diezoberflote
Loftwing
I just finished playing through Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and I've decided to write a little review of the game. So, here it is.
First of all, I'm already a huge Kingdom Hearts fan. I played the entire first one and absolutely loved every second of it. What I found to be the strongest feature of the Kingdom Hearts games is their very unique sense of atmosphere and storytelling.
In CoM, I found that the graphical limitations of the SP did retract just a tiny bit from the atmospheric feel, but not much. I still enjoyed all the interesting little settings and the huge array of characters you get to meet (just like in the first KH). The graphics are bright and bold and very intense, and the menus and text are crystal clear.
The sound in this game I felt was quite good, especially for the fact that it's a GBA game. The music was all fitting, nothing really annoying. A couple of the themes for the different areas I REALLY liked. The sound effects were perfect, listening to Haley Joel's grunting sounds has never been more...fun...
The storyline in CoM is tied into the ending of the first game, but it is still very intriguing and as always, VERY mysterious. The pacing of the storytelling is good, which can a trouble spot for alot of games. Some of the villians who are behind all the mischief I found not all that interesting as single characters, but they are all involved in a rather intricate plot of deception and corruption. The new girl character Namine,(is that a spoiler?), is seemingly simple and basic. But, as the game progresses, much more about her is uncovered...
As far as the nuts and bolts of the game go, I had no real problems that I noticed. Obviously, the main mechanic in the game is the card based theme, which at first I wasn't crazy about, but as I went along I found it very interesting and strategic. The battle controls are all quite manageable, though the battles themselves can get repetitive. But hey, I'm a big RPG gamer, so I've been through that and dont really mind it.
Like I said, for me the heart of these games is the dark, yet mysteriously whimsical atmosphere (thats the only way I can describe it). The meaningful storytelling gives you something to think about, as well. It's really cool, but I still feel the first game was slightly more impactful in all these areas.
FINAL GRADE: 91/100 A-
First of all, I'm already a huge Kingdom Hearts fan. I played the entire first one and absolutely loved every second of it. What I found to be the strongest feature of the Kingdom Hearts games is their very unique sense of atmosphere and storytelling.
In CoM, I found that the graphical limitations of the SP did retract just a tiny bit from the atmospheric feel, but not much. I still enjoyed all the interesting little settings and the huge array of characters you get to meet (just like in the first KH). The graphics are bright and bold and very intense, and the menus and text are crystal clear.
The sound in this game I felt was quite good, especially for the fact that it's a GBA game. The music was all fitting, nothing really annoying. A couple of the themes for the different areas I REALLY liked. The sound effects were perfect, listening to Haley Joel's grunting sounds has never been more...fun...
The storyline in CoM is tied into the ending of the first game, but it is still very intriguing and as always, VERY mysterious. The pacing of the storytelling is good, which can a trouble spot for alot of games. Some of the villians who are behind all the mischief I found not all that interesting as single characters, but they are all involved in a rather intricate plot of deception and corruption. The new girl character Namine,(is that a spoiler?), is seemingly simple and basic. But, as the game progresses, much more about her is uncovered...
As far as the nuts and bolts of the game go, I had no real problems that I noticed. Obviously, the main mechanic in the game is the card based theme, which at first I wasn't crazy about, but as I went along I found it very interesting and strategic. The battle controls are all quite manageable, though the battles themselves can get repetitive. But hey, I'm a big RPG gamer, so I've been through that and dont really mind it.
Like I said, for me the heart of these games is the dark, yet mysteriously whimsical atmosphere (thats the only way I can describe it). The meaningful storytelling gives you something to think about, as well. It's really cool, but I still feel the first game was slightly more impactful in all these areas.
FINAL GRADE: 91/100 A-
'))
