 "Photo: N/A")
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (that’s pronounced “358 days over two”) is the fourth title in the Disney/Square action role-playing game franchise, and the first game to appear on the Nintendo DS.
Set as a bridge between the first and second Kingdom Hearts games, 358/2 Days has the player taking up the mantle of Roxas, a mysterious boy able to wield a Keyblade like the series’ protagonist, Sora. Roxas is a member of Organization XIII, a group of like-minded Nobodies intent on completing Kingdom Hearts to give themselves hearts, and his task is to take up missions across various Disney-themed worlds, like Halloweentown and Beast’s Castle, in order to collect the hearts.
If I’ve lost you already, it’s probably because the story behind the Kingdom Hearts games is one of the most confusing and enthralling game stories to date. (I definitely suggest checking out the older Kingdom Hearts games for Playstation.)
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days makes a great transition from the dual analog controls of its Playstation counterparts to the D-pad on the DS. While camera functionality suffers due to a lack of analog sticks, multiple control settings help to alleviate the problem. The game looks great, although jagged edges do remind you that it is a DS game. New versions of the series’ trademark music help to spice up stale environments that have been seen, in a few cases, in every Kingdom Hearts installment.
The story, clocked in at around 33 hours, focuses on an underused aspect of the previous games, Organization XIII, and really shines because of it. While it does tend to drag on a bit in the second half, the final act really makes up for it, tying up loose ends and leading right into the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2 masterfully.
Combat feels well put-together, filled with dazzling magic attacks and incredibly fluent ground and air combos. Instead of a traditional leveling system, 358/2 Days adopts a panel system, wherein completing missions awards various panels than can be inserted on a grid to flesh out your character in whichever way the player deems appropriate.
This franchise entry deviates from the normal progressive story system of the others and uses a mission system with a central hub world where new quests can be picked up. The system works well on a handheld, although the missions do end up feeling a little bit copy-and-pasted, where you end up doing the same things, just in a different environment. One mission type in particular has you sneaking around trying not to be seen by various enemies, and feels like a contrived gameplay element better left on the cutting room floor.
A mission mode is also included, where you can take any of the Organization’s members, and a few very secret characters, into the field to complete any available missions to earn money and points to improve your panel grid. Mission mode serves as a fun distraction that suits the handheld system.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a must-buy for any series fan, or for any action-RPG fan who owns a DS. While not being familiar with the rich story may detract from its value, it serves as a decent stand-alone addition to any game library. Repetitive missions, janky camera controls, and a very long story for a handheld game make the experience rough, but fun, in-depth combat and a riveting story help to keep the game afloat and make it worthy of a purchase.
Be the first to comment on this article!