Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts III – The End of an Era

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

Kingdom Hearts III Box Art

There was a time when Kingdom Hearts III was a punchline. Nothing more than vaporware; something that only existed as fan-fictions and fake box arts. It was synonymous with hell freezing over. And right now, the Devil himself is neck deep in snow. Even after it was announced back in 2013, it still didn’t feel real. But as the years went on, as we slowly saw more trailers and heard new details, myself and many others realised that this was, in fact, happening.

And now it’s out. You can go and buy Kingdom Hearts III and actually play it. But now that it exists, we must ask that dreaded question – was it worth the wait? This is a title that fans have been waiting for since 2005 when Kingdom Hearts II released, and acts as the finale to a story-line that’s been ongoing since the first game came out in 2002. Fans’ expectations have been ridiculously high so does it meet them? Is it the conclusion longtime fans deserved or is about as fun as going to an overcrowded Disneyland in the rain? Continue reading →

Ten Worlds I Want in Kingdom Hearts Part 2

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the following:

The Kingdom Hearts series
Moana
Zootropolis

About a couple of years ago, I wrote a list of worlds I would like to see appear in the Kingdom Hearts series. Since that list, both Tangled and Big Hero 6 based worlds have been confirmed for Kingdom Hearts III, which clearly means Square Enix and Disney read my stuff and value my opinion. Or it’s just a coincidence.

Regardless, with a new trailer and a new world to be shown this weekend at the D23 Expo, I’ve decided to return to this topic with another ten Disney properties that I’d love to see adapted in a future title. Continue reading →

Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage- – The Final Chapter Prologue

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

300px-Kingdom_Hearts_Birth_by_Sleep_0.2_A_fragmentary_passage_Logo

A few weeks ago, I ranked the Kingdom Hearts series to see which games I considered the best. However, I omitted a couple of entries; one of them being Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage- (dear RPG makers, stop making your titles so damn long). The reason for its omission was because it ultimately wasn’t a full game and was only included on the 2.8 collection as a teaser of sorts for Kingdom Hearts III.

It very nearly was included, though; it actually would’ve been third in the rankings. That’s pretty high up for what’s really just a glorified tech demo, and that’s because, despite its short length, it’s pretty damn good. So, I figured I’d give it it’s own review to make up for it being left out. Continue reading →

Random Rankings – The Kingdom Hearts Series

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the Kingdom Hearts series

Kingdom_Hearts_Characters

If you really think about it, Kingdom Hearts is one of the weirdest success stories ever. I mean, it’s a Disney/Final Fantasy crossover. This is the kind of thing you’d see in fan-fictions from the mid-2000s; not a professionally made videogame series. Yet, somehow, it worked and has a large following of dedicated fans the world over – me being one of them.

While it’s certainly had its ups and downs, I still wholeheartedly love this series, despite my personal gripes with it, and am more than excited for when Kingdom Hearts III inevitably drops (whenever that is). In the meantime, I’ve decided to go through the entire series thus far to see how each entry stacks up against each other. Which games do I adore with all my heart and which ones do I wish I could cast into the darkness? Let’s find out together, shall we? Continue reading →

Ten Worlds I Want in Kingdom Hearts

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the following films:

Frozen
Monsters, Inc.
Wreck-It Ralph

Kingdom Hearts may have tested my patience quite a few times over the years and the complete lack of Kingdom Hearts III info makes it hard to get excited for it. Despite that, whenever new details do emerge, showing off what Disney characters and films will be represented, we’re going to get hyped – no matter what. There’s just something inherently exciting about seeing which characters we’ll be able to interact with and which worlds we’ll explore. So, here’s a list of what worlds I would personally love to see in a future Kingdom Hearts game, whether it be KH III or in the next saga. Continue reading →

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX – Why I’m Excited

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted July 4th 2014)

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I have a very odd relationship with the ‘Kingdom Hearts’ series. Despite my frustration at some of its themes and its overall plot in general, any new information regarding the franchise excites me. The first ‘Kingdom Hearts III’ trailer made me squeal like a girl and the more recent trailer for the upcoming ‘2.5’ left me with a wide grin on my face. Maybe it’s the nostalgia or the fact that the good of the series outweighs the bad – whatever the reason, I still enjoy the series, and I’m especially looking forward to the aforementioned remakes. Continue reading →