How do you play?

[Anagram]

I've always been a little curious but how and what level do you play KH2? Or the games in entirety even?

For me it's:

Kingdom Hearts 1--Standard difficulty. Sometimes critical since I'm trying level one right now.
___________________________Style wise I make the most of tech points using guard and magic to get as many points as I can (meaning I use a large mix of magic and melee to play KH1)

Chain of Memories--Sadly while I like the story I find the gameplay horribly tedious due to room to room monotony. But when I did play it last it was on standard difficulty.
____________________________Deck wise I kept three decks. One to spam tornado sleights to clear rooms, another to spam Lethal Frame to mow down bosses, and an attack deck of just attack cards and cures for other situations.

Kingdom Hearts 2--Proud Difficulty. I find Proud to be the perfect balance for the final mix. It's not to easy but not frustrating. Although I do try level one runs but have yet to finish one.
___________________________Gameplay style, due to the more simple system, is largely melee. Occasionally for harder bosses I'll use support magic like reflect or the Stitch summon (since it's diddlying GODLY). I also largely rely on standard form since I find that drives make it to easy.

Birth by Sleep--Usually Standard or Level One difficulty. Sadly the system is rather broken, and to me boring at this point, so I find it hard to play BBS anymore. But when I did it was usually Aqua for reasons that I dislike Terra and Ven both character and gameplay wise. (only played them long enough to unlock the secret videos)
________________________Style was usually spamming magic since that's about all BBS was to me. (no offense to anyone)

Re:Coded--Standard difficulty and Critical. One of the funner handhelds imo. Beat it once on critical and a few more on standard for fun.
____________________Style wise I was largely about melee strikes and raid commands. I typically relied on the Zero-One keyblade as well.

Days--Standard difficulty. Only played it once for obvious reasons.
________________Style was largely melee and fire spells leveled up as high as possible lol.

Dream Drop Distance--Beat it on Proud difficulty. The gameplay was greatly off putting to me so one playthrough was all I got.
______________________________Style wise I relied largely on the Balloon-ga>Cure strategy. The keyblade strikes were weaker than ever and I wasn't fond of the other spells this round. (I like Rikus dark fire and dodge moves though)

 

[BlackOsprey]

I try to play every game on the highest difficulty available, with a few exceptions.

KH1- Proud mode. (If there is a Critical Mode, I have yet to unlock it.) Didn't ever really bother too much with magic, so battles were usually me just beating the crap out of things the old-fashioned way, with some help from Strike Raid or Ars Arcanum.

Re:CoM- Either Standard or Easy, I can't really remember. All I really remember was plowing through both the regular campaign and Reverse/Rebirth just for the story. I do remember enjoying the Magnet Spiral attack, though.

KHII- Critical Mode. I don't think that I really have a definite "style." Like Cog said, it's a simpler system, so it's mostly melee with some magic for the heck of it. I did develop a "viscous cycle" strategy with Limit Form though- use Limit attacks to restore HP, take a beating and restore MP via MP Rage, use Limit attacks to restore HP, repeat til the gauge runs out.

Days- Proud Mode. Kept a large supply of basic Fire spells in my arsenal (because they home in on enemies and are the only offensive magic spells that aren't total shit), along with a couple Cura spells for nastier fights. I mostly stuck to the Leviathan key until I got ahold of my favorite, Two Become One.

BBS- Critical Mode for everything, because why not, I want challenge. I never did bother to find out how to break the system, though. Zero Graviga followed by Thundaga works wonders on a bunch of foes no matter who you are, by the way. Like everyone else, I used Thunder Surge frequently.

Re:Coded- Critical Mode. Judgement Triad is one of the funnest ways to wreck everything in your path, I tell you. I usually alternated between the swift Lionheart blade and the heavy-hitting Oblivion.

DDD- Critical Mode, although I think it's killed me far more than the others. Sometimes relied on melee, but relied on commands and Flo-Mo spamming more often than not. Kinda had to move fast, because everything can kill you pretty quickly. Thunder Dash, Thundaga, Dark Aura, Shadowbreaker, and Magnet Spiral usually got mixed into the command deck. Zantesuken was also VERY useful for teleporting straight towards Get Back Here Bosses.

 

[Chuman]

KH1 - only played through once in my whole for the ps2, standard mode. i started a proud playthrough for FM but never got to finish.
com/re:com - i played it once on GBA and once on PS2, begrudgingly.
KH2 - i played vanilla back when it first came out and absolutely loved it, standard mode. before bugging it with codebreaker. then for 2.5, magnega + thundaga and limit form. critical mode.
days - easy mode because dumb kid, only played once. loved the story, and that it was basically KH2-lite. didn't mind the repetitive nature back then.
re:coded - i just ran through it on standard because i was younger but did a couple early missions on lvl 1/1 hp. loved it but i started to get annoyed at the directional pad to move and the small screen gave me headaches.
bbs - used to be my favorite KH but haven't enjoyed it as much this year. critical mode, maxed out terra, tried to keep deck balanced so deck command system feels useful.
DDD - my favorite KH game, possibly favorite game period. flowmotion and deck commands are beautiful, dream eaters felt useful although raising them grew tedious. i hate flick rush, only played once on proud, my sister lost my 3ds after that. extremely annoyed that critical mode wasn't available from the start.

 

[BufferAqua]

Are we doing a list?

KH1: Standard-I play for the fun of it. I mostly just spam Strike Raid to every boss I encounter, and I rely greatly on magic. Using keyblades with the highest damage and accessories with HP boosts and Defense boosts. I try to use certain abilities while necessary, but this is really how I love playing this awesome game.

KHRECoM: Standard-This game is a spam fest on Sora's story. Spamming Lethal Frame, Sonic Blade, Tornado, Strike Raid, and item cards, the game can be a breeze with enough grinding and 0 cards everywhere. As for Riku, all I ever did was spam triangle the most, and go searching for Mickey cards. I don't remember Riku's story as much since I've been reluctant to play it again.

KH2: Standard-All you have to really do here is spam all the buttons multiple times. Magic is less reliable, and party members are less useful. Spamming Reflect and Cure is the only spells that helps me, and thanks to it's god awful MP system, I use magic less and less. There isn't much to say anymore, I just rolled with it. Unlike in KH1, I just choose the most balanced Keyblades, and equip stuff that only helps defense and AP.

Skipping Days and ReCoded because I didn't play both of them

BBS: Standard-Barely use any combat because almost every boss is immune to it. The game is literally just spamming triangle and square with the bosses. I use the most powerful commands I can make (Magic Hour, Zantesuken, Tornado, Raging Storm) and add them to my deck even though it decreases my space. For Terra, I just use meh whatever is powerful. For Ven, I like using Wind abilities and magic related to Magnet. For Aqua, I spam a few surges, lots and LOTS of magic, and abilities exclusive to her. I add Leaf Bracer, Second Chance, Once More, and all HP boosts on all characters, with a few combo pluses and whatever I can make.

KH3D: Beginner-I decided to play on Beginner because I was new to the 3DS and it's swapped controls with the PlayStation. I didn't enjoy this game one bit and couldn't stand FlowMotion. Trying to attack, FlowMotion comes up and screws everything for me. As for my command deck, I spam magic with Sora for some reason along abilities exclusive just to him, and just Dark commands with Riku and Drop-me-nots for them all. Dream eaters were just random, and I try to remember t

 

[Wilford111]

KH1 - Standard: I prioritize defence and leave out magic in the beginning, since I only really ever use Cure. Then I just mash X until the game is over.

KH ReCoM - Standard: Fill my deck with the highest numbered cards that I can and just spam them until the game's over. Can't spam (as reliably) in Reverse/Rebirth though, so maybe that's why I hate that portion XD

KHII - Proud: Pretty much the same as KH1, except I rely a lot more on Hi-Potions and Ethers, what with KHII's weird magic system.

Days - Standard: Am I the only one that prefers this game's menu system compared to the deck system found in bbs, Re:Coded and DDD? Hmm :/

bbs - Standard: Magnega, followed up with keyblade strikes, rinse and repeat.

Re:Coded - Standard/NA: Played only once... can't remember much about it. Probably just mashed A until the game ended.

DDD - Standard: Suffered through it for the story. Avoid using Balloonga because that's too obvious/easy. Try in vain to use Keyblade, but end up using commands anyway. Never forget about Drop-Me-Nots (seriously it's not that hard).

 

[Emperor]

BBS - Critical Mode - It's really easy to become overpowered in this game, so I tend to regulate my level with the EXP Zero ability. I max out at 35. The basic attacks can get pretty monotonous when used over and over, but at the same time, I don't like having to spam Commands, so I blend them into my normal combo's. I try and stack my endgame load-outs with things that send Terra into Dark Impulse, Ven into Wingblade, and Aqua into Bladecharge.

KH1FM - Critical Mode - I goof around a lot while playing and it inevitably results in unconscious grinding, so I’m always at a decent enough level where the difficulty doesn’t bother me - my first level one play-through was a bitch, though. I do, however, stop myself from leveling when I hit around level 70 since that’s around the time you get Leaf Bracer, which comes in handy for Sephiroth.

Speaking of which, I also always find myself trying to complete end-game content before confronting Ansem - if I can do it before stepping onto End of the World, I will. For fighting, I tend to use everything at my disposal, with the magic of choice being the Blizzard, Cure, Thunder, and Fire spells. I switch out the others if I’m feeling bored. I also always try to keep Donald and Goofy as close as possible so they don’t get killed too quickly.

Re: CoM - Proud Mode - I have a deck for spamming Tornado and Blitz while fighting normal Heartless, a deck that spams Lethal Flame and Ars Arcanum for Bosses, and a basic attack card deck with numbers ranging from 5 to 0 - for masochistic challenges against bosses like Vexen, and Riku’s Replica - I put zero above nine since it can break anything.

Days - Proud Mode - I haven’t played Days in awhile, but I remember Dodge Combo and Perfect Block were two of my favorite abilities. I try to complete all the side missions and optional bosses before battling Xion and Riku.

KH2FM - Critical Mode - I pick the struggle-bat without the guard for the strength stat, and the Dream Shield to get defensive abilities earlier. I also regulate my level with the EXP Zero ability for this game too, and don’t go higher than 50. Since I go into most fights under-leveled, I try and get my Drive forms to their max levels as soon and possible, that way I can use them reliably alongside my combos and magic - Limit Form is just magnificent. Again, I keep Donald and Goofy close, so I can use their limits as well, if I need invincible frames.

I don’t really use Summons, unless I’m doing tournaments or silhouettes, which I try and do before beating the game. If I do end up summoning, it’s either Genie or Stitch. After grinding Defense-Ups and getting my defense to a level where I can take three good hits before dying - being the masochist I am - I take on the Hades level tournaments, Xemnas, the Cavern, the Datas, and then Terra before calling it quits. I haven’t tried a level 1 play-through with this one yet.

Re: Coded - Critical Mode - I just go with the flow for this game, I don’t really plan anything out - expect getting Judgement Triad, because it’s beautiful. Bug-Roxas is a douche-bag to fight, but it feels so satisfying to beat him.

3D - Critical Mode - This games Critical Mode took me by surprise because it was actually challenging. I use a mixture of Commands, Flowmotion, and normal attacks, along with those push-gaurd abilities and they're follow ups - I forget what they’re named, but they basically turn your guard into an attack. I really liked the feel of Proud Mode for this game, so I’m debating whether to stick with it or Critical whenever I get around to playing it again.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

I don't really need to make a list as I play generally every KH game on Proud mode by default.

The only time I do different difficulties is when it is required for some trophies (Re: CoM is a Nightmare in this regard due to non-stacking trophies) or when I feel I want to have an extra challenge with critical difficulty.

 

[VoidGear.]

As for difficulties, I always choose the highest one available by default. I also do try level 1 runs, but most of the time, it's "only" critical/proud.

KH 1:
Steal AAAALL them potions...whenever you enter a new world! Well, I mostly use jump attacks here, because Sora is as slow as I am when I need to get up (which is very slow) on the ground. Oh, and once I get aero, I use that a lot (it's a lifesaver on lvl 1).

Re:CoM. Uhm...dunno really, mostly attack and friend cards. I rarely need to heal or use enemy cards.

KH2: Everything! Depends on the enemy tbh, I'd never dare trying Data Axel on critical without Blizzaga for example. Other than that, I like using limits when it gets dangerous and - MOST important - I finally found out why Chicken Little is damn overpowered. You heard me. Because it fcking draws in enemies. Yeah, summons are dayum useful here.

Days: Simple - I don't!
No, really. I never beat this game and never will. ..l..

BBS: I don't really play BBS too often anymore...but if I do, it's mostly with Ven. Aqua is ok to, gameplay-wise. Terra? Haha.
What I probably do most is use Zero Gravity and then attack and - you guessed it - dodge roll.

3D: I use Vanish and then spam my enemies to death with the keyblade. Damn awesome. o0 Oh, and I watch my beautiful dream eaters fight and run around ^-^ So cute.

Re:Coded: I don't even know!! I played it in Japanese, understood nothing (although I learned the kanji for "Hai" in this game) and just used whatever I got really...xD

 

[kuraudoVII]

Back in the day, I would play in Standard/Normal, but as I've gotten older, I gravitated toward going to the higher difficulties both for the added challenge and dealing with less BS in getting the secret movies/playable modes (i.e., Deep Dive, Birth by Sleep, Secret Episode).

Kingdom Hearts I - Proud Mode. The game isn't really that much of a difficulty spike for me, but that may be due to me playing the original game for so many years now. I tend to play defensively ballsy in that I would block and then Counterattack like a madman, especially on bosses like Leon, Cloud and Rikunort.

Chain of Memories/Re:Chain of Memories - Welp, the original release didn't even have a difficulty selection as far as I remember. I do know that with the remake, I immediately went to Proud Mode thinking I might unlock something new. I didn't and that made me a sad panda. T.T Despite that, I still play on Proud Mode on principle. My biggest gripes with the game was that it was so freaking tedious in its deck construction and level layout. Blackdrazon's ongoing Retrospective really goes into detail over the issues involving combat and other aspects of this game. All I can say is that when I got access to Sonic Blade and Lethal Frame, the game was won for Sora. With Riku, I was constantly going into Dark Mode for certain bosses (Lexeaus comes to mind).

Oh, and the Trickmaster as Riku can suck it!

Kingdom Hearts II - Critical Mode, natch. The original release was disgustingly easy since all you had to do was spam X and occasionally triangle to win. Critical Mode brought the most difficult game to play throughout the series...sometimes for the wrong reasons. I will say that in this mode, I utilized summons a hell of a lot more than I did in the vanilla version, if not mostly for at least Absent Silhouette and a couple of cups in the Underdrome.

358/2 Days - Theater Mode, baby. Despite having a DS, I never had the chance to get the game during its initial release. After seeing some of the game for myself, a part of me is kind of glad that I didn't.

Birth by Sleep - I initially went into the game on Proud Mode with little to no knowledge of how to properly use the command deck system. It made certain battles as Terra and Ven...difficult. With Aqua, I buckled down and used a guide to gain some abilities and attacks that could help me. I unlocked the Final Episode, but was unable to access the Secret Episode (I should mention that I was using a patched version of the original Final Mix on the PSP with English subtitles since I got the game right before the announcement for the ReMIX collections). Rather than getting the stickers, I simply played in Critical Mode for all three instead since I loved the game that much. I still love it, actually, despite all of its flaws. I do, however, understand some of its issues. When its bosses aren't being downright hard, they are being downright bullshi** (looking at you, Young Master Xeahnort and Vanitas' Lingering Sentiment!). I distinctively recall only spamming triangle to use nothing but Thunder Surge with the occasional Rhythm Mixer thrown in for good measure.

Re:Coded- Theater Mode, baby. I never got this game, either.

Dream Drop Clusterf*** Distance - Haven't played it due to being too poor right now to even get myself a Nintendo 3DS (my hours at my part time job have been significantly slashed, so I now barely have enough for gas). Still, the gameplay looks interesting enough.