Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News
      What’s coming to PlayStation Plus in June 2023?

      What’s coming to PlayStation Plus in June 2023?

      June 1, 2023

      IT’S JUNE! — and that means two things: it is officially the rainy season & it’s time for the next…

      ANZPL Split 1 2023 Trophy

      ANZPL Split 1 2023 LAN Finals: Champions Crowned

      May 30, 2023

      This is it. The ANZPL Split 1 2023 LAN Finals. Who would win the Lower Final and make it to the Grand Final to face the Skorpions?

      Company of Heroes 3 Xbox console give-away

      Company of Heroes 3 Xbox console give-away

      May 30, 2023

      TODAY’S release of the Company of Heroes 3 Console Edition released on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, FiveStarGames…

      Assassin’s Creed: Mirage details emerge

      Assassin’s Creed: Mirage details emerge

      May 25, 2023

      AT the PlayStation Showcase this morning there was a few moments of excitement for me, one of them being the…

      PlayStation ’23 Showcase report

      PlayStation ’23 Showcase report

      May 25, 2023

      PlayStation went ahead with its PlayStation Showcase earlier this morning and kicked off the old E3-style season presentation of a…

      View All
    • Reviews
      Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

      Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

      September 6, 2023

      The Crucial T700 sets a new standard in performance when it comes to Consumer Grade SSDs, pushing speeds faster than…

      Hyper Karting and Hyper VR street signage

      Hyper Karting & Reality Hyper Amazing!

      June 7, 2023

      I recently visited Hyper Karting, a go-kart and VR centre in Sydney. As well as the go-karts, I was very keen to experience Hyper Reality.

      Company of Heroes 3 (Console Edition) – Tactical Brilliance

      Company of Heroes 3 (Console Edition) – Tactical Brilliance

      June 5, 2023

      Company of Heroes 3 marks the highly anticipated return of the critically acclaimed real-time strategy franchise to consoles. Developed by…

      Diablo 4 Review – A Dark and Thrilling Return to Glory

      Diablo 4 Review – A Dark and Thrilling Return to Glory

      May 31, 2023

      Diablo 4 is the long-awaited continuation of the iconic action role-playing game series developed by Blizzard Entertainment. I had the…

      Alienware AW510K Low-Profile RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

      Alienware AW510K Low-Profile RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

      May 25, 2023

      When I reviewed the Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse at the start of the year, I came away intrigued…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      Nuts & Bolts Ep 84 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 84: What Is The LCS Doing?

      June 3, 2023

      The World Of Tanks ANZPL LAN Finals have decided the Split 1 champions. Jim takes us through the action! Lots…

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 83 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 83: Let’s Get Down To Business

      May 20, 2023

      There’s lots to cover this week. Join Mercury and Jim as the World Of Thanks ANZPL heads towards their LAN…

      The Weekly Show Ep 279 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 279: Tech Issues: The Show

      May 19, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 82 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 82: We Missed You!

      May 13, 2023

      It’s been a couple of weeks so Jim and Mercury catch up to talk all things Dreamhack Melbourne. Plus Snoop…

      The Weekly Show Ep 278 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 278: Look Who Just Drops In

      May 12, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

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

    Kingdom Hearts 3 Review

    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.

    Kingdom Hearts 3 Review

    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

    Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!
    GAMING REVIEWS September 6, 2023

    Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

    The Crucial T700 sets a new standard in performance when it comes to Consumer Grade SSDs, pushing speeds faster than…

    Hyper Karting and Hyper VR street signage
    GAMING REVIEWS June 7, 2023

    Hyper Karting & Reality Hyper Amazing!

    I recently visited Hyper Karting, a go-kart and VR centre in Sydney. As well as the go-karts, I was very keen to experience Hyper Reality.

    Subscribe

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

    Ads

    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • APPLE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • DLC
    • ESPORTS
    • Events
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • GAMING HARDWARE
    • GAMING NEWS
    • GAMING REVIEWS
    • GIFT GUIDE
    • GOA
    • GOA PODCAST
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE GAMING
    • Industry
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • Press Release
    • PREVIEW
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SUBSCRIPTION GAMES SERVICE UPDATES
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

    September 6, 2023Zak BearmanBy Zak Bearman

    The Crucial T700 sets a new standard in performance when it comes to Consumer Grade SSDs, pushing speeds faster than many other NVME PCI-E…

    Crucial Memory and DDR5: Unleashing Epic Experiences!
    GAMING HARDWARE

    Crucial Memory and DDR5: Unleashing Epic Experiences!

    July 13, 2023Zak BearmanBy Zak Bearman

    Our friends at Crucial offered us an opportunity to review some of their Pro series memory! Me being the avid gamer and hardware savant…

    Hyper Karting and Hyper VR street signage
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Hyper Karting & Reality Hyper Amazing!

    June 7, 2023Darren 'Str8JaktJim' MacneallBy Darren 'Str8JaktJim' Macneall

    I recently visited Hyper Karting, a go-kart and VR centre in Sydney. As well as the go-karts, I was very keen to experience Hyper Reality.

    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 2023. Privacy Policy. Website by Digital Hitmen

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

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