, I was just thinking about the Stations of Awakening. I really think KH did that really well. I like the atmosphere of them, how they feel like something distinctly KH, how the mystery and mythology of them has slowly been built up over the series. I like how it's never really stated exactly what it is (the closest it comes to a very explicit explanation is BBS but even then most of it was shown and not told through exposition) but we all kind of just came to accept and understand what they were about over the course of the series. It's nice. It's well-done. It has that KH1 style of understatedness and reserving the answers to let players decide for themselves. And even after knowing what they are generally about, I'm still not tired of them. The unique design of them makes me curious to see every characters' stations. I don't know. It's always something I've liked and I think they did well by it.

What are some things that you think KH does particularly well in that kind of way? Whether it be music significance, themes, metaphors, symbolism, parallels? Kind of looking for deeper answers than just "gameplay is good and fun" or "the music is great", things that need a little bit of an interpretive analytical lens, but yeah. What do you guys think KH does well? (and please no snarky answers for once lol)

 

[Chuman]

"please no snarky answers" my kind ain't wanted here! [grabs belt buckle while spitting in bucket] hear that fellas? boy don't want no snarky answers! [possee erupts into laughter]

the gameplay is literally unlike any other game, its so fun and simple yet deep, it helped me fall in love. the music is deeply beautiful, you wouldn't hope for anything less in a disney property. the story? its super complex, but in a good way. the layers and story is spread out so cult fans can find each tidbit and knit it together.

there is so much more but i'm just starting off, kind of curious to see otter people's answers.

 

[VoidGear.]

Even if the characters sometimes seem stupid, illogical or annoying, Kingdom Hearts still manages to make me love (most of) them. Whenever I say the characters in BbS are stupid, I mean it, still I'm waiting for their reunion, still I'm waiting for things to finally be right again, and for all of them to be saved.
What I'm saying is: Kingdom Hearts manages to make you love the characters, even if they don't seem outstandingly intelligent or anything at first.

 

[Elysium]

The music, voice acting, and graphics.

 

[VanitasRemnant]

The unique character designs and the characters themselves, the oddly complex story (and sometimes overly), the soundtrack, and the addictive gameplay for me.

 

[Audo]

I was really looking for like examinations of specific moments or elements you guys :/

 

[Launchpad]

A LOT of cutscenes in KH1 and KH2 were unaccompanied by any BG music. Instead, they were often occupied with ambient wind sounds, which gave the scenes this super important and mysterious feeling.

After BBS, all scenes now have tons of music. Kinda not my thing!!!

 

[Chuman]

when lingering will defeated terranort, he dropped to his knees and the KH organ began playing, before terra vowed to set things right.

that moment was really top notch for me. magical.

 

[Divine Past]

I like the moments from when Riku took Sora's keyblade till he gets it back in KH1. Sora looking defeated while Riku acting smug as f*** and you see the regret in Goofy's posture in leaving Sora.

Sora had every reason to be depressed because until that moment, Sora probably felt all of his success was due to the keyblade. So when it got taken away from him, it felt like he lost his purpose and his way to save Kairi.

Then when he meets up with Beast it seemed more like 2 guys down in their luck deciding to team up. I don't think there were any meaningful cutscence after that until they got to the castle but the game did a good job to make Sora feel useless. He couldn't hurt things with his stick and needed Beast to bail him out a lot. Then again this was probably the first time Sora needed to rely on his friends in combat because beforehand his keyblade was able to handle everything.

When he and Beast were able to get into the castle it showed Sora that he can still get things done without the keyblade. Because even without it ,the bonds with his friends helped him succeed anyways. This probably open his eyes when he told Riku he didn't need the keyblade to save Kairi because he had his friends back. So yea I think they handle this scene and character growth of l Sora very well imo. (Doesn't hurt Goofy saving Sora from Riku's dark aura was cool as f***)

 

[Professor Ven]

KH's strongest pillar is it's music/soundtrack - seriously, Shimomura is arguably the single-most reason why people still remember moments in the series, and the collective fascination/nostalgia for it comes from the songs composed by her. Sure, we were all entranced by the Final Fantasy and Disney mashup, but who doesn't find themselves stuck with any tune from the series in their head? Everyone on this forum probably felt some kind of awe, wonder, or foreboding during the Choice scene in KH1

Yoko Shimomura handled the Disney-themed Worlds' themes superbly, in some cases utilizing similar chord progressions albeit with twists such as with the Hundred Acre Wood theme - drawing deeply on players' nostalgia of these iconic Disney landmarks (much like My Neighbor Totoro's main theme does). Then, after slugging it through World after World, we wind up at Hollow Bastion in KH1, in which the soundtrack changes, returning players back towards the awe, foreboding majesty, etc, felt in the beginning (Note the choir's comeback).

This continues on throughout the series - Roxas' theme encapsulates his arc perfectly, the same with Sora's; even if you don't know either's story or haven't played the game, I'm willing to bet anyone can understand the theme of songs like this solely from listening to them. The Organization XIII theme (loss, the ominous choir; creating the cathedral-like atmosphere to make the listener feel small) and Dearly Beloved (recollection, the quaint innocence of childhood [not unlike the theme of Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, etc - and the transformation from that innocent state) run almost parallel with one another - and both have differences that reveal the inner truths of the characters these soundtracks revolve around.

Soundtracks are arguably the most integral component in entertainment media - it can make or break a film, game, etc, much more quickly and easily than bad acting or poor dialogue. Don't you get that feeling of flying, or gliding upon the air in this? How many of you have gone DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH or hummed this? Feel the ethereal, angelic majesty in this? This sequence alone shows how integral a soundtrack is to a film, and how much weight it carries both onscreen and in the background. Music is one of the fundamental ways with which humans have, throughout existence, endeavored in expressing themselves and their culture - as well as the stories that develop within society's framework. KH is no different in this regard, and that's why I feel that the franchise's soundtrack is its greatest asset to date. For real though, John Williams alone has formed a part of pretty much everyone's life/childhood alone in his countless film composition credits, and the only way you'll find someone who doesn't hum or get a theme written by him stuck in their head is because they've lived under a rock (or North Korea) for the past fifty years.

 

[redcrown]

A LOT of cutscenes in KH1 and KH2 were unaccompanied by any BG music. Instead, they were often occupied with ambient wind sounds, which gave the scenes this super important and mysterious feeling.

After BBS, all scenes now have tons of music. Kinda not my thing!!!

Although some of the time the silence made the scenes feel dead or downright awkward more than they should have, especially if the scene wasn't important or simple or of nothing (liking a pointless scene of walking into a room or an empty long silence between two characters that went on too long and didn't add much).

The ambient sounds definitely worked for some of the dramatic parts and heightened the tenseness of key scenes. Now some of the KH games have the opposite problem in overusing the soundtracks to force a feeling of foreboding or tragedy. It just needs to be balanced well and used smartly.

 

[Launchpad]

Although some of the time the silence made the scenes feel dead or downright awkward more than they should have, especially if the scene wasn't important or simple or of nothing (liking a pointless scene of walking into a room or an empty long silence between two characters that went on too long and didn't add much).

The ambient sounds definitely worked for some of the dramatic parts and heightened the tenseness of key scenes. Now some of the KH games have the opposite problem in overusing the soundtracks to force a feeling of foreboding or tragedy. It just needs to be balanced well and used smartly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyErt2iojt4 Listen to this game. Top notch sound design. Every effect sounds so natural. The ambient sounds of the jungle, the sounds of Tarzan crashing into the treehouse, and then the two characters have a conversation set over the mystifying ambiance. Only after the world's title is introduced does the world's native music (Deep Jungle's theme is amazing) start playing. This is one of KH's best worlds in terms of atmosphere. After the sort of silly and blocky/fabricated looking worlds of Wonderland and Olympus, this world really takes the training wheels off. Sora's not on his island anymore. He's further away here then ever. The danger is realer, the stakes are realer, and it's at this point that you really feel like the true adventure has begun.

 

[redcrown]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyErt2iojt4 Listen to this game. Top notch sound design. Every effect sounds so natural. The ambient sounds of the jungle, the sounds of Tarzan crashing into the treehouse, and then the two characters have a conversation set over the mystifying ambiance. Only after the world's title is introduced does the world's native music (Deep Jungle's theme is amazing) start playing. This is one of KH's best worlds in terms of atmosphere. After the sort of silly and blocky/fabricated looking worlds of Wonderland and Olympus, this world really takes the training wheels off. Sora's not on his island anymore. He's further away here then ever. The danger is realer, the stakes are realer, and it's at this point that you really feel like the true adventure has begun.

Guess we had different interpretations. That's one of the first scenes I think of that were awkward as hell in KH1. The small jungle sounds worked beautifully with Tarzan fighting Sabor, I'll agree with that. But after that the fish faces and slow dialogue coupled with no music made the scene feel odd and a little uncomfortable to watch (for me). If it had music it might have distracted me from it.

I think I'm just picky and intolerant of PS1/early PS2 graphics, especially in cutscenes.

Deep Jungle was a fun and large (also confusing) world, but for me the slow, awkward, fishfaced cutscnes pretty much ruined the story it had for me. I considered it one of the worst offenders in the game.

 

[Audo]

I like the moments from when Riku took Sora's keyblade till he gets it back in KH1. Sora looking defeated while Riku acting smug as f*** and you see the regret in Goofy's posture in leaving Sora.

Sora had every reason to be depressed because until that moment, Sora probably felt all of his success was due to the keyblade. So when it got taken away from him, it felt like he lost his purpose and his way to save Kairi.

Then when he meets up with Beast it seemed more like 2 guys down in their luck deciding to team up. I don't think there were any meaningful cutscence after that until they got to the castle but the game did a good job to make Sora feel useless. He couldn't hurt things with his stick and needed Beast to bail him out a lot. Then again this was probably the first time Sora needed to rely on his friends in combat because beforehand his keyblade was able to handle everything.

When he and Beast were able to get into the castle it showed Sora that he can still get things done without the keyblade. Because even without it ,the bonds with his friends helped him succeed anyways. This probably open his eyes when he told Riku he didn't need the keyblade to save Kairi because he had his friends back. So yea I think they handle this scene and character growth of l Sora very well imo. (Doesn't hurt Goofy saving Sora from Riku's dark aura was cool as f***)

Yeah that whole sequence is really well done and powerful. Full of gut punch moments. I especially love the wooden sword callback and how it makes you so underpowered, which makes HB feel even that much overwhelming. It was one of the few moments in the series where I felt the gameplay really added to the story. So great.

 

[BlackOsprey]

when lingering will defeated terranort, he dropped to his knees and the KH organ began playing, before terra vowed to set things right.

that moment was really top notch for me. magical.

I get that feeling whenever that organ piece starts playing. It perfectly blends eerie with majestic, and it just gives me goosebumps every time. The resolution to the climax.

 

[Audo]

KINGDOM HEARTS II (2006)
DIZ: But first, perhaps you could tell me your true name.
RIKU: It’s Ansem.
DREAM DROP DISTANCE (2012)
DIZ: Young man! I do not believe you ever told me your name.
RIKU: It’s Riku.
​

This was another of my favourite moments that I think was done well. The callback to KH2. It's just such a simple exchange but it has a lot of layers to it. What it says about DiZ, what it says about Riku, about their relationship, about how they've changed and grown. The fact that all of Riku's development is able to be summed up in a single line. In a series so heavy on a mythology focus it's nice that it has this moment that's all about the characters. It's such a simple exchange but it manages to say so much and deliver a lot of emotion. Idk. I really like and appreciate it.

 

[Launchpad]

Whoa!! DiZ was black, but Ansem the Wise is white.

 

[Audo]

Whoa!! DiZ was black, but Ansem the Wise is white.

Is this your first time noticing that?

(tho technically i'm pretty sure he's meant to be asian, along with all the original characters)

 

[Popsydoodles]

Is this your first time noticing that?

My question is why? And what happened to his other eye? He almost looks like Ansem Seeker under there too. Hmmmm...

 

[Audo]

My question is why? And what happened to his other eye? He almost looks like Ansem Seeker under there too. Hmmmm...

That would be why lol.