A Passionate Defense of Kingdom Hearts 3

I actually loved this game too, I know it's not perfect, but for me the issues weren't a big deal and I still thoroughly enjoyed it

I dont fucking know how you do it man. Every time I see one of your videos I tear up. You're just that good with words. Stay strong brother

I liked KH3 a lot, but it does feel like the weakest mainline game in the series from a story perspective. The gameplay was a bit of a step down from 2, but it was still a lot of fun and the Disney Worlds and disney bosses were mostly the best in the series. I wish the pay off was a little more "concluding" but man it still had so many emotional moments. So, not perfect, but I don't get the hate at all. It is like an 8,5/10. Which is better than most games in the series IMO.

Feel like the game was overhated because people had their expectations so high and there are those who didn't even play most of the Kingdom Hearts games to understand what was going on in the story. The game does have its problems and I am not trying to act like its the "Worst" thing ever or the "Best" thing ever. I am in the middle while the story elements are problemaic because of the bad pacing, it at least still has great gameplay mechanics, music, and the graphics looked pretty great. That being said I do not think KH3 deserves the hate it gets nor do I think the game is all perfect. It was just a time when people expected it to be something they wanted but they never gotten.

I just wish at least ONE of the seven lights was a final fantasy character. It is a selfish desire. I don't dislike the disney characters at all, but at the same time... Leon as a character represents some of the best post-ff development for an FF character and he's hardly in this game. I miss my boy, especially because he had the hype moment in KH2.

"We get films like tangled and frozen" which disney pushed. "Big hero 6" Disney pushed as a sequel to the film. And "toy story" which nomura never wanted for 3 main games and Disney bought shares in the disney/Square company so they could have final say and removed final fantasy characters as a F you to nomura for not getting in line.

I think most here can say one of the big reasons why kingdom hearts 3 was unlike is because it was the beginnings of disney becoming a dictator to it's properties and the herald to what became 'woke disney'.

Kingdom hearts was a beautiful union of disney and final fantasy. The two never outshining each other.

KH3 was disney the advert and it mentally effected the writing team

Came back to this video because I have kh3 another chance and wow. This game is timeless.

i like kingdom hearts 3 but i feel like there should have been more worlds from earlier entries.
like i'd love to see timeless river/disney castle (they are both one world for me since the latter is the only way to access the former) or aggrabah again. just... i feel like it focuses way more on newer disney properties that the older ones feel a bit... neglected?
the toy story world is easily my favorite. i love shopping malls, and you get to explore one as a toy.'
though it's weird being a man also named andy playing it. i'm just like "guys. guys. guys! i'm right here!"

The attractions are a bad mechanic. They are overpowered! Turning them off so that you aren't tempted to use them makes the gameplay so much better!

In terms of raw gameplay it's arguably the best. On par with KH2 but with better level design. KH2's weakness was the levels just being hallways. KH1 will always be my favorite because it's more mysterious and dark than the later games however I recognize 3 as being superior in terms of gameplay which is what matters most in a video game! The story, however, is awful and the Disney stuff is way too forced and childish. KH1 dominates it in terms of atmosphere, themes, and storytelling.

See there are things that I think KH3 does well and that it doesn't do well.

I think the movement in the game is phenomenal. I love how it feels to move as Sora, I love the parkour and flowmotion. And the combat is incredible. You have so many options. Magic is still busted but it feels so new and in the way it functions and it's so nice to be able to move while you cast it. The ability to not only equip keyblades at once but also upgrade them is the best decision they made in this game regarding combat and they should've included it sooner. The boss fights are also excellent and offer a proper challenge on Proud Mode and up. For every boss fight my health was in the rm danger zone, and this was even after fighting literally every single Heartless, Nobody, and Unversed that I came across. This sounds like a bad thing but I actually adore that you couldn't just cheese and mop the floor with them even with magic. The graphics in this game are fucking sexy.

The complaints that I have about it are these:

While I love Sora's interactions with the main cast and Organization members, I really think that KH should move away from the Disney worlds. I'm really tired of playing through the same movies that I've already watched except Sora et al are pasted in he background and not contributing anything substantial to the plot, which is basically beat-for-beat what the Disney movies are.

The exception to this is the Pirates of the Caribbean world. I love most of it, especially the underwater exploration. However, the grind to max out your pirate ship was tedious and the fight with Luxord and the heartless ship fleet was atrocious. I'm quoting Dartigan here when I say "fuck this fight, fuck this fight in particular."


The world design is often TOO big, which can lead to you getting lost even with the map and it makes going after collectables a giant chore.

And speaking of collectables, I really didn't like the cooking minigames or the classic kingdom video games. I don't like cooking minigames in general and I hate that you do them for temporary stat boosts, can fail them, and they require you to scour every crevice for ingredients. I feel like each new installment of Kingdom Hearts adds more and more convoluted ways to complete the gamed and I don't think that it does the games justice in adding extra "content" for more gameplay hours. It feels tacked on and tedious to go through. I don't even care if you get unique Keyblades for doing them, that isn't enough of a reward for me.

Speaking of tacked on content, I did not enjoy the Flan challenges at all or any of the Winnie the Pooh games this time around.

While I love formchanges, I think there weren't very many UNIQUE form changes to justify including so many. Each one basically is a copy of a different one that you get further down the line with each keyblade, with few exceptions. I also think they didn't do enough to make "Heartbinders" which are basically this game's summons, viable in combat. And I actually understand people's complaints about attraction flows. They're very fun and visually spectacular, but for me they didn't strike enough of a balance between offence and defense. They're pretty overpowered in terms of attack and you can still be mobile while using them, BUT you're still vulnerable to attack while using them which means you can die while using them. So they aren't a get out of jail free card nor are they good enough to just squad-wipe enemies. And if developers wanted to avoid making you invincible while using them, making you even more OP, they could've just made them fully restore your health or MP.

I think that the endings they gave to all of the Organization members were far too saccharine for what they deserved and how the story should've been completed in my eyes. They terrorized, attacked, and killed numerous people and didn't deserve the bittersweet endings they got. I'm also sick of them drawing out this master-of-masters and black box crap. I truly don't care about KH Union Cross or anything to do with it. Nomura needs to stop trying in his terrible spin-offs into the main story. He also needs to stop introducing convoluted new ways that people can obtain a keyblade.

Lastly, I feel like we should've gotten more opportunities to play as other characters in the Guardians of Light. I would've loved to play as Axel or Ventus or even Aqua for more than just one segment. And this is just a nitpick but I hate Riku's new keyblade. It's so generic looking and doesn't feel unique to him. It looks like a refurbished version of Fenrir from KH2, and that ALREADY was meant to look like a regular key from irl.

But yeah, that's the gripes I have with it. I still love the game overall.

The last 5 minutes of your video with your word made me break down crying. Thank you

Wow. I am so glad I found this video. I think I resonate more with your feelings about not only the game, but the connection Kingdom Hearts had to my childhood and teen years, than I have with anyone before. Kingdom Hearts had a death grip on my mind and imagination for such a large chunk of my life, starting at a friend’s house with Kingdom Hearts 2 when I was 8 years old. I was there at midnight when the game released, and I got engaged during the time I was playing through it. I’m now 25, with my first child on the way, crying as I watch this. I know my daughter won’t have the same experience with KH I did. Waiting for years in between games, saving up for every handheld in anticipation, searching through forums trying to piece together the story, the years long obsession with Roxas and his friends at a time I felt like I was alone, even creating a fan account for Demoux (that has been removed from the face of the internet), and everything that happened growing up in between. But I can’t help but feel I’ll get to relive that experience with her to an extent, and I am so excited. Such a fantastic video, I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to make this.

Having only played through it once when it came out, I was very much okay with what Kingdom Hearts III ended up being, it was a good way to tie things up. And in terms of gameplay, I was actually stunned at what we got.

The glazer section of the fandom

Perhaps I was too harsh on this game..

Something I really enjoy with this defense rather than most of the others I've seen is that it doesn't belittle the major issues and detriments. I've seen several of these essays at this point and usually there's an aside where the lack of final fantasy is marginalized, minimized. Where the treatment of Kairi is glossed over or downplayed.

I was one of those people that didn't like this game as it came out, not that I was online at the time complaining about it. Hearing other videos defending it didn't compel me to give it another go in quite the same way this one has. Genuine, heartfelt, I commend you.

ehh my opinion on kh3 was it wasnt as bad as people made it out to be but it was far from a great experience. there was just too many exposition dumps and pointless dialog.

Apparently most of the comments, for some reason, only think people who like the game are "real" fans. It's not like everyone else also grew up with the series like you did or anything. No, it's impossible. Or they claim they're tired of the negativity as if other people don't have free will and are not allowed to dislike what they like lmao.

Having said all that, you might think i dislike the game, but i actually haven't played it. It's just that the echo chamber in the comments is so obvious and illogical. Echo chamber comment sections like these are so damn cringe

I came to the series when KH3 came out. I didnt care for it before, but now the KH series is another list of games that I love and another exuse to keep Square Enix as my favoret developer. I LOVED KH3, and I will die with that option. I cried hard at so many parts in the game. It's probably the most I've cried from a KH game. And that's saying something considering Days had me in tears for like an hour after watching it. Maybe it's because I played the games when I was going though some stuff. But even on my good days, I still cry. Also, am I the only one that hears a little bit "Somnus Ultima" from Final Fantasy 15 in "Edge Of Existence"? Yes, it's the same composer. But it's like she's using her own music as inspiration. And I LOVE it!!!

I think the main reason why KH3 didn't resonate too well was balance.
The Disney stuff feels a wee bit too forced. The Seeker Saga stuff feels a bit too disjointed. The actual character progression isn't made clear enough.

It feels more like a cascade of compromises that get in the way of eachother, obscuring the good parts. They're still there, but you have to essentially reprogram your brain to look at the game backwards.

I really connect to that feeling of dread where I felt alone in the kh community where moments before EVERYONE was hyped. Made me feel like my tastes were bad too. Like I was just crazy. Trying not to hate content creators I love for bashing it so relentlessly. Or myself for getting so caught up. Damn dude, you hit some cords!

100 acre wood became the icon of the game and fan reception for me. Sora seems to be growing up and forgetting the fun he had with Pooh. He’s growing jaded and caught up in stress. To the point where he’s losing his connection with the world itself.

I've been saying for 20 years, and now at 30 years old, continue to say. Kingdom Hearts will always have a massive place in my heart. I feel blessed to have this series in my life and to have grown up along side KH since I was a 9 year old boy. I cried my eyes out the day I first played KH3, I share your love and passion, thanks for this video.

I missed out on the last half of the Kingdom hearts games so I'm a little bias but I like Kingdom hearts 3 I thought it was a pretty good game I like the fast-paced motion you can really explore a lot more of each of the worlds. I would like to see more worlds that aren't Disney based

I feel like the reason everyone hated kh3 is because they wanted kh2 2 when it should be it’s own thing

I've never understood the hate for kh3... I loved every single minute of the game.

I just can't agree with this. I hate everything you love.

Love this video, thank you

I absolutely adore Kingdom Hearts 3. Probably one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a game, at least since I played KH2. All the big moments, all the characters finally coming together, the ending to the story, I was a teary eyed mess almost the entire time but playing KH3 for the first time was an experience I'll never forget. Seeing how the story has evolved from KH1 to 3 is one of the best things ever imo

I'm glad you loved it, it was okay. The spectacle and presentation are there, but there are just a bunch of small things that add up and bog it down. New form changes are cool but have limited accessibility. I also love taking out heartless and for that reason I kinda hate attractions. I don't need the game taking control from me, it is already a "press x to win" thing attached to it. You mentioned that KH has never been the pinnacle of action combat, but also mention how tight, focused, and duel-like boss fights can be in KH2FM. I think for 2006-07, it is pretty close to peak, especially if we're talking about enjoyment. But I think I understand the point you're making, they're different and that's okay. Disney world implementation was also okay. Frozen sucked and I don't remember what really happened with Pirates this time around. I'd argue that Kh2's felt more intrinsic to the overall plot.

Another problem for me is that going from kh1 to kh2 felt like a step forward in gameplay, so kh3 switching that focus when narratively speaking things should be most tense just doesn't make sense to me. And you're REALLY gassing those keyblade graveyard fights. This game is just too easy to me, even on critical. I hate the idea of turning on modifiers to create difficulty. I want to use my whole kit, what the game offers me, and it still be a challenge. I shouldn't have to hold back to have fun.

Overall I wouldn't mind so much for the flashier, less technical gameplay, if the narrative payoff was good. The game was made for the new gen first and not the kids that have been waiting for over a decade and it shows. That ending was mid at best. The plot was there, but the story was suffering.

As someone who has consumed all forms of kingdom hearts media from the mobile games to manga and fan fiction im curently going through to try a platnum all of the kingdom hearts games i can and just starting from one and rekindling that joy from when i was a kid has me so excited for anoth run through 3 which i thought was a perfect conclusion to the dark seeker saga and this video very accurately expresses howni feel about this game keep up the good work man

I’ve just now finished KH3, and I get the arguments for and against it. I could barely make it through some of the Disney Worlds - specifically the Frozen and Tangled ones, since it’s literally just clip shows of the movies, with Sora’s inclusion adding very little. And I even like Frozen a lot, so this was surprising for me. But then, that’s never been what I’ve liked this series for. It’s the characters of Organization XIII, the always phenomenal boss fights, and the truly inventive new worlds they create. KH3 has all of that in spades, and it also has such a satisfying payoff for all the characters I’ve been so invested in. I had tears in my eyes many, many times by the end, and I’m glad I’m not the only one.

🗝️🪄🛡️ ❤

I can totally watch this and then finish up my assignment and won't be emotionally devastated by it or anything, I said, an hour ago, like a fool

I'm going through the series once again and decided to give these retrospective a watch again after some time. And I really enjoyed this game compared to a couple others! I have a big appreciation for this game, and I wouldn't replace it for the world. (PS, Yozora is actually voiced by the other Sprouse brother, Dylan.)

I gotta say, it’s genuinely amazing how different people’s opinions are on the same game. The game itself is the same, but the opinions are so different. I genuinely hope when I get to it finally, I’ll be one of those that love it. If not, at least I have given it a chance.

I think my only problem with Kingdom Hearts 3 is that it felt like it rushed to the ending. A few more worlds would have been appreciated. Especially a return to some of our old final fantasy friends.

In my honest opinion, while your thoughts and feelings are your own...the idea that you don't understand why others have major issues with this entry has to be the most disingenuous thing I've ever heard you say. It's okay that you like it but you definitely get why others don't. And if my bs radar is off on that then you're are being a little myopic and obtuse in my opinion. Good video none the less, that's my only pushback.

I had... very mixed feelings when I finished the game the year it was released, like I had been betrayed. I had this feeling of bitter emptiness in my heart due to how I had waited for years with steadfast commitment and love for the series only to get a conclusion that felt out of focus with how it ties it's loose ends. This bitterness is only furthered by how Nomura has gone on numerous occasions over the course of this series forgetti spagetti with his own work and make up new shit that doesn't fall in line with previously established things. Such as in KH2, Goofy and Donald had NO idea where Yen Sid lived before stumbling onto his tower and yet in BBS, they're both in it with him!

That said, having watched all of the video with open mind, I started tearing up near the end because, and I'm not just saying it, I genuinely thought it was beautiful how you put your passionate love for the series on full display. It touched my heart so profoundly that even though it's presentation in the main story is underwhelming, Even though the core flow of movement and combat feels sluggish compared to KH2; I might possibly, very possibly, in the near future give the game a second chance. Heck, you might even have given me a new love for the series

Though I do still think that it's dumb to go out of your way portray a character like Xehanort as a malicious and despicable man lusting for power but then on the last minute show that he's not actually bad, he's just a guy doing the right thing for the abhorrently wrong reasons. Maybe there's something I'm missing from the other games (yes, I've played them all besides 358/2 and Re:coded, just watched the cutscenes), but if working on a morally gray area is the goal then I believe they should have sprinkled hints Xehanort's motivations more often rather than dump them just after he gets defeated. And maybe it's cuz of the kid like elements, but this point goes doubly for a series like this because of how rarely it goes into gray areas, even with characters like Riku and Xion.

But all in all: I loved this video from the bottom of my heart ❤

Something I've always felt about the series' lore is that trying to approach it from a purely logical/rational perspective is a bit of a mistake since the universe operates on a degree of dream logic. There is a logical throughline but you still have to open your heart to it, you have to FEEL it, in order to truly fully get it. Thats how it all finally clicked properly for me. Thats the true magic of this franchise to me.

Feel bad for my girl, Kairi, but they really wanting push Sora x Riku. Still have no idea why people think Kairi the true romance, when Riku and Sora have more chemistry… if you think about it, and read the lyrics don’t think twice (English, and Japanese translation) the song most definitely about them.

I don't like KHIII. KH was a huge part of me for a very long time. Even today I like to go back to some of the games, I even enjoy Re:CoM quite a lot ! But I don't like what the series has become. It's so clumsy and nonsensical at this point that I just can't get into it. I don't care about the stakes, there's very few things to relate to the game at this point. I'm not going to pretend that a lot of it isn't because I grew up and became aware of what good writing is. Honestly I feel like a lot of criticism in this video is very unfair in the way it deals with some very good points that were made against the game and kinda boil down to "you didn't like it? Well I for one loved it ". Which is ok I guess ? Criticism is after all just giving your opinion on something , but still, when people give their structure opinion about why something isn't good, only for fanboys to imply it has no validity because of their personal tastes ... It kinda paints a picture that the criticism is correct. That's just my take, I enjoyed a positive critique of KHIII even if I don't agree with it.

Hell yeah! You're not alone in loving this game! I absolutely loved it, for all its silly moments, and all its super intense moments! I know it has its flaws, but I can't really be bothered to care! I love KH3!

As someone currently on their annual or sometimes Quarterly playthrough of the series... this was a perfect synopsis of 3, a wonderful defense, and down to earth and reasonable in the admissions of some of its issues and insane complexity. But we all love this series BECAUSE of that insanity.

Well done sir. ❤

I love this dumb game and this dumb series. I know it’s dumb but I literally don’t care because this “dumb” series is awesome and I will never stop loving them and playing them.I don’t even have the excuse of it being my childhood sense 3 was literally my introduction to the series and I had to wait for them to put the hd collection on Xbox after I finished it. I’m going back and buying some of the original American versions. Bought kh1 on ps2 kh2 I had to return and order another because someone destroyed it with scratches then it was refurbished and the disc was surfaced and the game really hated that and every loading screen literally took 30 minutes even between cutscenes. Then the game soft locked after the first gummi ship mission because the game couldn’t finish loading with the mission complete thing on screen. So my new copy should be here soon and hopefully it’s actually functional. Anyways large tangent aside I love this awesome series and you should too.

Love this video ❤

Ngl, KH3 is not my favorite. But I will say it has the best gameplay elements of the entire series. By a good margin (kh2 is still my favorite)

Sora "regaining his power" just felt kinda cheap to me. It feels like his character as a whole regressed from KH2. And I think the overall world building feel suffered for lack of FF characters. Among other things.

I did like some of the character work they were doing with Axel, Kairi, and others. And having all the keyblade wielders we know and love coming together. My only wish is that there was a point we got to choose who we kept in our party between them all. Instead of just the story dictating who stays and leaves. My dream team is Sora, Riku, and Roxas.

That being said, I enjoyed my time with the game, all things considered. And I do appreciate that it resonated with *someone*, even if it wasn't me. I love that for you.

I definitely empathize with being the odd man out, too. But if you like the game, wear that! Even if others disagree.

i love 1 and 2 i hate kh 3 with a fiery passion but i will watch this hole thing because so far, from what i can tell just by the tone you love kh as much as me so ill tell you if ive changed my mind or not by the end. (updated) i didn't change my mind but i am happy you enjoy this game never the less that it was fulfilling for you i guess..i,m still waiting for MY Kingdom hearts 3 to come out but i,m glad you have yours thank your for point of view on this game it was good to see it from your perspective ! <3

I thought KH3 was great. I really don't understand why people didn't like it. If I had to take a guess though... I'd say that it was mainly just... impossible standards. After 20 years and loads of games I think their standards were just so impossibly high there was no way this game would meet them.