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Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Let me start by saying that I’ve only ever played the first few hours of the original Kingdom Hearts. Maybe it was the Disney infusion or high pressure combat that turned me away, but I just never got into it. I recently sat down with the 3DS entry in the series at TGS 2011, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and can say I enjoyed my time with the game despite my unfamiliarity.
Dream Drop Distance marks the return of series stars Sora and Rikku. I chose Sora. The demo, which was all in Japanese, begins with Sora snapping into consciousness while standing on his feet. Sora seems surprised to be wearing his traditional gear. He exchanges words with a spiky-haired dude wearing headphones and then they go their separate ways.
The demo takes place in Traverse Town, a whimsical cartoon land with plenty of Dream Eaters to battle. Dream Eaters are both the common foes of Kingdom Hearts 3DS and unexpected allies. In my playtime Sora ran around with a chubby cat-like creature and a big panda thing. Sora teams up with the critters during battles to deliver devastating blows. He rides the cat like a bouncy ball, crushing enemies with an area-of-effect attack. When teamed up with the panda-esque beast, Sora is grabbed by his legs and spun around like a wrecking ball. These partner moves, combined with the flashy acrobatic combos, make for some thrilling battles.
Dream Drop Distance is a much more energetic and fast-paced entry in the series. Sora and his pals don’t appear to be limited by any sort of timer-based combat. Not only is Sora speedier in fights, he’s also as nimble as ever getting around the environment. Double-tapping the jump button causes Sora to fly through the air for an unlimited time. He can also grind on handrails and swing around streetlamp poles like a hyperactive trapeze artist.
Eventually Sora and his Dream Eater allies are confronted with a crazy purple gorilla-like boss. After dealing some solid cooperative damage to the foe, the tides of battle turn. The beast hefts Sora onto his back and pummels him silly. All is not lost however, as I eventually chipped away at the zany ape’s health bar with simple melee attacks. Felling the odd creature was a satisfying feat.
Based on my knowledge of the Kingdom Hearts series, experiencing the story in a foreign language is about as effective as if it had been in English. However, fans should be excited that based on gameplay and visuals alone, Dream Drop Distance ranks among the most promising 3DS titles so far. Now let’s just hope that the title shows up overseas.
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