For my full thoughts on KH3 you can watch my review here: czcams.com/video/ehiTwOCSnZE/video.html For those of you wondering where I would rank KH3 on this list, it would probably be around the middle. I didn't like it nearly as much as KH1 or KH2, so definitely below them. As for comparing it to DDD, I think KH3 is objectively a better game, but far more disappointing. My expectations for DDD were basically nothing, so I was pleasantly surprised by it (cause flowmotion is fun). Expectations were high for KH3, so it really let me down. So KH3 is around 3rd or 4th on this list.
I kinda have to disagree on everybody being an Iditot fore not relizing that Xehanort is evil. He does play his act with Terra pretty well, Aqua and Ven barley get to interact with him and Eraques Ok I give you that but this guy is his oldest friend so I found it not too strange. The only thing that makes him obviously evil is his design but I know a Character that looks more evil but is actually a good guy so the Character design is a dumb reason fore everybody to assume he is evil. To be totally honest if I would be Terra I would not have suspected him either. I mean its an old friend of the guy who is like a father to Terra. Why should he not trust him? He is not really obviously evil beyond looking evil.
It was a bit disappointing after all the hype it managed to build. I didn't like how you never had to return to any of the worlds or even double back through them while you were there. Each world was also short in gameplay, but long in cutscenes. Especially Toy Box
_Calling Balloon "only kind of overpowered" is such absolute inaccuracy. You can beat the hardest boss in the game in under three minutes without taking even one point of damage from spamming balloon. I don't exactly recall something like that being in BBS._
@@dangerdare4114 Bloodborne's not even close to the combat in KH2. I love the game (funny enough I'm playing it as I type this) but the way you can seamlessly go from using basic attacks to magic, to items, to blocking, and literally every single option in your arsenal without dropping for a second is a feat of brilliance. I wish another game could have the number of options that KH2 had in combat and the responsiveness and fluidity to match, but sadly I don't think another game could do it without just shamelessly being a rip-off. Again I love Bloodborne, but a responsive, hyper fluid action ARPG it is not.
Xehanort in evil voice: "I can teach you how to channel the power of darkness to destroy your enemies and rule the world" Terra: "this guy seems totally chill and trustworthy"
Greg Hayes yeezes are worse than terra’s clothing.i actually like his pants, it’s actually looks like it’s based on Asian culture to match his almost samurai resemblance.
My nipples look like milk duds I was so disappointed in 3 that I went back and replayed the hell out of 2. I have the data fights, sephiroth and lingering will left and I’m so happy.
Okay seriously, that Mickey only in pants thing? It's ridiculous that they had to explain that. I thought it was obvious that their main intention with displaying Mickey was showing him off as this memorable, heroic character just as we know him. We didn't see him the entirety of KH1, we've only heard about him from letters. Right as he finally showed up, you could immediately tell just by his iconic outfit that it's the king himself. The fact that they gave Mickey an outfit was ridiculous to begin with, but that they also justified KH1's Mickey having no outfit because it "got destroyed" is like making an entire DLC just to show why Birth by Sleep's Lingering Will doesn't have a cape even though he's portrayed with one in every other game.
Actually, back then they just thought about adding Mickey in classic outfit, which is the most iconic one. But then Nomura had to wrap things up when he decided to put some clothes on Mickey on the sequels. Then, he had to "fix" his mistake or the fans would go crazy (for no reason).
Exactly, I was dumfounded, since it is my fav game of the whole series, while Chain of Memories being second for its combat. I guess his opinion is just one opinion
Its not. Its only important if you carry about Roxas and want to know who Xion is. Other than that, I'd you don't care about these characters, the game doesn't matter
358/2 is super important to the story. I legit thought chain was a down graded version of the original for the GBA when it came out, but I never felt lost for the lack of it. "I skipped most of the story and for some reason didn't get it's story"
@@diamondarmy5546 Not really since Roxas rejoins Sora and fights within him through all the organization members in 2. Each member tells Roxas why he betrayed them, leaving Sora confused. Roxas confronts Sora in 2 and then their is Axel's sacrifice for Roxas "awakening him."
Id say KH1 still is the one with the best balance between solid gameplay, challenge and story. It lacks some nuances what other entries have, but of all it feels like something primarily made as a game to be played and story serving as driving force. I must admit being subjective. For game based on Disney and FF I didn't expect it to be anything other than game of adventure. Go there, meet folks, fight the enemy and explore. Sure it can get more grander after that but it can still keep its base premise intact. The problem was that story started to convolute so much that it kinda falls into its own gimmicks. If the game's story requires to cut gameplay and require heavy emphasis on cutscenes, I think it needs to tone down some aspects and go for simpler format and focus more on characters and their interactions, because at least in KH2 it started to feel that relations between characters were shallow and lacked any true depth, at least it was not shown very well, just assumed by text. If you go look up some early concept arts for KH1 you find some where S/R/K interact. One can see from it that they are best buddies and can understand their relations being deep. Even in KH1 relations between Sora, Donald and Goofy feel a bit too shallow, not really giving that much insight why they could be the best of buddies. The problem is that KH series focus on bit too much creating convoluted world concepts and story rather than deeply investing to its characters and using those interactions as the drive for plot. It could suit better for the game which basic concept is heart, the vessel of soul.
I honestly don’t believe there will be a better kh game than kh2 ever. Not 3, not whatever games come after 3, it’s just not gonna happen. 2 is too good.
AkaiYoru The fuck? Just because kh2 is the best one doesn’t mean the rest of them suck. The rest of them are still good games (other than recoded). Kh3 is a solid #3. One could argue that the very first game is the third worst next to recoded and recom. That’s like saying the Zelda series is “milked” because fans generally consider Ocarina of Time to be the best in the series (aside from botw).
1,000 subs with no videos KH3 is getting so much shit just because kh2 is godly well yeah that’s what happens they tried doing other things to expand story hell everyone should be grateful for there even being a KH3 they could have ended the series with 2. People are ass holes and will still complain when the next game or even KH4 comes out.
Alex A Don’t get me wrong, KH3 still has some MAJOR flaws. It could’ve been better. But, it is better than people are saying it is, in my opinion at least.
Good list! KH1 was my favorite. KH2 signaled the series' direction towards the 'interactive cutscene' style of gameplay, which has never been for me, but I appreciate how full of content KH2 was.
Series has been interactive cutscene with Kingdom Hearts 1 as well And it's objectively more engaging to skip through dialogue instead of just watching a movie
I went to the comment section after he said that... like bruh I can’t take your opinion seriously if you’re not going to experience the whole game, I don’t like kingdom hearts anymore btw
Kickstart the dude who made this video was skipping cutscenes so therefore his opinion on the game is irrelevant, although I do think the franchise as a whole is bad
Kickstart I only played KH1 and KH2 so when KH3 came out I was super confused as to why there were so many easy ways to attack ur enemies now, definitely felt like my hand was being held with all the different types of attacks basically playing the game for me, and the voice acting and the script is so cringe now that i’m older lol
BBS is my favorit by far. The command deck is broken, but wow is it fun to play with it. The story is a blast, because you know it will end in a catastropy. everything feels so dark and doomed. So fucking awesome. fight me ;-P
The funniest thing to me about Re: Coded having the best command deck gameplay is that it’s not even by the same people who made to other command deck games so they knocked it out on their first attempt. Also CoM’s gameplay may not have influenced KH more but it got a spiritual successor in TWEWY
actually,com influenced kh further.its keybladecards have up and downsides and that came back in kh2s keyblades.almost no keyblade in that game is that easily powercrept while in kh1 it was all stats and almost nothing else
I still feel to this day that Birth By Sleep should have been made on PS3 instead of PSP and the tech demo 0.2 should have been included into it as one game. Or 0.2 should have been the beginning of 3 before we play as Sora. But, going from KH2FM and watching the secret scene at the end made it seem like it was the next “Big” game of the series and then Nomura makes it for the PSP. Like BBS could have been So much better than it was with more worlds/bigger worlds. More gameplay with the three characters. It would have been awesome if it was made for PS3 back then.
0.2 was going to be KH3’s prologue but then they scratched that idea because it was too slow as the start of the game(they didn’t want people to get angry at the prologue like for KH2). Plus they didn’t know that Aqua would end up helping Mickey, they thought of that way after the game because after Coded they needed an excuse to make sure they know where Aqua is. We all know Nomura writes the games as he goes on, and that’s why we love it xD
@@kirbytrax8326 Wait! There were actually people who got angry(?) at KH2's prologue? That prologue is the most bitter-sweet intro in any game I've ever played. It made me care about Roxas and cry with him. It's probably one of the best parts in the entire franchise. And since Aqua is just as sweet as Roxas, I wouldn't have minded having 0.2 as KH3's prologue. Not at all.
NoctLightCloud Yes indeed, many people were frustrated that they had to play a so called boring 3 hours long prologue before starting the “real game” as Sora and his fancy abilities. I really liked it too and made me definitely care more about Roxas, before playing through KH2 and witnessing the prologue and the *fight* I was calling him “Ventus without personality”. I feel bad now :(
@@kirbytrax8326 I remember playing it in 2006, and it's only now that I actually hear how others felt about it. Strange how vastly different opinions can be. Cause I found Roxas' story everything but boring. I wanted to know every singe bit of it.
Roxas excepting his inevitable disappearance, knowing that he might never come back, hits so damn hard, especially if you know who he truly is. And his final line, “looks like my summer vacation is.....over” mixed with his overall depressing, tear jerking theme is perfect. Square at least spared us from dying in the inside ourselves by not showing him disappearing right there and instead does it off screen.
@@zieg_fgc I do agree gameplay wise with KH3, but Birth by Sleep has a far better story with a lot more content, including post-game content. So in my opinion, KH2 and BBS still beat KH3.
@@Thomasjjhonek Yeah, but BBS tells its 3 stories far better than KH3 does. KH3 just felt rushed and all the characters are just there, not doing anything.
David Montiel I certainly agree with the content aspect😂 I just had more fun playing kh3 and what I really look for is how fun it is so that’s just why I feel kh3 was better than bbs, story is definitely better done in bbs however
For majority of the game the only tactical part of it is placing cards in the deck carefully so you miss on a special move as rarely as possible after spamming triangle brainlessly. I agree the concept is good or at least interesting and somewhat balanced, but the enemies outside some of the bosses seem to be maladjusted to it and not fun to fight against overall. And the "exploring" and platforming parts were objectively a horse shit.
Jere Niemi “stupid as fuck” for having a different opinion? Grow up. In MY opinion, ddd has the way better gameplay. On my first play through of bbs, I was so confused on how the command deck worked. I felt way under leveled all the time and felt I had to grind way too long for the commands, just so I could upgrade my fire to a fira. With ddd, you have the same command deck, except you don’t need to do any upgrades. They just give you the commands which is awesome. The gameplay for terra, aqua, and Ventus are just way too slow. I prefer the fast moving games. That’s why ddd is my favorite “spinoff” and my third/fourth favorite after the main title games.
I agree with everything except swapping kh1 and 3. I found kh3 too easy and simple. 10 hours of cutscenes was too much for me, but I still really enjoyed playing it.
@@emmahardy6977 But u need to be ready when beating the DLC since everyone needed to grind Sora lvl and obtaining Ultima Weapon (and also his dual wielding form) because it's way challenging then the main game Data Battle sure gave my finger broken
I still don't know what's everyone's deal with KH BbS combat. XD To be honest I had better time during combat in BbS than in 1. I think that's just a matter of taste.
My first playthrough of Kingdom Hearts 2 was on Critical Mode. I loved it and had a ton of fun, but it was kinda like being thrown into a pool when you can't swim at first. I hate Dusks sometimes
@@LordMalice6d9 not really... Critical mode on KH2 isn't that difficult. you get more AP boosts and some of the best abilities early in the game. plus if you grind a little you can pass most worlds with no problem... the only things that becomes really difficulty in Critical Mode are the Data Battles and Lingering Will... the rest still pretty balanced to me.
It was the thing that started it all. Kh1 and 2 are the best imo, followed by bbs and 3. 1 just had that mystery, feeling special. I was so curious about the keyblade. Everything after 2 ruined it for me though xD. Its basically just a weapon, barely any meaning. Ohh it broke, lets summon a new one.
I remembered that the time when there were only KH1, KHCOM and KH2, people weren't a fan that much with KH2, noting that KH1 was the best in the series. Now after KH3 came out, suddenly everybody is literally saying KH2 is the best. How things changed though. I guess after the Final Mix came out, that changes everything.
How can anyone find this to be a legitimate review at all when YOU FULLY SKIPPED A GAME regardless of how bad 358/2 days and re coded were they are still kingdom hearts games and deserve to be ranked
@@alexandertwol with a lot of these ranking type videos they are all very biased and focused on their opinion rather than a legitimate list but he completely skipped a game cant call it legitimate at all since he said all kh games in the thumbnail
KH 1 will always be in its own tier for me. I actually loved the bizarreness and simplicity of how the Gummi ship levels looked. It added to the atmosphere I feel like. Also i loved the complicated level designs and the use of platforming for the worlds because it made them more rememberable. Also I just absolutely love traverse town to death lol. I feel like it could actually be a world in the astral plane or something like that. I feel like I’ve been there or to a place very similar to it. If you go to traverse towns theme on CZcams there’s many people that say it feels like home so i really wonder if it exists somewhere lol. Each game in the series has its own unique vibe and atmosphere but I just happen to prefer the more innocent, magical, heart opening vibe and atmosphere that KH 1 had
I’d have to put KH1 over KH2 for me personally just because KH1 had a indescribable vibe that I loved a little more than KH2s and I liked how the maps weren’t just straight shots and the story was simple and clean
Kh1 is my favorite, but this is the right list. Everything about Kh2 was an improvement, and all the side games featured on handhelds were a joke. Good vid bro.
I absolutely love people who judge and rank games both objectively and subjectively. My favourite is DDD, mostly because i love playing as Riku but KH2 is the one i keep going back to. For obvious reasons
@@BabyGirlTiny The story of KH2 started off good I thought, especially after playing CoM and understanding what was going on with Roxas. But halfway through the game it gets convoluted quickly and with some poor writing decisions.
I never played BBS, and just watch the story on the KH Timeline. Yes it has some plot holes but it overall gave it's importance to understanding Xehanort. Plus we got to hear an amazing voice actor who is possibly my favorite villian voice. I'm just sad he couldn't do KH III...
How is this game important to understanding Xehanort, when nothing he does after this makes any sense. All this game did was tell us he wants to make an ultimate keyblade and he took over Terra's body. And the only important thing to take away is the Terraxehanort aspect and literally nothing else becauae nothing elas mattered to KH3
@@BabyGirlTiny Well After the mobile game updated, I believe Ventus is the only important character in this game :v You know why? He was a Keyblade master from Union, he survived from the war, a rumor about him killed Marluxia's lil sister, he lost his memories about the prophecies, he has Chirithy still hanging out with him now, (also in KH3 he was right there but didn't meet Marluxia not Larxene) Vanitas may existed inside Ven even before BBS, and none of his friends (Aqua and Terra) knew about this. He supposed to be way older since it was happened decade ago (and why Ephemer is helping Sora in the war XD) And yet his story is still ongoing and might be the most twisted plot I've ever follow because all of his union friends are involved in the story. I have no idea my head exploded :v
@@BabyGirlTiny I think its supposed to explain who xehanort is and how important and deep his character is. Because all you knkw after 2 games is that he's a villain but nothing really goes into his motives or his goal. This paints what the whole story is really about
i watched this video when i had only played kingdom hearts 1, but i’m back now and here to say kh2 is the best BY FAR. the camera, the combat, the boss battles, the story, the final mix ROXAS FIGHT (my favorite), that punch you in the face scene with roxas and axel when roxas is defeated, and that tear-jerking reunion at the end of the game. EVEN THE INTRO IS GORGEOUS. don’t even get me started on the Other Promise. if you don’t think this is the best game then... you do you i guess but HOW
Best story by far... but I hated the mission system. Trying to 100 percent that game was obnoxious. THAT'S RIGHT EMERALD SERENADES I'M LOOKING AT YOU!!!
Not the best story, but a great ending. Sadly, now that every single character is back to life, all the emotional baggage that game and ending once had, is lost.
Might as well give my list too: 1- KH2: Excellent gameplay with great story and content for days. You nailed everything on the head. So I will leave it be. 2- BBS: I get the idea for your disapproval of the game. I am going to disagree because it is a game that actually didn’t feel like “smash the x button to win”. You had to put in work and while you could get OP moves early, the game balanced it with no stun lock for you when facing bosses and having really tough Post game bosses). Also Command board was refreshing and sweet to have something that impacted the actual game. 3: KH3- Best gameplay in the series by a mile. The devs definitely poured their hearts and souls into making sure that the gameplay in this game would be top quality and they definitely delivered. The worlds were excellent (Except for BH6) and while it did drag from the first 20 hours, the final world and main story was excellent. Very emotional and while there were some holes in the plot, the feeling of the ride the story was taking you in was a very enjoyable one. I believe that this game has potential to overtake KH2 and BBS for 1st depending on future content. But for now, it goes here. 4: KH1- Nostalgia is the only thing that saves this game. It did not age well at all. I still love it, but in ranking it falls here. If you rank BBS low because of gameplay issues, this game is riddled with them. I mean, what’s platforming? 5: .2FP: Yeah. For me, this was great gameplay and showed great potential for what was to come in KH3 6: DDD: This game may go higher once it get into it more. I just started playing it. But for now, it really does feel meh to me right now. 7: Chain of Memories: Want to know what happens when you merge a game of the War card game and Kingdom hearts? Whatever the hell this thing is supposed to be. In terms of the story, it leaves more questions than answers. Honestly, I feel 358/2 days’ story was more critical to the plot than this game (Especially now that KH3 came out. But I already felt this way because knowing anything about KH3). The gameplay hurts my soul, but hey. At least everyone forgets everything in the end.
The only thing on this list I agree with is that KH2 is #1. But then, I play for story more than combat, so it's probably mostly because we're judging the games by different standards.
i think re com had a better story and better combat than kh3. combat and story in kh3 had me bored from start to finish, while re chain had me hooked from start to finish.
One thing not talked enough about in KH2 (interestingly enough, BloodyBizkit's mentioned it a couple of times in runs) is the goddamned incredible menuing. For a PS2 game, it has responsive, quick, just...incredible menus. A detailed bestiary with reaction command numbers, when you're looking at your inventory pictures of the items you're selecting instantly appear, toggling behaviors and quickselect items is literally just hitting triangle if you want. There are detailed story and character records you and view anytime. A simple "new" highlight appears anytime a specific menu has something added, hovering over the new entry removes it. When selecting magic spells or weapons or armors or accessories, you see a preview of what it looks like even if it does not appear on your character (that's going an extra mile) and it gives you a worded description of it, which I love. I love menus in games, and KH2 managed to make a menu that I genuinely believe has no faults. No lag, no missing features (relative to what the game allows), no loading....it's just perfect, and it was accomplished a decade and a half ago. There are games releasing today with godawful menus, and good games with subpar ones. All of them could learn a thing or two from KH2's menuing.
not really. there are bad enemydesigns,the combos not being viable in themselves with some mechanics not even working always even if they werent floaty and shotlocks being op. all those problems are just casually in bbs.
@@11sonicspeed I know this comment is 10 months old, but I'm a loser, so I'm replying to it. Floaty is literally just a descriptor. There's nothing inherently good or bad about it, so the context matters. In the context of KH BBS, floaty combat is bad because the game punishes you for jumping. In KH3, you're arguably safer in the air than on the ground, so floatiness isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially with how many aerial options you have.
If Square Enix would've focused on improving on kh2 FM's great gameplay and stopped trying to reinvent the wheel, kh3 might have not been a disappointment
I’m new to the Kingdom hearts series. I’m still playing through 1.5 remix for the first time on ps4. I’ve only watched game play and 3 looks like the best game play to me. I could be wrong but I’ll know once I eventually get to play the games
When it comes to the Kingdom Hearts series it´s extremely hard to rank them for me because every game i played completely i loved it. Kingom Hearts 2 is my favorite of the series but the other ones are really hard to rank i played KH1, KH2, KHBBS and KH3D i also started KHCOM but i stopped playing after 2 hours it never really got me so i can´t count it i also still have to play KH3 but i´m waiting for the Remind DLC before i play it. But the other 3 games are really hard to rank i loved all of them and every single one had something that made it unique. No matter how hard i try i will never be able to rank them^^ But 2 will always be my favorite because of those things: 1. It had the best combat system it was so fluid and had enough options to give you a great variety of moves and options without being confusing 2. It had the best disney world of all KH games the Pride Land! I absolutely love the lion king and playing as LIon Sora was so much fun :-3 3. In my opinion the best Gummyship gameplay! To be honest i would love to get a whole spin-off title with that mechanic^^ It was kinda it´s own game there were so many things to unlock and so many options to create your own unique battle ship! I just loved it
I will say that the problem you described with the combat in Chain Of Memories was not an issue on the GBA version because your eyes don't have to wander to see your card deck at all times. I actually thought it worked really well, and the deck building aspect was a fun way to customize my character/strategy.
Balloon isn’t broken in KH3D? You’re kidding right? You can beat both hardest bosses (Young Xehanort and Julius) with one of the Balloon variants. Balloon is up there with BBS Thunder Surge in terms of how broken it is.
Kingdom hearts 1 to me is the best game ever made. It’s just a perfect combination of mysterious, magical, funny, and serious/profound. The story was simple, but powerful and engrossing. The music was hypnotic. I never felt like the other Kh games matched the genius of the first one. Yes the combat and camera is dated, but everything else is near perfect
Am I the only one who thinks KH1 is the best?? Everyone says KH2 which I feel is a close second and then despite all the hate I’ve loved KH3 I’d put it 3rd maybe 4th.
If I were to rank the ones I've played. 1. Kingdom Hearts II 2. Kingdom Hearts 3. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep 4. Kingdom Hearts III 5. Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage 6. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance 7. Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories
I mean, mid to late game you could just have magnega, tornado, mega flare, omnislash or other combos and elixirs. It was easy but still fun. For bosses high level attack cards, some cures and 4 or 5 zeros just to break.
Hedgehog3342 its just a differant game. I think its a good game. And i can see how its put low. The combat it weird but still undeniably good. But maybe just not a good as the other ones for people.
I have said this time and time again, KH2’s combat is perfect. KH1 also had good combat, but it lacked a certain “umph” behind the attacks which I can’t knock it for. It wouldn’t have made sense for a kid to pick up a sword and be a master at it. KH2’s combat provides that missing quality. Finishers are awesome and feel powerful. The magic allows you to play both defensively and offensively. The bosses and some encounters actually test your abilities. And that’s not even mentioning the form changes! KH2 is one of those few games that you can replay over and over again and never get bored with because the combat alone is just so fun.
I mean, I feel ya, but for me KH1 is the best. Something about the worlds (and the game in general) being something other than just a straight hallway with fights spread into. I loved the exploration and platforming in the first game. Sad that the second one didnt have it. When I played the second one last summer it felt like a chore instead of a fun time.
So this is obviously going to just be my opinion, but if you don’t want to read someone critique a game because you love it so much, just don’t bother reading any further. I just can’t agree with all the people that claim KH2 is a better game than the first. I highly recommend Snowman Gaming, Frustrated Jacob, and Celtic Phoenix Productions critiques of this as a sequel. Outside of the more fluid combat mechanics the rest of the game loses all the identity of the original. The worlds are flat and linear with the majority of the Disney plots being useless filler with one really good exception, Space Paranoids (Tron). Exploration is now essentially gone. The platforming in 1 was clunky but it didn’t need to be removed, it needed to be improved. The Cavern of Remembrance was a good example of improved platforming in 2, but it’s the only example. All the worlds in 1 felt distinct, in 2 every world feels like the same set of rooms with different themed textures. Every worlds design is literally flat circular rooms made for fast paced combat, there’s nothing else going on in them. Little things in 1 like simple puzzles, interactive environments, and more varied collectibles made the worlds feel bigger. Even things like the Dalmatians, Trinities, and the Postcards in Traverse Town added to that experience even if only a little. I still truly love the music and combat in 2, but the combats only deep on Final Mix LVL1 Critical. No one should have to play a game like that to feel like it’s mechanics were worth it. People often overlook the depth in the original from it’s much more varied enemy types to it’s tech points system (something the channel Design Doc goes over in their video ‘The Forgotten Depth of Kingdom Hearts’) The biggest problem with 2 is it’s writing. It drops the ball completely on it’s script. It went from a simple focused narrative with good character development to a watered down fan fiction for Nomura to test out his weird ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I still very much enjoy the game, I got it day of release and still replay it every couple years, but as I get older the more and more I can’t help but feel it is vastly over praised. If you really like action games, great, KH2 is for you, but if you like immersive adventure games, I don’t see how you could possibly like 2 more than 1. In 2 each world feels like a bootleg poorly shot recreation of the films source material that just shoehorns Sora and friends into the scenes. In 1 each world felt like it was building to something and added extra bits of lore throughout the journey. For example, a scene like the one in which King Tritan from Atlantica (The Little Mermaid) tells Sora that the keyblade brings ruin and fears Ariel’s curiosity about other worlds. Speaking of which, the worlds themselves never directly re-tell the films stories but create new ones that fit the overall themes. Dr. Finklestein in Halloween Town (Nightmare Before Christmas) tries to create a working heart for the Heartless to make them dance for Jack’s Halloween celebration and the Queen in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland) accuses Alice of stealing her heart and is kidnapped by Riku at the order of Maleficent. Every world felt like it built upon the previous one with new information. It helped that each villain working for Maleficent had a major presence in their respective worlds and they all had a piece of the Ansem reports, further highlighting that connectivity. You journey from the left side of the map to the right side of the map with each world being a mystery until your ship finally arrives at that new floating planet before you, just waiting to be explored. In KH2 each world is already revealed by the time you go to select it and there’s no sense of progress since they’re all laid out all over the map. KH1’s design felt more like a Metroidvania, you would gain new abilities throughout the adventure and actually have reasons to go back to worlds to find new items, unlock new paths or interact with the word in new ways. There’s hardly anything like that in the sequel. As cool as a world like Timeless River (Steamboat Willy & other classic Disney cartoons) is for it’s beautifully realized aesthetic, there’s no reason to go back there after you’ve completed the short story sequence attached to it. You hardly ever have any reasons to go back to any of the worlds outside of getting mundane floating crowns (puzzle piece collectibles) or select some secret boss portal thingy that just brings you to another circular arena in a different word altogether. In 1, at least the secret bosses felt apart of the worlds like how Carpet in Agrabah tells you about Kurt Ziza or how Tinkerbell in Neverland does the same for The Phantom. These bosses actually look and feel like Disney x Square. The secret bosses of 2 are fun for sure, but they’re just a bunch of Nomura’s OC’s. It’s just another example of the series drifting away from it’s original identity and selling point and becoming more inline with a Shonen battle manga. That’s certainly not a bad thing if you’re into that and you could even make similar Shonen comparisons towards the first game, but I guess I just prefer the One Piece like adventure of 1 to the Bleach like stylishness of 2. The movement abilities are improved greatly in 2 but the only time they’re useful outside of post game bosses is the Cavern of Rememberance and to collect the already mentioned bland crowns. In 1 there’s always something new to find around a corner. I recently just found out you can freeze the bubbles in Hollow Bastian and use them as platforms to find a hidden area. You can give the flowers items in Wonderland to access new places or move certain objects to create shortcuts. It’s the simple things that make each world feel distinct and alive. I can’t name a single thing like that in the level design of 2. There’s a reason speed runners love KH2, they skip all the bad things about it and get right to the fast paced combat. When people say KH2 is better, they seem to be looking at it only superficially. “The gummi ship is more fun, the game feel in regards to movement and combat is overall better, the camera is better, the graphics are better, yeah yeah yeah.” The pacing however takes a nose dive. There’s a ridiculously long opening sequence followed by a series of filler worlds, and then a half point event that trivializes the entire game when you realize there’s absolutely no stakes involved in the adventure. Every thing narratively is a series of long drawn out useless mysteries that are revealed in giant exposition dumb, nothing you learn feels organic. Like for example the fact that Ansem Seeker of Darkness was actually the heartless of a new character at time of release named Xehanort who was the apprentice of the real Ansem who is the masked figure DiZ who’s working with the laughable mystery of Riku. None of that actually matters in a substantial way. There’s no reason for any of that to be a mystery and the way they handle names and character reveals is beyond trivial. It’s essentially artificial mystery. They hide the Organization members faces as if they’re also a mystery, but they’re just once again random Nomura OC’s who’s mystery has no meaningful impact on the story once they take their hood off. Like is there any reason for the audience to be hidden from Xigbar’s face for most of the game? No there’s not, he’s a new character, that’s not how well realized mysteries work. The next half of the game is Sora and friends looking for a way into the Organizations base by going back to the filler worlds for some reason. Like what makes Sora and friends think going back to Mulan’s place is going to somehow give them access to the Organization’s world? If it wasn’t there in the first place, why go there again? Space Paranoids surprisingly integrates into the main narrative pretty well, but that’s about the only world that does that as well as any of the worlds in 1. Tying the Tron program to Ansem’s computer is a stroke of genius even if the whole DtD thing is sort of eye rolling in how it’s executed. Some of the second visits to the Disney worlds at least attempt some sort of importance to them by occasionally throwing an Organization member in there or in the case of Halloween Town, adding some thematic connection with Dr. Finklestein’s robotic creation looking for a heart by associating it with Christmas presents. Some good stuff sprinkled throughout the game like that. Even the very beginning overly long Roxas sequence, which you’d think I’d hate based on everything else I’ve said, is really effective when it’s all said and done. The melancholy last summer days idea is cool and all, but it never truly nails it for me outside of a few small scenes or something like that last gut punch line from Roxas about it finally being over. I think people play KH2 like a turn your brain off and have fun sort of game but I’ve been playing these games since day of release and became attached to the characters and narrative. It was so simple and clean (yes pun intended) in the first game and despite it’s clunkiness it was able to show so much heart and potential. They chose to drop all the things that made me actually feel like I was journeying through these childhood memories in the form of worlds and connecting with these characters as they grew and instead decided to focus solely on the combat. Once again I still love Kingdom Hearts II, but the older I get the more I think it deserves to be critiqued.
I think your criticisms are mostly valid, but at the end of the day I value different things in games. For me gameplay is paramount. KH2's superior combat outweighs pretty much everything else wrong with it (which I talked about in the video so I'm a little confused why you restated my gripes with the platforming and world design but w/e). And in terms of story... I've played KH2 probably 10 times and I only watched the cutscenes on the first playthrough. Every other time I've just skipped every cutscene since the gameplay is the entire reason I'm playing.
Hyve Minds for me gameplay can be paramount as well. However KH2’s only gameplay people tend to cite is it’s combat. There’s other elements to gameplay than combat. I’ll never understand why someone would sit through a game that’s built on an aesthetic premise of connecting multiple IP’s for it’s combat mechanics alone. Wouldn’t Devil May Cry be a better franchise to sink their teeth into than the Disney x Final Fantasy series. If combat mechanics were the only aspects of a game that mattered than Final Fantasy 3, 5, and 10-2 would be considered the best. Other gameplay aspects and narrative/theming elements are why we usually see 6, 7, and 9 heralded as the best in the series. Ignoring 70% or so of a game for the one part of it’s design worth defending is strange to me. But like you said, people value different things. My comment was not an attempt at a debate over your ranking. I like your video, I just thought since this is a comment section I could share my thoughts on why I disagree with the number 1 pick.
Fidelio Dude, you need to let this go. Some people don’t like KH1 because to them, the game has aged poorly with the controls, platforming, camera, slow combat and getting lost easily. Even Dean likes KH2FM better than KH1FM. There’s no need going around telling ppl they are “wrong” for liking kh2 over kh1. Also, FF6 and 7 are regarded as the best because it’s a lot of ppl’s first JRPG or FF game. Sure, the games are good at their time but it hasn’t aged well with not only graphics, but also gameplay, dialogue ( especially 7 due to poor translation) and random encounters. I get you dont “ feel” like the games are dated but some do and some don’t. People don’t have to love FF7. Some people think it’s amazing and some people think it’s overrated.
BorneGamer Z I never said anyone has to like KH1 more. I’m just sharing my perspective. I don’t really care what Dean thinks anyway since I think Jacob is a better critic anyway and he also prefers KH1. It’s obviously all opinion, I’m not claiming otherwise. But don’t tell me to let it go, I also see you in like every KH comment section saying the same shit about how combat is all that matter. We have different perspectives on this, neither of us are the absolute correct ones. This isn’t that big of a deal.
My list including the ones not mentioned from worst to best: Fragmentary Passage Dream Drop Distance χ/Unchained χ/Union χ Coded Kingdom Hearts III Chain of Memories 358/2 Days Birth By Sleep Kingdom Hearts Kingdom Hearts II
My personal list: 1.Re:Coded tied with KH III 2. KH II tied with 0.2 and 358/2 Days 3. Birth By Sleep/ Union Cross 4. Dream Drop Distance 5. KH I 6. Pain of Memories
I will say overall, the video was good. I think you shared your reasons quite cohesively, and honestly I'd probably agree with your list. I will mention one thing you didn't quite remember, and that is how 358/2 Days was the first game with Air Slide, not BBS. But overall, the rest of the video was good as it stands.
@@alexzaragoza161 well let's see. 385/2 days explains how the beginning moments of kh2 and also explains why crucial moments in kh3 and the connection between roxas and axel and by extent axel and sora. Recoded explains why dream stop distance happened in the first place. There is no such thing as a non essential game in this series. If you want to fully understand the plot.
@@robinson52d 358 days doesnt explain anything important that we didnt know yet, that Roxas and Axel were friends and that Roxas left the OXIII. They introduced Xion but she was an unnecesary character that they hadnt though in kh2 and they had to make up that nonsense of" you are memories so nobody will remember you" in order to explain that nobody ever mentioned her before. But they only wanted to avoid that Axel and Roxas became a gay ship if they made a game about them. And recoded final was a letter that we already saw at kh2 ending, they could just have said that Yed Sid knew about the people because he saw it in another vision or something like that and nothing would have happened.
Alex Zaragoza Seeing as how they've had the Destiny islands trio and the BBS trio, I doubt they just "made up Xion" to prevent a gay ship. All the trios consist of 2 guys and 1 girl. You can tell that BBS was planned ahead of time since there were scenes in Days that were expanded on in BBS (Xion appearing as Ventus, Xigbar recognizing the face). That's like saying it's fine to just write a few hints to Roxas's tragic story in KH2 and expect us to really empathize with him in the later games and agree that he should be brought back when we really know nothing about him. If Days wasn't made, we'd never care about him and find Sora annoying in 3 for trying to help Roxas be his own person.
@@alexzaragoza161 yeah sorry but no. 358 / 2 days explains roxas entire backstory. And when it came out after kh2 it brought a lot together we didn't know at the time. It's easy thi say yeah we already know this. But it wasn't the case at the time of release
To list my five favourite moments: 1. Roxas Fight KH2 2. Sora's Sacrifice KH 3. Kairi Crying KH 4. Aqua's Rage KH3 5. Axel's Distress during Roxa's Breakdown 358/2 Days KH1 has two of these five therefore KH1 is my favourite.
Sorry but i have to disagree with you on birth by sleep. The best thing about bbs for me was the combat system , the reason the main attacks were so slow was to put more emphasis on the shot lock system and all the new forms you could transform into and combine. both of these mechanics came back in kh 3 and its one of the things why i think bbs was so important.
Nah, it doesnt feel like kingdom hearts and its not even fun. Thr story was okay but the gameplay is too lame. Slow, floaty, and not enough options outside of the command deck.
@@marcelinotorres2322 its the only kh game i haven't finished. Ive done parts of all stories, but only made it through one without quitting. Had more fun in chain of memories
@@RandKproductions235 Idk what y'all are smoking but BBS was the fucking shit. Arguably the 2nd best kh game. I was always so excited to see all the new commands I could create out of my old ones. And it felt like there were so many! Especially with Terra. Finding out you could make darkness commands with him made me feel like a Badass.
"I've probably lost some of the comment section placing BBS this low on the list." Me: I'm suprised you've placed it that high on the list lmao. Mine would be: Re:Coded BBS DDD 358 KH3 Re:Chain KH1 0.2 KH2
As a ginormous Kingdom Hearts fan, I’d say my ranking is like this… 13. 358/2 Days 12. Re:Coded 11. Chain Of Memories 10. Re:Chain Of Memories 9. Dark Road 8. Union X 7. Melody Of Memory 6. Birth By Sleep 5. A Fragmentary Passage 4. Dream Drop Distance 3. Kingdom Hearts 2. Kingdom Hearts 3/KH3: Re:Mind 1. Kingdom Hearts 2 This entire franchise is honestly my favourite piece of entertainment ever and I cannot wait for Missing Link and especially Kingdom Hearts 4.
I liked the cinematic ones because that’s the future of gaming. Power to the gamers. The best ones were the movies cause no gameplay. That’s the future of gaming! Power to the gamers!!!!
Looks about right to me. KH3 was better than KH1 from a gameplay aspect. KH1 was amazing for it’s time. But it hasn’t translated to current times. I think KH3 has the potential to overtake KH2 and BBS. It all depends on if it either gets DLC or a final mix.
Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai- "I know why you don't talk. You're angry. You're angry because they make you wear a dress." That's what Terra's pants remind me of lol
People don’t give kh2 credit for how amazing the combat is, it’s on par with devil may cry, bayonetta, ninja gaiden, and the souls series(bloodborne). Why can’t they go back to that system then improve upon it.
For me it would be: 1) Kingdom Hearts 2 -- Strong story, excellent gameplay, tons of replay value and variety. What's not to love? 2) Birth by Sleep -- Excellent story, gameplay isn't perfect but it was incredibly fun and addicting for me. Tons of extra content as well. 3) Kingdom Hearts 3 -- Contains some of my favorite scenes in the franchise but overall I think the story could've been better paced and given us much more original content. Gameplay is excellent and varied but the game is a tad too easy and there isn't much replay value. Probably the best Disney worlds though. Each world feels different and more distinct and navigating them is more fun. 4) 0.2 Fragmentary Passage -- Might be cheating a bit as its not a full game but I loved it regardless. Great little story and characterization and fun gameplay. Only reason it isn't higher is because it's... well, not a full game. 5) Kingdom Hearts -- Probably the one I have the most nostalgia for. A classic in many ways with a fine story and gameplay, but some things haven't aged that well for me when replaying it. The world design can be a bit cryptic and confusing and the combat a bit redundant. Still it gets many things right. 6) Chain of Memories -- The gameplay isn't for everyone but I think its pretty great. It forces you to strategize a lot more before combat. Less button-mashing in that regard. The story is pretty great too. Only thing that drags it down for me is the redundant navigation through all of the worlds. After a while it can be a but tiresome. 7) 358/2 Days -- My feelings on this one are pretty conflicting. I think it has probably the strongest script in the entire series with tremendously well written character arcs and drama. However, I really don't care for the gameplay. I always find it a bit of a chore while playing it. Love the story though so... I dunno. It's in the middle for a reason. 8) Dream Drop Distance -- I do enjoy certain elements of the gameplay but overall the whole experience is a bit underwhelming for me. The gameplay is fine for the most part but the flowmotion isn't quite as refined as it could be. This game is probably the only one in which I think the story is genuinely convoluted, and it's not necessarily due to its content but rather how the game presents it and explains it to the player. I mean Kh3 had many of the same elements and I felt that it did a much better job in conveying these plot points. On the whole I just think it's a bit forgettable. 9) Union Cross -- The combat can sometimes be fun, but its potentially excellent story is always interrupted by avalanches of Disney filler material, often making it a chore to go through. Haven't played Re:Coded so I can't really make any assessments on it. The story is fine but it's very easily the only game I'd consider filler material.
I remember playing KH1 and thinking there was no way the game could get better... then KH2 came out and I was blown away (as a 10 year old kid) I feel like the series has strayed too far away from what made it so great to begin with
I like chain of memories quite a lot more than bbs. It actually up there for me. I really vibed with the card combat and its tied for my second favorite my list goes 1: kh2 2: Kh1 and Rcom 3: DDD 4: 0.2 fragmentary passage 5: BBS
Story: KH1>chain of memories>KH2 >358/2 days>BBS>KH3>DDD>Re coded Gameplay: KH2>KH3 with the updated gameplay>KH1>Re coded>Chain of memories>BBS>DDD>358/2 days
@@HyveMindsGames This is probably gonna sound entitled af, but it'll have to be just as good as 3D for me to be happy. I've been waiting literally over half my life for another main entry in this series. (Lmaos in old age).
BBS definitely has some issues but the plot is far better and also more relevant to the story as a whole than DDD. It seems like this list was entirely based on gameplay experience.
My list 1. Kingdom Hearts 3(for me the best game so emotional battle System is a bid chaotic But so i like it) 2. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days (i love how emotional that game is and i love xion) 3. Kingdom Hearts 2 (Classic) 4. Kingdom Hearts CoM (i Love Namine and the Gameplay is realy funny) 5. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 (better as birth by sleep because i hate commando Decks..) 6. Kingdom Hearts bbs (Story is great but you can break that game to easy and the game play is only spam commandos..) 7. Kingdom Hearts 1 (a great game for his Time but compare with now other games - is a little boring in game play And very limited) 8. Kingdom Hearts coded (fun Story but commando Deck is OP as fuck .. you can beat the final boss with one hit 9. Kingdom Hearts 3D (it is a good game but have so many errors- sora character was not the same as usally ..and the commando Deck was OP too BALLONGA!)
5:48 Right the opposite, for me, in fact, you've just earned a new sub! You pretty much summed up my feelings for BBS. I simply did not enjoy playing this game. I think the best way for me to put it, is that, it's the first KH game I ever played that didn't feel like a KH game. I hated the command deck, didn't enjoy the worlds (I'll go so far as to say, Disney Town is the worst world in any KH game), and the only plot line that I felt had any redeeming qualities, was Aqua's. My list is almost identical to yours, the only difference being that I'd probably put CoM 3rd (unpopular opinion). I really enjoyed the atmosphere and Org. 13 plot in the game, even if the card mechanics were a nightmare to deal with at times. The game actually felt mysterious to me. My list: 2 1 CoM DDD 358/2 3 BBS 0.2 I never played Re:Coded so I didn't feel right including it.
From best to worst: KH3 (yeah, despite being broken in so many ways) KH2 (very few weaknesses) KH1 (best game but technically lame) CoM (best story in KH, great boss battles) BBS (I liked it a lot, but it just can’t compete) DDD (sorry, only KH I ever started and never finished)
This might be an unpopular opinion but I really liked the gameplay in BBS. I can’t entirely explain why, I just remember playing it (straight after 2 because I only came into the series in the last couple of years) and much preferring the command deck, shotlocks and spellweaver type moves. But I also can fully understand why others don’t like it.
For my full thoughts on KH3 you can watch my review here: czcams.com/video/ehiTwOCSnZE/video.html
For those of you wondering where I would rank KH3 on this list, it would probably be around the middle. I didn't like it nearly as much as KH1 or KH2, so definitely below them. As for comparing it to DDD, I think KH3 is objectively a better game, but far more disappointing. My expectations for DDD were basically nothing, so I was pleasantly surprised by it (cause flowmotion is fun). Expectations were high for KH3, so it really let me down. So KH3 is around 3rd or 4th on this list.
I kinda have to disagree on everybody being an Iditot fore not relizing that Xehanort is evil. He does play his act with Terra pretty well, Aqua and Ven barley get to interact with him and Eraques Ok I give you that but this guy is his oldest friend so I found it not too strange. The only thing that makes him obviously evil is his design but I know a Character that looks more evil but is actually a good guy so the Character design is a dumb reason fore everybody to assume he is evil. To be totally honest if I would be Terra I would not have suspected him either. I mean its an old friend of the guy who is like a father to Terra. Why should he not trust him? He is not really obviously evil beyond looking evil.
It was a bit disappointing after all the hype it managed to build. I didn't like how you never had to return to any of the worlds or even double back through them while you were there. Each world was also short in gameplay, but long in cutscenes. Especially Toy Box
_Calling Balloon "only kind of overpowered" is such absolute inaccuracy. You can beat the hardest boss in the game in under three minutes without taking even one point of damage from spamming balloon. I don't exactly recall something like that being in BBS._
Hyve Minds you’ve literally never touched a kh game in your life have you?
Sometimes I wish I hadn't.
I still have yet to find a game with combat as responsive as KH2.
Edit: Yes, I've played every single DMC game, please stop recommending them to me.
if you ever find one let me know
@@HyveMindsGames after 8 hours of KH3, I'm still looking.
:(
Bloodborne
@@dangerdare4114 Bloodborne's not even close to the combat in KH2. I love the game (funny enough I'm playing it as I type this) but the way you can seamlessly go from using basic attacks to magic, to items, to blocking, and literally every single option in your arsenal without dropping for a second is a feat of brilliance. I wish another game could have the number of options that KH2 had in combat and the responsiveness and fluidity to match, but sadly I don't think another game could do it without just shamelessly being a rip-off. Again I love Bloodborne, but a responsive, hyper fluid action ARPG it is not.
Birth by Sleep Xehanort is basically prequels Palpatine
Xehanort in evil voice: "I can teach you how to channel the power of darkness to destroy your enemies and rule the world"
Terra: "this guy seems totally chill and trustworthy"
POWAH! UNLIMITED POOOOOWAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
So KH3 Xehanort is original trilogies's Palpatine? I could see that actually.
So that’s why I love Xehanort
@@Astraldymensions Not really. Xehanort got redeemed and Palpatine remained an evil asshole until the end.
No article of clothing in existence has ever been more wack than Terra's trousers
Not even kh1 sora's shoes? Or leon's belt fetish?
Greg Hayes I think they're pretty cool
Yeah i dont understand the hate, i love terras design. If anything his hair is goofy. I love the allusion to a samurai keyblad wielder.
They're hakama. It's why Terra is the only character who learns Zantetsuken, he's based on a w̶e̶a̶b̶o̶o̶ samurai.
Greg Hayes yeezes are worse than terra’s clothing.i actually like his pants, it’s actually looks like it’s based on Asian culture to match his almost samurai resemblance.
KH2 is a game I can always go back and play and never get bored of it's just that good imo. It's also my favorite in the series.
Tired of, bored with.
Could never get tired of it.
Final Mix makes it even cooler for me.
The Disney worlds are mostly boring, I just felt like rushing them to get to the organization fights
My nipples look like milk duds I was so disappointed in 3 that I went back and replayed the hell out of 2. I have the data fights, sephiroth and lingering will left and I’m so happy.
Okay seriously, that Mickey only in pants thing? It's ridiculous that they had to explain that. I thought it was obvious that their main intention with displaying Mickey was showing him off as this memorable, heroic character just as we know him. We didn't see him the entirety of KH1, we've only heard about him from letters. Right as he finally showed up, you could immediately tell just by his iconic outfit that it's the king himself. The fact that they gave Mickey an outfit was ridiculous to begin with, but that they also justified KH1's Mickey having no outfit because it "got destroyed" is like making an entire DLC just to show why Birth by Sleep's Lingering Will doesn't have a cape even though he's portrayed with one in every other game.
Actually, back then they just thought about adding Mickey in classic outfit, which is the most iconic one. But then Nomura had to wrap things up when he decided to put some clothes on Mickey on the sequels. Then, he had to "fix" his mistake or the fans would go crazy (for no reason).
Did that hit a nerve ?
“358/2 isn’t that important”
I’m sorry WHUT
Exactly, I was dumfounded, since it is my fav game of the whole series, while Chain of Memories being second for its combat. I guess his opinion is just one opinion
Its not. Its only important if you carry about Roxas and want to know who Xion is. Other than that, I'd you don't care about these characters, the game doesn't matter
@@BabyGirlTiny I mean, Roxas, Xion, and Axel are actually characters unlike the main trio of the series
@@BabyGirlTiny for kh3 is super important. Also for kh2
Thank you!! That game is very important before kh2
358/2 is super important to the story.
I legit thought chain was a down graded version of the original for the GBA when it came out, but I never felt lost for the lack of it.
"I skipped most of the story and for some reason didn't get it's story"
The story is good but the only "important" part is Xion
@@diamondarmy5546 Not really since Roxas rejoins Sora and fights within him through all the organization members in 2. Each member tells Roxas why he betrayed them, leaving Sora confused. Roxas confronts Sora in 2 and then their is Axel's sacrifice for Roxas "awakening him."
Id say KH1 still is the one with the best balance between solid gameplay, challenge and story. It lacks some nuances what other entries have, but of all it feels like something primarily made as a game to be played and story serving as driving force.
I must admit being subjective. For game based on Disney and FF I didn't expect it to be anything other than game of adventure. Go there, meet folks, fight the enemy and explore. Sure it can get more grander after that but it can still keep its base premise intact. The problem was that story started to convolute so much that it kinda falls into its own gimmicks. If the game's story requires to cut gameplay and require heavy emphasis on cutscenes, I think it needs to tone down some aspects and go for simpler format and focus more on characters and their interactions, because at least in KH2 it started to feel that relations between characters were shallow and lacked any true depth, at least it was not shown very well, just assumed by text.
If you go look up some early concept arts for KH1 you find some where S/R/K interact. One can see from it that they are best buddies and can understand their relations being deep. Even in KH1 relations between Sora, Donald and Goofy feel a bit too shallow, not really giving that much insight why they could be the best of buddies. The problem is that KH series focus on bit too much creating convoluted world concepts and story rather than deeply investing to its characters and using those interactions as the drive for plot. It could suit better for the game which basic concept is heart, the vessel of soul.
THANK YOU
kh2 is just the best. it beats kh3 and every other game in the series.
I honestly don’t believe there will be a better kh game than kh2 ever. Not 3, not whatever games come after 3, it’s just not gonna happen. 2 is too good.
So basicaly the longer the series went on, the more fucked up those games got?
...Sounds standard to me, when you try to milk something dry 🤷♂️
AkaiYoru The fuck? Just because kh2 is the best one doesn’t mean the rest of them suck. The rest of them are still good games (other than recoded). Kh3 is a solid #3. One could argue that the very first game is the third worst next to recoded and recom. That’s like saying the Zelda series is “milked” because fans generally consider Ocarina of Time to be the best in the series (aside from botw).
1,000 subs with no videos KH3 is getting so much shit just because kh2 is godly well yeah that’s what happens they tried doing other things to expand story hell everyone should be grateful for there even being a KH3 they could have ended the series with 2. People are ass holes and will still complain when the next game or even KH4 comes out.
Alex A Don’t get me wrong, KH3 still has some MAJOR flaws. It could’ve been better. But, it is better than people are saying it is, in my opinion at least.
Good list!
KH1 was my favorite. KH2 signaled the series' direction towards the 'interactive cutscene' style of gameplay, which has never been for me, but I appreciate how full of content KH2 was.
Series has been interactive cutscene with Kingdom Hearts 1 as well
And it's objectively more engaging to skip through dialogue instead of just watching a movie
Title: KH Games from worst to best
Thumbnail: Time to change the rules
you lost me after saying that you skiped cutscenes xD
I went to the comment section after he said that... like bruh I can’t take your opinion seriously if you’re not going to experience the whole game, I don’t like kingdom hearts anymore btw
@@TQsquad why??? Was it kh 3?
Kickstart the dude who made this video was skipping cutscenes so therefore his opinion on the game is irrelevant, although I do think the franchise as a whole is bad
@@TQsquad I meant why do you think its bad?
Kickstart I only played KH1 and KH2 so when KH3 came out I was super confused as to why there were so many easy ways to attack ur enemies now, definitely felt like my hand was being held with all the different types of attacks basically playing the game for me, and the voice acting and the script is so cringe now that i’m older lol
BBS is my favorit by far.
The command deck is broken, but wow is it fun to play with it.
The story is a blast, because you know it will end in a catastropy. everything feels so dark and doomed.
So fucking awesome.
fight me ;-P
Same
BBS gets over hyped lol story is passable.
Habertod you say fight me yet you haven’t responded to a single comment.
Agreed
high5 same :33
The funniest thing to me about Re: Coded having the best command deck gameplay is that it’s not even by the same people who made to other command deck games so they knocked it out on their first attempt.
Also CoM’s gameplay may not have influenced KH more but it got a spiritual successor in TWEWY
And then they put TWEWY in dream drop distance! It all comes full circle.
@@jonnysac77 I mean TWEWY came out before Re:Chain of memories
actually,com influenced kh further.its keybladecards have up and downsides and that came back in kh2s keyblades.almost no keyblade in that game is that easily powercrept while in kh1 it was all stats and almost nothing else
TWEWY is also one of the best RPGs in my opinion. At the very least for handhelds.
@@lpfan4491 Actually, in KH1 it was all skill.
My favorites are BBs and Kh2. 😁
Me too
Mine as well
This guy/girl gets it. Preach it! Bbs is awesome!
@@JD-pp9bp Idk why so many people say it's bad or boring. I was compelled playing all 3 stories.
Onyx VII7 Ik right? But honestly any game with Terra, Aqua, or Ven I'm most likely going to enjoy.
I still feel to this day that Birth By Sleep should have been made on PS3 instead of PSP and the tech demo 0.2 should have been included into it as one game. Or 0.2 should have been the beginning of 3 before we play as Sora. But, going from KH2FM and watching the secret scene at the end made it seem like it was the next “Big” game of the series and then Nomura makes it for the PSP. Like BBS could have been So much better than it was with more worlds/bigger worlds. More gameplay with the three characters. It would have been awesome if it was made for PS3 back then.
Well said, I agree 100%.
0.2 was going to be KH3’s prologue but then they scratched that idea because it was too slow as the start of the game(they didn’t want people to get angry at the prologue like for KH2).
Plus they didn’t know that Aqua would end up helping Mickey, they thought of that way after the game because after Coded they needed an excuse to make sure they know where Aqua is. We all know Nomura writes the games as he goes on, and that’s why we love it xD
@@kirbytrax8326 Wait! There were actually people who got angry(?) at KH2's prologue? That prologue is the most bitter-sweet intro in any game I've ever played. It made me care about Roxas and cry with him. It's probably one of the best parts in the entire franchise. And since Aqua is just as sweet as Roxas, I wouldn't have minded having 0.2 as KH3's prologue. Not at all.
NoctLightCloud Yes indeed, many people were frustrated that they had to play a so called boring 3 hours long prologue before starting the “real game” as Sora and his fancy abilities. I really liked it too and made me definitely care more about Roxas, before playing through KH2 and witnessing the prologue and the *fight* I was calling him “Ventus without personality”. I feel bad now :(
@@kirbytrax8326 I remember playing it in 2006, and it's only now that I actually hear how others felt about it. Strange how vastly different opinions can be. Cause I found Roxas' story everything but boring. I wanted to know every singe bit of it.
Kingdom hearts 2 FM and Persona 4 golden are literally the best 2 games I have ever played in my entire life
You, my friend, have incredible taste.
For me those 2 games and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Roxas excepting his inevitable disappearance, knowing that he might never come back, hits so damn hard, especially if you know who he truly is. And his final line, “looks like my summer vacation is.....over” mixed with his overall depressing, tear jerking theme is perfect. Square at least spared us from dying in the inside ourselves by not showing him disappearing right there and instead does it off screen.
Pro tip for dream drop distance spam balloonga and flowmotion and call it a day
Basically everyone knows that.. are you trolling?
No keep balloonra over balloonga, it seeks out enemies
Flowmotion ruined the later games for me.
Balloonra is better.
Kh2 is still the best followed by Birth by Sleep. I'd put KH3 below those two games.
David Montiel nah 3’s gameplay is still way more fun to me than BBS was
Birth*
@@zieg_fgc I do agree gameplay wise with KH3, but Birth by Sleep has a far better story with a lot more content, including post-game content. So in my opinion, KH2 and BBS still beat KH3.
@@Thomasjjhonek Yeah, but BBS tells its 3 stories far better than KH3 does. KH3 just felt rushed and all the characters are just there, not doing anything.
David Montiel I certainly agree with the content aspect😂 I just had more fun playing kh3 and what I really look for is how fun it is so that’s just why I feel kh3 was better than bbs, story is definitely better done in bbs however
Chain of memories is so underrated, card system was really refreshing & more tactical
For majority of the game the only tactical part of it is placing cards in the deck carefully so you miss on a special move as rarely as possible after spamming triangle brainlessly.
I agree the concept is good or at least interesting and somewhat balanced, but the enemies outside some of the bosses seem to be maladjusted to it and not fun to fight against overall.
And the "exploring" and platforming parts were objectively a horse shit.
Putting DDD ahead of BBS.. I can't, in my right mind, back that up lol
I can shiiiiiiit. DDD is prolly my favorite game next to KH2. BBS just...pales in comparison
@@akionlizard ok you are either trolling or stupid as fuck if you think in any way that 3d is better then bbs
Jere Niemi I do played both games a lot and enjoyed ddd more. Get your head out your ass and move on. Opinions don’t matter
@@LuffyxNamiisathing wow...I can't have preferences huh?
Jere Niemi “stupid as fuck” for having a different opinion? Grow up. In MY opinion, ddd has the way better gameplay. On my first play through of bbs, I was so confused on how the command deck worked. I felt way under leveled all the time and felt I had to grind way too long for the commands, just so I could upgrade my fire to a fira. With ddd, you have the same command deck, except you don’t need to do any upgrades. They just give you the commands which is awesome. The gameplay for terra, aqua, and Ventus are just way too slow. I prefer the fast moving games. That’s why ddd is my favorite “spinoff” and my third/fourth favorite after the main title games.
I played KH3 and my top 5 are:
1. Kingdom Hearts 2
2. Kingdom Hearts 3
3. Kingdom Hearts
4. Birth by Sleep
5. Chain of memories / 358/2 days.
This man knows the truth
I agree with everything except swapping kh1 and 3. I found kh3 too easy and simple. 10 hours of cutscenes was too much for me, but I still really enjoyed playing it.
@@emmahardy6977 did you play kh3 on crit.
I found it more challenging then kh2
Luman Morning star I played on proud mode. I will have to try critical though
@@emmahardy6977 But u need to be ready when beating the DLC since everyone needed to grind Sora lvl and obtaining Ultima Weapon (and also his dual wielding form) because it's way challenging then the main game
Data Battle sure gave my finger broken
My Top 10
10. Kingdom Hearts : Union X
9. Kingdom Hearts Re : Chain Of Memories
8. Kingdom Hearts Re : Coded
7. Kingdom Hearts 0.2
6. Kingdom Hearts 3D : Dream Drop Distance
5. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
4. Kingdom Hearts 1
3. Kingdom Hearts : Birth By Sleep
2. Kingdom Hearts 3
1. Kingdom Hearts 2
Man you did CoM dirty lol
@Febreeze Booz` oh I meant re:chain, but I love the gba one as well
I like KH1’s slow battle vs KH2’s crazy fast paced battle. I can’t even see WTF Sora is doing in KH2 sometimes
I still don't know what's everyone's deal with KH BbS combat. XD To be honest I had better time during combat in BbS than in 1. I think that's just a matter of taste.
0 Gravity that's the problem
Kingdom Hearts 2 will always be my favourite of the series. Even now in 2020, it holds up and I still have a lot of fun playing it
My first playthrough of Kingdom Hearts 2 was on Critical Mode. I loved it and had a ton of fun, but it was kinda like being thrown into a pool when you can't swim at first.
I hate Dusks sometimes
Critical mode is the only way to play KH2. Everything else is too easy. Even proud mode.
@@LordMalice6d9 not really... Critical mode on KH2 isn't that difficult. you get more AP boosts and some of the best abilities early in the game. plus if you grind a little you can pass most worlds with no problem... the only things that becomes really difficulty in Critical Mode are the Data Battles and Lingering Will... the rest still pretty balanced to me.
NãoAquiÉoPatrick! Don’t grind if it’s to easy, I beat the game at level 25 in critical and it’s a lot more harder and fun.
Ty for putting KH1 at #2. I personally like KH1 better than any other game. Even with some of its blunders. I love it.
It was the thing that started it all. Kh1 and 2 are the best imo, followed by bbs and 3. 1 just had that mystery, feeling special. I was so curious about the keyblade. Everything after 2 ruined it for me though xD. Its basically just a weapon, barely any meaning. Ohh it broke, lets summon a new one.
yeah KH1, CoM, and KH2 are a nice trilogy. then they ruined it.
I remembered that the time when there were only KH1, KHCOM and KH2, people weren't a fan that much with KH2, noting that KH1 was the best in the series.
Now after KH3 came out, suddenly everybody is literally saying KH2 is the best. How things changed though. I guess after the Final Mix came out, that changes everything.
i played kh1 and khcom after i played kh2 and it was my fav from the start.
@Jacob Perry Final Mix KH2 is *THE* version of the game to play, and improved on the mediocre vanilla KH2. Vanilla KH2 is pointless in retrospect.
I always thought Terra was a tank character.
he is dealing most damage with his aa
The “looks like my summer vacation is over” line makes me cry every time.
Don’t worry, we all hate Terra’s pants.
I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Yeah
long skirt? khakis?! BOTH!? WHAT ARE THEY
I like Terra’s pants :(
Tom Wolf me too.
How can anyone find this to be a legitimate review at all when YOU FULLY SKIPPED A GAME regardless of how bad 358/2 days and re coded were they are still kingdom hearts games and deserve to be ranked
X Seleviathan X my big issue with this video is that RCOM isn’t dead last because I swear I’ve never been so angry at the gameplay of a game, ever
@@alexandertwol with a lot of these ranking type videos they are all very biased and focused on their opinion rather than a legitimate list but he completely skipped a game cant call it legitimate at all since he said all kh games in the thumbnail
KH 1 will always be in its own tier for me. I actually loved the bizarreness and simplicity of how the Gummi ship levels looked. It added to the atmosphere I feel like. Also i loved the complicated level designs and the use of platforming for the worlds because it made them more rememberable. Also I just absolutely love traverse town to death lol. I feel like it could actually be a world in the astral plane or something like that. I feel like I’ve been there or to a place very similar to it. If you go to traverse towns theme on CZcams there’s many people that say it feels like home so i really wonder if it exists somewhere lol. Each game in the series has its own unique vibe and atmosphere but I just happen to prefer the more innocent, magical, heart opening vibe and atmosphere that KH 1 had
-Doesn't understand the story to KH:DDD
-Skipped the cutscenes
Bravo dude 👏
P.s. the worst thing to come from this series is CoM, not Terra
CoM is fine, you just don't know how to Card Break. Loser
I’d have to put KH1 over KH2 for me personally just because KH1 had a indescribable vibe that I loved a little more than KH2s and I liked how the maps weren’t just straight shots and the story was simple and clean
Kh1 is my favorite, but this is the right list. Everything about Kh2 was an improvement, and all the side games featured on handhelds were a joke. Good vid bro.
I absolutely love people who judge and rank games both objectively and subjectively. My favourite is DDD, mostly because i love playing as Riku but KH2 is the one i keep going back to. For obvious reasons
Not story wise it wasn't
@@BabyGirlTiny The story of KH2 started off good I thought, especially after playing CoM and understanding what was going on with Roxas. But halfway through the game it gets convoluted quickly and with some poor writing decisions.
My top 3:
KH1
KH2
BBS
I never played BBS, and just watch the story on the KH Timeline. Yes it has some plot holes but it overall gave it's importance to understanding Xehanort. Plus we got to hear an amazing voice actor who is possibly my favorite villian voice. I'm just sad he couldn't do KH III...
How is this game important to understanding Xehanort, when nothing he does after this makes any sense. All this game did was tell us he wants to make an ultimate keyblade and he took over Terra's body. And the only important thing to take away is the Terraxehanort aspect and literally nothing else becauae nothing elas mattered to KH3
@@BabyGirlTiny Well
After the mobile game updated, I believe Ventus is the only important character in this game :v
You know why?
He was a Keyblade master from Union, he survived from the war, a rumor about him killed Marluxia's lil sister, he lost his memories about the prophecies, he has Chirithy still hanging out with him now, (also in KH3 he was right there but didn't meet Marluxia not Larxene) Vanitas may existed inside Ven even before BBS, and none of his friends (Aqua and Terra) knew about this. He supposed to be way older since it was happened decade ago (and why Ephemer is helping Sora in the war XD)
And yet his story is still ongoing and might be the most twisted plot I've ever follow because all of his union friends are involved in the story. I have no idea my head exploded :v
@@BabyGirlTiny I think its supposed to explain who xehanort is and how important and deep his character is. Because all you knkw after 2 games is that he's a villain but nothing really goes into his motives or his goal. This paints what the whole story is really about
i watched this video when i had only played kingdom hearts 1, but i’m back now and here to say kh2 is the best BY FAR. the camera, the combat, the boss battles, the story, the final mix ROXAS FIGHT (my favorite), that punch you in the face scene with roxas and axel when roxas is defeated, and that tear-jerking reunion at the end of the game. EVEN THE INTRO IS GORGEOUS. don’t even get me started on the Other Promise. if you don’t think this is the best game then... you do you i guess but HOW
358/2 days is the best story by far!
And almost the worst gameplay. Which weighs heavier?
Best story by far... but I hated the mission system. Trying to 100 percent that game was obnoxious. THAT'S RIGHT EMERALD SERENADES I'M LOOKING AT YOU!!!
Not the best story, but a great ending. Sadly, now that every single character is back to life, all the emotional baggage that game and ending once had, is lost.
@@zaladaneifyable Nope, its really not.
I'm so happy you mentioned the world design in KH2. I've been saying this for years.
So many of his arguments are based on his impatience
Ms. Chin BK it’s his opinion, and it’s an incredibly valid one. Shut up
@Wailmerboy how so
Dude.. you can’t rank the games if you skip cutscenes
KH2 Is actually 1st (Best) cuz u know DRIVE FORMS!!! FINAL FANTASY!!! ETC
Final Fantasy really doesnt matter objectively.
Christian Guerrero periodt.
@@christianguerrero70 calm down man
Might as well give my list too:
1- KH2: Excellent gameplay with great story and content for days. You nailed everything on the head. So I will leave it be.
2- BBS: I get the idea for your disapproval of the game. I am going to disagree because it is a game that actually didn’t feel like “smash the x button to win”. You had to put in work and while you could get OP moves early, the game balanced it with no stun lock for you when facing bosses and having really tough Post game bosses). Also Command board was refreshing and sweet to have something that impacted the actual game.
3: KH3- Best gameplay in the series by a mile. The devs definitely poured their hearts and souls into making sure that the gameplay in this game would be top quality and they definitely delivered. The worlds were excellent (Except for BH6) and while it did drag from the first 20 hours, the final world and main story was excellent. Very emotional and while there were some holes in the plot, the feeling of the ride the story was taking you in was a very enjoyable one. I believe that this game has potential to overtake KH2 and BBS for 1st depending on future content. But for now, it goes here.
4: KH1- Nostalgia is the only thing that saves this game. It did not age well at all. I still love it, but in ranking it falls here. If you rank BBS low because of gameplay issues, this game is riddled with them. I mean, what’s platforming?
5: .2FP: Yeah. For me, this was great gameplay and showed great potential for what was to come in KH3
6: DDD: This game may go higher once it get into it more. I just started playing it. But for now, it really does feel meh to me right now.
7: Chain of Memories: Want to know what happens when you merge a game of the War card game and Kingdom hearts? Whatever the hell this thing is supposed to be. In terms of the story, it leaves more questions than answers. Honestly, I feel 358/2 days’ story was more critical to the plot than this game (Especially now that KH3 came out. But I already felt this way because knowing anything about KH3). The gameplay hurts my soul, but hey. At least everyone forgets everything in the end.
The only thing on this list I agree with is that KH2 is #1. But then, I play for story more than combat, so it's probably mostly because we're judging the games by different standards.
i think re com had a better story and better combat than kh3. combat and story in kh3 had me bored from start to finish, while re chain had me hooked from start to finish.
Storywise KH2 isn't good..
One thing not talked enough about in KH2 (interestingly enough, BloodyBizkit's mentioned it a couple of times in runs) is the goddamned incredible menuing. For a PS2 game, it has responsive, quick, just...incredible menus. A detailed bestiary with reaction command numbers, when you're looking at your inventory pictures of the items you're selecting instantly appear, toggling behaviors and quickselect items is literally just hitting triangle if you want. There are detailed story and character records you and view anytime. A simple "new" highlight appears anytime a specific menu has something added, hovering over the new entry removes it. When selecting magic spells or weapons or armors or accessories, you see a preview of what it looks like even if it does not appear on your character (that's going an extra mile) and it gives you a worded description of it, which I love.
I love menus in games, and KH2 managed to make a menu that I genuinely believe has no faults. No lag, no missing features (relative to what the game allows), no loading....it's just perfect, and it was accomplished a decade and a half ago. There are games releasing today with godawful menus, and good games with subpar ones. All of them could learn a thing or two from KH2's menuing.
If I hear floaty as an argument one more time, I’m gonna claw my eyes out.
Edit: didn’t think this would get so much attention lol.
go right ahead
Well its a valid argument. Really its only part of the reason the combat is shitty, its a fairly big one tho.
not really. there are bad enemydesigns,the combos not being viable in themselves with some mechanics not even working always even if they werent floaty and shotlocks being op. all those problems are just casually in bbs.
OneThe Lonliest Floaty as an argument.
Well, since you can't hear this comment, but rather you read it, I guess you get to keep your eyes :P
@@11sonicspeed I know this comment is 10 months old, but I'm a loser, so I'm replying to it. Floaty is literally just a descriptor. There's nothing inherently good or bad about it, so the context matters. In the context of KH BBS, floaty combat is bad because the game punishes you for jumping. In KH3, you're arguably safer in the air than on the ground, so floatiness isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially with how many aerial options you have.
If Square Enix would've focused on improving on kh2 FM's great gameplay and stopped trying to reinvent the wheel, kh3 might have not been a disappointment
I’m new to the Kingdom hearts series. I’m still playing through 1.5 remix for the first time on ps4. I’ve only watched game play and 3 looks like the best game play to me. I could be wrong but I’ll know once I eventually get to play the games
When it comes to the Kingdom Hearts series it´s extremely hard to rank them for me because every game i played completely i loved it. Kingom Hearts 2 is my favorite of the series but the other ones are really hard to rank i played KH1, KH2, KHBBS and KH3D i also started KHCOM but i stopped playing after 2 hours it never really got me so i can´t count it i also still have to play KH3 but i´m waiting for the Remind DLC before i play it. But the other 3 games are really hard to rank i loved all of them and every single one had something that made it unique. No matter how hard i try i will never be able to rank them^^ But 2 will always be my favorite because of those things:
1. It had the best combat system it was so fluid and had enough options to give you a great variety of moves and options without being confusing
2. It had the best disney world of all KH games the Pride Land! I absolutely love the lion king and playing as LIon Sora was so much fun :-3
3. In my opinion the best Gummyship gameplay! To be honest i would love to get a whole spin-off title with that mechanic^^ It was kinda it´s own game there were so many things to unlock and so many options to create your own unique battle ship! I just loved it
I will say that the problem you described with the combat in Chain Of Memories was not an issue on the GBA version because your eyes don't have to wander to see your card deck at all times. I actually thought it worked really well, and the deck building aspect was a fun way to customize my character/strategy.
Balloon isn’t broken in KH3D? You’re kidding right? You can beat both hardest bosses (Young Xehanort and Julius) with one of the Balloon variants. Balloon is up there with BBS Thunder Surge in terms of how broken it is.
Actually Thundaga and Thunder/Fire Surge are broken. Thundaga can kill easily a lot of unversed.
Kingdom hearts 1 to me is the best game ever made.
It’s just a perfect combination of mysterious, magical, funny, and serious/profound. The story was simple, but powerful and engrossing. The music was hypnotic. I never felt like the other Kh games matched the genius of the first one. Yes the combat and camera is dated, but everything else is near perfect
Out of all the games I’ve played nothing will replace it
Am I the only one who thinks KH1 is the best?? Everyone says KH2 which I feel is a close second and then despite all the hate I’ve loved KH3 I’d put it 3rd maybe 4th.
thankyou, KH1 is absolutely godlike
If I were to rank the ones I've played.
1. Kingdom Hearts II
2. Kingdom Hearts
3. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
4. Kingdom Hearts III
5. Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage
6. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance
7. Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories
I hated chain of memories especially those chain breaks but I loved the story
I mean, mid to late game you could just have magnega, tornado, mega flare, omnislash or other combos and elixirs. It was easy but still fun. For bosses high level attack cards, some cures and 4 or 5 zeros just to break.
I personally enjoyed it. It was very stress free I one shotted most bosses it was a nice break from the other more difficult titles.
I actually liked the card combat of chain of memories. Once you pack your deck with pre made combos, you can get pretty overpowered.
The fact that you placed CoM so low yet DDD so high physically hurts me lol.
Reverof Enola the fact that you think CoM is a good game physically hurts me
Thank you i love com more than bbs and ddd
Ew CoM sucked hardcore. Worse kh game.
Hedgehog3342 its just a differant game. I think its a good game. And i can see how its put low. The combat it weird but still undeniably good. But maybe just not a good as the other ones for people.
CoM is #3 for me, the combat is different, but better than the unbalanced command deck system
story is also really good in CoM
I have said this time and time again, KH2’s combat is perfect. KH1 also had good combat, but it lacked a certain “umph” behind the attacks which I can’t knock it for. It wouldn’t have made sense for a kid to pick up a sword and be a master at it. KH2’s combat provides that missing quality. Finishers are awesome and feel powerful. The magic allows you to play both defensively and offensively. The bosses and some encounters actually test your abilities. And that’s not even mentioning the form changes! KH2 is one of those few games that you can replay over and over again and never get bored with because the combat alone is just so fun.
I mean, I feel ya, but for me KH1 is the best. Something about the worlds (and the game in general) being something other than just a straight hallway with fights spread into. I loved the exploration and platforming in the first game. Sad that the second one didnt have it. When I played the second one last summer it felt like a chore instead of a fun time.
So this is obviously going to just be my opinion, but if you don’t want to read someone critique a game because you love it so much, just don’t bother reading any further.
I just can’t agree with all the people that claim KH2 is a better game than the first. I highly recommend Snowman Gaming, Frustrated Jacob, and Celtic Phoenix Productions critiques of this as a sequel. Outside of the more fluid combat mechanics the rest of the game loses all the identity of the original. The worlds are flat and linear with the majority of the Disney plots being useless filler with one really good exception, Space Paranoids (Tron). Exploration is now essentially gone. The platforming in 1 was clunky but it didn’t need to be removed, it needed to be improved. The Cavern of Remembrance was a good example of improved platforming in 2, but it’s the only example. All the worlds in 1 felt distinct, in 2 every world feels like the same set of rooms with different themed textures. Every worlds design is literally flat circular rooms made for fast paced combat, there’s nothing else going on in them.
Little things in 1 like simple puzzles, interactive environments, and more varied collectibles made the worlds feel bigger. Even things like the Dalmatians, Trinities, and the Postcards in Traverse Town added to that experience even if only a little. I still truly love the music and combat in 2, but the combats only deep on Final Mix LVL1 Critical. No one should have to play a game like that to feel like it’s mechanics were worth it. People often overlook the depth in the original from it’s much more varied enemy types to it’s tech points system (something the channel Design Doc goes over in their video ‘The Forgotten Depth of Kingdom Hearts’)
The biggest problem with 2 is it’s writing. It drops the ball completely on it’s script. It went from a simple focused narrative with good character development to a watered down fan fiction for Nomura to test out his weird ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I still very much enjoy the game, I got it day of release and still replay it every couple years, but as I get older the more and more I can’t help but feel it is vastly over praised.
If you really like action games, great, KH2 is for you, but if you like immersive adventure games, I don’t see how you could possibly like 2 more than 1. In 2 each world feels like a bootleg poorly shot recreation of the films source material that just shoehorns Sora and friends into the scenes. In 1 each world felt like it was building to something and added extra bits of lore throughout the journey. For example, a scene like the one in which King Tritan from Atlantica (The Little Mermaid) tells Sora that the keyblade brings ruin and fears Ariel’s curiosity about other worlds. Speaking of which, the worlds themselves never directly re-tell the films stories but create new ones that fit the overall themes. Dr. Finklestein in Halloween Town (Nightmare Before Christmas) tries to create a working heart for the Heartless to make them dance for Jack’s Halloween celebration and the Queen in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland) accuses Alice of stealing her heart and is kidnapped by Riku at the order of Maleficent. Every world felt like it built upon the previous one with new information. It helped that each villain working for Maleficent had a major presence in their respective worlds and they all had a piece of the Ansem reports, further highlighting that connectivity.
You journey from the left side of the map to the right side of the map with each world being a mystery until your ship finally arrives at that new floating planet before you, just waiting to be explored. In KH2 each world is already revealed by the time you go to select it and there’s no sense of progress since they’re all laid out all over the map. KH1’s design felt more like a Metroidvania, you would gain new abilities throughout the adventure and actually have reasons to go back to worlds to find new items, unlock new paths or interact with the word in new ways. There’s hardly anything like that in the sequel. As cool as a world like Timeless River (Steamboat Willy & other classic Disney cartoons) is for it’s beautifully realized aesthetic, there’s no reason to go back there after you’ve completed the short story sequence attached to it.
You hardly ever have any reasons to go back to any of the worlds outside of getting mundane floating crowns (puzzle piece collectibles) or select some secret boss portal thingy that just brings you to another circular arena in a different word altogether. In 1, at least the secret bosses felt apart of the worlds like how Carpet in Agrabah tells you about Kurt Ziza or how Tinkerbell in Neverland does the same for The Phantom. These bosses actually look and feel like Disney x Square. The secret bosses of 2 are fun for sure, but they’re just a bunch of Nomura’s OC’s. It’s just another example of the series drifting away from it’s original identity and selling point and becoming more inline with a Shonen battle manga. That’s certainly not a bad thing if you’re into that and you could even make similar Shonen comparisons towards the first game, but I guess I just prefer the One Piece like adventure of 1 to the Bleach like stylishness of 2.
The movement abilities are improved greatly in 2 but the only time they’re useful outside of post game bosses is the Cavern of Rememberance and to collect the already mentioned bland crowns. In 1 there’s always something new to find around a corner. I recently just found out you can freeze the bubbles in Hollow Bastian and use them as platforms to find a hidden area. You can give the flowers items in Wonderland to access new places or move certain objects to create shortcuts. It’s the simple things that make each world feel distinct and alive. I can’t name a single thing like that in the level design of 2. There’s a reason speed runners love KH2, they skip all the bad things about it and get right to the fast paced combat. When people say KH2 is better, they seem to be looking at it only superficially. “The gummi ship is more fun, the game feel in regards to movement and combat is overall better, the camera is better, the graphics are better, yeah yeah yeah.”
The pacing however takes a nose dive. There’s a ridiculously long opening sequence followed by a series of filler worlds, and then a half point event that trivializes the entire game when you realize there’s absolutely no stakes involved in the adventure. Every thing narratively is a series of long drawn out useless mysteries that are revealed in giant exposition dumb, nothing you learn feels organic. Like for example the fact that Ansem Seeker of Darkness was actually the heartless of a new character at time of release named Xehanort who was the apprentice of the real Ansem who is the masked figure DiZ who’s working with the laughable mystery of Riku. None of that actually matters in a substantial way. There’s no reason for any of that to be a mystery and the way they handle names and character reveals is beyond trivial. It’s essentially artificial mystery. They hide the Organization members faces as if they’re also a mystery, but they’re just once again random Nomura OC’s who’s mystery has no meaningful impact on the story once they take their hood off. Like is there any reason for the audience to be hidden from Xigbar’s face for most of the game? No there’s not, he’s a new character, that’s not how well realized mysteries work.
The next half of the game is Sora and friends looking for a way into the Organizations base by going back to the filler worlds for some reason. Like what makes Sora and friends think going back to Mulan’s place is going to somehow give them access to the Organization’s world? If it wasn’t there in the first place, why go there again? Space Paranoids surprisingly integrates into the main narrative pretty well, but that’s about the only world that does that as well as any of the worlds in 1. Tying the Tron program to Ansem’s computer is a stroke of genius even if the whole DtD thing is sort of eye rolling in how it’s executed. Some of the second visits to the Disney worlds at least attempt some sort of importance to them by occasionally throwing an Organization member in there or in the case of Halloween Town, adding some thematic connection with Dr. Finklestein’s robotic creation looking for a heart by associating it with Christmas presents. Some good stuff sprinkled throughout the game like that. Even the very beginning overly long Roxas sequence, which you’d think I’d hate based on everything else I’ve said, is really effective when it’s all said and done. The melancholy last summer days idea is cool and all, but it never truly nails it for me outside of a few small scenes or something like that last gut punch line from Roxas about it finally being over.
I think people play KH2 like a turn your brain off and have fun sort of game but I’ve been playing these games since day of release and became attached to the characters and narrative. It was so simple and clean (yes pun intended) in the first game and despite it’s clunkiness it was able to show so much heart and potential. They chose to drop all the things that made me actually feel like I was journeying through these childhood memories in the form of worlds and connecting with these characters as they grew and instead decided to focus solely on the combat. Once again I still love Kingdom Hearts II, but the older I get the more I think it deserves to be critiqued.
I think your criticisms are mostly valid, but at the end of the day I value different things in games. For me gameplay is paramount. KH2's superior combat outweighs pretty much everything else wrong with it (which I talked about in the video so I'm a little confused why you restated my gripes with the platforming and world design but w/e). And in terms of story... I've played KH2 probably 10 times and I only watched the cutscenes on the first playthrough. Every other time I've just skipped every cutscene since the gameplay is the entire reason I'm playing.
Hyve Minds for me gameplay can be paramount as well. However KH2’s only gameplay people tend to cite is it’s combat. There’s other elements to gameplay than combat. I’ll never understand why someone would sit through a game that’s built on an aesthetic premise of connecting multiple IP’s for it’s combat mechanics alone. Wouldn’t Devil May Cry be a better franchise to sink their teeth into than the Disney x Final Fantasy series. If combat mechanics were the only aspects of a game that mattered than Final Fantasy 3, 5, and 10-2 would be considered the best.
Other gameplay aspects and narrative/theming elements are why we usually see 6, 7, and 9 heralded as the best in the series. Ignoring 70% or so of a game for the one part of it’s design worth defending is strange to me. But like you said, people value different things. My comment was not an attempt at a debate over your ranking. I like your video, I just thought since this is a comment section I could share my thoughts on why I disagree with the number 1 pick.
Fidelio Dude, you need to let this go. Some people don’t like KH1 because to them, the game has aged poorly with the controls, platforming, camera, slow combat and getting lost easily. Even Dean likes KH2FM better than KH1FM. There’s no need going around telling ppl they are “wrong” for liking kh2 over kh1. Also, FF6 and 7 are regarded as the best because it’s a lot of ppl’s first JRPG or FF game. Sure, the games are good at their time but it hasn’t aged well with not only graphics, but also gameplay, dialogue ( especially 7 due to poor translation) and random encounters. I get you dont “ feel” like the games are dated but some do and some don’t. People don’t have to love FF7. Some people think it’s amazing and some people think it’s overrated.
Fidelio It just depends on what I’m feeling most of the time. KH1 and KH2 are interchangeable for me personally :P
BorneGamer Z I never said anyone has to like KH1 more. I’m just sharing my perspective. I don’t really care what Dean thinks anyway since I think Jacob is a better critic anyway and he also prefers KH1. It’s obviously all opinion, I’m not claiming otherwise. But don’t tell me to let it go, I also see you in like every KH comment section saying the same shit about how combat is all that matter. We have different perspectives on this, neither of us are the absolute correct ones. This isn’t that big of a deal.
My list including the ones not mentioned from worst to best:
Fragmentary Passage
Dream Drop Distance
χ/Unchained χ/Union χ
Coded
Kingdom Hearts III
Chain of Memories
358/2 Days
Birth By Sleep
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts II
Birth by sleep seriously plays like ass. Putting that shit above KH3 and even Re:Coded is worrying.
WHERE DID U GET THAT GOOD AUDIO OF SANCTUARY
I just used the audio from my captured game footage lol
Great video! I love hearing about other opinions on the series. My ranking is very different but I understand yours completely.
9:26 made me laugh really hard 😂
My personal list:
1.Re:Coded tied with KH III
2. KH II tied with 0.2 and 358/2 Days
3. Birth By Sleep/ Union Cross
4. Dream Drop Distance
5. KH I
6. Pain of Memories
Most unique list I've seen so far!
@@HyveMindsGames I don't know if that count as a compliment, but I will take it as one, thank you kind sir !
Pain of Memories hahaha. That’s awesome
I will say overall, the video was good. I think you shared your reasons quite cohesively, and honestly I'd probably agree with your list.
I will mention one thing you didn't quite remember, and that is how 358/2 Days was the first game with Air Slide, not BBS. But overall, the rest of the video was good as it stands.
Aw beans, guess my memory of 358/2 Days is foggier than I thought
Saying any of the games aren't crucial to the story is just wrong they're all crucial to the plot and 385/2 days and recoded deserved to be ranked
I dont think anything would have changed in the plot if any of those games wouldnt have existed
@@alexzaragoza161 well let's see. 385/2 days explains how the beginning moments of kh2 and also explains why crucial moments in kh3 and the connection between roxas and axel and by extent axel and sora. Recoded explains why dream stop distance happened in the first place. There is no such thing as a non essential game in this series. If you want to fully understand the plot.
@@robinson52d 358 days doesnt explain anything important that we didnt know yet, that Roxas and Axel were friends and that Roxas left the OXIII. They introduced Xion but she was an unnecesary character that they hadnt though in kh2 and they had to make up that nonsense of" you are memories so nobody will remember you" in order to explain that nobody ever mentioned her before. But they only wanted to avoid that Axel and Roxas became a gay ship if they made a game about them.
And recoded final was a letter that we already saw at kh2 ending, they could just have said that Yed Sid knew about the people because he saw it in another vision or something like that and nothing would have happened.
Alex Zaragoza Seeing as how they've had the Destiny islands trio and the BBS trio, I doubt they just "made up Xion" to prevent a gay ship. All the trios consist of 2 guys and 1 girl.
You can tell that BBS was planned ahead of time since there were scenes in Days that were expanded on in BBS (Xion appearing as Ventus, Xigbar recognizing the face).
That's like saying it's fine to just write a few hints to Roxas's tragic story in KH2 and expect us to really empathize with him in the later games and agree that he should be brought back when we really know nothing about him. If Days wasn't made, we'd never care about him and find Sora annoying in 3 for trying to help Roxas be his own person.
@@alexzaragoza161 yeah sorry but no. 358 / 2 days explains roxas entire backstory. And when it came out after kh2 it brought a lot together we didn't know at the time. It's easy thi say yeah we already know this. But it wasn't the case at the time of release
To list my five favourite moments:
1. Roxas Fight KH2
2. Sora's Sacrifice KH
3. Kairi Crying KH
4. Aqua's Rage KH3
5. Axel's Distress during Roxa's Breakdown 358/2 Days
KH1 has two of these five therefore KH1 is my favourite.
Guess ya could call him TERRAble
One Punched i made that joke before lololol
i told it to my sister and she just walked out the room (¯―¯٥)
@@kuro-kishi796 Ouchie ouch
lerro ouchie indeed
Tearable
Sorry but i have to disagree with you on birth by sleep. The best thing about bbs for me was the combat system , the reason the main attacks were so slow was to put more emphasis on the shot lock system and all the new forms you could transform into and combine. both of these mechanics came back in kh 3 and its one of the things why i think bbs was so important.
Nah, it doesnt feel like kingdom hearts and its not even fun. Thr story was okay but the gameplay is too lame. Slow, floaty, and not enough options outside of the command deck.
I didn't even finish birth by sleep. Dear lord I hate that game. I still have yet to beat terras story and that wont change anytime soon
@@marcelinotorres2322 its the only kh game i haven't finished. Ive done parts of all stories, but only made it through one without quitting. Had more fun in chain of memories
@@RandKproductions235 Idk what y'all are smoking but BBS was the fucking shit. Arguably the 2nd best kh game. I was always so excited to see all the new commands I could create out of my old ones. And it felt like there were so many! Especially with Terra. Finding out you could make darkness commands with him made me feel like a Badass.
Onyx VII7 -Not to mention the mirage arena multiplayer when that was still a thing, was personally the most fun I’ve ever had playing a KH game.
Kh2 is by far the best overall game in the series and it’s not even close for me
7:48
"And I hate his BIG DUMB STUPID LOOKING PANTS"
Me : I can't stop Laughing LMFAO 😂😂😂
"I've probably lost some of the comment section placing BBS this low on the list."
Me: I'm suprised you've placed it that high on the list lmao.
Mine would be:
Re:Coded
BBS
DDD
358
KH3
Re:Chain
KH1
0.2
KH2
Worst to best that I've played:
Dream drop distance
Re:coded
Chain of memories
358/2 days
Kingdom hearts 0.2
Kh3
BBS
KH1
KH2.
As a ginormous Kingdom Hearts fan, I’d say my ranking is like this…
13. 358/2 Days
12. Re:Coded
11. Chain Of Memories
10. Re:Chain Of Memories
9. Dark Road
8. Union X
7. Melody Of Memory
6. Birth By Sleep
5. A Fragmentary Passage
4. Dream Drop Distance
3. Kingdom Hearts
2. Kingdom Hearts 3/KH3: Re:Mind
1. Kingdom Hearts 2
This entire franchise is honestly my favourite piece of entertainment ever and I cannot wait for Missing Link and especially Kingdom Hearts 4.
I liked the cinematic ones because that’s the future of gaming. Power to the gamers. The best ones were the movies cause no gameplay. That’s the future of gaming! Power to the gamers!!!!
#gamersriseup
What
What the fuck
Your a fucking idiot
“There’s just too much happening in Chain of Memories”
Boi it’s an anime game what do you expect
1-KH2
2-KH bbs
3-Kh3
4-KH1
5-KH RoM
Didn't play the rest just watched them
there is no way that kh3>kh1
@@fangiscool1
I mean, it's just an opinion
Looks about right to me. KH3 was better than KH1 from a gameplay aspect. KH1 was amazing for it’s time. But it hasn’t translated to current times. I think KH3 has the potential to overtake KH2 and BBS. It all depends on if it either gets DLC or a final mix.
@@billychartier4962 I want to have what you're smoking
fangiscool1 I mean I haven’t smoked anything for a while. Why do you believe KH1 was better than KH3?
Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai- "I know why you don't talk. You're angry. You're angry because they make you wear a dress." That's what Terra's pants remind me of lol
Thing i hate about kh3 is they got rid of the drive forms soras main and most badass aspect of him in exchange for the crappy shotlock system
Ya mean keyblade transformations. They are basically the same only weapons change.
@@teon7881 Except they're broken and don't bring up that don't use them bs
NegaNiga Plz i wish they wouldve gave him atleast ONE form that lets you dual wield
Um what? You mean the Keyblade Transformations that also have form changes?
I actually like shotlock system, but hey we all have our own opinions, but i do agree with the drive forms.
People don’t give kh2 credit for how amazing the combat is, it’s on par with devil may cry, bayonetta, ninja gaiden, and the souls series(bloodborne). Why can’t they go back to that system then improve upon it.
Because if you just made Kh2 but better, then in their eyes, there'd be no reason for you to buy Kh2
Don't You Renember? Lmao it was too powerful
Dream Drop Distance above Birth by Sleep????????????? Downvote!
For me it would be:
1) Kingdom Hearts 2 -- Strong story, excellent gameplay, tons of replay value and variety. What's not to love?
2) Birth by Sleep -- Excellent story, gameplay isn't perfect but it was incredibly fun and addicting for me. Tons of extra content as well.
3) Kingdom Hearts 3 -- Contains some of my favorite scenes in the franchise but overall I think the story could've been better paced and given us much more original content. Gameplay is excellent and varied but the game is a tad too easy and there isn't much replay value. Probably the best Disney worlds though. Each world feels different and more distinct and navigating them is more fun.
4) 0.2 Fragmentary Passage -- Might be cheating a bit as its not a full game but I loved it regardless. Great little story and characterization and fun gameplay. Only reason it isn't higher is because it's... well, not a full game.
5) Kingdom Hearts -- Probably the one I have the most nostalgia for. A classic in many ways with a fine story and gameplay, but some things haven't aged that well for me when replaying it. The world design can be a bit cryptic and confusing and the combat a bit redundant. Still it gets many things right.
6) Chain of Memories -- The gameplay isn't for everyone but I think its pretty great. It forces you to strategize a lot more before combat. Less button-mashing in that regard. The story is pretty great too. Only thing that drags it down for me is the redundant navigation through all of the worlds. After a while it can be a but tiresome.
7) 358/2 Days -- My feelings on this one are pretty conflicting. I think it has probably the strongest script in the entire series with tremendously well written character arcs and drama. However, I really don't care for the gameplay. I always find it a bit of a chore while playing it. Love the story though so... I dunno. It's in the middle for a reason.
8) Dream Drop Distance -- I do enjoy certain elements of the gameplay but overall the whole experience is a bit underwhelming for me. The gameplay is fine for the most part but the flowmotion isn't quite as refined as it could be. This game is probably the only one in which I think the story is genuinely convoluted, and it's not necessarily due to its content but rather how the game presents it and explains it to the player. I mean Kh3 had many of the same elements and I felt that it did a much better job in conveying these plot points. On the whole I just think it's a bit forgettable.
9) Union Cross -- The combat can sometimes be fun, but its potentially excellent story is always interrupted by avalanches of Disney filler material, often making it a chore to go through.
Haven't played Re:Coded so I can't really make any assessments on it. The story is fine but it's very easily the only game I'd consider filler material.
Terra is one of my favorite characters in the series :(
I remember playing KH1 and thinking there was no way the game could get better... then KH2 came out and I was blown away (as a 10 year old kid) I feel like the series has strayed too far away from what made it so great to begin with
Mike Shul yes! I agree
I like chain of memories quite a lot more than bbs. It actually up there for me. I really vibed with the card combat and its tied for my second favorite my list goes
1: kh2
2: Kh1 and Rcom
3: DDD
4: 0.2 fragmentary passage
5: BBS
You and I would get along great, tbh. That's almost my exact list
Almost my exact list, only I'd swap 1 and 2
Story: KH1>chain of memories>KH2 >358/2 days>BBS>KH3>DDD>Re
coded
Gameplay: KH2>KH3 with the updated gameplay>KH1>Re coded>Chain of memories>BBS>DDD>358/2 days
KH2 really is the best game of the series. I personally enjoyed 3D more than 1, but KH3 hype is here!
If KH3 is HALF as good as KH2 I'll be happy
@@HyveMindsGames This is probably gonna sound entitled af, but it'll have to be just as good as 3D for me to be happy. I've been waiting literally over half my life for another main entry in this series. (Lmaos in old age).
Not to me. I still think the original is the best.
@@HeyFella Fair enough. KH1 was still a good time! Maybe it's my aversion to giant yellow shoes that's fueling that opinion.
@@HyveMindsGames its not..
BBS definitely has some issues but the plot is far better and also more relevant to the story as a whole than DDD. It seems like this list was entirely based on gameplay experience.
If You Find Tetsuya Namora Give Him A Message For Me. Tell Him It's Kairi's Turn To Find And Rescue Sora In The Next Kingdom Hearts Game.
Great list! Even though you kinda dissed my favorite game, Birth by Sleep, I really enjoyed your take! Lol.
My list
1. Kingdom Hearts 3(for me the best game so emotional battle System is a bid chaotic But so i like it)
2. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days (i love how emotional that game is and i love xion)
3. Kingdom Hearts 2 (Classic)
4. Kingdom Hearts CoM (i Love Namine and the Gameplay is realy funny)
5. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 (better as birth by sleep because i hate commando Decks..)
6. Kingdom Hearts bbs (Story is great but you can break that game to easy and the game play is only spam commandos..)
7. Kingdom Hearts 1 (a great game for his Time but compare with now other games - is a little boring in game play And very limited)
8. Kingdom Hearts coded (fun Story but commando Deck is OP as fuck .. you can beat the final boss with one hit
9. Kingdom Hearts 3D (it is a good game but have so many errors- sora character was not the same as usally ..and the commando Deck was OP too BALLONGA!)
[GS]Naminé Respect
5:48 Right the opposite, for me, in fact, you've just earned a new sub! You pretty much summed up my feelings for BBS. I simply did not enjoy playing this game. I think the best way for me to put it, is that, it's the first KH game I ever played that didn't feel like a KH game.
I hated the command deck, didn't enjoy the worlds (I'll go so far as to say, Disney Town is the worst world in any KH game), and the only plot line that I felt had any redeeming qualities, was Aqua's.
My list is almost identical to yours, the only difference being that I'd probably put CoM 3rd (unpopular opinion). I really enjoyed the atmosphere and Org. 13 plot in the game, even if the card mechanics were a nightmare to deal with at times. The game actually felt mysterious to me.
My list:
2
1
CoM
DDD
358/2
3
BBS
0.2
I never played Re:Coded so I didn't feel right including it.
Birth by sleep is my favorite Kingdom hearts game and Terra is my favorite Kingdom hearts character
My favorite is Ventus but they are the best trio
Terra is one of my favourite characters but i REALLY hate bbs
From best to worst:
KH3 (yeah, despite being broken in so many ways)
KH2 (very few weaknesses)
KH1 (best game but technically lame)
CoM (best story in KH, great boss battles)
BBS (I liked it a lot, but it just can’t compete)
DDD (sorry, only KH I ever started and never finished)
Kh3 was a big let down wym
Yeah fam you can’t insult kh2 like that bro
Respect
What?! 0.2 Birth By Sleep under KH Re:CoM???!!!!! WHAT?!
re com is better than kh3 to me, so it's miles better than the stupid kh3 demo that is even more clunky than kh3.
This might be an unpopular opinion but I really liked the gameplay in BBS. I can’t entirely explain why, I just remember playing it (straight after 2 because I only came into the series in the last couple of years) and much preferring the command deck, shotlocks and spellweaver type moves. But I also can fully understand why others don’t like it.