Spreading Positivity for Kingdom Hearts III

[KH_Is_Light_999]

I used to really enjoy coming to this website. I loved coming to an online community that was so passionate and excited about Kingdom Hearts. While I do still come across that positive energy every now and then, it seems like after the release of Kingdom Hearts III, there’s a lot more pessimism and negativity. It’s almost as if the unversed themselves have taken over the Internet. I was hoping Kingdom Hearts Insider wouldn’t give in to the negativity the rest of the Internet seems to be so fixated on, but every time I come to this website, there’s always someone complaining about something they didn’t like about Kingdom Hearts III. To be perfectly honest, I don’t understand where some of these complaints are coming from. I understand a lot of them, but I don’t let those flaws bother me like a lot of other people do. It really takes away from my happiness and energy to see so much negativity towards a game that I feel deserves a lot more praise. I understand that a lot of people like to analyze things. There’s nothing wrong with that, but unfortunately a lot of the people who are analyzing Kingdom Hearts III are only mentioning the negative aspects they’ve analyzed. There’s a lot of positive aspects of Kingdom Hearts III that can be analyzed too, and it really makes me wonder how many people are actually looking for the positive side of things. This is the first thread I’ve created, so I apologize if someone else has already done something similar, but I wanted to create this thread in an effort to focus on things that people enjoyed about Kingdom Hearts III. Analyzing the good and bad in something is perfectly fine; there’s nothing wrong with that, and there needs to be a balance of positive and negative in everything in life. However, only focusing on what you didn’t like won’t bring happiness. There’s been so much overwhelming negativity directed towards Kingdom Hearts III, even on this website which is purely dedicated to Kingdom Hearts. Let’s focus on the positive for a change. In an effort to spread positivity for Kingdom Hearts III, I want to encourage you to post two things on this thread:

1. The reason you first became a fan of Kingdom Hearts.

2. At least 5 things you can think of that you enjoyed during your time playing Kingdom Hearts III. More than 5 is certainly welcome too.

I will start. I encourage everyone to try focusing on the positive aspects. This isn’t to ignore the things you don’t like about the game, because that wouldn’t be good either. It is very important to look at both sides of things. The reason I’m doing this is to help myself cope with the overwhelming amount of negativity found on the Internet, and to simply help spread positivity for Kingdom Hearts III for the sake of spreading happiness. Here is my response to this thread:

1. The reason I became a fan of Kingdom Hearts has to do with a lot of things, but the biggest factor has to do with having something to enjoy about life. For years, I have been struggling with severe depression. It has been very difficult to find purpose in life at all, but I have managed to do so because there are things I look forward to in life. Kingdom Hearts is one of those things that actually gives me a reason to keep going. I know that might sound strange to some. It’s a video game after all; it’s not like it’s all that important, right? Well, actually, I first became a fan of Kingdom Hearts because it helped me cope with my depression. I originally didn’t play Kingdom Hearts on the PlayStation 2. My first time playing it was when they released the 1.5 ReMix on the PlayStation 3. I was already a fan of JRPGs at the time, so Kingdom Hearts was one of those JRPGs I had heard good things about, but hadn’t had the chance to play yet. At first, I was a little thrown off by the “childish, corny aspect of the game”. However, after having fun getting through all the Disney worlds and reaching Hollow Bastion, the story really started to open up more. It wasn’t the best story ever, but it was a beautiful one that gave me hope and made me want to keep playing. I really got into it, and eventually finished the first Kingdom Hearts game. As I watched the beautiful end credits, I was left with something I didn’t expect: emptiness. That ending was so sad! If it was so sad, why then, do I now look back on it with fondness? I think it mostly has to do with how I thought about the game and its story overall for a long time. After a while, I actually began to think of the ending fondly. I realized that other games I love also had bittersweet endings, and even though I really love a happy ending, I came to appreciate the bittersweet tone of the first Kingdom Hearts game’s ending. As I continued to play the Kingdom Hearts games, mostly through the HD remasters Square Enix thankfully continued to release, I became very interested in the overall story and lore of the Kingdom Hearts series. Again, it wasn’t the best story ever, but it had a certain beauty to it that was just so special. It wasn’t until later that I realized why Kingdom Hearts was helping me through my depression and difficult times. It was because of that beauty. The artwork, music, and overall presentation could all be encompassed by the word ‘beautiful’, and I came to realize it was a similar reason I loved other games like Final Fantasy, but the beauty found in Kingdom Hearts — although similar — was actually only found in Kingdom Hearts. A lot of video games and movies have their own beauty that is portrayed in them, but the beauty found in Kingdom Hearts is something I haven’t found anywhere else. I love that unique beauty and magic that only Kingdom Hearts has given me.

2. Here is my list of some things I enjoyed about Kingdom Hearts III:

1. I enjoyed Yoko Shimomura's music. Her arrangements of music I loved from before sounded better than ever to me.
2. I enjoyed that most of the Disney worlds were larger in Kingdom Hearts III than the were in previous games.
3. I enjoyed the combat. Despite the easiness of my first play through on Standard mode, it was still incredibly fun and exciting.
4. I enjoyed flying the gummi ship in Kingdom Hearts III more than I ever have in previous Kingdom Hearts games.
5. I enjoyed that

   Spoiler Show

   Terra, Ventus, and Aqua finally got a happy ending.

6. I enjoyed that

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   Axel, Roxas, and Xion finally got a happy ending.

7. I enjoyed the climax of the story. It wasn't perfect, but I really felt engaged during

   Spoiler Show

   those moments in the Keyblade Graveyard, The Final World, and Scala ad Caelum.

8. I enjoyed the inclusion of Pixar worlds. It helped expand the Disney aspect of Kingdom Hearts.
9. I enjoyed that they still including a few Walt Disney Animation Studios films as worlds in KH3. They could have just forgotten about them, but instead they still included Hercules, Frozen, Tangled, and Big Hero 6.
10. I enjoyed the inclusion of summons such as Ariel, Simba, and Wreck-it-Ralph, and Stitch. They helped the classic Disney aspect of KH3 to expand and feel more complete.
11. I enjoyed the graphics. They were better than ever before to me.
12. I enjoyed that Kingdom Hearts III really stayed true to the Kingdom Hearts formula. Everything about the gameplay and story were very true to the Kingdom Hearts formula to me. Some may disagree, but I thought they stayed very true to the formula of other Kingdom Hearts games.
13. I enjoyed the moments with Kairi and Axel. Their development as friends was great in my opinion.
14. I enjoyed playing as Riku during a couple battles.
15. I enjoyed

    Spoiler Show

    playing as Aqua during that fight with Vanitas. I wasn't expecting there to be third playable character.

16. I enjoyed the humor in Kingdom Hearts III. There were a few different lines that really made me laugh.
17. I enjoyed taking pictures of all the Lucky Emblems. The inclusion of hidden mickeys made me feel like I was at Disneyland.
18. I enjoyed the ending. It was

    Spoiler Show

    bittersweet, but full of beautiful moments that touched me in various ways.

19. I enjoyed the fact that the series will continue. I love Kingdom Hearts as a series, and it makes me so excited that there will be even more after this.
20. I enjoyed

    Spoiler Show

    the epilogue and secret ending. Both hinted at exciting things to come.

21. I enjoyed the free update that added Critical mode. In my experience, critical mode is much more difficult.
22. I enjoyed the fact that there will be DLC. I know not everyone gets excited by that idea, but I do, and I look forward to future DLC announcements.

 

[Face My Fears]

I became a KH fan because I saw the ads for KH1 and I LOVED the idea of actually exploring Disney worlds and fighting Disney bosses. It was like a dream come true, but then after playing KH1, maybe it was my age (now hitting puberty)... but the angsty/emo elements of it also drew me in. I also really related with Riku wanting to escape a tiny place to see what's out there. KH got me through a lot of rough times in my life. Maybe that's why I give it a pass on "bad plot" and all the other stuff people have rightfully critiqued the games for, but I dunno... I kind of feel like all the craziness that goes on in KH is just KH being KH. The whole experience of wondering about nobodies having hearts for years or what's in the realm of darkness and all that stuff, I just loved the mystery surrounding so many things and even when it's barely explained or poorly explained, I enjoy it still. Maybe I'm just a blind fan boy, but I don't care because I love this series. There is no other game series (or anything else that I can think of right now) that I would use all of my limited vacation time to stay home and play on release week.

5 things I enjoyed:
1) I loved the music. Face My Fears and Don't Think Twice are phenomenal. It's been months and I STILL listen to them on repeat some days for hours on end. The mash-ups were great and unexpected.
2) The keyblade stuff they introduced in KH3 makes me wish they had those features in KH1 and 2. I loved that you could swap the keyblades during battle. I also loved that you could power up keyblades, so that you can use your favourite throughout the game without sacrificing strength (KH1 and 2 made me give up keyblades I loved for ones I didn't really like).
3) The Disney worlds were huge and actually related to the main story. Something that I loved in KH3 was that Sora/Disney characters spoke about and actually interacting with "main story stuff". The older games always acted like the Disney worlds didn't even exist outside of their world. Sora would never mention any of the characters from those worlds or even say the name of the world. I loved hearing Sora talk about Herc in Twilight Town or saying Olympus Coliseum on the Gummi Ship. Sora flashing back to Anna/Elsa and Rapunzel/Flynn. Woody/Sulley/Rapunzel actually interacting with Organization members just made me so happy.
4) The graphics were beautiful and NO MORE FISH FACE
5) I loved the new and improved Gummi Ship. I hope that Nomura improves upon this format even more. I actually spent some hours just flying around in the Gummi Ship for fun between worlds.

 

[Lisaralin]

I beacame a fan after playing CoM, I was absolutely stunned by the story, I loved the more mature undertone compared to Kh1, I loved Sora and Riku's character development and the new villains from Organization XIII.

5 things I enjoyed in KH3:
1) Vexen getting a redemption arc and a great role. This is really big for me. Vexen has been my favorite since forever and I had been wishing for his redempion since seeing him and little Ienzo in BBS. Never had I dreamed they would give him that hero role in KH3, and I still can't believe it really happened. It was probably a gift to me and the other 4-5 Vexen fans around the world, I feel so grateful.
2) Bigger, non-linear worlds with a lot to explore.
3) Everything about Eraqus and Xehanort and their final scene.
4) Some minor or underrated characters getting more screen time/time to shine (Demyx, Luxord, Ansem the Wise...)
5) The soundtrack is amazing.
Oh, and one more:
6) I love that Donal and Goofy get to fight the final boss together with Sora. I was disappointed in KH2 when they were sidelined in favor of Riku. Sora-Donald-Goofy will always be the main trio in my heart.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I got into KH way back when it was first in development. I remember looking online at videos and stuff and just really being mesmerized by it.

1) Xehanort and Eraqus’ scenes were an absolute delight and I want a whole short game about them as apprentices together.

2) The size of the worlds and the level of detail and love that was put into them. Traversing the maps has to be my favorite part about KH3. I’m sad the Disney worlds have very little bearing on the overall plot but I still enjoyed them for the filler they were.

3) The improved dialogue in Disney worlds between Sora, Donald, and Goofy. I really enjoyed the humor and their camaraderie. The cutscene direction and animations also really helped to make everything amazing to watch as you play. Seeing Sora and Donald play fight, the little gags here and there...*chef kiss*

4) Photo mode

5) I loved how many unique scores were recorded for individual scenes. They may have been variations on existing themes, but they were all new versions made just for the scenes they appeared in, which added a cinematic feel to the game since this is something done frequently with films.

 

[Face My Fears]

I beacame a fan after playing CoM, I was absolutely stunned by the story, I loved the more mature undertone compared to Kh1, I loved Sora and Riku's character development and the new villains from Organization XIII.

5 things I enjoyed in KH3:
1) Vexen getting a redemption arc and a great role. This is really big for me. Vexen has been my favorite since forever and I had been wishing for his redempion since seeing him and little Ienzo in BBS. Never had I dreamed they would give him that hero role in KH3, and I still can't believe it really happened. It was probably a gift to me and the other 4-5 Vexen fans around the world, I feel so grateful.
2) Bigger, non-linear worlds with a lot to explore.
3) Everything about Eraqus and Xehanort and their final scene.
4) Some minor or underrated characters getting more screen time/time to shine (Demyx, Luxord, Ansem the Wise...)
5) The soundtrack is amazing.
Oh, and one more:
6) I love that Donal and Goofy get to fight the final boss together with Sora. I was disappointed in KH2 when they were sidelined in favor of Riku. Sora-Donald-Goofy will always be the main trio in my heart.

OMFG! The scene where Sora walks up to enter Kingdom Hearts to fight Xehanort and you just see Donald and Goofy joining him... I LOVED THAT SO MUCH! I was like THE SQUAD IS HERE! There was no one else I would have wanted to end the game Dark Seeker Saga with than them! It started with that trio, it's gonna end with them!

 

[MrFranklin95]

Damn...

You know, as a kid, I was never very strongly attached to the series as I am now. I had WAY more interested in other types of games, especially old school ones like my brother had when he was a kid in the early 90s. They always fascinated me more then current games at the time. Not to say I didn't have my fun with Kingdom Hearts; the first game in the series I ever played was Kingdom Hearts 2. I was a big animation nerd for a kid, I loved Disney, and I wanted to play a game with all those characters. Obviously I didn't care for whatever story was happening; in fact, to be honest I skipped all the cutscenes besides the main opening because I didn't see any Disney characters in sight and didn't give a flying paopu fruit about Final Fantasy and wanted to get to it, thinking Roxas was the main character the whole time until it switched about 3-4 hours later to Sora and I had no idea what was going on but I rolled with it. I got as far as to Demyx in Radiant Garden without using my abilities because I didn't know how to read and so the tutorials stuff popping up every few seconds meant nothing to me and I've never played any kind of JRPG before this, so I had no knowledge of anything besides how to use potions in my menu whenever I found a chest. I didn't even switch my keyblade, I had the OG Kingdom Key the whole time. I just winged it the whole time without realizing because I was a dumb kid. And when I realized I couldn't beat demyx at about 40th time I died that afternoon, I dropped the game completely and ended up having to return it to Gamestop.

I didn't touched Kingdom Hearts since until I was about 12. I had just moved from Los Angeles, Inglewood to Newport Beach. And just to keep it short, because I don't want to derail the topic with race, but a very poor black kid living in the ghetto for most of his active memory moving to a pretty all-white, mostly rich, type of area wasn't exactly the greatest transition, for me at least. I didn't know how to talk to people, I was afraid to talk to people and half the time couldn't look them in the eye and this was YEARS before I aware that I was diagnosed with Asbergers when I was younger and was never told about it (And that is a whole different situation altogether, so I won't get into that). Point is, I didn't have a lot of friends, so I passed the time drawing or video games or watching tv. The only thing I had at the time was a Gamecube, and Playstation 2. I had both Kingdom Hearts 1, a copy my brother bought years ago that I still have and a Kingdom Hearts 2 that I bought for myself when me and my dad saw it randomly when we were walking around the mall and begged him for it because I felt I needed to beat that game. And I did and I liked all of it. And thought I can say I'm nostalgic for the games, I wasn't more or less attached to them besides the fact that I liked Sora as a character, I had a crush Kairi which created my love for Redheads, and I loved Disney. That was about it for me. I didn't care for the story besides the classic visual imagery we all love and just simply wanting another game but even when I got a PSP, I didn't get around to Birth by Sleep at all; I was too busy having chickenpox, watching shitty Disney Channel shows, marathoning Pixar's Cars, and playing Tony Hawk games all the time before I eventually lost my PSP to the void of time and mismanagement. So I eventually forgot about the series, played more diverse video games, eventually gain some friends, and had moved on. And since I didn't care to have any handhelds, I wasn't even aware that Kingdom Hearts was still going.


It wasn't until the REMIXs came out was when I really fell in love with the series in a whole new way. And I think maybe it was a combination life experience and nostalgia but either way, I got insanely hooked on it again when I realized the series was more then just some Disney games with a weird plot that only lasted two games, it was a whole community. It was a whole story filled with fans coming up with insane theory and question that Noruma would vaguely answered that made the mystery more fun. It in a way mad me sad that I missed out on the forum back when KH2 and side games came out. I can't even imagine what that was like given my knowledge of the history of this series and its release schedule. But, looking back on it now, I was loving the series as a fan and wasn't really attached so much to the themes of the story itself but rather how the plot was unfolding because of how insane and creative (at least in its ideas anyway) the plot of the series was for a Disney game. Honestly, as a teenager, I just wasn't aware as a kid how insane of a series Kingdom Hearts was. Even despite its faults now, I love that this batshit insane game series filled with characters that were made from pure love by Walt Disney and his team that eventually just turn into marketing were back after years of just not seeing them to there classic personality in a whole new whole that more Disney then even Disney can handle. I didn't care if things made sense in an objective sense as far as narrative, I was just happy something like this exists with no apologies about what it is and what its going for. Despite any faults in the narrative, I seriously don't think anyone can say that Kingdom hearts has betrayed what it is, I don't care many people dish out the harshest criticism form the most objective angle because at the end of the day, the series has not changed what it was. it's themes have not changed, niether have its characters. Criticize Kingdom Hearts 3 all you want and I have many of them myself but it is Kingdom Hearts through and through, with all its faults proudly on its sleeve. And for what it is, it makes the series unique. it makes it different. I use to hate the fact that Kingdom hearts was a very niche game series for the most part because its just too weird and too spread out for most gamers. because once the REMIXs came out, I just saw the series in a better light and that optimism, though at points it has wavered, never really went away despite Kingdom Hearts at certain points was truly testing my patience with its story.

Now, does that mean I'm making excuses for the series faults? No. Because they are faults and they do genuinely hurt the games, especially for others seeking a more structured experience and i will always point them out in hopes of bettering the series and reputation. But I guess at some point, I've just learned to accept the flaws and appreciate the things that still make it Kingdom Hearts and now, I'm just kind of along for the ride. But it would also be wrong for me to say that it also wasn't because of emotional attachment but I see that as more of a plus to the series then negative for one reason.

You see, even when I eventually gained friends, overcame SOME of my issues with anxiety (Thanks to my good ole friend MJ), I was still very depressed. I felt like I couldn't relate to anyone my own age in if we had common interests, I was going through a lot of family drama, I was failing in school which helped convinced my dad to transfer me to a special ed program at my High School without really asking if I was okay with it, which caused a lot of tension. It was a lot going on between those years before I eventually played the REMIXs. And during that time, my dad re-married and he and my stepmother had a little girl, ym half sister. And of course I loved her, I was never around her that much. I let my parents do their thing in raising her and I was too busy with my own teenage baggage. Anxiety and depression was getting more intense for me and honest to god, Kingdom hearts was my only outlet at that point. Drawing wasn't helping too much and sometimes my friends were busy. It the feeling of the games that helped me forget about the world for a few hours and I never shared that world anyone, not even other KH fans. Until one day, she came into my room and just wanted to hang out with me. It was unexpected and obviously wasn't going to say no. And so, I let her play Kingdom Hearts with me. And then we did it again the next day. And the next day. I would teach how to play the game and what to do in certain bosses, I would read the text bubbles for her since she couldn't read and wanted to understand the story, which led me to mimicking the voices of Disney characters in a hilarious fashion that she always laughed at; we had just had the best time playing this series together. And since I got the REMIXs, me and my little sister played all of them and watched all the movies. Kingdom Hearts 3 became our most anticipated thing we wanted to play together and from, blossomed a relationship that I almost missed out on because I was too warped up in my own... darkness to see the light at the end of the tunnel that was right in from of me. I just had to simply walk out the tunnel. It wouldn't be an easy walk but I had too in order to fully and completely be... myself and be with people I care about. To be better then how I was.

And because of that... I appreciated the series more. Not just because I helped me build a relationship with someone care deeply about but because at that moment, when we beat Kingdom Hearts 3 together, as they're all having a party on the beach, and they look up and see Sora and Kairi. Kairi cries knowing that Sora is going away but smiles anyway, understanding that no matter what, she will see him again because that relationship, that frienship, will bring them back together. it always had and it always well, no matter what happens... and he fades... that's when I realized, despite whatever issues I had with the series and this game particularly, what Kingdom Hearts was really about under its core. Connection. Which is... obvious given that its one of the many words the characters spout out of their butts every five minutes but it is. Human connection and the power it has to overcome...anything. It has so much power, it can even come from the past. And from that standpoint, KH3 spoke to me on a deeper level, with the Union Cross scene with Sora riding on the key blade from past wielders (real players from the actual Union Cross) remaining one of top favorite moment in the series and it sent a messenge to me. That no matter what struggles we go through, the love and connections we have with others will lead us through and it will us better people and it will make a better world. And yeah, how it came about was bad, because it came out of nowhere and made Eraqus look like a cheater but the messenge was still clear and I loved it for that.

People say that the story of Kingdom Hearts is bad and that its message is hallow due to its jumpy narrative. And though I have strongly criticized this series like many others, I would never go as far as to call the story... bad. Because to me, bad stories are stories with no inherit value in its themes or characters whatsoever and I can't say that about Kingdom hearts. I just can't. For one thing, the characters. One of the things I love about the series is how much fans are attached to these and there arcs. Sure, for some, they're glofied anime tragedy characters but in a a lot ways, they still feel like real people. Xion may have been a pointless character in the grand schemes but she still felt like a real person. Sora, despite his overly optimistic nature, is still a real kid at the end of the day that can lose faith. Namine and Axel feel like a real characters with different struggles. Kairi... still needs work but the passion fans have for her and her potential is undeniable and she's fantastic in the manga; and given the way the KH3 ended, sets up a potential arc. Riku and Roxas are probably the most relatable character in the whole the series and Aqua is a queen. And each and everyone connects to each other through the simple idea of the connection you have with others and how deep it can go and how powerful it can be. And though its a very simple messenge, the series lives and dies on that messenger alone, figuratively and literally all at the same time in this series through its worlds and its concepts.

Another thing is, I honestly think that Noruma and the developers do love this series. I take jabs at Noruma all the time because dude needs to get better but I would never say that he didn't love this series. He clearly does. Otherwise, Kingdom Hearts would've faded a long time ago in the ashes of FFv13. There would be no Ultimanias, no side games, plot interviews, concrete for the music all around the world that he himself personally attends, if Noruma on some level didn't care deeply about it. And it shows in Kingdom Hearts 3 in just how detailed these worlds are, the concepts he's introducing with the secret ending and the foretellers, how dense (for better or worse) Union cross is, he's obviously invested in this story... he just needs to write it better. But I still feel heart of the series is still there. Yes, it has changed and evolved with the times for better or worse but its still... Kingdom Hearts.

Stories are more then just their plots. In this super critical time in our medium, everyone everywhere criticizes everything CinemaSins style to want more from entertainment (or to appear smarter then the casual crowd which of course that's not fair to say for everyone but its fair to say for some individuals) but there are a lot of movies, novels, and video games with a lot of illogical things and narrative flaws in its plot that remain classics for years no matter what. Why? Because of the story and its themes and how the characters relate to those themes, even if its not as strong as you would like. They're still there and someone will connect to it when its made with heart and passion, no matter how weird or nonsensical it is. And for KH, mileage may vary for some but even through all that, knowing how bad and nonsensical that story can get, it still helped me realized and helped me build one of the most important relationships in my life, made me care more about storytelling, and helped me appreciate my own life and how to interact with the world from that point on. Even if the story connected with just one person on a deep level.... honestly.... how bad could the story really be?

 

[KH_Is_Light_999]

I just want to thank everyone who has responded so far for their wonderful input and powerful messages they have shared. All of you have inspired me and helped me see your points of view. It’s amazing to see all of your powerful reasons as to why each of you became Kingdom Hearts fans. It’s inspiring to see how people have enjoyed the series for what it is, even with its flaws, and to see the diversity in everyone’s attachments to Kingdom Hearts as a series. Kingdom Hearts games have quite a few flaws in them, and so does Kingdom Hearts III, but reading all of your responses to this thread has been inspiring and eye-opening. We all love Kingdom Hearts for both similar and different reasons, and I think that is so beautiful. Thank you to everyone who has responded to this thread.

 

[Elysium]

- Utada's two theme songs + the orchestra version of DTT. <3
- Frozen and Hercules having worlds in the game. I thought they were both incredible, but especially going up Mt. Olympus and fighting the Titans was so much fun. Monstropolis being one of the best worlds.
- The largeness of the environments. Treasure hunting actually being a fun challenge.
- The camera, Hidden Mickeys, the recipes minigame, the flan.
- Meow-Wow and Ariel being among the summons.
- Even's and especially Isa's redemption arcs. I especially love all the RAX and Isa scenes in the KG.
- Sora traveling through various locations to save the various characters in the climax.
- The gameplay is the best in the series. The return of shotlocks, the BbS-esque form changes (not sure what to call them?), the flowmotion, challenging enemies, the ability to use spells more often again.
- Leveling the Keyblades / the different Keyblade attacks. Crystal Snow, Ever After, and the Pooh blades were my favorites.
- The best dialogue since CoM. Although re:Coded was strong in that department, too, and 3D was funny.
- The graphics are gorgeous.
- I enjoyed most of the Disney world boss battles (the Titans, the Kraken, Davy Jones, Fenrir).
- Getting to see Larxene and Marluxia again, and their Nobodies, too.
- Luxord and Demyx being made much more interesting / entertaining than in the past.
- The ship in Port Royal, including fighting other ships. The return of underwater gameplay.
- The fights among multiple characters simultaneously in the Keyblade Graveyard.
- Battle portals. Great idea, only wish there were more of them.
- Yensid showing up to help for once in the KG.
- Donald and Goofy being treated seriously again (Zettaflare) and SDG taking back their rightful spotlight.