Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is the newest iteration in the Kingdom Hearts series, and is available exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. It introduces many new and engaging gameplay elements that compliment the mechanics established in previous portable Kingdom Hearts titles. These new abilities and functions allow for exceptional mobility and control over the protagonists and how they manipulate the environment. Players take control of both Sora and Riku during this adventure, which takes place directly after Kingdom Hearts II and ties the events of all the previous games into one neat and fascinating bundle. The game does have a few shortcomings, but it is probably the strongest entry in the portable series yet. If you've passed on the many interquels in the Kingdom Hearts series thus far, you should definitely consider picking this one up.
The major returning feature in Kingdom Hearts 3D is the Command Deck system, which allows players to create a deck of attack and support abilities that can be cycled through during combat, alongside each character's standard melee and defensive abilities. While Dream Drop Distance adds new commands in addition to familiar spells and abilities, you cannot develop commands as you could in Birth By Sleep, which allowed you to level up and fuse these abilities to unique and interesting effect.
The growth and customization element has been diverted instead to developing "Dream Eaters." Since Sora and Riku are traveling between sleeping worlds in Dream Drop Distance, the darkness they encounter takes the form of nightmares called Dream Eaters. While these monsters are malevolent, Sora and Riku can create ally Dream Eaters (Spirits) to aid them in battle. These Spirits replace Donald and Goofy in your party, and the game puts great emphasis on creating, raising and developing them.
As far as usefulness goes, Spirits will fight and deal damage to opponents, though they aren't all that effective - they certainly won't be clearing enemies on their own. Rather, the true value in using them lies in leveling them up to earn new abilities for Sora and Riku. Each Spirit has a unique ability grid that can be unlocked using Link Points, which are earned through combat. Abilities like Attack Plus, Combo Plus, Second Chance and the like are unlocked by leveling-up Spirits with those abilities in their grid. This makes developing them crucial to strengthening Sora and Riku in Dream Drop Distance.
What really sets the game apart and radically changes how you play Kingdom Hearts 3D is the "Flowmotion" movement ability that it introduces. This gameplay mechanic allows Sora and Riku to interact with walls, poles, rails and certain enemies by jumping, dashing or dodging into them. With walls and poles, Sora and Riku will cling to the structure momentarily, allowing them to follow up with a high jump, a powerful dash, or a unique homing combo attack. Sora and Riku can vault from wall to wall or pole to pole, opening up new avenues of travel, and making exploration faster and much more engaging than in previous games.
Environments in Kingdom Hearts 3D are massive as a result - perhaps the largest in any Kingdom Hearts game yet. Stages are towering, expansive, and thanks to Flowmotion, highly interactive. There are tons of treasure to find and unique enemy challenges to engage in. At the same time, Flowmotion tends to undermine the platforming in Kingdom Hearts 3D since it is so accessible and abusable. You can reach virtually any height or ledge so long as you have a wall to bounce off of.
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Game details:
- Genre: Action RPG, Adventure
- Developer: Square-Enix
- Website: http://kingdomhearts3dgame.com/
- Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
- Release: 07/31/12 - Available now
NY Console Games Examiner articles ©2012 by Gabriel Zamora; reposts permitted with link back to original article. All other rights reserved.
