It’s hard to believe that the Kingdom Hearts franchise has been around for nearly twenty years. The odd pairing of Final Fantasy and several Disney franchises always sounded like an idea that just wouldn’t play out right, but the series has gone on to garner quite a sizable and passionate fanbase over its long run. With last year’s Kingdom Hearts III bringing the closest thing to a conclusion that the series has seen yet, Square thought it would be fitting to now release a sort of retrospective title to reflect on everything that’s built up this saga, and what’s a better way to do so than putting out a… (reads notes) rhythm game? Indeed, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a bizarre title in an already bizarre series, but, like its stablemate Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, it proves itself to be a solid music-focused outing in its own right.
We’ll get one thing out of the way up front: yes, this game is canon. The Kingdom Hearts series has become a bit of a meme in recent years thanks to its increasingly incomprehensible plot that introduces clones, alternate realities, time travel, and plenty more confusing nonsense with each new entry, and this one is no different. That being said, the vast majority of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is centred around Kairi recapping everything that’s happened up to this point in the series.
It goes without saying, then, that those of you who have fallen behind on the series lore (and still care) may want to hold off until you’re caught up, as the spoilers come thick and fast in this one. Obviously, a rhythm game isn’t usually too focused on telling a detailed narrative, and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory fortunately doesn’t bog itself down much in the cavernous depths of this series’ infamous storytelling; it stays primarily focused on delivering an easily accessible and nicely addictive gameplay experience.
The gameplay vaguely mimics the core combat in the main series by having you take control of three characters running down a highway that brings a constant barrage of Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed to smash with whatever weapon your character is holding. These enemies come at you roughly to the beat of the music, and you’re prompted to time your strikes carefully to little shrinking circles that appear over each enemy as they get near to you. Your characters run automatically and you don’t have to worry about controlling each one independently; the character closest to the upcoming enemy will attack automatically as long as you time the button press right.
Most sections of a stage will have you just smacking one enemy at a time as they come up, but there are frequent segments that throw you a curveball to keep things interesting. For example, some enemies are airborne, meaning you have to make one of your characters jump to reach them. Sometimes multiple enemies can rush you at once, necessitating that you press two or three buttons at the same time. Such gameplay can seem almost mind-numbingly simple on the surface, but it’s the cadence and intensity of the waves of enemies that make each level so enticing. You may only have to worry about a few potential inputs in any given stage, but when a busy section of the song is coming up, it takes quite a bit of focus to make sure that you don’t miss anything.
For the most part, it’s quite intuitive to match your inputs and keep up with the music, but one relatively minor issue we experienced is that not all the music here lends itself particularly well to a rhythm action game. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory pulls from dozens of Yoko Shimomura’s legendary tracks from across the series’ history, and clearly not all of these were designed around a strong beat. A track like ‘This is Halloween’ obviously fits quite well with a game such as this, but there’s an amusingly weird disconnect when the sleepy Twilight Town theme is playing while your characters are sprinting full speed down a track bringing dozens of Nobodies flying your way.
This disconnect can make some of these stages much more difficult than others, as the lack of clear audio cues to guide your inputs leaves you relying solely on the visual cues with the circles. Again, it’s not a massive issue, but there’s definitely a delineation between the levels that feel organically integrated with the action and those which feel like they were forced in due to the popularity or importance of that particular song.
There’s a rather generous window where your inputs for each enemy are accepted, and you’re given a brief rating from ‘Miss’ to ‘Excellent’ depending on how precise you were with the timing. This then affects your score at the end of a stage, which decides the overall rating that you receive for that level. As long as you make it to the end of the level, it’s technically been ‘beaten’, but there are also three optional objectives to accomplish in each stage that grant you stars required to unlock more levels. These objectives are usually pretty easy to land – asking you to do things such as killing all the flying enemies or clearing the stages without making more than a certain number of misses – but they can sometimes have devious tasks that entice you to try that stage again until you finally get it.
Indeed, this focus on repetition and perfecting runs is the meat of the experience. It takes a little less than ten hours to see every level on offer, but it’ll take you dozens more before you’ve truly mastered everything. Each stage has three difficulty levels that are graded separately form each other, and it goes without saying that attaining pitch-perfect accuracy on any level is sure to take you quite a few tries before you’ve memorized all the enemy placements. Completionists will find plenty to love here, then, as this is the sort of game that rewards the player who enjoys that grindy, practice-driven kind of gameplay loop.
Though it’s a rhythm action game first, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory still has a few vague RPG elements to introduce a nice sense of progression. You can run one of four teams of characters at a time, and each one levels up as you clear stages with them. It’s not clear exactly why this is – only the HP stat seems to have any practical bearing on future runs – but nonetheless, it’s nice to watch your characters level up as you get deeper in. Killing enemies is sure to net you more than a few crafting drops, too, which can then be taken to the Moogle store to craft items for you.
Some of these items are practical, in that they’ll heal your HP if you get too many misses or increase the end of level experience boost, but most of them are for collection purposes. There are hundreds of collectable cards to obtain here that display art from all across the series, and it takes quite a bit of time to find them all. The Moogle can also give craft items to give you access to ‘Memory Dive’ levels, which are additional challenges that you can unlock exclusively for the free play mode.
If you’re tired of playing through the story mode – cutely laid out in a world map style setting that you navigate via Gummi Ship – this free play mode acts as a master setlist where all your unlocked stages are laid out in an easily browsable form. Here, you can not only adjust the difficulty, but you can also alter the mode of play for even more variety. Aside from the default setting, those of you that want a more relaxed experience can opt for a one-button mode that greatly simplifies each stage. Alternatively, you masochists can go for a harder mode that introduces even more inputs that can massively raise your scores.
Those of you who don’t want to play Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory alone will be pleased to see that there’s a variety of both local and online modes for some multiplayer gaming. This acts as a way of accelerating the grind for all of those cards, and there are also separate leveling systems here for your online career that rise as you get better over time.
Head-to-head games are especially interesting, as skillful performance builds up a ‘Trick’ meter which sends over all kinds of harassment to your foe. These can do things like temporarily block their vision or send them false visual cues to throw them off, and such interruptions do a nice job of mixing up the already gripping gameplay. Plus, there’s even support for local, one Joy-Con play, which makes this an ideal title for quick pick up sessions with friends. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of content to interact with in Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory beyond even the lion’s share of tracks on display, and those of you looking for an economical purchase will be pleased to note that there’s plenty of bang for your buck on display.
On the presentation side of things, we’re pleased to report that Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory looks, sounds and plays beautifully, regardless of whether you’re playing in docked or handheld mode. Character models are crisp and the frequent neon colours really have a way of popping off the screen in a way that few other Switch games can manage. We didn’t detect any frame drops at all, either, which is a huge plus considering how important precise timing is to this sort of game.
The music is truly something to behold, too, and it especially 'hits' differently if you’ve been with the series since its inception back on the PS2. It’s rather interesting to follow the slow maturation of Yoko Shimomura’s work through the years, as each game’s tracks remain consistent to her signature style while also bringing a little something new to build on it. Nearly every world from across the series’ run is represented here in some form, and while not all of them are equally amazing, there’s a nice balance of tracks that span a variety of genres. Again, those of you coming into this without any background in the series will of course be missing out on a lot of the emotional significance tied to many of these songs, but it still remains a solid setlist even without that context.
Conclusion
Is Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory for you? Well, that depends on a variety of factors. This is a game that’s obviously designed as a love letter to longtime fans of the franchise, but it also bears almost no resemblance at all to the gameplay that made the preceding titles such a hit. As a rhythm game, it’s a perfectly enjoyable and content-rich entry in the genre, but a substantial amount of its meaning and appeal will be lost on rhythm fans who don’t have a background with the previous games. Either way, we think Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is certainly worth your time. What we have here is a fun and engaging rhythm game with potentially hundreds of hours of replayability and a killer setlist of music to back it up.
Comments 45
port the 1.5 and 2.5 remixes to the Switch, you cowards
One of THE worst ways to introduce Kingdom Hearts on the Switch IMO.
@SwitchVogel I would be 100% on board with that. I already have them on ps4 but I would say it may be the PS3 versions of the game that they would port and not the ps4 versions.
@SwitchVogel
Yes! Way overdue.
Imagine if it gets leaked that there a Disney rep for Smash, and everyone gets hyped for Sora, and then it’s the Penguin from Club Penguin.
@SilentHunter382 True, but I could live with sub 60FPS in exchange for having them on the go. I'm really amazed they haven't done that yet, it just seems like such an easy win. Kingdom Hearts has had a long history with Nintendo handhelds, and there's no doubt that the Switch could run everything in those collections.
Such good music how can you not like this..
Oh, glad this turned out well. We need the pre KH3 games on Switch, stat!
Having listened to a number of tracks in this game, I don't think there's nearly enough good Kingdom Hearts music to justify a game like this. A new Theatrhythm Final Fantasy with select Kingdom Hearts tracks would have been a much better approach.
One day artists will realize most females are not pigeon-toed. Especially not to the crippling severity that has been deemed “attractive”.
Waiting on my copy to ship.
Honestly looking at the track list there are some glaring omissions.
I'm not even mad that this is the KH game they decided to put on Switch considering Nintendo was always the side game platform for the series, but this sure doesn't seem like it justifies being 60 dollars
Hell you can pick up Story so Far right now on PS4 for that price and that basically has you covered until the next arc following the Dark Seeker Saga. This is more like an abridged retelling of all those events if anything
@SwitchVogel I don't think it's a matter of if the Switch could run them but if Switch got the collections specifically they'd have to be compressed as hell just to fit onto a cartridge. 1.5/2.5 is already like close to 60GB on PS4/Xbox One and 2.8 is way less feasible considering that collection includes A Fragmentary Passage which is essentially a tech demo for Kingdom Hearts 3
The review sounds pretty legit, and as an avid Kingdom Hearts fan I think I will pick this up at some point due to loving the music of these games. Even to this day I still remember the music of the games I played 15 years ago.
I love this game so much,played the heck out of it from day one and already beated story mode few days ago.Never played any Kingdom Hearts game before,except 358/2 days on DS.But i know the overall plot.
Wasn’t blown away by the demo, but still intrigued, will wait for a sale on the physical, if that ever happens
It isn't bad music but the game itself is garbage I saw this and it made me sad, this is just my point of view but the real kingdom hearts games are 200 times better than this, still hoping for Sora in smash and a REAL kingdom hearts game on switch
This game is great fun, even for me that haven't played any previous KH games.
I picked this up last week and I love it. Nice, polished homage to the series, makes you appreciate how good some of these songs really are. No need to like or know the series to enjoy it but it definitely helps.
KH 1.5 and 2.5 should be ported to Switch, they are PS3 games so they should not be too demanding.
@FroZtedFlakerZz "the REAL Kingdom Hearts games are 200 times better than this"
Buddy, this is Kingdom Hearts, EVERYTHING is a real Kingdom Hearts game no matter what gameplay or title is attached to it
I am not buying a spinoff game until a main series title comes to the Switch.
I like Kingdom Hearts and Persona as RPGs. Not rhythm games or Warriors/Musou clones.
Even if the spin offs are decent, they aren't what I want from these series!
I got it on PS4 and the gameplay’s almost fun. Bear in mind that I’m a massive rhythm game fan and have put hundreds of hours into many different types of rhythm games. It’s far too difficult to see what’s happening on screen due to their weird attempts to make it 3D. The controls are just terrible, it’s as if they’re trying to make you have a brain fart. I just really miss Theatrhythm’s touch screen controls because they were fantastic and totally intuitive. The story mode is a great idea but the cutscenes are yet ANOTHER rehash of the original games. Like.... how many times can I see the exact same story beats? It’s like Groundhog Day! Another problem is structure. Every single world has two songs, field and battle. Now, that may be more of a problem with Kingdom Hearts but it gets kinda boring and obvious after a while. I just think the series would have been better off being part of a wider Squeenix rhythm game with TWEWY, FF, DQ, Chrono, Vagrant Story, Xenogears, Saga and Mana.
@Heavyarms55 This is Kingdom Hearts. Nothing is a spinoff in Kingdom Hearts
You literally can't play the numbered entries without these games and their supplementary material otherwise you're going to basically be completely lost
Even the ones on Nintendo systems despite their titling are every bit as important
Jumping into Kingdom Hearts II is practically worthless if you haven't played Chain of Memories, a GBA game, and jumping into KH3 without Dream Drop Distance on 3DS is also completely pointless since all these games directly connect. None of them are spinoffs or offshoots
Even this game's nature as a rhythm game doesn't mean it isn't going to be brought up again whenever KH4 comes out. Hell, the game's main campaign with Kairi is basically a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts III's DLC campaign
but they are not fun games case closed
@TheFrenchiestFry Yeah, I wouldn't expect 2.8 unless they really found a way to tune that side story. 1.5 and 2.5 were only about 20 gigs each on the PS3 tho, so I don't see how they couldn't manage to fit those on a cart. I'd even take a digital-only release over nothing.
@SwitchVogel The Xbox One releases of the collections were actually digital only so it's not like they'd be opposed to taking that route
But personally for me if I didn't already own a PS4 and found out that Switch only had like a third of the series available, I'd probably just get a PS4 instead because I'd rather actually play all the games than a select few on the go, and Switch definitely isn't getting Kingdom Hearts 3 or really any super recent Square game like FFVII Remake and FFXV.
Nintendo consoles just aren't the go to platform for Square Enix games anymore to me I guess.
I found this one to be a big disappointment. Having only played the KH1 and 2 and the GBA game I found the music offerings had taken a nosedive after those titles (and while good overall, the series still doesn't have like an exceptional soundtrack or anything), leaving the music selection severely limited in my case. I also find that the godforsaken campaign with the annoying missions and crafting (because even rhythm games need that apparently) did nothing but hinder the experience as opposed to if I could just have freely selected any and all tracks from the beginning. KH presentation with its ugly doll-like PS2 era 3D does nothing for me either and compared to Theathrythm doing big chains feels unsatisfying with the lackluster sound effects that lack punch.
I also find the notes visually confusing to hit sometimes between the notes coming from the front and them using aerial enemies for both regular notes and the jumping ones, and boss battles are also bit of a mess, the area where you're supposed to hit the note isn't very clearly indicated in my opinion.
I would be more forgiving if this was maybe 20-30 bucks but for 60 I'm expecting more. Even on Switch Deemo is a much better and cheaper option, though Theatrhythm Curtain Call on the 3DS still stands supreme in the genre and I'd love to see that one ported here.
...I wonder if any DLC will happen, especially after finding out that actual Disney songs are in this.
Like, where's my Nightmare Before Christmas songs? I need them!!! xD
@TheFrenchiestFry Nintendo definitely isn't the go to for Square, they've made it pretty clear that they're fine with mostly just porting over their back catalog. Even so, that just makes it all the more surprising to me that it's taken them this long to even touch on the KH franchise. You'd think they'd be eager to do a quick and dirty port of those earlier collections and rake in the easy money.
@SwitchVogel I feel like if Nintendo was really that important to Square in regards to Kingdom Hearts they probably would've already tried to bring it closer in parity to PS2/PS3 in regards to the amount of content their consoles received prior to Switch
Even now with Final Fantasy Nintendo consoles are basically only for the side content at this point. PlayStation and Xbox get the big titles like XIII-XVI and VII Remake, while Nintendo gets ports of the PS1 games and a worse version of Crystal Chronicles. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Square are just so comfortable working with the more mainstream platforms that they are also in the camp that view Nintendo as less important at present. Even despite their initiative to port as many of their classic titles onto modern platforms, a lot of them still aren't on Nintendo systems like the Steam/mobile FF games, the Kingdom Hearts collections and the NiER/Drakengard stuff
More crappy rhythm games.....just port any kingdom hearts game and I bet it would sell better than this tosh!
Arguably good for fans of the series but, as has been discussed, surely mainline KH game are more suitable for the Switch. Even some of the back catalogue entries.
It's not that this game is bad, far from it, it just feels so weird getting this game instead of any of the mainline games, considering they were PS2 games they should be easily ported to switch. This game should have came after those.
I'd prefer a FF Theatrythm game over this. I may pick it up during a sale, the demo was just okay-ish to me
@Ryu_Niiyama
But...but it looks so cute, innocent and little girlish. gag, wretch
I have played Kingdom hearts back in the day on the PS2. But since the subsequent sequels were less final fantasy and more disney I lost interest on it. I guess I will pick up this one on a sale at some point.
Eh I only played the first game so I don't think I'd get much out of this. I loved Theatrhythm but that's because I've played a ton of Final Fantasy games.
@k8sMum it looks painful is what it looks. I know you are kidding as you know what I am talking about and why, but one day one day in the far distant future, this won’t be a thing. I have to believe.
I read the track list but I can’t tell if the orchestrated theme is in the game. Can anyone verify?
Okay look I took a few days to comprise my thoughts after playing for about a week.
The game is a fine entry into KH, but lacks a lot basics that you'd expect out of a Rhythm game. I'm not necessarily the best at Rhythm games, but I've play a number of them. For one thing there are three different modes, Field Battle, Boss Battle, and Memory Dive. Field Battle and Boss Battle are fine, but Memory dives? Basically Memory Dives is a music video that plays in the background while you try and see the notes. In some cases, I couldn't see at all. At least with Boss Battles which are similar there is a line and you can see where you are suppose to look for the notes. This actually makes “Boss Battles” the best of the three modes. And Memory Dives are forced on you towards the end for of course "Frozen" -________________-
Then there is the arbitrary levels of the teams and “items”. Like I'm not sure why you need Exp Boost items. I don't think the “Collection” idea is a bad for a secondary level. I mean Miku has VP. But with Miku you get to dress your characters up. You are lock into some of the most boring outfits for the characters. And Aqua has a bunch of outfit items from her solo game. o.O You can't mix the teams, which why? Mickey is a super summons, which is fine but it's weird playing Riku without Mickey. Also, it's linear, so for fans who have played previous entries; you have to slog through a decade worth of information that you probably are already aware of just to get to the new information. This game was clearly meant to be played on the Switch in Handheld mode. If you opt to use a controller, depending on the one you choose, it could be painful. I ending up swapping my hand position, and it made a world of difference.
Do I hate it? No, it's a fun little game. But I'm not sure you want to spend the money on it. Obviously, this is the entry that they gave to everyone but put on the Switch to “Catch” Switch players up.
I will probably get this on Switch
@Dpullam I never played Kingdom Hearts at all and I played the demo of this and I liked the gameplay of it. Don’t worry, I am probably gonna just google the entire storyline to get caught up with the series and then enjoy my rhythm game and music.
@anoyonmus That sounds like a great idea to me. I ended up really enjoying Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memories myself. There were far more classic tracks from the games than I remember and taking a fun trip down memory lane was very satisfying. Even if you aren't a long time fan of Kingdom Hearts I think you will enjoy the game since you like rhythm games.
@Dpullam The rhythm game I have played is Cytus II on my phone and it is pretty fun. I do like Melody of Memory demo though which is fine and I will just google up the entire timeline of KH anyway so I don't have to play the cloud versions on Switch.
@anoyonmus Sounds like a solid plan!
If anyone is still reading this who tried the demo and didn't feel the controls :
It takes a while, but when it clicks its pretty intuitive! (Theatrythm had that same quality! )
I recommend a pro controller, it's amazing!
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