Kingdom Hearts 3D is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Hearts portable formula, unifying everything that the series did right in the format and many new, smart ideas.
All in all, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance might be my favorite game in the franchise. I'd have to replay Kingdom Hearts 2 to truly decide, but as it stands, the franchise's latest 3DS iteration is an excellent addition to the series.
Once you enter the flow state, it is basically a roided up Drive Form. Adding the pet system was a nice touch. Was the sole reason why I had to buy a 3ds.
Although the game is more an action-adventure than an RPG, this iteration of the Kingdom Hearts franchise is by far the best pocket adaptation yet. It ties all the loose ends, so that the Kingdom Hearts 3 can have a fresh start. [Sept 2012]
Kingdom Hearts continues to innovate in the RPG genre ten years on from the original release with [Dream Drop Distance], a generous and exciting addition to the series.
A beautiful, sporadically fun action RPG, and a great showcase for the power of the 3DS. Sit down and play it, however, and you're in for an infuriating game. [Aug 2012, p.89]
There's a mixture of novelty and intelligent ideas in Dream Drop Distance, that don't quite add up to an evolved form of what the series has shown us before. It's another sideways step for Kingdom Hearts, then, but undeniably a grandiose one.
The problem with the latest Kingdom Hearts is not a lack of new ideas but that almost all of them are awful, and that's before you even consider the script.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is a well crafted game on the Nintendo 3DS and also uses the mechanics of the System really good.
The gameplay is a mix between the traditional Kingdom Hearts games like 1 and 2 and the deck system from Birth By Sleep. It also introduces the new "Flowmotion" feature, which u can use to travel real fast.
Storywise it is a bridge game between Kingdom Hearts 2 and 3 and gives more insight on the overarching plot.
What I also like is that the game uses new Disney franchises.
All in all, I really enjoyed Dream Drop Distance :-)
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is a surprisingly solid handheld action RPG in this long running series. While it doesn't measure up to the PSP title, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep -- the best of this franchise's handheld spin-offs -- this is easily the next best in the crop.
Kingdom Hearts 3D offers a similar, though more streamlined gameplay experience as its main series counterparts, as well as a character swap mechanic between its two main protagonists and an additional traversal system unique to this entry, which is fast, fluid, and fun.
Dream drop distance easily has the worst kingdom hearts story. It brings so much unnecssary crap to the story that it makes kingdom hearts 3s story worse because it had to deal with the aftermath of this games disaster of a plot. (even though kh3s story isnt bad in other areas) Otherwise the gameplay is really fun if a bit unbalanced, the dropping mechanic is fine and the disney worlds are fun to explore
Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
Gimicky Garbage
Dream Drop Distance takes place after the events of kingdom hearts coded and is by far the most frustrating and worse game in the entire kingdom hearts series.
Here you play as both riku and sora who are in separate dream worlds while at the same time vitisitng the same people and places...
This game follows the formula of Birth By Sleep which I feel is the best game in the series.. but it ads tons of gimmicks, wastes your time… and is the least inspired title in the series to date.
Here like in birth by sleep all of your special attacks are in decks that increase in size as you level up.. you fill the slots with moves and magic you get from shops and off of enemies…
You visit 7 boring locations, most of which you’ve seen before in past games…
And by most I mean practically all but 1
Void of the Disney charm almost completely…
just generic feeling worlds kill generic feeling dream eaters.. and getting through this over complicated and unnecessary story that doesn’t get interesting until the very end of this 20 hour game.
Again you play as riku and sora, you go back and forth and you go through the same places like in birth by sleep.. but unlike birth by sleep nothing but the story and bosses are different for the 2…
so youre practically just playing the levels twice…
but that isn’t the worst part…
The worst part of this game is its gimmicks…
Theres a drop mechanic here where once the times is up youre forced to go back and play as sora or riku,,,
Youre literally timed at every single moment of the game..
And we all know timers are the most fun thing in video game history to deal with
ps sarcasm.
That was sarcasm.. theyre not fun.. they were never fun.. they never wil be fun…
And for how much this game loves to annoyingly not want interrupt combat with something actually useful like checking menu options, tutorials, or looking at the map.. it has no problem when it comes to plucking you out to force you to play as the other character..
And the worst part is it doesn’t save your battle progress… weather its regular enemies or bosses… you have to start all over again when its your turn again…
its aweful…
I understand you wanted me to go through the story evenly.. but at the very least don’t allow drops to happen until I die or until a battle is over…
One gimmick I don’t mind but again feel is unnecessary is the ability to link with a spirit..
These are essentially pokemon sidekicks that join your party and allow you to do their attacks or team up with them mid battle…
you can play with them.. pet them… name them… but again… completely unnecessary….
The only improvement here over the past games is you dive with a challenge instead of do the gummy ship mini games….
but it isn’t a large improvement.. its also not fun…
and the icing on the cake here is that the final boss sequences are just as cheap as they’ve always been if not more..… one in particular can posin you as well as drain your health without warning and refill theirs fully with this drained health like you did no damage at all… take a wild guess what happenes when they do that move and youre poisned..
And these final bosses aren’t the only cheap bosses here…
Since developers thought it would be great to add a timer to the game.. they also thought it would be a great idea to make some boss battles in giant open areas with bosses that do ranged attacks that you have to chase… while they run away from you, go up to the ceiling and teleport around…
Its not fun… none of it…
watch the movie on youtube to get the story…
don’t play this game.
I Give Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
a 4.5/10
Coming into this game as a true KH fan, I was deeply disappointed in this performance. Let's start with the good, KH 3D brings the stunning presentation the series is known for onto the 3DS. The gameplay, although a double-sided sword, is the same from Birth By Sleep. That's where the good ends however, the new touch screen integration feel either tacked on, annoying, or broken completely. The new pet system feels forced and becomes tedious quickly. However the worst aspect of this game is the story, KH1 kicked the series off in a simplistic touching nostalgic manner while only getting more confusing and con deluded as the series has progressed. KH 3D seems to have taken a story which has already seemed to have lingered on past its due date, and kicks it off a cliff. Another detriment to the story is the way it's told, being halfway through the game, I still didn't know why the game existed and the payoff at the end could've just been explained in a short cutscene in KH3. Birth By Sleep's successful gameplay returns in KH 3D but due to the layout of the 3DS's controls as compared to the PSP's, you have to completely stop moving in order to control the D-Pad to scroll to your healing/attack powers which will result in game over more than once. (May be better on 3DS XL). The Good: Presentation, voice acting, and gameplay. The bad: Confusingly told uninspired story, gameplay, touch screen controls, and the new pet system. In the End: Only hardcore fans should pick up this game, they will be the only ones that can bare the first half of the story. Casual fans and newcomers should stay away completely.
SummaryWith a colorful cast of characters appearing in the Disney worlds in 3D, players can delve into a lifelike story and world in KINGDOM HEARTS 3D (tentative title). Get to better know all the familiar and beloved characters through this title.