Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2023-12-17 08:18 am
rionaleonhart) wrote2023-12-17 08:18 am
Entry tags:
With Our Usual Words On The Usual Street.
Tem and I have just finished Sora's story in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories! I played the original GBA version of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories back in the day, and I've seen the 3D remake Re:Chain of Memories in Let's Play form, but this is the first time I've played the remake myself.
The only note I actually made while playing was 'I never really registered that Leon, Aerith and Yuffie spend most of their time hanging out in a little house that only has one bed.' Thanks, me. I suppose I'll have to delve into my memories to come up with things to say, and, as this game teaches us, memories can be unreliable.
I enjoyed Re:Chain of Memories more than I expected from my hazy recollections of the original! I'm not a huge fan of the card-based battle system, but it generally works well enough. I think the difficulty is a little too high - even playing on easy mode, I died multiple times every time I had to face Riku - but it's not insurmountable.
I'm definitely glad this remake exists, because it's great to see the redone cutscenes, with voice acting and all the nuances of body language and facial expression that the GBA couldn't really manage.
I love Sora going 'I know my memories of this person are false, but those false memories are telling me she's a friend, so I'm going to treat her like a friend anyway.' Bless him. His interactions with Naminé are very sweet.
Chain of Memories is a really interesting turning point for the story of Kingdom Hearts. It introduces the themes of memory and what makes a person or experience 'real', which are absolutely central to the series from this point on. It introduces Organization XIII; it seems unbelievable that Axel's first appearance was in an unvoiced 2D sidegame on a handheld console!
It's also the point at which the plot of Kingdom Hearts goes from 'mildly confusing' to 'really confusing'.
'I did not understand anything that happened in that game,' Tem said, as the credits for Sora's story rolled.
'And now we're halfway through Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,' I announced.
Tem was very unhappy. 'What? No. The credits are rolling. You just beat the final boss. We've finished the game.'
The only note I actually made while playing was 'I never really registered that Leon, Aerith and Yuffie spend most of their time hanging out in a little house that only has one bed.' Thanks, me. I suppose I'll have to delve into my memories to come up with things to say, and, as this game teaches us, memories can be unreliable.
I enjoyed Re:Chain of Memories more than I expected from my hazy recollections of the original! I'm not a huge fan of the card-based battle system, but it generally works well enough. I think the difficulty is a little too high - even playing on easy mode, I died multiple times every time I had to face Riku - but it's not insurmountable.
I'm definitely glad this remake exists, because it's great to see the redone cutscenes, with voice acting and all the nuances of body language and facial expression that the GBA couldn't really manage.
I love Sora going 'I know my memories of this person are false, but those false memories are telling me she's a friend, so I'm going to treat her like a friend anyway.' Bless him. His interactions with Naminé are very sweet.
Chain of Memories is a really interesting turning point for the story of Kingdom Hearts. It introduces the themes of memory and what makes a person or experience 'real', which are absolutely central to the series from this point on. It introduces Organization XIII; it seems unbelievable that Axel's first appearance was in an unvoiced 2D sidegame on a handheld console!
It's also the point at which the plot of Kingdom Hearts goes from 'mildly confusing' to 'really confusing'.
'I did not understand anything that happened in that game,' Tem said, as the credits for Sora's story rolled.
'And now we're halfway through Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,' I announced.
Tem was very unhappy. 'What? No. The credits are rolling. You just beat the final boss. We've finished the game.'