KHUX ► Anyone else find this game to be really dark and depressing?

[MasterOfMasterOfMasters]

Personally, i think its the best story of any KH game. The reason i like it is because the world feels very coherent, you get to see how all the worlds came to be and how they are connected instead of the worlds being scared on the map without explanation. But also, there are many original characters which makes the game really feel "alive", we get to see their struggles, their agonies, their intractions, its very engaging. There is lots of plot, thats well written, with twists and unpredicatbility to make it interesting.

But at the same time, i think its extremely sad. So many people die, and the worst is, that these people are good ones. Sterlizia is the nicest girl and gets killed. The player sacifices themselves to save their friends, and although they get reincarnated, im not sure they retain their consiousness. And its even darkers considering who they get reincarnated into, the player who sacificed themselves for their friends become a selfish, self obssessed, megalomaniac who will use people as tools in order to kill everyone in the end and restart the world in his liking. Then you have all these children who die and join hearts with their chirithys becoming Dream Eaters that Sora will later use as weapons. BRUTAL.

You can argue other games are darker but the thing is i cant think of any game that kills off good people in large numbers. Thats the dark part, its not that they are scumbags or villains or anything, its good people dying as part of the grander scheme of things.

 

[Sonofjafar]

Not to mention that our self insert becomes the main villain of the franchise

 

[The_Echo]

Imagine going back to 2002 and telling KH fans that the next major storyline would kick off with a story about a world-ending war fought by children which leads directly into a cold case murder mystery.

And given the graveyard scene, Dark Road is apparently following suit.
I love it though. The character-focused storytelling and moral greys of the χ saga are what make it so compelling.
KH has always held melancholy and tragedy close. It's an important pillar of the franchise, and it's more prominent now than ever before.
I dunno if I'd call χ depressing, but it is evocative.

 

[Zackarix]

Not really. Those dark elements exist, but they aren't in focus. The player spends most of their time running around in brightly-colored Disney worlds that are far away from the war. Even if we focus on the main story the storybook aesthetics do a great job distracting from the events. And even ignoring that the darkest events still don't pack as much punch as they could. The war is skipped over except for the Foreteller boss fights. Lots of kids die, but they're mostly background extras instead of proper characters. The player's friends don't even have names. Strelitzia does have a name and even a unique character design, but she dies so soon after her introduction that after the shock wears off there's no lasting impact.

So there's a big gap in how dark the concept of the story is and the actual implementation.

 

[Absent]

Not really. Those dark elements exist, but they aren't in focus. The player spends most of their time running around in brightly-colored Disney worlds that are far away from the war. Even if we focus on the main story the storybook aesthetics do a great job distracting from the events. And even ignoring that the darkest events still don't pack as much punch as they could. The war is skipped over except for the Foreteller boss fights. Lots of kids die, but they're mostly background extras instead of proper characters. The player's friends don't even have names. Strelitzia does have a name and even a unique character design, but she dies so soon after her introduction that after the shock wears off there's no lasting impact.

So there's a big gap in how dark the concept of the story is and the actual implementation.

Basically.

 

[Alpha Baymax]

I don't think people will fully appreciate the story of this game until the inevitable HD remake comes out.

 

[Face My Fears]

I don't think people will fully appreciate the story of this game until the inevitable HD remake comes out.

I need a console version with full 3D models and voice acting to acknowledge KHUX.

 

[Soldier]

I need a console version with full 3D models and voice acting to acknowledge KHUX.

You don't need this Face My Fears....
We ALL NEED THIS.

 

[Rydgea]

Reminds me that UX shares the mantle with FFIX, in that they are deceptively dark despite their super-deformed and colorful set dressing. I don't know that I would attribute the art direction as a roadblock for KH fans, though - cutesy, Disney crap is expected. Of course, there are folks who will judge a (story)book by it's cover (again, see: IX coming off the heels of the attempt at hyper-realism VIII pushed for). With UX though, it was literally a chore to piecemeal a story over 5 years of months of drip missions. I think it stands a better chance of being appreciated more and by a larger audience once it's all just Re: packaged, even if they do nothing to change the current look of it.

That being said, this game heavily leans into generating mysteries for the series' long game, and because of that I feel like we were kept at arms length from truly getting to know a lot of the players, like the Foretellers. So, like @Zackarix mentioned, it loses a little bit of the umph. Which, that is a little depressing.