Pure KH experience

[Ueki_168]

If this has already been spoken of, I'm sorry ~^~ . In that case, I'll read it all out as soon as I know where it is! Okay so, this is sort of a general topic, but focused on the KH franchise.

I am a videogame nerd and I love to complete or get the whole "pure" experience of a game if I play it. Let me explain; When you play a game, you are given objectives and then eventually a game over. BUT, there are many other things apart from completing the story mode or whatever main quest you have.

Say you have a traditional RPG like Final Fantasy. It has a main, engaging and entertaining story that is supposed to keep you playing. But there's also the Weapons, the Ultima, summons not easy to acquire, that particular side quest that has it's own self-contained story. And that brings me to think: what is the purest videogame experience? In this case Kingdom Hearts.

All of this came to me when I introduced KH to my gf, who isn't a videogame nerd, nor anyway close to it. And when she gained interest in it, it came to me. What, or rather, how should she play it? It seems logical that she only ever needs to complete the main quest, but then there's the Xemnas fight. Which is completely optional but adds to the main quest, and expands the universe in a unique way you wouldn't get otherwise.

That of course is just an example, but do you see where I'm going? It's a hard as hell fight for someone who has only played on easy mode and died to Clayton more than what she can remember. Someone like me or maybe everyone here don't have a problem doing the bazilion side quests of any videogame, if we like it, but that's a whole other world.

What you may say is that "the pure experience is the one you achieve in your own way, as an individual". And that is true, but what if you are interested in a deepening the personalities of certain OrgXIII member in 358? (I know it's a weak motivation, but I wanna bring it to KH). If you don't want to do anything more than the main quest, you'll skip that and maybe you get another kind of experience overall, outside of the intended one.

I am bringing it to the extremes, but everything from level grinding to the way you build your command deck, shortcuts, how you use drive forms, if you ever use anything other than the keyblade or just magic, etc, molds your experience.

So, my main question is: What is the purest KH experience in your opinion? Given that they are not The Last of Us, with a unique linear experience, but rather games you "build" as you go.

PS: Sorry for the big rant ^^' If I am not following a rule or if I should do this in a different way, plz tell me :'( as I wanna be a good dweller of KHi.

 

[Malla]

I've never thought Kingdom Hearts as a "pure experience", in my eyes it's more of a unholy mess of things that shouldn't work together, but somehow do. If it wasn't for Disney characters, most people would probably just give up, but the familiarity of it is one of the things that glues it together at patchiest times.

 

[Pheonax]

The best way to describe what the pure KH experience, at least in terms of what you are asking for (and with a main focus on mechanics and gameplay aspects), is done by first looking at which game you are playing. For example the pure KH experience for KH1FM was supposed to be a very story driven game with not so tight gameplay or any rooted gameplay mechanics. What you're left with is that you find yourself solely depending on keyblade combat, where only curious players would try out the effects of summons or magic. Anything beyond that would be what you consider as "side content". Also level grinding in KH1 is not really necessary since you can fully complete the story without a minute of grinding on any difficulty. As for KH2FM, the full experience is a lot more inclusive. Firstly, there are a lot of optional worlds to complete such as Antarctica and The Hundred Acre Woods. Next, the gameplay mechanics added into the game and the restructuring of keyblade combat made KH2FM a very combat heavy game that results in a plethora of battle options to choose from in most fights. Sadly most people would not experience it since they would use the same strategy of keyblade combat as in KH1 and they'd do just fine. But they miss out on drive forms, limits, summons, magic, and the strategies that employ all of those to achieve victory. Furthermore, KH2FM has a lot of optional content that you really shouldn't miss out on even if you're only playing for the story. The Lingering Will fight is very thematic and memorable, especially for the starkly high degree of difficulty compared to every other fight in the game. It is a must-do fight. Grinding out in KH2FM is a lot easier because you have two experience boost abilities at your disposal and an enemy type that will literally never drop health orbs, so staying below 50% and grinding out to 99 takes only a few hours.
Every other KH game to come out has never had the detail put into them as KH1FM and KH2FM have had. Their experience is more or less boiled down to doing what is necessary for the story, and maybe then some. In Days, you have many optional missions that come along with your main missions you're given, and within the missions you have optional objectives to achieve too. They are optional, but completing them does give a fuller experience to Roxas's character and the kind of mundane work he'd have to do for the Organization. But the multiplayer and virtual missions are really completely optional and can be treated as such. Re:Coded has some optional content, but it is all entirely optional and does not really add to the experience. In BBS, the only real optional content there is besides the MF and Vanitas Sentiment is the Mirage Arena. The MA is worth doing solely for encountering the other two optional super bosses, and is only worth it because those super bosses are thematic and memorable fights. In DDD, there's no real optional content you need to do. The optional boss is boring and forgettable, and the spirit arena is a whole big waste of time imo.

In the end, the pure KH experience is usually more than the story, but its not 100%ing the game or doing everything and finding every tiny quirk in each game. Just play them how you feel like and once you feel you're done with the game, that's when you have gotten the full experience.

 

[Ueki_168]

In the end, the pure KH experience is usually more than the story, but its not 100%ing the game or doing everything and finding every tiny quirk in each game. Just play them how you feel like and once you feel you're done with the game, that's when you have gotten the full experience.

It's an interesting way to boil it down, and I didn't consider the factor of self-approval. Beginning with an "I enjoy the game" is crucial, and it then drives towards what you yourself feel is completing the game.

So I guess knowing what is there to do and then choosing yourself what to do based on what you feel is necessary is the way to go.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Launchpad]

shit is probably most pure when the game intersects in that really weird and jarring way but still remains fun. Moments where Sora, Donald, and Goofy fight Cloud from FF7 before fighting Cerberus from Hercules, or have Sora separated from D+G with Tarzan, and have them reunite later.

Or hearing Donald yell "It's Sephiroth!".

KH is at it's worst when 10+ minutes go by without a single Disney or Final Fantasy character appearing. The main characters of KH cannot hold their own weight, and they were never meant to.

 

[catcake]

KH is at it's worst when 10+ minutes go by without a single Disney or Final Fantasy character appearing. The main characters of KH cannot hold their own weight, and they were never meant to.

And this here is basically the exact opposite of my opinion on this xD For me KH has never been about Disney or FF in any way, I either dislike or am indifferent to every other character but the original ones. For me all the best KH moments, fights and worlds are always the original ones. And that's the "purest" KH experience for me I guess, the beginnigs and endings of the game, the extra bosses, the atmosphere in HB and EoTW that nothing else can beat and the amazing epic and/or beautiful music. The Disney worlds are all just filler for me, and the only fun stuff there are the fights, couldn't care less about the Disney characters or plots. The only exception being Donald and Goofy, but I'd argue they're honestly their own versions of the characters completely, but either way their relationship with Sora is an important part of the KH experience for me.

But I gotta admit I personally feel I wouldn't be satisfied with my experience of KH1 and 2 without the 100%, they're my favorite games and I want to do everything that the games have to offer. Even then there's always more, like harder challenges and restrictions so you're never really done, but I don't think any of that is really "required" to experience the game.

 

[Chuman]

when pete knocked out will turner with a pipe and kidnapped him, i thought to myself "this game is so ridiculous i love it"