Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory – Review

Since its announcement, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory has received very different feedback from fans of the saga. The game is a rhythm game, a particular genre in which you hit keys to the music’s rhythm. To call it a niche genre is an understatement, which is why so many players have been dumbfounded at the thought of not having to fight but to go to the dance.

In reality, even in Melody of Memory, there are clashes. Everything is managed by the sense of the rhythm of those who have the pad in their hands. The fact is that this title does nothing but respond to the requests of a good slice of the public, who for years have been asking for a game that worthily celebrates the soundtrack of the Kingdom Hearts saga, which has always been one of the most popular elements of the Square series. Enix carried out by Tetsuya Nomura (with a decidedly convoluted narrative even when it comes to explaining the simplest things).

Square-Enix had already done the same with Theathrythm Final Fantasy, making available to fans hundreds of songs from the popular JRPG series. In comparison, that title had a store where the individual pieces were purchased, reaching mind-boggling total figures. It was decided to give players a complete package, with a single-player campaign that traces the story from the first chapter to today, also adding new ones. Texture elements. This has caused part of the users to raise, which is “forced” to buy the title (sold at full price) to experience the new plot steps. But that’s not the case; you are interested only in the narrative, go on, quietly. You will indeed have the opportunity to find the new narrative turns of this title.

Better to say it right away: yes, there are some new plot twists, and they are not even very few, it must be said. But it’s nothing that can’t be repeated in the next title in the series. A series that has already accustomed us to a narrative in bits and pieces, even on different media. With even browser games that have never left the Japanese territory and now even without more active servers, recoverable only with videos that can be found on the net.

Story

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a set of memories narrated by Kairi, which traces the whole adventure of Sora (and not only), telling the player as if it were a massive summary of the series. All the new plot part is reserved for the finale, where we will find out who the girl is telling everything to and how this can advance the narrative after the events of Kingdom Hearts III and its DLCs.

So I won’t dwell on the events that will appear before you, but the series’s fans will have much more than a surprise. The game wastes no time and immediately catapults us into the game world, the so-called World Tour: practically the globe, as seen in Kingdom Hearts II, with a Gummiship to cross it and different worlds connected by paths. Each world represents a different location in the series and usually features one or two themed pieces of music, generally the music accompanying that location and its battle variant. Almost all the settings that we have had the opportunity to visit during over fifteen years of the series are divided into 80 worlds, for a total of over 140 tracks.

Gameplay

How do you go through these worlds of memories? Simple, you cross them to the rhythm of the music. The player controls a team of three elements (as you progress through the adventure, various characters are unlocked) who automatically run on a huge pentagram that crosses different settings, obviously historical, of the series from time to time. Many enemies will come forward on the path, including Heartless, Nobody, Nesciens, and Divorasogni. All ugly faces are well known to those who know the saga. A symbol appears on creatures, a small circle, while a larger one narrows around them. 

When the two circles touch, you must press the action key, and the more precision you have, the more you receive a better evaluation. The rhythm with which the symbols appear on the screen is dictated by the local song, while the frequency by the selected difficulty. In addition to the standard action key (with which you hit the enemies), there are also the keys that activate the skills and the jump, which can fly with the Glide technique if held down.

Verdict

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a music game that will delight anyone who is a fan of the soundtrack of Sora and friends’ adventures. Many songs, three different modes for as many difficulties, and many collectibles fill a museum that celebrates the entire saga. Extra modes with single challenges and an online battle mode greatly increase the longevity of the title. The different options make the game accessible and enjoyable for everyone, and even the less accustomed to the rhythm game genre will have plenty of fun.