This is oversimplification to its most extreme, but to delve into the finer details would require lengthy explanations of numerous confounding concepts and characters. Kingdom Hearts 3 is bogged down in the finer details of its lore, so much so that-for all but the most clued-in fans-it can be difficult to get a sense of what our three main heroes are actually trying to accomplish.Īt its broadest, the story of Kingdom Hearts 3 involves Sora, Donald, and Goofy preparing for an upcoming war against the forces of darkness by gathering the Guardians of Light. Given it's the concluding chapter in a massive story arc, it can't be faulted for having this fixation, but the execution is frustrating nonetheless. But it's also everything fans love about the series: a thrilling action-RPG that celebrates Disney and Pixar, all the while ensuring themes of friendship, heroism, and pure-hearted goodness shine bright.Īt times, those themes can be difficult to discern, particularly when the game is intent on telling the grander story of Kingdom Hearts as opposed to the smaller tales centered around Disney's iconic characters or Sora’s innocent idealism. Kingdom Hearts 3 is preoccupied with fan service to a fault, and it also struggles to stay coherent under the weight of its own convoluted lore.
The nostalgia for and investment in Kingdom Hearts as a franchise is incredibly powerful, so much so that it helped me push through the rougher patches in what is overall an enjoyable, if uneven, third entry in the core series. The only way to really understand the emotions Dearly Beloved stirs is to have connected with the franchise and its characters to have followed their journeys over its 17-year history, for better or worse. I wish I could properly convey the impact of hearing it, but the best I can do is to say that it is overwhelming. The song is at once tender and melancholic, wistful and adventurous, somber and uplifting-a reminder of a history that'll leave longtime fans dewy-eyed. Composed by acclaimed musician Yoko Shimomura, it perfectly captures the sentimentality at the heart of the series.
Like every game in the series before it, Kingdom Hearts 3 begins by playing its theme, Dearly Beloved, over the title screen.
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