Sorry for the wait! I've been really busy with school lately and won't be able to pick up the pace for some more time still. But I'll do my best to post something at some point in time.
... Although you guys didn't seem to be really looking forward to it anyway...
So anyway
#12
I got this game when I was in England. I was really happy they'd have it, cause they were already very short on stock in Poland. I never expected it would be so addicting, and then become so heart-wrenching by the end…
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS
Don’t let the odd title deceive you. This game is almost as dark as Birth by Sleep, if not darker at times. Days proves once again that handhelds get all the good writing in Kingdom Hearts, for some reason.
I dare you to find a more heartful tale of friendship in a video game.
This is another kinda-prequel that sounds pretty bland on paper. “OK, so Roxas is in the organization. I knew that. I doubt anything interesting happens here. And then they’re retconning in this black-haired Kairi? Oh man, I sense another Genesis.” Hoo boy…
In essence, this game is Crisis Core done right. Yes, Xion basically fulfills the same role as Genesis. But she’s alive, and her adorable friendship with Roxas and Axel really feels genuine. Her struggles regarding her identity and their friendship falling apart are really relatable, while she could have been another emo teen just quoting troutty poetry. And when you reach the end, even though you know what’s coming, oh man, will you be bawlin’…
Harsher in hindsight - the trope codifier.
The gameplay is less experimental than what we had in BbS, i.e. there is no command deck, you get a regular command window instead. However, you get to equip so-called “panels” where you’ll put things like items, spells, or even levels. It’s kind of a grid, so you need some special management to get optimum results. Considering the game is played in missions, you need to make adjustments to your panels pretty regularly. While it takes some getting used to, overall it makes for a really rewarding experience.
Yep. Sums it up pretty nicely.
Shimomura does a great job once again. While there aren’t that many new tracks, those we get are incredible.
While much more subdued than Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days makes for a very beautifully tragic experience. This is a perfect example of a prequel done right. Even if the premise may seem fanficky, the end result is determined by the execution of the proper tropes. Days knows how to hit where it hurts the most. And I am so grateful for this game.
Sorry this was short. It's just really hard to keep it spoiler-free, and this is one of those games that I cannot let anyone interested get themselves spoiled. It's literally that good.
