The GWJ JRPG Club 2018 - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix

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Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is the GWJ JRPG Club's third game for 2018.

To level up, we'll be counting finishing both Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Re:Chain of Memories (whether you watch the "cinematic remake" of 358/2 Days is your prerogative) before the end of the year.

Those that want to continue on to play later games in the series after this are welcome to continue to use this thread for discussion, of course.

Club Main Thread

Tagging myself here. Looking forward to it

I will be hitting the local shops on my lunch break tomorrow looking to pick up a copy. Very keen to try this out after falling off the series back in the PS2 days.

Don't have this one but tagging in to see what you all think.

A few tips:

  • The game asks you how your adventure starts. This determines your EXP curve; answering 'morning' makes early leveling a lot easier. It speeds up leveling until lvl 50, then slows it down past that. Since you finish the game at around that level, morning is the most efficient answer for a quick playthrough.
  • Progression is often tedious. Make sure you talk to NPCs multiple times, sometimes you have to exhaust their dialogue before moving on. Return to old areas if you are stuck (shops you've already visited, old save spots etc. It may trigger the next event).
  • Donald and Goofy are potatoes. Don't bother giving them consumables or healing them.
  • Aero is a godsend. Make sure you always have it active for the defense boost during hard battles. Aerora, is fairly easy to obtain near the end of the game. Don't miss it.
  • Similarly, hotkey cure/cura/curaga to X, you'll be using it a lot
  • Keyblades have different ranges. Read the text, you may want to use a "weaker" keyblade if you are being swarmed
  • You don't have to complete Atlantis. After triggering the first series of battles (IIRC) you can just move onto the next world and never return. It's an annoying underwater level with a ridiculously hard boss, so I recommend moving on and circling back to finish it near the end of the game.
Stele wrote:

Don't have this one but tagging in to see what you all think.

Same here.

Yessssssss

I am updating on ps4 now and will start out. Thanks for the tips unicycle.

I'm starting it on my PS3 tonight, assuming I don't crate from weariness, that is!

I stopped by a GameStop and picked up the PS4 version. I’m in!

I'm in. I gave the first Kingdom Hearts a try years ago. It didn't really grab me, but I am up for another try.

Im planning to grab my copy this week.

Just by pure happenstance, I am playing and am about to finish this game. I'll tag to follow along with the thread. Cheers.

I'll join in if I can find a PS3 to borrow or buy cheap. I'd love to fire this up again and blow my kids' Disney-loving minds.

benign1 wrote:

I'll join in if I can find a PS3 to borrow or buy cheap. I'd love to fire this up again and blow my kids' Disney-loving minds.

FYI- It’s on PS4 also.

What’s the best version to buy? I think I have the old plain PS3 or PS2 release. It sounds like that wouldn’t have everything. Can someone explain what is included?

fuzzyslug wrote:

What’s the best version to buy? I think I have the old plain PS3 or PS2 release. It sounds like that wouldn’t have everything. Can someone explain what is included?

If you have the PS3 version, then you have all you need (it brings both the main game and Chain of Memories).

I have put a couple of hours inon the PS4 version over the past few days and so far I am really impressed by how well it holds up. I'm not sure how much was changed HD version but the graphics look decent and the combat hold up very well.

I also feel like this is peak Square with a symbolism filled, j-pop backed, heavily foreshadowing, introduction, FF characters all over the place and mainstream actors doing voice work. It feels like a company riding high on the western success of FF 7-10, trying hard to push more into that audience with the Disney license while really embracing their own style.

Cronox wrote:

I also feel like this is peak Square with a symbolism filled, j-pop backed, heavily foreshadowing, introduction, FF characters all over the place and mainstream actors doing voice work. It feels like a company riding high on the western success of FF 7-10, trying hard to push more into that audience with the Disney license while really embracing their own style.

That's a pretty fair assessment of the game and what was going on back then for S-E.

Wait, I missed when the level thing started. You monsters! Now I have to beat this. I can't leave levels on the table.

I did start this a little early. I had played a couple hours years ago. I haven't quite caught up to where I was at previously. What a weird game this is. The intro felt like a J-pop music video. I am enjoying it, though. I didn't like the character choices you have to make. They aren't clear about what the impact is, so I guess I just won't worry about it.

Edit: Sorry for what appears to have ended up as some weird stream of consciousness impressions of the first couple hours of the game.

No apologies necessary! Feel free to stream your consciousness here.... as it relates to the game anyway.

The character choices are definitely obtuse.

steinkrug wrote:

The character choices are definitely obtuse.

Yes. What nonsense that was. It's good this game is simple enough to not require any optimization because they obfuscate any optimizations that can happen.

I guess the only way it doesn’t totally screw up the gameplay experience is for your choice not to have a huge impact. But then what’s the point? It does actually have an impact, though, but you’re not really going to understand how exactly. Of course, you can just search Google to find this all out, but it’s bad to have to do that.

Hey, if anyone's interested in totally spoiling your playthrough of Kingdom Hearts 1.5, it's about to be played during Summer Games Done Quick.

Wembley wrote:

I am enjoying it, though. I didn't like the character choices you have to make. They aren't clear about what the impact is, so I guess I just won't worry about it.

This really struck me too, for a second I considered googling but at that point I didn't even have any context to understand any different benefits, or to be honest really care enough to put in the effort. So far I am just going with it.

Just got through the first area after Traverse Town.

Spoiler:

Alice in Wonderland. About as confusing at first as I recalled, though I didn't remember everything very clearly. Got through it without too much trouble, though. Recalling how odd the control layout feels compared to pretty much every other action game out there... jumping with O isn't exactly intuitive at this point hahaha.

Had forgotten how wonderful the musical score is! What a joy, both currently and from a nostalgic standpoint, to simply inhabit this "world" and listen to the music.

Hey, I recently started this. Might as well join here.

I started it today, what an awful first hour and a half, just got to traverse town so hopefully things pick up from here.

The start is very bumpy. Things get better after the Alice in Wonderland world (which is easily the worst part of the game).

Oh good. That's where I am right now.

Fastmav347 wrote:

I started it today, what an awful first hour and a half, just got to traverse town so hopefully things pick up from here.

A_Unicycle wrote:

The start is very bumpy. Things get better after the Alice in Wonderland world (which is easily the worst part of the game).

This is why I bounced off the game twice, I think? I made it to Traverse Town the second time... but, man, I found it mostly irritating in both game play and story, I’m sorry to say.

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