Hey, everybody! So, funny story, I haven't posted in this forum in like 4 years but I have been brought out of retirement because I have a question and there seems to be no opinions on the matter anywhere on the Internet (shocking).
I haven't been playing video games much in the past few years, but Kingdom Hearts always has a special place in my heart. I am currently getting my buddy who is a super casual player to play Kingdom Hearts and he digs it! He's still on the KH1FM on the HD remix. But as he approaches the end of the game, my concern becomes: what next?
Obviously, Chain of Memories. But my question is: which version? GBA or PS2 (or, in this case, PS3)?
Here's my dilemma. ReCoM seems like the obvious answer; my friend already technically has it on his copy. Also it has better graphics - it's a fully realized version. But this is where my hesitancy lies. We see all of the characters in their fully CGI (albeit PS2 graphics) form, we hear their voices, we know this world. And that's my problem. We meet these characters as their fully realized iterations before KH2.
Back in the day, if you played the games as they came out, you HAD to play CoM on the GBA. By its very nature, the game was more understated in that all you had access to visually were sprites and GBA animations. So, yes we meet Axel and Namine and the cloaked figures and DiZ but they are in sprite form on this small screen with no voice acting. So, when we meet them in KH2, it is like meeting people that we've "heard so much about." We don't really get introduced to them unil KH2. They are more satisfying reveals. Like, imagine you're playing KH2, and Axel enters with hood up, "All right, Roxas. Fight, fight, fight!" You have no idea who it is until he says, "You know, Axel." He takes off his hood, and you're like, "Yo, it's Axel from Chain of Memories!" Same with Namine; the first time we see her in KH2 (besides the opening cinematic) is from far away, and then a close-up of her mouth, and you're like, "Wait, is that Namine? Shit, that's totally her." A similar idea comes from playing as Sora. Even though you play as him in both versions of CoM, it is not the Sora we know, but a small sprite version. Obviously, story wise it is the same Sora but like the player to game connection is different. So not seeing or playing as CGI Sora until KH2 (I won't even bring up the voice acting difference if you play KH1 and then ReCoM) is much more suspenseful and then rewarding when you finally get behind the wheel, so to speak.
ReCoM completely ruins these reveals, whether they be story reveals or like the thing I just mentioned about waiting to play as Sora. For me, seeing as I have either played or watched or essentially know the entire series, ReCoM is my choice because it further establishes the world of the series. But it almost seems like the remakes in the KH series are really meant for people who have played the original versions of them, and not necessarily intended for newcomers. Obviously, you can still play them as your first venture, but there are things added that don't work for a first time play through (a good thing that comes to mind is cutting to Axel and the Organization gatherings during Roxas' prologue. We don't wanna see the behind the scenes of that shit until later; keep the mystery of what is going on!) ReCoM is the biggest offender; its meant for people who have played KH1, CoM, and KH2.
I know this is kind of an essay at this point, but I'm curious to get your opinions on this matter.
Does playing ReCom ruin some of the reveals or overall aspects of KH2? How do you feel the remakes stand up as a gamer's first interaction with that particular game?
But most importantly - DO I HAVE MY FRIEND PLAY COM, RECOM, READ THE MANGA, READ WIKIPEDIA, OR SHOULD I JUST EXPLAIN THE PLOT IN AN ELABORATE THEATRICAL ONE MAN SHOW!?
Thank you.
I haven't been playing video games much in the past few years, but Kingdom Hearts always has a special place in my heart. I am currently getting my buddy who is a super casual player to play Kingdom Hearts and he digs it! He's still on the KH1FM on the HD remix. But as he approaches the end of the game, my concern becomes: what next?
Obviously, Chain of Memories. But my question is: which version? GBA or PS2 (or, in this case, PS3)?
Here's my dilemma. ReCoM seems like the obvious answer; my friend already technically has it on his copy. Also it has better graphics - it's a fully realized version. But this is where my hesitancy lies. We see all of the characters in their fully CGI (albeit PS2 graphics) form, we hear their voices, we know this world. And that's my problem. We meet these characters as their fully realized iterations before KH2.
Back in the day, if you played the games as they came out, you HAD to play CoM on the GBA. By its very nature, the game was more understated in that all you had access to visually were sprites and GBA animations. So, yes we meet Axel and Namine and the cloaked figures and DiZ but they are in sprite form on this small screen with no voice acting. So, when we meet them in KH2, it is like meeting people that we've "heard so much about." We don't really get introduced to them unil KH2. They are more satisfying reveals. Like, imagine you're playing KH2, and Axel enters with hood up, "All right, Roxas. Fight, fight, fight!" You have no idea who it is until he says, "You know, Axel." He takes off his hood, and you're like, "Yo, it's Axel from Chain of Memories!" Same with Namine; the first time we see her in KH2 (besides the opening cinematic) is from far away, and then a close-up of her mouth, and you're like, "Wait, is that Namine? Shit, that's totally her." A similar idea comes from playing as Sora. Even though you play as him in both versions of CoM, it is not the Sora we know, but a small sprite version. Obviously, story wise it is the same Sora but like the player to game connection is different. So not seeing or playing as CGI Sora until KH2 (I won't even bring up the voice acting difference if you play KH1 and then ReCoM) is much more suspenseful and then rewarding when you finally get behind the wheel, so to speak.
ReCoM completely ruins these reveals, whether they be story reveals or like the thing I just mentioned about waiting to play as Sora. For me, seeing as I have either played or watched or essentially know the entire series, ReCoM is my choice because it further establishes the world of the series. But it almost seems like the remakes in the KH series are really meant for people who have played the original versions of them, and not necessarily intended for newcomers. Obviously, you can still play them as your first venture, but there are things added that don't work for a first time play through (a good thing that comes to mind is cutting to Axel and the Organization gatherings during Roxas' prologue. We don't wanna see the behind the scenes of that shit until later; keep the mystery of what is going on!) ReCoM is the biggest offender; its meant for people who have played KH1, CoM, and KH2.
I know this is kind of an essay at this point, but I'm curious to get your opinions on this matter.
Does playing ReCom ruin some of the reveals or overall aspects of KH2? How do you feel the remakes stand up as a gamer's first interaction with that particular game?
But most importantly - DO I HAVE MY FRIEND PLAY COM, RECOM, READ THE MANGA, READ WIKIPEDIA, OR SHOULD I JUST EXPLAIN THE PLOT IN AN ELABORATE THEATRICAL ONE MAN SHOW!?
Thank you.