Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Fans who are tired of Kingdom Hearts side-stories should be glad to know that this is definitely the last game before Kingdom Hearts III. I’m not going to tell you why, but the fact is made very clear. If you want to know the setup for the next big entry, you have to play this game to find out what’s in store for the conclusion of the Xehanort arc. You could just watch some cutscenes online, but you’d be cheating yourself out of a lot of fun.

The weakening of its two founding pillars causes Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance to falter. There's a failure to build investment in the story, the Dream Eater system trashes reliable and beloved AI companions for a convoluted Pokémon substitute, and some passable combat can't pick up the slack left by choppy pacing and the maddening Drop system.

Overall it’s a great new entry in the series, one befitting Sora and Riku’s return. With the excellent additions of Flowmotion combat and the Drop system, this may be the best portable entry in the series to date.

If you call yourself a Kingdom Hearts fan then you have to check this one out. Even if you’re not familiar with the series, Dream Drop Distance is a good starting point for newcomers. Just don’t expect to completely understand the story.

If you have a soft spot for oddball crossovers, Dream Drop Distance is certainly worth a closer look.

Kingdom Hearts 3D is a great looking, solid game, held back by a few design choices which stop it from being as enjoyable an experience as it should be. If you are new to the series and want to know what it’s all about, then try Kingdom Hearts I or II before diving into this one. However, if you are a series veteran then step this way, as there is still a lot of fun to be had if you can overlook the small gameplay problems.

That said, Dream Drop Distance looks amazing. In fact, it may be the best-looking game in the series, with strongly utilized 3D and some of the highest production value on the 3DS to date.

It's such a delightful experience to visit those classic Disney films and interact with their many loveable characters that you spend more time laughing at them than you do screaming at your 3DS in frustration. No, Disney isn't for everyone, but unless you're laden with a heart of stone, it's hard not to be taken in by Kingdom Hearts 3D's many charms.

Square Enix, who I have long regarded as being able to squeeze the very best out of handhelds in terms of graphical performance, can celebrate an incredible accomplishment here. Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is not only the greatest handheld entry within the series to date, even after the effusive quality of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, but will forever remain as one of the finest and most notable additions to the Nintendo 3DS software library.

Here's hoping Square Enix decides to perform some flaw-flushing open-heart surgery on the series before its next entry, because hiding the messy bits under arbitrary new systems clearly isn't doing it any favors.

It adds a novel element of strategy to your macro-level gameplay: you’ll need to plan ahead for the appropriate times to drop, lest you get ripped out of your body mid-battle. We learned the hard way that dropping during a boss fight restarts the encounter – a groan-worthy setback, but one that’s easily learned from, and unlikely to be repeated.

Despite some glaring flaws keeping it from greatness, Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is an enjoyable addition to the series. The speedy and dynamic combat coupled with intense boss battles make this an appealing entry for some, but the poor camera controls and positioning, cumbersome systems, and a story that is as convoluted as it is inaccessible to newcomers makes this a tough sell for anyone that hasn't followed the series from the beginning.

A beautiful, sporadically fun action RPG, and a great showcase for the power of the 3DS. Sit down and play it, however, and you're in for an infuriating time.

For anybody interested primarily in the action, activities, and likeable characters rather than in following a coherent story, Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is a great addition to the 3DS library.

Vibrant combat and lush Disney worlds atone for the dud dual-character idea.

Kingdom Hearts continues to innovate in the RPG genre ten years on from the original release with [Dream Drop Distance], a generous and exciting addition to the series

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance won't be for everybody, but those who fall under its spell are guaranteed a remarkable experience. Roll on Kingdom Hearts 3.

There’s a lot to love and a few things to loath about Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (the title falls into the “loath” category) and thankfully there are enough good things about the game to make it an easy recommendation for fans of the series and genre.

DDD es un buen juego para Nintendo 3DS lastrado por un trato lamentable en su edición española (aunque realmente ésta no exista); así que te toca decidir a ti. Lo que queda claro es que no es -ni mucho menos- un mal juego.

Su mecánica de juego es bastante amena, los mundos que visitamos y personajes con los que interactuamos tienen un gran interés, los combates son dinámicos y hasta absorbentes y gráficamente se encuentra a un nivel muy notable. Es cierto que un título de este calibre debería haber sido traducido a nuestro idioma, pero siendo objetivos y más allá de esto, se trata de un cartucho indispensable para los fans de la saga.

Endlich habe ich einen Grund, den 3DS aus dem Schrank zu holen und mich länger damit zu beschäftigen. Das haben weder Mario Kart, Zelda oder Super Mario geschafft. Und nicht einmal Mankos im Umfeld wie die oberflächliche Pflege der mit einem kämpfenden Traumfänger oder die zickige Kamera können mich von den Disney-Welten fernhalten.

En dépit d'un début de partie plutôt timide, Kingdom Hearts 3D : Dream Drop Distance nous surprend de bien belle façon en faisant monter la pression tout au long du jeu, le rythme allant crescendo au fil des univers parcourus.

Evolution ludique, Kingdom Hearts 3D : Dream Drop Distance est davantage un jeu pour le jeu qu'une histoire forte avec des composantes A-RPG. Un petit pas en avant qui ne masque pas une caméra encore fofolle et une structure toujours extrêmement rigide, mais qui apporte un retour au feeling du deuxième épisode, plutôt convaincant. Reste à voir si Square prends désormais le futur de sa saga quasi prioritaire au sérieux.

Não obstante, a introdução de novos elementos do gameplay vem acrescentar mais opções ao combate, favorecendo a exploração e a progressão pelos sete mundos. Os fãs de longa data vão encontrar um desafio à medida das expectativas para uma nova ronda sobre o universo Disney em forma de portátil.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance não está ao mesmo nível dos dois títulos originais mas é provavelmente o melhor esforço da série em consolas da Nintendo. Não fossem algumas falhas na jogabilidade, seria um jogo verdeiramente recomendável, mas qualquer fã irá apreciar este título.

Alla luce di tutto questo, quindi, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance è senza ombra di dubbio un capitolo che i fan della serie non devono assolutamente lasciarsi sfuggire, ma molto probabilmente gli appartenenti a questa categoria a quest'ora avranno già provveduto a finirlo almeno un paio di volte nonostante le circa 30 ore medie necessarie per portarlo a termine.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance is dan wel geen echte Kingdom Hearts 3, toch is dit avontuur voor de 3DS een heerlijke aanvulling aan de franchise. Het verhaal mag dan niet meer interessant genoeg zijn, toch blijft de combinatie Square Enix en Disney overtuigen en ziet het er voor 3DS-begrippen werkelijk fenomenaal uit. Bovendien alle lof voor Square Enix dat ze het concept heeft durven omgooien.

Det är en utstuderad mjölkning från Square Enix sida som jag motvilligt måste säga går hem hos mig den här gången, och som gör att spelet landar mellan det smått fantastiska Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep och det ganska ruttna Re:coded.