As Kotaku’s year-long replay series, Guiding Key, enters its first month, the initial installment of Kingdom Hearts is proving to be a more challenging experience than some players remembered. While the game's ambition for a 2002 PlayStation 2 title is noted, its age is beginning to show, particularly in its platforming and movement.
The notoriously floaty jump mechanics of protagonist Sora have been a consistent source of frustration. This is especially apparent in the recreation of Disney worlds, with the Deep Jungle from Tarzan serving as a prime example. The layered design of this world means that missed jumps or falls often send players down multiple levels, requiring a tedious climb back to their intended path. This contrasts with many modern platformers that offer more immediate retries.
Despite these movement issues, the game's early Disney worlds still showcase Square Enix's creative integration of Disney properties with its own dark fantasy elements. Deep Jungle is highlighted for its portrayal of Clayton, the Tarzan villain, as someone controlling Heartless, blending the two universes in an unexpected way. The Olympus Coliseum, based on Hercules, is also praised for its intriguing crossovers, particularly the inclusion of Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife as a challenging boss.
The Divisive Gummi Ship
The Gummi Ship segments, used for traveling between worlds, remain a point of contention among players. While some recall enjoying the building aspect, with one player even designing ships that resembled "hieroglyphs on acid," others found the on-rails shooting sections tedious or pointless. Suggestions for a modern remake include making these segments entirely optional or relegated to side content. The evolution of the Gummi Ship design across the series is noted, with comparisons drawn between the building in the first game, the improved segments in Kingdom Hearts II, and the visual appeal but less engaging routes in Kingdom Hearts III.
Final Fantasy Cameos
Discussions also touched upon the role of Final Fantasy characters within the Kingdom Hearts series. While some feel these cameos were essential to the original game's uniqueness and fantasy feel, others believe they have become less significant over time, with some players expressing disappointment that they were not more central to later installments. The argument is made that the series has become more focused on Disney, with fewer dedicated Final Fantasy worlds and a decreasing number of Final Fantasy characters compared to Disney characters.
The Guiding Key series is set to continue its replay through the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise, with subsequent months dedicated to titles like Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts III, culminating in a look at Kingdom Hearts IV.