Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News

      Jagged Alliance 3 new details from GamesCom 2022

      August 13, 2022

      ONE of my very favourite games of all time is Jagged Alliance 2, a combination turn-based/real-time tactical game which put…

      Hogwarts Legacy Delay – Surprising?

      August 13, 2022

      This morning, on their official Twitter, developers of Hogwarts Legacy has announced a delay its release. Originally set for a…

      Twitch Streamers Payout Threshold Lowered

      August 12, 2022

      Good news for Australian streamers today, as Twitch has announced they have lowered the payout threshold for Creators to AUD$50…

      What’s New to Xbox Game Pass for August 2022

      August 12, 2022

      Welcome to August Xbox players! Xbox Game Pass is set to bring you a whole stack of fun this month.…

      New First Look Jordan Challenge trailer drops for NBA 2K23

      August 11, 2022

      IF you mastered the Jordan Challenge in NBA 2K11, you’re going to be up for even more of a challenge…

      View All
    • Reviews

      Turtle Beach Scout Air Wireless Earbuds Review

      August 12, 2022

      WHEN I sit down to play some games, the first thing I tend to reach for after the controller or…

      Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC: Pretty But Expensive

      August 11, 2022

      MARVEL’S Spider-Man was rightly a huge success when it came out on PlayStation 4, being praised by pretty much everyone…

      Cult of the Lamb review – Accidents wool happen

      August 11, 2022

      I WAS admittedly a little bit skeptical about the entire premise Cult of the Lamb before I got my hands…

      Lost In Play Key Art

      Lost In Play: A World Of Pure Imagination

      August 10, 2022

      Lost In Play is a charming game from developer Happy Juice Games. Toto and Gal must work together, solving puzzles to find their way home.

      Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Nintendo Switch Review

      August 8, 2022

      NINTENDO has been spoiling us RPG fans over the last few months with some fun games coming out, which have…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      Nuts & Bolts Hero Card 53

      Nuts & Bolts Episode 53: Why You Sleep Through Playoffs?

      August 13, 2022

      LCO playoffs are now settled! Who’s going to Dreamhack? Results for Commonwealth Esports Series, Rainbow 6 OCS, TFT Dragonlands Challenger Series and more!

      There Is No Cow Level

      August 11, 2022

      Stormie and Jim chat about Screenwest grants for Perth game devs and ask why Sony are charging so much for…

      Nuts & Bolts Hero Card 52

      Nuts & Bolts Episode 52: Come On Kanga!

      July 30, 2022

      With only two weeks left in the LCO things are heating up! Who will make the playoffs? Can anybody beat the Chiefs? Plus just what’s going on with the Valorant scene? We’ve got bans, teams dropping Valorant, and more!

      No NFTs For Minecraft

      July 28, 2022

      On this episode Minecraft says no to NFTs and a clever marketing campaign dares you to refund a game. Plus…

      Streamaholics Hero Card 35

      Streamaholics Ep 35: Twitch Hates Small Streamers…Or Do They?

      July 24, 2022

      On this week’s episode the boys discuss whether Twitch actually cares about Small Streamers, Shippy gets excited about Instagram Live Streaing and Lukey has a blunt message for new creators. All that and much more!

      View All
    • Categories
      • BY PLATFORM
        • Playstation
        • Xbox
        • Nintendo
        • PC
        • Mobile
        • VR
        • Retro
      • BY GENRE
        • Action
        • Action-Adventure
        • Adventure
        • Battle Royale
        • Fighting
        • FPS
        • Horror Games
        • RPG
        • Simulation
        • Sports
        • MMORPG
        • MOBA
        • Party Game
        • Platformer
        • Puzzle
        • Strategy
        • Survival
        • Indie
      • GOA ESSENTIALS
        • Esports
        • Conventions
        • Tabletop
        • Hardware
        • Furniture
        • Funny
        • Streaming
        • Win
        • Podcast
        • Video
    • More
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
    Game on Aus
    Home » Kingdom Hearts 3 Review
    ACTION-ADVENTURE

    Kingdom Hearts 3 Review

    GOA StaffBy GOA StaffFebruary 2, 2019
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Reviewing a game like Kingdom Hearts 3 is no easy feat. This monolothic game could be tackled from so many angles, as I am not a Kingdom Hearts fanboy, despite playing the previous titles, I thought it was best to tackle this game like I do any other normal game review with a fresh pair of eyes and my skepticism about Disney becoming a dictator in the entertainment industry aside to rejoin Sora and the gang for a sequel that has been 14 years in the making. While it did start off slow (extremely slow!) with three painful intro cinematics, each finishing with the Kingdom Hearts 3 title (just in case you know I fucking forgot what I was playing) it wasn’t until I moved to the third world that the game really kicked into gear and showed why the lengthy wait was worth it. It’s not all good news though, the writing is awful, like god awful, with slow and static awkward pauses in between characters in cinematic scenes and WAY too many of them at that, it was only the unique mix of characters, worlds and theme park rides from varying Disney properties that save this game from being a complete disappointment. Ever wondered what would happen if Uncle Scrooge opened a bistro in Traverse Town with Remy from Ratatouille? No? Me either…While these kind of crazy combos are interesting to watch play out during the game, the worlds are so empty and void of population they feel lifeless. Kingdom Hearts 3 is extremely ambitious but regrettably is a bit of a waster opportunity.

    Players take control of Sora, who again must team up with Donald and Goofy to travel through the universe via a Gummi ship to save the world from the Darkness and Master Xehahort who wants to unlock the one keyblade to rule them all and let the Darkness infest every world. It’s nothing new or revolutionary but this is a game where Disney characters team up with Final Fantasy characters so we can’t exactly expect depth here. Together you travel to different worlds inspired by recent Disney hits like Tangled, Frozen and Toy Story while diving into the Marvel universe with Big Hero 6. Sora and friends do run into a lot of characters from these films, disappointingly the gaps between back and forth dialogue is irritatingly slow and completely detracts from any emotional (and nostalgic) impact it tries to have. This also goes hand in hand with the script for the story, it is extremely painful and nauseating to endure, if the graphics weren’t so good, it would be a complete wash. The person who thought it was a good idea to give extended dialogue to Donald Duck really needs to be fired, the painful process of trying to figure out what he is saying is just irritating. It feels like the studio has forgotten that the majority of people playing this game have grown up with the series and are now adults wanting to propel the series forward, alternatively it will work if the audience who grew up with it now have kids and can share the experience with them.

    As mentioned previously, graphically this game is incredible, particularly as you explore the various Disney properties, in particular Toy Story was a stand out looking identical if not better than the movies do. Each world has been maticulously created and while there are some items and treasures to find, the lack of native population or NPC’s is quite disappointing. This led to the worlds feeling empty and bleak which was strange considering how much effort and love has clearly gone into their creation. The Pirates Of The Caribbean world was surprisingly good, enabling Sora to command a ship and explore. While this is no Black Flag, it does come at a welcome time for some variety in the otherwise monotonous gameplay. There are quite a few iconic Disney scenes played out during the game which tug on the old nostalgic heart beats but don’t offer anything of value to the story. Seeing Elsa build her castle in the Frozen stage to the orchestral version of Let It Go will have your little ones flocking to the screen, but the lack of meaning to the story is a little wasted. Sora is detailed to perfection, as are his keyblades and special moves, it is a pity the same cannot be said about the camera. Often when I was mid-battle and a giant robot pushes me into a corner, the camera refuses to move to allow me to see who is pummeling me from behind. It does happen several times through the game so it did become a regular annoyance.

    The combat system for this game is varied and pulls from many different games in the series that keep the actual gameplay fresh and addictive. You have the opportunity to purchase upgrade different keyblades, each of which have their own unique powers and abilities. You can also equip multiple ones which allow you to quickly change between them in battle to effectively destroy enemies as quick and as painless as possible. There are the usual team up moves that involve active members of your party for effective battle slams and a new mode that brings in a Disney theme park ride. Now this could be a little controversial for Australian’s with the water ride resembling the now defunct one from Dreamworld being a weapon. You can also summon the pirate ship and the tea cups from the Mad Hatter. It seemed like a strange and cash in thing to do, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Each world and character has different team up moves which keeps a great variety during the game. Teaming up with Buzz and Woody to strap onto a rocket and dive into enemies is definitely the stand out.

    The game’s story clocks in at around 40 hours and while this may not be as big as other open world games, the quality of the graphics and combat system are enough to offset the time alloted. This is the kind of game you play through once and probably won’t feel the need to go back to (unless you are a trophy hunter or collectible fiend) While it is definitely only a one time wonder, it is definitely worth the trip. The scope of what is on offer and the ambition of this crazy combination of franchises that if you totally lean into works on a few levels. While this game has had quite a few years to perfect and craft its story, I was disappointed that the story was the weakest part and with SO many cut scenes, it really should have been given more care.

    Kingdom Hearts 3 is a step forward graphically and for its combat system, however the story does set the series back a few pegs. Hopefully Square Enix can spend some more time on the story for the next instalment and hopefully we won’t have to wait so long for the next one.

    Kindgom Hearts 3 is available on PS4 and Xbox One.

    Review by Alaisdair “Leithal” Leith

    Like Game On AUS on Facebook

    Join Game On AUS on Discord

    Follow Game On AUS on Twitch

    Subscribe to Game On AUS on Youtube

    Follow Game On AUS on Instagram

    Follow Game On AUS on Twitter

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous Article“The Big Cheez… TV” – podcast ep 112
    Next Article Fortnite booked Marshmello for an in-game concert and it was AWESOME!

    Related Posts

    REVIEW August 12, 2022

    Turtle Beach Scout Air Wireless Earbuds Review

    WHEN I sit down to play some games, the first thing I tend to reach for after the controller or…

    ACTION-ADVENTURE August 11, 2022

    Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC: Pretty But Expensive

    MARVEL’S Spider-Man was rightly a huge success when it came out on PlayStation 4, being praised by pretty much everyone…

    Subscribe

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Ads

    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • ADVENTURE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • ESPORTS
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • FURNITURE
    • GOA
    • HARDWARE
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE
    • Industry
    • LEGO
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NEWS
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PARTY GAME
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • PODCAST
    • PREVIEW
    • PUZZLE
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • REVIEW
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    LEGO

    The GOA team’s favourite childhood Lego kits

    August 13, 2022Royce WilsonBy Royce Wilson

    LEGO is celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year, with the “Modern” iteration of Lego building sets essentially dating from the early 1980s – in…

    ACTION

    Jagged Alliance 3 new details from GamesCom 2022

    August 13, 2022Royce WilsonBy Royce Wilson

    ONE of my very favourite games of all time is Jagged Alliance 2, a combination turn-based/real-time tactical game which put you in charge of…

    Nuts & Bolts Hero Card 53
    PODCAST

    Nuts & Bolts Episode 53: Why You Sleep Through Playoffs?

    August 13, 2022Darren 'Str8JaktJim' MacneallBy Darren 'Str8JaktJim' Macneall

    LCO playoffs are now settled! Who’s going to Dreamhack? Results for Commonwealth Esports Series, Rainbow 6 OCS, TFT Dragonlands Challenger Series and more!

    Game on Australia Logo

    Game On Aus is an Australian games publication working across written, video and podcast, and supported by an ever-growing community of content creators and fans!

    Copyright GameOnAus 2022. Privacy Policy

    CONTENT
    • News
    • Gaming Reviews
    • Podcast
    • Tech
    • Indie
    ABOUT GOA
    • About Us
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.