PixlBit

I learned two things from my play time with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The first being that sea salt ice cream sounds gross but must be good since the main characters are always eating it, and that even after three installments, the Kingdom Hearts series can still manage to produce a game that is as fun, bright, and full of Disney magic as the very first title.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is the fourth game in the Kingdom Hearts saga and is supposedly set sometime in between the first Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. After Sora turns himself into a heartless at the end of Kingdom Hearts in order to free Kairi’s heart, his Nobody Roxas was created. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Roxas is found by the leader of Organization XIII, Xemnas, and is recruited as the thirteenth member. By orders of the organization Roxas travels in and out of different universes collecting hearts in order to create Kingdom Hearts, which the Nobody’s seek in order to become complete individuals.

When I first started playing Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days I was initially disheartened by the games’ pace; I was three hours into the game and still had not encountered one Disney character, nor had I really done anything at all. The good news though, is that despite the slow introduction, when Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 takes off, it does so at light speed. In a span of about fifteen minutes I went from completely unsure to indescribably hooked.

For a DS game, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days pushes the graphical envelope to the limit. The cutscenes are gorgeous, as is the in-game play. Each character's universe is so beautifully done it was hard not to reminisce about the beauty and allure these fantasy worlds held for me as a child. Venturing in and out of each world not only serves up a wonderful helping of charm and eye candy, but a gameplay experience that challenges players in a multitude of ways.

Gameplay is split up into missions scattered throughout the different universes. Players may take these missions in any order they wish, although there is a briefing screen detailing what players may expect from each mission to help them select appropriately. On most missions Roxas will be joined by an additional member from Organization XIII, similar to the AI driven co-op experience of previous titles in the series. For players who desire to engage in the gameplay with friends, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days features a multiplayer mode. Up-to-four gamers can take on missions together through Local WiFi as one of several characters from the series such as Sora, Donald, and Goofy, amongst others.

While on missions, Roxas has an arsenal of melee weapons including the Key Blade, several different magical spells, most of which are learned throughout the game, and a brand new feature to the series, the Limit Break. When Roxas' health drops to a certain point, players can charge up to release this very powerful attack which lasts for a limited amount of time. This move was priceless in tough spots and is a great way to gain a bit of leverage in a rough encounter without having to start over.

On to one of my favorite aspects of the game: the panel system. Similar to an inventory system, players are allotted a certain number of slots into which they may place items such as potions and ethers, upgrades to their armor or weapon, magical spells, and much more. As the game progresses, players either collect or purchase items to upgrade their abilities, or may even stop by the Moogle’s shop to synthesize an item or two. Since every mission is different, players will often find themselves completely changing their panel arrangements to accommodate certain abilities or magical spells which they may need in the upcoming world. This is why I had so much fun with the system: it always kept me thinking. Thankfully, if you aren’t a fan of constantly reworking your panel, arrangements can be saved to avoid the hassle of completely reworking them for every scenario.

Though the title offers many great features, there are a few issues, particularly the controls. Once I was immersed in the gameplay it didn’t take me very long to feel as though there was something wrong with the way I was controlling my character: he moved fluidly and the camera was great, but why was my left hand killing me? Then it hit me: what was missing was the presence of a joystick. All the spinning and turning I had to do while attacking enemies from all angles using the D-Pad just wasn't an efficient maneuvering method. The D-Pad simply doesn't allow for enough fluid motion in a circular pattern, and this became frustrating in moments when I needed the ability to turn quickly.

There are plenty of other control issues as well that I wouldn't call broken, but rather confusing. For example, to target an enemy, players must double tap the R button, instead of merely pressing it once. If players desire to utilize an option from their menu, they have to navigate it with a frustrating combination of buttons that could have simply been solved by adding in touch screen functionality, of which there is none in battle. Navigating this menu during a battle in order to use an item or magic attack is incredibly frustrating while trying to dodge enemies and their attacks at the same time.

However, although these issues were frustrating, especially at first, they don’t kill the experience. Players should just anticipate a steeper than usual learning curve, since the controls can be very counterintuitive.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a fantastic addition to the series that rivals its predecessors. It carries all the endearing facets of the Kingdom Hearts series, yet establishes its own persona through all of its unique traits.