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 This remake of the GBA original features improved graphics. View larger. |
 Donald and Goofy will lead you to spectacular adventures. View larger. |
 You'll meet and get advice from many familiar faces. View larger. |
From the distance, a mysterious man approaches from one of the roads. "Ahead lies something you need," he says, "but to claim it you must lose something dear." The man vanishes, revealing a single path that leads to the eery Castle Oblivion, which resembles a girl's drawing.
The Story
After this encounter, Sora, Donald, and Goofy go their separate ways. Soon, on a night when his island home is besieged by a mysterious storm, Sora is whisked away to an unfamiliar burg known as Traverse Town. There he meets Donald and Goofy, and learns that there are strange things happening in the world.
Donald and Goofy set off to look for their missing king, and Sora joins them to search for his lost friend, Riku. After a long journey that takes them across numerous worlds, Sora and friends finally find Riku and the lost king. But to save all the worlds, Sora must use his Keyblade to close the door to darkness, even though Riku and the king are on the other side. Believing the king's parting words -- there will always be a door to the light -- Sora locks the door, and the trio sets out on yet another journey.
The Characters
The cast of Chain of Memories combines Kingdom Hearts characters with familiar Disney faces. Sora, is a 14-year-old boy and the hero of this tale. Although a little naive, Sora has an uncommon sense of justice. On his journey, Sora is accompanied by Donald, a court wizard who shares a striking resemblance to Donald the Duck of Disney fame, and the clumsy, easy-going captain of the Disney Castle Royal Knights, Goofy.
Other characters include the mysterious, shrouded man from the crossroads; Sora's lost friend, Riku, a 15-year-old boy who is cool and collected; the lost King, who bares a striking resemblance to Mickey Mouse; and Kairi, a 14-year-old girl who's friends with Sora and Riku. Almost more strange than the man at the crossroads, a mysterious girl, Namine, draws pictures inside Castle Oblivion under close surveillance of an evil organization. As the story alludes, she may hold the key to Sora's most special memories.
Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of memories starts off exactly right where Kingdom Hearts left off. It connects Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II and explains the beginning of the second installment.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy, follow a mysterious man in black coat Castle Oblivion, a place where 'to lose is to find and to find is to lose'. upon stepping into the castle, you are approached by the hidden man who gives Sora a card, stating, ' The more you find out, the more you lose.' The card he gives he shows a familiar place- Traverse Town- and upon activating the card, Sora is transported to the town where his adventures first began. Once he gets there, however, he realizes that this place isn't real and the friends he's made and the people he'd met had forgotten him. As he continues to revisit the worlds he had once saved from the ebbing darkness, Sora finds himself unable to understand if the memories he has are real or if they're make believe.
As he continues his journey, Sora finds is hard to remember the faces of the people he had traveled with-even forgetting about finding Riku. As you go along your adventure, stringing together lost memories and discarding old ones, you'll meet the characters from the first game- and even some new faces will appear. You'll encounter Organization XIII, realize what's truth and what's fiction, and, given the chance, unlock the second part of the game.
There are many things that separate this game from its prequel and sequel. The battling system is unique, how you play is absolutely genuine, and the very story line of the game is compelling. Now lets address these topics so one does not get confused as to exactly how different this game is.
First off, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories isn't like your typical role playing game. It combines tactics with fighting and introduces a new way of defeating your obstacles: cards. In this games battle system you must use cards to release your attacks. There are many different types of cards ( ones for attacking, ones for combos, ones for magic, and ones to release finishing moves ). These cards can run out and to replenish them you have to 'charge' them so to speak by holding in a button. If you run out of cards you can't continue fighting. You can collect the cards, make decks, get rid of the ones you don't want, and combine them to form more powerful cards. Not only do these cards allow you to fight, but they allow you to proceed in the game. Certain cards unlock rooms and you can use these cards to 'synthesize' a room, changing it. They allow passage into other worlds-or memories of that world. And, if you give it enough time and patience, find secret cards to unlock sealed rooms that hold valuable treasure.
Another major change in the game is how you play it. Instead of fighting alongside Donald and Goofy, Sora fights solo, using his friends as special battle cards that come and aid you during battle.
Leveling up is, refreshingly, up to you. Once you achieve a level, you decide what you want to level up. Whether you want to give Sora more hp, allow him to hold more cards, or learn new abilities, is completely up to you.
The layout of the worlds is slightly different then Kingdom Hearts fans are used to. Each section of the world you are in is a room made out of Sora's memories. Now, what's interesting about knowing the layout of a room you'll only be in for a few minuets? Everything. Strategy is a crucial part in deciding the rooms you are in. For example, the cards you collect from enemies are used to unlock the door to the next 'room'. And each card has a different type. Green, red, blue, or yellow. And each type has a title which allows certain things to happen. If you use a card that slow heartless down, then that 'room' is designed to follow that card. As stated before, cards completely rule the game. So when the time comes to unlock a door, choose carefully as it can be in favor for you or against you.
Once you get the hang of the battle system, you can complete the game easily and then focus your attention on finding the hidden secrets through out the game. But even then, you're not quite done.
Once you finish the game, you're not completely done. Once you return to the main menu There will be a third option to choose from: Reverse/Rebirth. By selecting this option, you have engaged yourself in Riku's story. Playing as Riku you battle the darkness in you and try and stay discrete as you unknowingly fight in the same memories as Sora is. Playing as Riku is exactly like playing as Sora: cards as the battle system and playing solo, choosing what you want to level up ( Hp, dark power, or attack. )
Both sides of the game are equally challenging and engaging, promising a never before experienced game play.
Overall, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories was a worthwhile experience. It features the voice cast of the original Kingdom Hearts and engaging music from all three games. The graphics are eye pleasing and the cut scenes allow you view the game as if it were an actual anime. However, if you want to forge ahead and skip these scenes, you are given the option if you pause the scene. Reaction commands are given when needed, and you choose the difficulty of your game.
The game itself comes packaged in a holographic game case, displaying Sora and Riku along with fragments of memory that display other important characters such as the artistic girl shrouded in mystery, Donald and Goofy, and the ever reliable King Mickey. Along with the game you receive three beautiful Kingdom Hearts postcards, each displaying a different image, along with a full color booklet that gives you all the information you need to start of. My only quelm about the game is that map system you are given. Basically it only shows you which way you're pointing so make sure to take note of the room your in as it can get confusing as to which door you have and haven't used yet.
Originally the second disk in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, North America finally presents: Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.
Being a big fan of Kingdom Hearts, I was excited when chain of Memoires was made in PlayStation form. So I bought the game and played it.
I was ultimately dissapointed.
The game is a sloppy recap of the preceeding game Kingdom Hearts. Sora loses his memories and travels to "fake" worlds generated by his memories, thus doing things and meeting people that he already did and met in the last game, but to him it's all new. The animation isn't as good, the storyline is weak and repeditive, there isn't much voice acting, the animators didn't bother to re-sync the animation to make the characters appear like they are speaking english (not a big issue but still...). In the occasional instance where they do have voice acting, it is slightly off (you play as young Sora but they use old Sora's voice).
Above all the gameplay is TERRIBLE! The card system, albeit unique, is very frustrating to learn. The bosses you fight are also very, very difficult. It took me a very long time to beat this game, longer than it should have. I was and still am very angry with this game and felt like I had just finished doing a bunch of math problems for school rather than the pride of beating a cool game.
Then they suprised me when I unlocked the secret Riku mode (sorry if this spoils anything but I must mention this). I was hoping this hidden story would be better. Instead, it's even worse! It's almost the exact same levels, bad guys and plot as the first side of the game! It's a sloppy recap of a sloppy recap! I was only playing to see how it ended, nothing more, and the ending wasn't so good...
Do yourself a favor. Play Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II, but I implore you to avoid Chain of Memories at all costs. It's not worth the money or the 30+ hours you'll spend on it.
Is it me or is anyone else getting tired of the method in which Enix has released this series? I do not understand why this series has to jump between different consoles and make giant leaps in game play. It's almost enough to draw more people away than to bring them in IMO.
Did I enjoy the card deck method? Yes. I felt it added some creativity and actual strategy and made the extra work enjoyable when you acquired cards that would increase the strength in your deck. The idea that the cards were memories reinforced the theme of Castle Oblivion. It does take some getting used to, but once you find the method of card stacking to create powerful sleighs, you will be entertained by the fresh approach.
The major concern I had with the game is repeating the same worlds as KH1 and KH2. There is no new areas, except if you include Castle Oblivion's tired repeated look on every floor. I have to mention that once I finished Sora's story, I only played 10 minutes of Riku's. I had no interest to repeat the same repetitive storyline again.
There is a part of me that thinks Enix Square is throwing this series on all different low graphic consoles b/c they are not taking this series as serious as they should. It gives them an excuse to re-use tired old worlds and add nothing new to the series. I find it evident in this game and in 358/2 days.
"I've been waiting to be able to play this game ever since it came out for the game boy advance."
"Great third edition game. Different from the first two but a refreshing change. Well worth playing. Thanks!!!!"
