Beneathits cozy and colorful Disney facade,Kingdom Heartswill always be a JRPG franchise by Square Enix, through and through. This means that every single game in the series has lots of experience to gain, items & keychains to collect and even tough mini-bosses to defeat. There are hours of content guaranteed for the most dedicated players.
But, while some entries in this beloved franchise can be completed to 100% with little difficulty, there are others in which it’s extremely challenging to do so. Especially when considering that theKingdom Heartsfranchise is infamous for changing gameplay and mechanics in every side-game. And here are some of the most infamous titles in the series.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Like your heroes with impossibly spiky hair? Have a penchant for classic animation? Nifty with a Keyblade? Then prepare yourself for KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days on the Nintendo DS!
Immerse yourself in the world of KINGDOM HEARTS, where Disney and FINAL FANTASY characters mix with epic results - where beings formed from corrupted hearts are the enemy and the emotionless ‘Nobodies’ are the bodies left behind with no heart…
Set in the untold times between KINGDOM HEARTS I and II, this revealing prequel follows main character Roxas on an intrepid journey of discovery into his forgotten past. Delve into this action/role-playing game to discover what truly happened during his days as a member of the secretive, black-clad ‘Organisation XIII’.
The game features a host of colourful characters ranging from familiar faces like King Mickey and Captain Hook to newcomer Xion; Organisation XIII’s mysterious fourteenth member. You won’t fail to be enchanted by vivid Disney lands realised in full 3D graphics: during the course of your adventures you’ll visit exotic Agrabah from Aladdin, wander spooky Halloween Town from The Nightmare before Christmas and take in the sheer grandeur of the Beast’s Castle from Beauty and the Beast. Vast magical locations packed with missions add up to hours of entertainment and this addition to the series is the first ever KINGDOM HEARTS game with a fully-fledged multiplayer mode - get your friends together and tackle co-operative missions with up to four players!
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days stays true to its role-playing roots in both controls and combat: fight, cast spells and combo your way to victory in real-time battles where gaining experience allows you to tweak your abilities for maximum effect. Kitting out your characters is a breeze with the new Panel System; simply organise abilities, spells and items on the no-fuss grid and step into the story!
Find out what it’s like to be a Nobody, and discover where your heart really lies in KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days.
WithKingdom Hearts 358/2 Days,fans got to knowthe tragic story of Roxas, back when he was part of Organization XIII. And while the plot & characters were praised, the gameplay of this game is heavily flawed at best. Since this is a portable game for the Nintendo DS, there’s no real free world exploration, but rather a series of limited missions and each one of them has their own checklist of items to collect & requirements to meet.
Completing358/2 Daysis no easy task, since there are 93 different missions, each one with a specific completion percentage, 85 challenges with 255 different sigils, 358 mission crowns, more than 100 panels for Roxas’ board, etc. This may feel fun at first, but it inevitably becomes tedious, and the game’s awkward combat system doesn’t help either. And that’s not even mentioning some of the most frustrating Missions in the game, like Mission 89 and its excruciating super boss, the Dustflier.
As the remake of the franchise’s second game,Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memoriesis quite notorious for its dynamic card-based gameplay, which may not be easy to get into. And while a good number of players may find it to be entertaining, this new mechanic has affected the completion requirements of the game.
Re: Chain of Memorieshas no real worlds with secret areas or hidden bosses. Levels are comprised of the same rooms over & over, which need to be open with specific cards. This means that the only real way to complete this title is by collecting every single card & sleight, coupled with reaching Level 99 withboth Sora & Riku. Since the combat can become brainless because of some overpowered sleights, this eventually becomes monotonous and repetitive, with no real reward in sight.
Of all the main series titles for consoles,Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleepis definitely a challenge to complete. This game is filled to the brim with content, especially in its Final Mix variation. The combat revolves aroundCommandsthat have attacks, spells & items. These can be crafted, combined & leveled up and there’s also the Command Board, a slow & dullMario Partyknock-off that will test every player’s patience. So getting every single Command in the game is an incredibly tedious task.
If that wasn’t already a lot, there also are several stickers to collect, all the annoying mini-games in Disney Town and a slew ofchallenging secret bosses, like Vanitas’ Remnant or the infamous Mysterious Figure. And that’s not even counting all the other combat challenges in the Mirage Arena world. And the worst part is thatBirth by Sleephas 3 different playable characters:Terra, Aqua & Ventus. So, any players who want to complete this game with 100% completion will have to do it 3 different times, with barely any differences in the content itself. It’s tedious, repetitive, and it takes too much time.
WhenKingdom Hearts 3was originally released, players complained that the highly anticipated sequel didn’t have enough post-game content. Square Enix must have been listening to them because, when theRe MindDLCcame out an entire year later, it was full of new stuff players could play with, with its collection of challenging bosses being one of its highlights.
The Data Versions of the True Organization XIII and Yozora aresome of the toughest battles in the franchise, and beating them all is not something anyone can achieve. This was added on top of all the other collectibles in the game, including all the Classic Kingdom mini-games, all the food ingredients & recipes, and all the Lucky Emblems. The DLC forKingdom Hearts 3truly lived up to fan’s expectations, both for better or for worse.
Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distancecan be compared to the previous entries: LikeRe: Chain of Memories, the completion requirements are spread out between 2 campaigns with both Sora and Riku. And like358/2 Days, it was originally a handheld title made for a Nintendo console, although luckily this time the combat was a lot smoother and more enjoyable. Completing this title to 100% may seem as challenging as it is with any other game in the franchise, since it has almost 90 special portals to find and complete, and players must get a perfect score in every Dive Mode mini-game.
That would just be part of the course, if it wasn’t for the presence of Dream Eaters. These Pokemon lookalikes are Sora & Riku’s loyal companions throughout the adventure, and there are more than 50 different creatures to craft. Not only that, but players will also have to unlock each Dream Eater’s specific Skill Tree and beat every match of Flick Rush with them. People that don’t enjoycreature collecting& pet simulators will definitely not enjoy this one. If players struggle with the special portals and Flick Rush, getting 100% inDream Drop Distanceis an absolute nightmare.
