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Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

First Impressions: 4/10

Picking up KH358 for the first time, I was already unenthusiastic about the game in my hand. I do not like Roxas. I think he's a waste of a character, and his story does nothing but make me want to play as Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Gameplay: 5/10

There is absolutely nothing new here, sans the occasional Y-button combo with different Keyblades. Movement feels a bit restricted without the use of a joystick, and without two more shoulder buttons, I felt like certain shortcuts and camera controls were just pointless. The only redeeming quality to this game is the micro-management I know and love from CoM.

Graphics: 10/10

The Nintendo DS does an amazing job of taking the KH series and putting it on their own device. While it is not at all visually stunning like Birth By Sleep will be, watching the game run on the DS is a feat worthy of praise.

Sound: 5/10

After a while of going back to the same place over and over and over again the music got really, really annoying. This is the first KH title to ever inflict that upon me. I got sick of hearing Heartless appear, I got sick of “Sacred Moon” playing every time I would end up back in TWTNW. While the audio at times did sound like it was coming from a PS2, I was always quickly reminded that it wasn't.

Replay Value: 9/10

After mastering the Slot System, and unlocking all the mission mode characters, there is no replay value. The high score only comes from working to unlock Mickey and Sora on a 2nd play through if you missed them the first time. And even then after you do that you should really just sell the game.

Multiplayer: 6/10

Multiplayer can be fun, once you've turned off Friendly Fire, make sure you do “normal” damage as the maximum, and set your opponents damage to “normal” as that is the weakest they can do. The only fun there is to be found in Multiplayer is that you can have 4 organization members teaming up on the same set of screens. A nice touch, but not enough to keep me hooked. After about the 3rd mission, you'll find yourself asking for a real multiplayer game.

Story: 2/10

The only reason this category even gets a rating is because of three things: 1. Everyone in the organization being a douchebag to Roxas. I couldn't be happier. 2. Xion. A great character, and I wish they had taken her character further. 3. Axel. After the game was over, I found a new appreciation of him. I still don't like him all that much, but I can say I don't hate him. The story is nothing to get excited about and because I never liked Roxas, I had to force myself to complete the game. 33 hours of Roxas being lied to was all right with me.

Overall: 4/10

This game is NOT Birth By Sleep, and it is very apparent that this title is nothing more than a game designed to whet our palettes in anticipation for Birth By Sleep. I feel like I got nothing out of it, and the entire game was just a fat waste of time. No one really misses out on anything if they don't play this game as it doesn't add anything major to the KH Universe. However, it is a KH title. Sadly, it falls into the same category as KH2- the potential to be so good, but falls short in every place imaginable.

Really? I'm up to Day 72 or something like that, and it's awesome so far, a lot better than I expected it to be. I like the fighting system, like the panels and abilities and stuff, and how you can use your favorite way of fighting by using a certain weapon gear. (Wild gear's my favorite!) I'm not very interested in Roxas's story, and it drags on and stuff, yeah, but I really liked getting to play as and alongside the other Organization members. The graphics were awesome, too. I like how there's many different types of mission, from defeating Heartless to finding a certain number of items. (The intel collection is boring, though.) And as always, hack-n-slashing is always a blast, at least for me. xD Personally, I think the game's an 8/10, maybe a 7.5.

Meggie, I'd like to sit down one day and play the game with you. Maybe then I can understand why you like it so much.... Good grief.

I agree with Meggie. I had fun playing it. Though, I agree it doesn't have much replay value. I had to start over now that I have my own cartridge, and I'm dreading going back through everything I already did. XD

Well at first it seemed interesting. And then Roxas just kept pissing me off over and over again.

Well, I wasn't expecting something GREAT. In fact, I wasn't expecting much at all. So I guess that left me impressed because I didn't have very high expectations.

I definitely already didn't like the game by the time I hit "Start."

... Why not?

I have NEVER liked Roxas, and I knew that this wasn't the KH title I wanted. I guess I refused to give it a chance, because it didn't give anything new to the KH world.

I guess that's true, but if you're biased against the character, that's not a very fair review.

I mean, I know it's not going to add ANYTHING to the series at all, its biggest mystery doesn't apply to the KH universe at all (and is completely erased from EVERYONE'S memories, as a plus), but... What I've played is pretty fun. It can get a bit redundant, but it's got some decent features to tide us over until Birth by Sleep.

Okay so basically, SS, you're basing your review just on the story and your hate towards Roxas? xD Yeah the story isn't all too great, but it's interesting sometimes. But you have to admit the gameplay is really fun.

The micro-management was a really cool thing, no doubt. I was excited everytime I released another slot so that I could add more power to the already lame Roxas. Some of the combat was good, but like I said, there was little to keep me hooked other than the fact that I had to finish it.

I voiced this before, but I wish Xion could've stuck around. She was a character I saw infinite flexibility in, and it's sad that they took her down the path they did.

I agree that Xion was a wasted plot point.

The idea of her... existence was quite interesting, and if she had somehow survived, she could have been an incredibly interesting character for the future.
But she was introduced in THIS game, the only conflict from her existence was introduced in THIS game, and it was resolved in THIS game. It's silly that they even included her.

Well, Days truly was a side story, not crucial to the main series plot. They needed something to make it interesting in itself, because while I do like Organization XIII, at least more than SS, a long game with just them and things we mostly already knew would have been REALLY boring, and truly useless. Xion gave it something fresh.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of the Organization, just not Roxas. When you read all the secret journal entries, and realize that no one really understands Xemnas, or when the realization that they aren't bad guys hits, it makes me appreciate their roles more. Sadly, all the Org members were horrifically gimped for Multiplayer. And I think some of them were just flat out robbed. Take for example, Xigbar. He is so much more badass in KH2, and in this game, he's hardly worth using.

ShadowSephiroth, on Jan 1 2010, 04:54 PM, said:

Yeah, thats why I liked it. It added depth to the Organization, and it made you feel for them more. I always love when you get to play on the side of the bad guys. It's always interesting.

And plus you get to play as XEMNAS!!! :3

I loved playing as Xemnas, no joke. I just wish he was a stronger character!!

I'm not finished and haven't seen screenshots... do you get to use his lightsabers?

The last weapon you buy after beating the game is the Zero Gear. This is the gear that unlocks the actual weapons the Organization use. So, yes.

ShadowSephiroth, on Jan 2 2010, 08:37 PM, said:

Yeah, he's the strongest AND the most intelligent, so they should've made him like ultrasuperpowerful, but then it would kind of be unfair and it would make the game too easy, probably.