Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a Playable Tragedy
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- čas přidán 25. 01. 2019
- Here's the game no one knows how to pronounce, and I really don't blame them to be honest.
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#KingdomHearts #358Days #KingK
KingK Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Retrospective - Hry
"Remember that one Kingdom Hearts Game where you work a dead end job just so you could hang with your friends every day but then you have to kill them?"
WELL NOT UNTIL YOU REMINDED ME
guess you didn't have it memorized
Quite a dead end job, huh?
Thx for the spoiler
@@Anthony-fz9ye The game is 10 years old, friend.
The game could be 200 year old for all we care, new peoplease are born in this world every day there's no reason to think you're allowed to spoil a story because you were here when it happened...
Fun factoid about the final mission of this game: The Neoshadows have comically low stats so that you can feel like a badass one-shotting them like in the KH1 secret movie, even at level 1.
I got that impression, though Riku can actually still kill you funny enough.
KingK Even that feels understandable because when you fight Riku, you don’t have two keyblades. As a result, you feel somewhat handicapped compared to the beginning of the mission. You don’t think “I’m a dual wielding badass” when you lose one of your keyblades.
Not to get too pedantic, but the word "factoid" means a belief/misinformation that is commonly assumed to be true but actually is false. So the commonly assumed meaning of "factoid" is itself a factoid, haha.
@@jenniferlynn3579 Now there's a fun factoid. xD
@@Quercusrubis It's a fun fact about fun factoids haha
Another part of the game that really struck me was the sense of dehumanization and injustice from how fixated everyone is on Sora. It is Roxas’s connection to Sora through the keyblade and through the way he prevents the restoration of Sora’s memories that gives him value to the Organization-and while it’s clear from the beginning that he’s an outsider and nobody cares about him, as the ending approaches it becomes clear that they’re looking past him to see Sora. At the same time, Riku and all the “good guys” also don’t care about Roxas and Xion, because they have to “return to Sora” so Riku can get his friend back and the world can get their hero. Sora becomes this mysterious, legendary hero everyone sees when they look at Roxas and Xion (whether they want the two to be a weapon against him-one that messes up their minds and makes them go unconscious for scarily long periods of time-or to essentially die so he can live) and this is part of what makes Xion taking on Sora’s face so heartbreaking. It’s like a physical refutation of all their efforts to become individuals even if only to each other, and like the ultimate loss for Xion-to be returned to being a thing, and a tool, like she was made to be-and when she dies, all record that she was anything but that is erased. That all leads up to Roxas’s line “no one would miss me” and Axel’s reply, “that’s not true! I would.” The world around them has shown that Roxas is not a person it considers to exist, and he’s being crushed by it. Then, of course, Riku defeats Roxas and he ends up resigning himself to joining with Sora-because of course he has to, because KH has to continue with Sora as a protagonist. Just like Xion ended up reduced to a copy of Sora, so Roxas ends up being just a plot point, a coinciding factor in a greater hero’s story, denied his own personhood and human value. Days doesn’t need death because it has something arguably more crushing.
Another thing I think is interesting is that, for most of the game, Roxas is much, much less powerful than Sora-there’s the impression that he wouldn’t stand a chance, and it’s only at the very end that he has the opportunity to beat Saix. It’s like another element of the world needing Sora to be the hero, because nobody else could do it. But when he inherits the Oathkeeper and Oblivion combo from Xion, he becomes extremely powerful, and it challenges the idea that Sora is really needed-which of course makes it even worse when Riku eventually cheeses him with the “teleports behind u” so Sora can be revived.
amazing evaluation
Yes absolutly! Everyone says that Sora is the connection between Roxas and Xion, the reason they have the keyblade, the key to All, the Hero etc.. For Roxas or Xion, he's like a mythical figure. I love how Xion transformed into Sora at the very end at the clock tower, saying "Look it's finally him, the reason to our existence but also our suffering". Very genius and satisfying to see him after all the talking through the game! Especially for me when I played Days years after KH1 AND before KH2 so I was veryyyyy eager to see him.
But it's also very tragic, you feel frustrated and a sentiment of injustice when you realise that it's all because of him that they're not happy. And at the same time you can't hate Sora because it's not his fault either. It's just... sad. Like they're trapped in a situation with no exit.
You can FEEL Roxas' frustration when he shouted to Riku "Sora, Sora, Enough about Sora!!". Imagine AlL your like resolves around a random dude you know nothing about ?
What's beautiful is how Roxas returned to Sora at the beginning of KH2 : faced to him he's not angry, nor sad. He just accepted his condition, he sacrificed himself for him. Like Xion did.
What's even MORE amazing is how Sora didn't know nothing when he woke up ! Just as cheerful and happy-go-lucky as he is, not knowing all the tragedy behind, like it never existed. It's heart-breaking I think for the player to see him joyful while knowing the truth behind.
Fortunatly they are back after KH3 lol
@@lintecassidy206 late I know but I had a theory that the reason why Roxas is so strong is that while he may have only “half” of Sora power, in a way he was a key blade weirder far longer than Sora like Sora only knew how to use the keyblade for only a couple of months tops since Kingdom Hearts, while Roxas had almost a whole year to use it and grow stronger with it too which is why despite being weaken from Xion he was still able to beat Saix and force Riku to embrace the Darkness. Hell in Kingdom Hearts 3 when he shows up he turned the tides alongside Xion against Saix.
This.
Had Riku not intervened, Roxas would have defeated all of them alone.
However, that does leave a plothole: Who will defeat the now reconstructed Master Xehanort and stop him from making the real Kingdom Hearts? Who will take the mark of mastery? Who will help revive Ventus and save Terra?
The "ice cream line" still makes me tear the fuck up. Days was my first KH game and even my 8 year old self understood what the ice cream MEANT to Roxas. It's such a heartbreaking line because it's all Roxas knows. He's so young and naive, and he's watching everything he knows and loves fade away in front of him.
I don't know how many times I've had to explain just exactly WHY that line is so depressing. After telling freinds what it means they are like "oh hell that's so sad"
Right? Then the simps with nat like attention spans gotta meme the hell out of it 😒. It's almost like they' never really lost anything they care about or have your world flipped upside down by things out of their control. Bastards. Lol
Broke: Days has a good story but bad gameplay
Woke: Days has a good story BECAUSE it has bad gameplay
In all seriousness though, I really think the only way to truly experience this game today in its full emotional glory is to be a lonely 11-year-old with nothing better to do playing through a couple missions each day on the bus rides to and from school, growing a little bit closer to the characters every day and developing just a hint of a childish crush on Xion. That’s how I played it at least, and it will be forever enshrined in my memory of that time in my life. The ending shattered me in a way I never really thought video games could do.
I will admit to developing my first (and largest ever) childhood crush for Xion I just couldn’t stop crying at the ending either. T^T
Ditto to everything. Only I was a bit younger, and... well crap, I just realized that crush never left me.
Same here my guy. This was the first game I got for my ds lite back in the day, and I played it anytime I could. Definitely the first time a game made me cry, I hope kh3 at least mentions her and acknowledges her in some way
MisterZebra42 This 100%. I’m pretty sure this was the first game that made me cry. The idea of not just losing someone, but also forgetting them was terrifying and shook my 12 year old world.
Tommy McCoy I hope you’ve beaten Kh3 by now to avoid spoilers.
Also, how could I forget:
"Roxas, that's a stick"
Pure comedy gold 10/10 writing
Would've won an oscar
@@krustykrabpizza00 only one? I say it wins every Oscar in existence
Yup
"Luigi, that's a stone. You didn't make it"
@@totallynotkhobsessed there are rules so that wouldn’t happen
Because it would absolutely happen
Major props to this game for having it’s main trio actually be together most of the time.
Yeah all the other Trios don’t share half as much screen time together. The Destiny/ Paupu Trio spend the first 2 games trying to reunite with each other, Wayfinder trio is the same thing but are forcefully torn apart by forces out of their control. Twilight/ Seasalt are tragic because we know it ends Roxas is thrown into a matrix like simulation and with his entire tragic existence overwritten with an objectively better one just to have that taken away. Axel loses the two most important people in his life with no one else batting an eye and dies trying to save what’s left of them and Xion… Xion’s whole existence is thrown into question has to fight her closest friend to the death which she loses by the way and is forgotten with not a single memento to prove she existed her goal to set all the collected hearts free is initially failed through Roxas. In story her death is pointless being erased from all memories with no one to mourn or remember her which in a way… is worse than death.
The best storytelling use of the DS dual screens was during Xion's death scene. It is so beautiful how they show her fading out of everyone's memories on one screen while she's having her last conversation with Roxas in the other. I cry every time I watch that part.
Holy shit
@Curtis Hamilton dude, I know. I haven't played the game, so I thought I'd watch a recap to better understand the full story. So, as I'm watching the recap, I learned that there were parts of the game where the top screen would show Roxas experiencing deja vu, while the bottom screen showed the connection he has with Sora, which explains why he was experiencing deja vu in the first place....
THEN!!... Then I go to reading the comments, and I scroll down to see this utterly heartbreaking one... On one screen, you see everyone literally forgetting that Xion even exists. Whereas the other screen shows her final moments of life by having Xion and Roxas have one final conversation........
Everyone wants to talk about how it's heartbreaking this or heartbreaking that... Nah, fam. This is on another level. This entire game was apparently soul crushing.. This scene with Xion and Roxas was the most soul crushing of them all, though. Indubitably.
@@quantumprodigy9009
No wonder this game is described as a *Playable Tragedy*
I'm so glad to see someone defend this game, at least to some extent. In particular the "who am I going to have ice cream with" line. Imo, it's a pretty powerful line if you've actually played through the game... But people make it seem totally silly.
Its Roxas literally losing his last connection to what he thinks friendship is.
I'm sure that people knows what that line implies. The problem, as this video mentions, is that the movie doesn't give it justice. Because we didn't struggle with the gang by playing the game, the pay off has less impact. The cut scenes in the collection felt so stilted that when that line came, I felt nothing. It's like the movie was telling me to be sad because it waved sadness in front of my face, when instead it was the little details that the game (accidentally) delivered that gave it context and impact.
to be fair it is very silly
but if you look past the silly side of it, it's very upsetting
eating ice cream together 'was' friendship to them
I think Roxas' voice actor's delivery is also a problem.
I mean anyone with context, even from the HD "movie" version, can tell this is a very emotional moment. But Roxas' voice doesn't sell it as well as it should.
Given no context and the fact most havent beat the game of it course it sounds silly to them
358/2 Days was my first Kingdom Hearts game. I played it as I was just starting to understand what depression was. It was mundane, run of the mill, and ultimately disappointing. I loved it, and until now, I've never been able to put into words why other than "but I really like Xion".
I've seen tons of analysis on this game, more than a majority of it coming to the same conclusion: Xion is an interesting character, but the repetition and inconsequentiality of it all makes it an absolute chore and not worth it. And I won't say I haven't come to my own conclusions on the game - it made me love Xigbar with his "you look like I just drowned your goldfish" line, I tended to like the idea of (agonizingly) slowly growing stronger day by day, even if I feel tying levels to the grid system was excessive, I liked the few interactions with Disney characters and how you never cross paths with a major character, just being an observer from the outside - but I think every review made me scared to try the game again. That those limited, pristine memories I had would fall apart under scrutiny, so I never really explored why I loved the game and called it a guilty pleasure.
This is such a cool perspective to see on the game. Xion's Theme has stuck out to me for years, and now I'm able to link it in my head as "oh yeah, because it's a reward to hear it for the work I did, and it's slowly turning into tragedy." I typically like games where the gameplay isn't fun but serves a thematic purpose from afar - Wario Land 3 does this by bulling Wario and wasting the player's time with various negative transformations, for instance, making you feel like a jerk fighting against a world that hates you - but Days got to me. Really nicely flowing perspective on this one.
Also damn are you brave to be getting KH stuff for a vid so close to KH3's release and not getting spoiled. Kudos for that courage alone.
And while I didn't really enjoy this game gameplay wise, its story is honestly one of my favorites.
How did you leave a comment yesterday if the video just went up? 0.o
I just posted about this, but Vector to the Heavens is such a brilliant piece of music because it takes Xion's theme (my favorite of any character) and slowly blends it into Sora and Kairi's before being erased completely. The orchestral arrangement Shimomura did is phenomenal.
Edit:
Here's the link. It sounds like a mix between Kingdom Hearts and the best of Joe Hisaishi of Ghibli fame.
czcams.com/video/rf8hdNL7ZUA/video.html
For me was the same; my fist KH games and man... i was in love for everything. it explains what KH is and feel. this series of games give tears everytime in a wile
Hey it was my first KH game too. I was about the same age as the characters so the melodrama really got to me and the process of slowly building character is one that absent in like all other KH games except the first (between sora Donald and goofy), with Roxas Axel and Xion feeling like real friends with a building relationship. Bbs is especially bad about this with the characters just saying they're friends over and over. At least the gameplay is... Wait nevermind.
This game has always been close to my heart and I've replayed it many times. Honestly it's kinda part of me and you couldn't pay me to not do all those damn missions over again. ❤️
Days made you FEEL like you were an actual Organization XIII member. Long, drawn-out missions with little off-time to hang out with friends. But the stories and characters are terrific. And, I'm saying this without any irony, Roxas is one of the most tragic figures in all of fiction.
agreed, thats where kingdom hearts works best as an emotionally driven series that if you let it, makes you feel like the characters
Jesus Christ loves you my friend
Emil, Caim, Kaine and Zero from Drakengard/Nier would like to speak with you
@@Ingisen What a coincidence, they are all characters that come from a director/creative director with a vision just as obtuse and brilliant as Nomura.
Yes 💜
Xion is the reason chain of memories happened in the first place. When you realize the purpose Vexen's replica project, why the organization occupied castle oblivion and manipulated Namine to extract Sora's memories, it's clear that Xion is as essential to the Kingdom hearts lore as anybody else.
Yo true
Wasn't xion made before axel and vexen and everyone got sent to the castle??
@@tumultuousv Vexen was already working on it before that, they had chosen castle oblivion as the place that they would use to lure in Sora and finish the job.
@@JackParsons. you may be right. I have to read some stuff again lol
Helps that in the manga that Xion was born in Castle Oblivion.
358/2 Days will always be memorable to me because, in a weird way, it played a role in my disillusionment with adult life. I played it around my 3rd year of college, which was around the time I realized graduation was just around the corner and I was for the first time thinking about what I'm going to do with the rest of my adult life and my world no longer revolves around "get good grades, make your parents happy".
Playing Days is when it hit me: adult life consists of spending most of your waking hours working for someone else, setting aside your own goals, desires, and aspirations to do work for someone else who may or may not even have your best interests at heart. Potentially losing your identity and just becoming a mindless drone slaving away for someone else only motivated by the promise of a brief moment of respite with your friends at the end of the day. A little...overdramatic, but that was how it felt at the time. The lesson I took away from it though was to always question: is what you're doing with your life is really what you want? Or are you just doing it because someone else wants you to? Or is it just something you're mindlessly doing because you've never known anything else?
^ this is why I will always love Days, despite what anyone says about it.
death to captialismmmmmmm
Gotta remember: Games are (among other things) a medium through which to convey stories.
There are different kinds of movies. There are different kinds of plays, books, music, art.
Days captures something very, very human in its structure and gameplay. Doesn't matter what the intentions of the devs were. It works. And you're allowed to love something that someone else doesn't understand.
It's a wonderful game. Would love to test my skills against yours.
only a little overdramatic?
You wanna hear something even more sad? This game came out in fall 2009 and my mom got it for me for my birthday... that was the last video game my mom ever bought me before she passed that same year.. game has a special place in my heart too.
Another genius part of this game-or, actually, maybe it’s just the set up of TWTNW and org. XIII as a whole-is related to what AtW says at the end of DDD: he says that the heart is quick to grow, and is affected and shaped every time it’s exposed to three things: Light, the natural world, and other people. Now, think about TWTNW: a dark, deserted cityscape populated only by heartless and nobodies who are constantly discouraged from forming attachments to others. Xemnas was truly a scientist’s nobody. He found the perfect sterile environment, free from outside interference, to isolate his testing variables and slow the usually quick development of a heart to a crawl, so that he could conduct his experiments regarding the sense of self at his leisure.
The original Organization XIII is one of my favorite groups of characters because of the buildup shown through CoM, 358/2 Days, and II. Xemnas is particularly great in this aspect as you can see how his narcissism and loathing of his origin's teacher consumes him to the point where he can no longer clearly visualize reality. It made him frighteningly manipulative and a powerful villain.
OMG you are a genius! That absolute madman!
Unfortunately, Sora managed to mess that up for him without even realizing it, by creating a Nobody with control of the Keyblade and with no memories. Keep in mind, Xehanort already had the ability to wield the Keyblade as a somebody, yet lost that when he became a nobody.
What about the lack of memories? Well, seeing as it’s stated that what makes Orginization class nobodies special is that they keep their memories, this seems... odd, in a way. Roxas is more a complete being already than he is a nobody.
It gets better: since he has no memories to work with, Roxas starts out rather... listless. As axel said, he was like a Zombie. Meaning that the organization members had to Kind of babysit him until he could fight on his own... but that means they have to create connections. And every day after work, what does Roxas do? He goes to the Clock Tower in Twilight Town and hangs out with Axel, and later, Xion. Meaning that he just spoiled two variables Xemnas tried to keep a lid on: Light, and Human interaction.
We can see the effects with Axel, the Nobody who spent the most time with him: in CoM, he was a ruthless assassin, with seemingly no regard for life. By the event’s of KH2, he’s a loose cannon who has gone all but awol.
And if that wasn’t enough, Xion, deragotively called a puppet by certain organization members, is somehow the only one who manages to detect that something is very wrong, and then put a gigantic monkey wrench into Xemnas’ plans.
Also, it's still really impressive they crammed this game onto the DS of all things. I'm still kinda blown away at how good it looks for the system, and it makes me wish Nintendo had done more fully 3D games on it instead of doing some early on and sticking with mostly 2D overall.
Don't know why I'm editing this weeks later, but I also really love the "Who else will I eat ice cream with??" part. It's funny and silly out of context (and even in context it sounds silly), but considering that to Roxas, friendship is having ice cream with your friends after a hard day of work? It's kinda heartbreaking, cause that's all he really cares about.
That's something I always got as a kid, I don't know why people didn't get that period contextually for him it is the most meaningful thing in the world. And that is why that line holds so much weight, of course it sounds funny. But when you just think about the situation it's about the situation it's obvious that it is a hard felt response to sincere heartbreak. Funny since supposedly he can't feel
Jesus Christ loves you both 😁
@@joshua2400 Weird flex but okay
@@joshua2400 and lucifer loves you 💋🙄
Yeah I personally think the ds and 3ds(mainly 3ds) were never really tested to limits and were slept on by a lot of people
This was my first entry in the KH franchise, so it holds a very special spot in my hearth, but as I had been playing the other games afterwards I can see why some fans bashed 358/2 so much. Still my favorite story-wise, the ending still breaks me up to this day.
I really like it too.
I got it day one and loved every bit of it as a kid, again like you I see how and why fans have their issues with it.
Im not gona lie... I like 358/2... Kinda wish I could of played it multiplayer with people if im honest. Hell if android ds emulators finally gets there im playing that online dgaf.
Hey it was my first game too and I feel the same way! It's cool to see that I'm not alone.
Same situation here.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a special game, because its a game where the more you play, the less you want to continue. You know something bad is going to happen, but like a car wreck, you can't help but keep walking forward to see how deep rabbit hole goes before the end. Xion especially gets it rough, because by the end of this game, no one even remembers she exists. At least the BBS trio get THAT much to their names.
01ChaosWarrior this is the best way to describe this game, which is sad but why i love the characters
I was so pissed when they announced it would be a movie re-make instead of the entire game. I would re-play it in a heartbeat.
It’s kinda a shame this and Recoded haven’t been remastered for the Nintendo eStore.
@@jbcatz5 O_o...I honestly wouldn't mind a 3DS remake of 358/2 Days. Not Re:coded, though.
smashmaster521 I’d flip that around. The gameplay element of Days was the weak point, with repetitive missions in the same environments. Recoded at least experimented with the gameplay.
@Ironbay Knight G Hate to revive a thread from a year ago, but the 3d remake of majoras mask is extremely difficult for people who haven't already played the game, just because all of the deku jumping puzzles are totally busted. They didn't bother to account for the mechanic water jumping changes, and reaching the first dungeon without a guide is extraordinarily redundant. Not only that, but you feel like you're missing something, and you are in the wrong area, because actual progression in the swamp is so strange.
@@minoxiothethird What are you talking about????
Roxas, Axel and Xion. my favorite trio in all of KH because of something that's far more real and relatable. The whole missions aspect being essentially a day to day job and at the end, the reprieve, the respite of having some time with close friends. It's why her death and the fallout of their friendship always hurts
I wish that other video games treated their characters the way Days does, because 358/2 does something extremely clever: it makes the characters your reward. The game play is your repetitive and kinda mundane job, but your reward for completing that isn't treasure, levelling up, or anything similar. Your reward is getting to eat ice cream and watch the sunset with your buddies. It's a genius idea that means that the player will instantly learn to love the characters they share said ice cream with, because they are your prize for doing a hard days work. If other video games had a similar mechanic, I think we'd all get far more invested into characters from video games than we currently do. (Instead of just "I love him cuz he's hot and cute owo" it's "I love him and want the best for him so so badly", almost like real friendship. And if that isn't a sign of powerful writing, idk what is.)
That’s how you know when the characters are well written. When seeing them again is a treat
Part of why I really enjoy Hades. The gameplay is fun, yes, but it’s in-between play sessions that you get story and character interactions. Seems a lot like this game
@@cring334 OMG. You're right though!! Hades does indeed capture the same feeling of the characters being your reward that Days does. No wonder I love both games so much...
Sounds like the original Nier tbh. The gameplay was a slog but if you got through that you got some of the best written characters and one of the best stories in a media form
So like Death Stranding, tedious gameplay, masterpiece writing, characters and story
I liked that several of the Xion boss phases were personifications of Sora's KH1 "limits."
-Ars Arcanum
-Sonic Blade
-Ragnarok
-Strike Raid
It's equally interesting when you take Limit Form into account for KH2FM.
I never noticed that. That's pretty cool.
YO that's actually crazy. I'm amazed great perspective man
Bellybell14
Thank you, but I cannot take credit for noticing that.
I got the Prima Strategy Guide when I got this game and they were the ones who described the boss phases as such; believe it or not.
If it's 3 things I will always remember about that guide, it's that tidbit, how often I would study the bios of all the Organization members, and the huge list of Keyblades Roxas could use depending on what Gear was equipped.
This game had the OG Two Become One, baby! Also... the Umbrella...
Also the forms took after certain bosses strongly linked to Sora's memory in the world they originate from like the Ars Arcanum form having the four arms with curved blades reminiscent of Kurt Zisa and the Ragnarok forms weapon looking like the arm of the Chimera mini boss Heartless from KH: FM.
They also apparently resemble Ventus, Aqua and Terra's command styles, perhaps because she's pulling from Sora's memories through being a replica of Roxas both of which have links to Ventus's heart...Xion is a train station pileup of thematics and interesting concepts in general.
A friend and I used to have a drink together every wednesday after work. it was always something we looked forward to. no matter how bad the day, the week, the month, was...i got to see her on wednesday. recently our friendship ended, now im searching for someone to have ice cream with.
Hey, hope you're doing ok!
We could have an Ice cream over video chat
damn i’m sorry to hear that. has there been any hope or sight of reconciliation over those past two years?
The best of luck
I will never not tear up listening to Vector of the Heavens. Easily one of my favorite boss themes of all time. The instrumentation almost sounds like it's trying to sing a lullaby, but the "voice" keeps cracking and falling into an elegy instead.
In my opinion I think the best version of Days to recommend in the present day is the Days manga. It does a much better job of getting you to relate to the characters than the movie
The manga was badass
It also makes Xion look like a certifiably adorable sweetheart and I love that.
Oh so people really have a problem watching it, but for me it's different because I genuinely actually played it on the hardware and was just engrossed in it because I was a kid
@@SundayLiquid I played and loved the game but it’s a DS game so it’s kinda hard to recommend in the present day. Manga on the other hand holds up. Only version I don’t think is very good is the movie
Oh my goodness, when it cuts to Axel screaming "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!" my heart was ripped out of my chest and I became a Nobody
Me too... It hurts, but it hurts good, because I know the rest of the story... but it still hurts
When I played this game back when I was a teen, I was playing through the missions, mainly at the promise to see more of the character interactions between the three. It was very heartwarming.
Impy I resonate with this comment in my soul
I had a rough time when I was young, and I found Solace in Days. Had a crush on Xion, felt like I was best friends with Axel. When I got through to the Xion fight. I was crying all the way to the end. This game made me appreciate the story so much, and the friends it gave me, even if they are just digital. It felt real.
Hey. I hope you’re doing alright out there.
I was so young when I first played this game, and now that I’ve had full time jobs, your synopsis really hits home. Roxas really is such a well written character, man. Relatable through and through.
You hit the nail on the head perfectly. The collection just makes me sad cause Roxas and Xion are hands down my favourite characters out of honestly any videogame ever, and you just don't get the same feelings from the cutscenes.
You should read the manga
With so much Kingdom Hearts 3 hype in the air, I am learning more and more that, despite putting a lot of time into Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, I literally know nothing about this fucking series. Kingdom Hearts make me feel like I am actually a normie.
It runs deep
Lol Ive played every game but I still feel like a normie for not having done a lvl1 critical run of kh2
Welcome to the club i played almost all the gams and i am still confused.
Thats how it be
tehraider123 It really do be like that sometimes don’t it?
My dad literally bought this game for me when I was grounded back in high school I had just one weekend to beat it! You can bet I beat it and cried so hard. Once that weekend was over I had to get my grades up before I could return to this adventure and unlock all the characters for the mission mode. What a memory this game is.
Was that enough to get your grades up? 🤔
@@epiclight858 no, but the rebellious act of playing the game made it way more special. My Mom later found out that I bought the game and played it the whole weekend. It was bought at Blockbuster before it closed.
Me, in the future, knowing that Everglow's timeline.
"Who can I eat ice cream with?" = "Who can I be a person with?"
This game ruined me, people seriously don't give enough credit to tetsuya's character development skills
@James Chris His character development skills
It always annoys me when people say Nomura is a bad director/writer (as if those two are mutually the same thing). Yes, he does fumble a lot when it comes to plot exposition and sometimes with pacing, but he truly excels when it comes to the characters themselves and displaying raw emotion. For a game series that focuses on the heart, I'd say it's damn important to get those right. Also, as a man who first started out doing character designs, I'd say it's no coincidence that he is very good when it comes to writing his characters. Characters are his bread and butter pretty much.
you mean lack of? kh is a story for 13 year olds
Gotta agree. But that being said, i will say that i dont think Nomura did an excellent job characterizing the BBS trio. I really feel like he should have characterized them better, especially Terra. But thats just me.
@@joshuaburns4797 not really
You're the goddamn best for giving this the attention it deserves. I just fucking wrote this comment a couple weeks back:
Super old, but yeah. I think the movie, while a treat for the visuals and voice acting, really hurts the emotional weight the gameplay gives. The repetitive music drains the weight of their relationship. Whereas it functioning as an after-work hangout, the repetition underscores what little they have to enjoy, yet still, manage to. While I actually loved the block board, I can see why others found it intrusive. However, playing the game leads to one of the most transcendent moments in any of the series. You start off working with a single partner before mostly going solo. At one point Xion disappears. You and Axel go on a mission and decide to look for her. You end up finding her and decide to tackle your missions together. The setup is you with 2 team members, exactly akin to the mainline games at that point. And for that day, for that moment, everything felt right. There was uncertainty before and loss after, but for that mission, everything clicked. And I think that moment gives weight to their friendship that the BBS team never got outside of one boss battle, but even that wasn't the fully realized experience 358/2 somehow captured.
Outside of the maddening stealth missions (mainly that first Pete one in Agrabah where you "can't let Pete out of your tiny and unruly field of vision in an open box room.) I find the game worthwhile. It builds its thematics into the gameplay itself to an absurd degree. I'd say about as much as Majora's Mask, though the gap with the execution and enjoyability of those games is, uh, wide. At least it gave us one of the most amazing pieces of KH music with Vector to the Heavens. Xion's theme, in general, is my absolute favorite. The mixture of all of Sora and Kairi's melodies blending into Xion's is unrivaled in my eyes, though.
interesting connection in with majoras mask, could just be how my brain works but I liked what people commonly say are drawbacks to the games. 358/2 having a routine, majoras mask having an ever-growing to-do list of tasks, both games heavily feature the player feeling helpless, working on little information, able to act freely but with little control over what happens on the larger-scale, both story-wise and gameplay-wise. These are complaints I've heard about the games, but that's exactly what made them so appealing to me.
@@thejest69 Reminds me of the time loop in Bravely Default: You had to fight the 4 bosses of each of the temples 4 times before the main characters realize why they're being forced to repeat the same tasks over and over again, which leads into the True Final Boss Fight, which has a really awesome song play near the end of it.
Omg that day is THE reason the game breaks my heart to replay. The cycle of wanting to see my friends at the end of the day, broken when Xion just isn’t there one day, we finally get her back and the 3 of us share a day together… it was at work but the stars aligned and our mostly solo and tedious/difficult job suddenly became bearable with our 2 best/only friends working alongside us
We spent all game so far wanting to be able to hangout together and we finally do just that… and then it’s all downhill from there
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 is basically the high point of Kingdom Hearts writing tbh. It's my favourite story. The gameplay is unfortunately kinda laggy - frame rate drops etc but it really merges how gameplay as being busy work - like a job with story so well.
So, Days was my first Kingdom Hearts game ever. I played it when I was around 10. It has become particularly special to me because it was the first time a video game actually invoked emotion in me. I fell in love with Roxas, Axel, and Xion (who I definitely had a crush on), so when the end came I was legitimately depressed afterwards. I remember laying around for a week or two thinking about the time I spent with this trio. I can still think back to the times I tried to replay it, and couldn't even get past the screen title because the song would just remind me of them and their fate. It is sad, but I would never want to forget. Those 358 days are a treasure to me.
Another thing that people just watching the movie end up missing is the "escape the castle" sequence and the Saix fight. It's by far one of the most impactful moments of the game!
While Xemnas is the true villain in the story, Saix is the one that acts as the antagonist to Roxas and Xion. He's the one that constantly belittles Xion and Roxas (and by extension, the player) while forcing them to do missions every day. You grow to hate him just like Roxas, given how much bullshit he makes you go through every single day.
When you finally get to day 355 and you see Roxas's diary entry "I am DONE WITH THIS." it feels like a triumphant moment. The castle that served as Roxas's home for almost an entire year becomes a stage to be beaten and at the end stands Saix as a boss. Beating him feels satisfying, cathartic. For a fleeting moment it makes you feel like Roxas is in control of his life, for the first time ever. There's no way to experience this without actually being forced to interact with Saix every day to progress the story, and sluggishly getting through the increasingly annoying missions he gives you.
At this point, the movie is probably the worst way to experience Days. I'd argue that anybody just interested in the story would do better to read the manga, despite its added comical bits, since it does a better job getting you into the minds of the characters. Playing the game is ultimately the best way to experience it, despite (and maybe due to) its flaws.
Gotta agree with the manga suggestion. It uses the villain of the day trope with ice cream scenes to make you feel the chore of roxas and xions daily lives. I found myself getting excited over another ice cream scene than readi g about Roxas taking down another heartless
There is a manga! I have to get my hands on it
@@matty9460 not canon tho but it still awesome.
Saix is like the manager everyone hates while Xemnas is the seemingly cool owner of the business who acts all nice and as soon as you leave the room tells the manager (Saix) to can your ass.
I'd say the novelization does an equally good job of telling the story of 358/2 Days. It helps that it explains the events of Chain of Memories a lot better than the game did by actually showing scenes from Chain of Memories.
Vector to the heavens is amazing
Musique pour la tristesse de Xion , was another masterpiece!
A retrospective that actually makes me appreciate Days more, and I already look fondly on it. So few people get Days, glad to see someone look and see the same things I did and more. The Ice Cream line may be one of the best in KH.
Thank you! I know this video is 2 year old, but finally I've found someone who experienced this beautiful tragedy of a game like I did. Someone who understands the context of the highly memed scenes of Roxas asking about ice cream and Xion's gutteral scream after talking to Riku and knows why those scenes are absolutely devastating. Again, thank you.
This is the one Kingdom Hearts game where the story is better than the gameplay, IMO.
Xchi would like a Word with you lol.
@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE both such there
*COUGH* *COUGH* BIRTH BY SLEEP *COUGH* *COUGH*
I actually kinda disagree. The story is kinda dull half the time and then is really cool and exciting the other half. I actually kinda enjoy the gameplay of 358...as a portable. It’s not a game I can sit and play for hours, but wait in line and knock out some missions, wait for class or breaks during work. It can be pretty fun imo
What about Birth By Sleep and 3D. The story in 3D isnt the best but it has to be better than THAT gamaplay. At least the story was interesting at points. The gameplay was just a jpeg of a balloon.
I loved 358/2 Days. I put in over 80 hours on my first file, and once a friend accidentally deleted it, I started it all over. However, I don't think I really want to play it again at this point. But in addition to everything the video talk about, there's something that was only barely touched on that I think makes Days absolutely worth playing through at least once. YOU CAN PLAY AS ALL OF THE ORGANIZATION MEMBERS! Also Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Sora, if I remember correctly. The novelty of playing through missions as Org XIII members with joke weapons is definitely worth experiencing, and the series hasn't had anything like it since. The fact that this part of the game was dropped rather than expanded on in future games is a freaking crime.
But seriously. If you have a DS or 3DS, find a copy of Days. Both for the novelty and the full impact of the story and characters. I don't think I would have cared much about Xion if I had just watched the HD collection cutscenes, but after playing the game, I loved her, and it was heartbreaking to have to...The ending just hurt, okay? Xion is adorable and precious, and she deserves a happy ending. I need KH3 to put things right...
@@OpticalJesu5 It's been years, so I could be wrong, but I don't think dual-wield Roxas was a character to unlock. I'm pretty sure it was a specific Keyblade you equipped that then made him dual-wield.
You unlock it with the one keyblade you redeem at the moogle shop with the nobody symbol if im correct then you give it all of the ability chips
Does anyone else think that Xion is probably the best written female character in the series?
More than Aqua?
@@Monol Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I think Xion had the more unique arc with her identity crisis. Aqua has the typical wanting to get back to her friends story arc that’s pretty standard for these games. The Days trio’s conflict is kind the inverse of that. Their whole thing is that they’re already together for the most part, but they eventually end up clashing over how to maintain the status quo of their friendship. We see this especially with Axel who feels it’s best not to reveal too many secrets to his friends so that they don’t get in trouble with the organization. He warns Xion over and over that if she keeps doing what she’s doing they’ll destroy her ass.
It's a low bar
Nope. That would be Aqua. Birth By Sleep is one of the best KH games. Xion is certainly second, though, since Kairi and Namine are not interesting at all in the slightest. KH is really about the pretty spiky haired boys more than the girls tbh.
@@jackskellingtonsora There’s just one problem with BBS’s storyline. Master Eraqus. This guy knew all along about Xehanort’s plans to start a Keyblade War because the man himself told him. Yet once Eraqus receives news that Xehanort is missing that’s not enough to make him warn his pupils about what Xehanort could possibly be up to. Let’s also not forget that Eraqus knew that Ventus could factor into Xehanort’s plans. It’s the whole reason he wants Ventus to be brought back home. I’m all for flawed and interesting characters, but what’s this guy’s excuse for making such poor decisions? Why are so many people so quick to jump down Terra’s throat for not always being smart but his master flies under the radar for some reason?
I think he said it best when he said it's a tragedy. It sounds weird, but there really aren't a lot of games that are just straight tragedies. There are games that are sad, but they usually end well or the gameplay is triumphant and has a different tone than the story. This game is really top to bottom a tragedy. In other sad games, when you beat a boss, you still feel good. In this game, you feel like you just checked a box off your to do list, and you feel kind of bored. The only positive part of the game is always overshadowed by it ending and you going back to work.
"Roxas, that's a stick."
"If you see someone else's face, a boy's face, then that means I'm ready."
"There won't be a 'you' to remember."
But I remember. I really miss Xion.
Thats not true........I would.
The bond between those three is better than any other group in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. 358/2 is my favorite KH story by far.
KH 358/2 Days is the most beautifully written of all the Kingdom Hearts games in my humble opinion! The most heartbreaking one without a doubt! How many litres of tears were shed for Xion's death in the fandom? I can't even tell... All I know is that this game will always hold a dear place in my heart.
Thanks for giving love to the sea-salt line. That line to me is as misunderstand as the Tidus & Yuna laugh scene. Out of context it's weird and hokey, but in context they are moments of quality character development and writing.
I was so disappointed that none of my friends liked this game as much as I did back when I played it. Glad to see that someone else has a high opinion of the game despite its flaws.
This was my first kingdom hearts game and it brought me into this emotional series. 358/2 was really a weird way to get into this series because right after playing it, I got KH1 and when Roxas wasn’t there and a different spiked hair anime boy was center of attention I was completely disappointed. Sure the game is great, but not seeing Roxas really made the game not as good as it could of been. After I completed KH1, I received KH2 and there was my sad anime boy. KH2 was truly a come back to 358, even though it came out before it. I grew to like Sora, but Roxas will always be my favorite part of the whole entire series. Also thanks for giving this game a look at, most people just skip it or watch the cutscenes.
Agreed!!! there wasn't as much emotional wait on sora, and having donald and goofy around is a constant reminder of that. Days felt less like a disney game and i liked that. I liked it when the only thing disney involved was worlds to travel
I also started the series with 358/2 and Roxas, Xion, and Axel are my favorite characters in the series and are way better than the original trio. I was 7 when I played the game and 10 when I beat it and after going through all those frustrating missions and boss battles I felt it was worth it. Why, because the characters made all the time I spent on the boring missions worth it and it hurt seeing them all get separated and xion being forgotten by everyone. I wish we could’ve gotten a series with roxas because he’s way more like able and relatable than sora.
Funny how when i played kh2 for the first time after beating kh1, i was disappointed about the fact that i was using a "new protagonist" in the shoes of Sora. Then i grew to like Roxas cuz he was a cool character and all and in the moment they made me switch to Sora i was hella pissed cuz i thought Roxas was a better protagonist. Then i saw Sora killing off Roxas almost at the end of the game AND THE ANGER WAS REAL! I hated the ending and i hated Sora as well LOOOL. Then Birth by sleep came out and i calmed down.
I started with Chain of Memories, disliked Sora, played Days, hated Sora, then I couldn't even finish 1 because he is the worst part of the series to me. I have followed the story but I honestly hate Sora, Kairi, and Donald compared to all the other characters.
tbh KH 1 is the best game by far but I like Roxas too
I can't believe that I found someone who *GETS* Kingdom Hearts the way I do.
I'm glad I found your channel today homie.
😙💨 . . . *Cheers* . . . 😚💨
25:05 With context, it's humanity, and it stings so bad, so tragically. Such absurd sounding words yet they have such an impact. I remember when those figure keychains came out for KH characters. I knew the Brith By Sleep characters were in it, and I was super excited since I felt what I thought was Aqua. "This is awesome she's one of my favorite characters!" I thought. Then I got home and pulled it out and it as Xion. My >actual< favorite character. And not knowing she was in there, I shed a few tears, remembering everything about the game. Knowing we were gifted to remember.
This articulates a lot about what I feel for 358/2 Days, and I enjoyed watching this! I remember years ago binging through all of the cutscenes and files of all the games so that I can get what's up with the story. But when I got to Days and saw there were only, what, four? compilations, I felt incredibly unsatisfied. I made it a mission to scour for the game just so that I could play it, feeling incredibly relieved that I even had the game system for it (on hindsight right now, I just realized my brother played Chain while I played Days; how coincidental).
And then I played and I wasn't disappointed at all. I was glad I played and was able to experience the story that is shown through dialogue and all of the intercharacter intragroup interactions. I didn't have the same experience as someone having played KH I or II since I didn't have a precedent for gameplay, but that's okay. I agree with a lot that you've mentioned, and can understand the rest.
As for the ice cream scene, I have reservations about it only if because I know what the Japanese version is. I think the English version tried too hard making the ice cream an Active symbol rather than a Passive one. The JPN version has his quote be, "mata sannin de aisu wo tabeyou" (また3人でアイスを食べよう), which translates to (phrased like this to be dramatic), "Let's eat ice cream together again, the three of us." It gives a sense of bittersweet hope for a future that none of them could have really put stock into, rather than a sense of heartbreaking personal grief. That being said, going for utter devastation (aside from getting hella memed) works too.
Thanks again for doing this video! Looking forward to watching your past and future ones!
The twilight trio are my favorite characters in all of kingdom hearts. I played these games when I was a little kid and had a grueling time beating them. Out of all of them, 358/2 days stuck with me. As I had my years of forgetting the series for a bit I never forgot xion. Last year I got back into kingdom hearts again and I never forgot how much I love xion.
FINALLY. You explained 358/2 days PERFECTLY. It's a tragedy when people just write it off as the worst KH game when in fact, the way the entire gameplay/missions work emphasize the emotions and relationships so much more.
This is a game that I really wish had an actual HD remake for the sake of its story; the movie cut out A LOT of details (I'm quite upset about this part and I have a huge list) and characterization. Seeing Roxas interact with the other members was one of the highlights for me in the game and showed they weren't just there to fill out a list.
Gameplay-wise, I didn't like it because of the panel system and the way the enemies worked. I've played Monster Hunter and boy did a lot of fights feel like that game's. The magic system didn't help either. (It was supposed to be like KH2's magic system; MP bar, MP recharge)
Luckily, the story managed to keep me playing the game to the end, and to this day, Roxas is still one of the best characters in the series because of how much I was able to relate to the character throughout.
Anyone returning to this video? I keep coming back, it’s just so beautifully done. And it articulated a lot of my feelings about the game and Roxas, Axel, and Xion as a whole.
KH Days AKA the sad one. AKA nobody gets a happy end here or later.
Bot Roxas is nobody!
let's hope for happy ending in kh3
@@salehalhussaini420 kh memory archives #3, published this morning: "but i believe there's hope for them, don't you? one day they'll be together again"
@@salehalhussaini420 watch it! look up kh3 memory archives. it's the third one. all 5 of them are good though
There is hope
CZcams just randomly recommended this video to me and I have to say that you REALLY hit the nail on the head here. I remember the game feeling like work as well, and the game made me cry that much harder than the cutscene collection because of this. Great work, earned yourself a sub!
This is a great way to point out what some of the best writing of the franchise manages to do and at the same time it also points out why almost all scenes in KH3 don't work AT ALL. One of the best cutscenes of that game is the one in which Axel (or Lea, whatever) talks and eats seasalt icecream with Kairi, only to get a blurry flashback/illusion of Xion and it breaks him while he doesn't know why. There are so many reasons that cutscenes is as good as it is and most of it is about build up and anticipation, which KH3 lacks almost in every other part. The rescue of Aqua has little build up, gets resolved in 30 minutes split up into 3 parts over the game and has no consequence even though Aqua got corrupted by darkness. That alone would've been enough plot and potential to fill KH3 but it gets rushed to get to the climax. Same with Ven's rescue, a bunch of parts of the keyblade war etc.
That death has no consequence in KH anymore doesn't make it better. Do people have to die? No, Roxas is a good example of a tragic character, that works without actual death. But sometimes characters need to die and CoM, KH2 and 358/2 Days understood that. Axel dies because he sacrifices his life to save Sora, the hero and the only thing left resembling his best friend, the Orga members die, Ansem the wise dies etc all because they are for some reason on the wrong side of the story or to help the greater good and that gives some actions more impact. Bringing characters back 30 minutes after they died maybe seems good at first, but makes the world lose a lot of consequence and heavily devalues a ton of great moments that happened before.
This game may not have been a masterpiece coming off the heals of Kingdom hearts 2, but there is one thing this game did and that was make me tear up after the end of Xion and Roxas's story
I think you nailed the point of the gameplay structure. It's Roxas' job and you play and experience it.
You couldn't be more on-point.
The odd man out here and say it is honestly my favorite Kingdom Hearts game something about the way the mission structure was made me feel like I was doing more progress made me feel like I was actually working for something more than just defeating heartless
You perfectly explained what games as a narrative medium can do that no other can't. It can directly allow you to experience the character's situation and journey instead of passively.
Similarly, its why the opening to KH2 is one of my favorite game stories, as you got to feel like Roxas by hanging around twilight town, doing odd jobs, etc all summer but also being confused by the weird events surrounding him and actively trying to fight back.
So when he comes to the truth that his entire existence is just being a preverbial ghost of someone else's life has to make that choice at the end to give it up for the greater good, it hits you hard.
After this video I can't help but commend the risk and storytelling Namura used in 358/2 to connect you to what's happening. It just sucks that it is needed to be boring gameplay, which I personally couldn't get through
This is my favourite Zelda game tbh. I'm so happy we're here in the retrospective series!
Zelda????
You sure your on the right video??
Lmfaoooo
Idk KH 2 is by far my favorite Zelda game
@@omnibusprimephd7914 You're all insane. Halo 3 is like, provably, the best Zelda game of all time. No other Zelda has had the same emotional resonance, gameplay value, or epic themes and tone as that one. We'll be lucky to get another like it.
man, If I was rich I'd give out money for comments like this.
I like this story it made the villains like there own characters and not just evil I don't know but I like them and I like roxas
This game was the one who got me into Kingdom Hearts. And I always argued when people told me DS games weren’t canon. And I love they are canon. I truely felt bad for Xion when I won that fight amd felt worse when in the top screen were the events going while at the botton screen I saw Roxas, Axel and Xion happy at the clock towet and then Xion slowly dissapearing. Also, that game is the reason of why Roxas has two keyblades, the second keyblade is Xion's keyblade and they are Oblivion and Oathkeeper for a reason as well. Oblivion in spanish is called "Recuerdos Lejanos" which translates to "Far Memories", and that name makes more sense because when Roxas has that keyblade it means is holding to his happy memories and wants to get back to those times. Oathkeeper is because he made a promise in the end of the game, he'll bring Xion back and they and Axel could be happy again eating ice cream at the clock tower.
Oh wow! You absolutely nailed this one, King! I always felt as if there was something truly special about Days, yet I could never put it to words. I grew up playing it and while the gameplay was meh, the story is only amplified because of that. Probably my favorite video by you now! Excellent analysis.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is by and far my favorite Kingdom Hearts game, and that's entirely because of its story and characters. I absolutely detest the combat and more than once I've given up on the game entirely. The collection I enjoyed because I could finally see the ending I had missed by giving up on the game itself way back when. I've come to realize I'm actually not that big of a fan of Kingdom Hearts; it's just a game from my childhood that brings an overwhelming amount of nostalgia to me and as a kid I'd spend hours reading the wiki pages on the Organization XIII which is still one of my favorite organizations across all video games (again, pretty much entirely because of my childhood fondness with the group). It's not a good game, but to say it's a part of me is an understatement. 358/2 Days is definitely a big reason why I am the person I am today.
This was my first Kingdom Hearts game and I remember crying so hard with the ice cream line; I legitimately put my DS down for an hour because I was so upset. Thank you for giving this game the attention I think it deserves.
Having no young childhood nostalgia for the series, only getting into it in my late teens, 358 is absolutely my favourite, I play games predominantly for the story, and this story made me cry all throughout the third act, it has done so every time I’ve replayed and rewatched it.
It’s a beautiful tragedy, that makes me scream and cheer when all of that suffering pays off in 3
For what it's worth, I only watched the cutscene collection and I thought it was ingenious. Definitely the strongest story in the series behind KH2.
"Bosses take lightyears to defeat."
lightyears measure a distance, not time.
Whatever. Bosses in this game are boring as hell regardless.
Looking at you Ruler of the Sky.......
This pretty much turned into a scene from The Big Bang Theory 😄
@Mac Mcskullface this is not about being a smart ass but to keep him from making that mistake again.
Scrolled down for this comment
Pokemon Blue taught me this!
Ya know. "Who will I eat ice cream with" is kinda...
It's Roxas' life. My god :/
And here you can see another one that doesn't pay attention to the dialogue! Axel said to Roxas that friends always share ice together. Since Roxas doesn't have ANY memories of Sora's, he doesn't know anything about friendship. For him, it means "Who will I be friend with?".
3 years late to the video, but man have you captured everything I felt playing that game at the age of 10. It’s a genuinely powerful story that elevates the rest of the game around it, and as my first introduction to the series - picked up for me based solely on the (actually fairly minimal) connection to the Disney films - it left an impression that even the other, much better games have yet to live up to
I just finished 358/2 days and I’m so thankful I took my time with it. It has taken most of the year but if you don’t rush it, it is one of the greatest experiences ever. Every time I think of Days, I think of the title and how apt it is and finishing the game really make me see how much of a tragedy this is in a series where each has almost never ended perfectly.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 = 179 days
donkey nuts
Quik maff
r/theydidthemath
"= 179" is the DLC pack name for the future re-release.
Maybe it's over two because it's like Roxas+Sora/2 ?
Gavitronian actually is because Roxas and Xion spend 358 days working for the organization. Because they were like two faces of the same coin.
GLAD SOMEONE FINALLY EXPLAINED HOW 358 FELT! and when the Ice cream scene got meme'd I felt like everybody was trolling and had no emotions. Guess you have to play 358 to actually FEEL it y'know :T
This was my first KH game, and tbh after playing all of them, this one is still my favorite.
I remember picking up this game when I was about 10 years old having never played a single kingdom hearts game
Was truly confusing back then so needless to say I didn't really enjoy it but the aesthetic and the general vibe of it stuck with me
Great review
Has me consider replaying it 8 years later
358/2 Days was the only game I actually cried beating, despite the blandness of the gameplay it had staying power through the character development intermingled with it
*Spoilers for Kingdom Hearts 3*
I loved this game, and since I was around 13 when I played it, I didn't realize how repetitive the missions were, all I knew was that I hella connected to the trio. The line, "what's your problem" never hit me hard, it's what he says next that hits me. Because it feels like he's trying to make himself angry. Here's the line, "you two... Think you can do whatever you want, and I'm sick of it. Yeah you just keep on running, but I'll always be there to bring you back!". And it feels like while he has made himself angry, he still basically promises to be her friend, saying he'll always bring her back, no matter what. I had a love hate relationship with that cutscene, I loved it, but I hated the fact that's what it had to come to.
And watching in Kingdom Hearts 3 the three of them finally reunite, it's a feeling of sorrowful joy that you will miss if you don't play 358. And in the final cutscene, when all three of them are eating ice cream together, as people, in normal clothes, knowing that's what they always wanted, is way better than any Sora/Kairi arc.
ayo. you didn't have to play Xions theme in the middle of explaining how well the game forces us to think like Xion, Axel, and Roxas. Now I'm in tears.
Wait, are there really people that think that eating ice cream was all he cared about? The reason that line is so devastating is because that's what his warped, child-like idea of friendship centers around. Who are you to say it's any better or worse than your idea?
While this is the bottom of the barrel, gameplay wise for me. This game had some of my favorite moments and character development in the series. Xion's fate still brings tears to my eyes. Absolutely fantastic video!
It’s such an underrated game. My family loves it.
The thing that really ties it all together for me, is after the ending fight with Riku, it comes back to the title screen and you hear Dearly Beloved, and that's when it clicked for me. How heartbreaking this story actually was; Monotonous, boring, but a part of the game that made it so good. It's just work. It's something to look forward to doing after work. And we all knew where it was going to end the closer we got to it - And that is why this version of Dearly Beloved hit so hard. The way the composition is done, I get the feeling that if these characters did have emotions, we know what emotions it would evoke.
The trio of Roxas, Axel and Xion is the most compelling out of the trios in the franchise because we get to know them and their friendship firsthand. We see it begin, the highs, the depressing lows and the inevitable breakdown. Unlike the Birth by Sleep trio, these three don’t fall apart because of informed character flaws, but out of the desire to maintain relationships that can’t survive, the intent of preventing hurt only making it worse when it does come. Roxas loses trust in one of the two people he trusts the most because Axel couldn’t be honest with him, Axel is just as affected because he’s not only losing his closest friend, but knows his action, or inaction, are directly to blame.
Roxas has to be the prince of sorrows in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. He was only living for a single year, manipulated and controlled by others for purposes he didn’t know the scale of. What little Roxas was able to discover and earn, was taken from him by people who saw him as a tool. Xemnas was only interested in him because he could wield a Keyblade, and thus harvest hearts. DiZ didn’t even acknowledge Roxas as a person, and deemed his existence an acceptable cost for Sora’s revival in aid of the endgame of his revenge.
I know this game is memed to hell and back, but I love it with all my heart. Story, weird gameplay, the whole shebang.
Xion is the real waifu of KH
She's underage.
I remember when this game was announced in Nintendo Power; I think I still have the issue where the game's cover art was the main cover. This series was so important to me that I would hunt down any info online that I could and would wait impatiently for the next Nintendo Power to reveal more details. I'd read that initial issue over and over. I think this is the one KH game outside of 2 and maybe Birth by Sleep that I was obsessed with. After BBS I fell off the series completely, but I still look back on those couple years as my favorite for the series.
I feel so validated watching this. I finished the game sometime in 2022 and I kept complaining about it to my friend the entire time saying its so slow and boring and I kept feeling like I was putting in 110% effort into doing every mission and wasn't being rewarded and didn't see the point of it, and i had a moment where I just realized that is the Roxas experience. I consider this game a masterpiece.
roxes uses a stick in a castle with suits of armor HOLDING SWORDS
this is the only kh game i played outside of KH2.
The Sea-Salt trio is most definitely my most favourite out of all the trios in the series. Seeing Roxas or Xion just makes me sad.
Thank you so much for this video. Perfectly encapsulated what I feel for this game. I know the vid is already 2 years old but it's heartwarming to hear the tenderness in your voice when talking about this gem. I felt so much because of this game and I've never heard it so well described before. I appreciate the remaster cutscenes but at the same time they don't hold the same feeling as the actual game,and that's an experience not every fan of the series can get anymore. It really is a shame.
Man, your video just...brought back a ton of feelings to the surface. I'm about 21 years old and I remember seeing commercials for this game when it first came out. Man, I musta been like 8 years old, and I remember being so excited when I got this game for Christmas because I had wanted it so badly. I loved this game, and still love it with all my heart. Both as my first KH game and for what it means to me emotionally. My first play-through absolutely crushed me in a good way. The ending was just so heartbreaking to little me and I just sobbed watching that last cutscene between Roxas and Xion. I adored both of their characters and really wanted a friend like they had. I had friends as a kid but upon reflecting I think I had wanted a really close friend like young me thought they were. Watching their story resolve and watching everything fall apart was frustrating and I loved it. I was a sad kid and this game just felt cathartic, I dunno. Like many other young adults, I suffer from depression and lately things have been going on that feel soul-crushing, I've been feeling as if I'm perhaps wasting my youth, ruining my life at a dead end job. I worry that I'm pushing away friends and that we were never as close as I had thought, but I've not been able to put my feelings into words. Honestly, one of the best things lately has been revisiting the Kingdom Hearts series (most notably Kingdom Hearts III! I'm having tons of fun playing through it) and after not having thought about 358/2 Days for a little while I stumbled across your video. It's like you were able to put a voice to how I've been feeling and here I am, crying my eyes out, at 1:32 am listening to the way you describe the emotional trauma and monotony plaguing Roxas, Axel, and Xion. I can't help but revisit the way this game made me feel, as an excited little 8 year old, staying up way too late to spend just a little more time with Roxas and his friends, and it feels like coming home. Thank you.
The second half of this video is amazing! Really well worded and I love the music choice!
I have just found this video now but it speaks to me on such a strong level. Knowing it will be a tragedy and not being able to do anything but rollercoaster off the rails to see how it finally ends.
Watching as the one thing Roxas enjoys get shredded to pieces bit by bit. The emotional outbursts especially from Axel to Xion during the final days.
And oh lordy the music. Xion's theme and Vector to the Heavens are probably my most beloved tracks of the series just because of the emotional level of the pieces to the scenes they are for. Xion's theme was so painfully sad about her existence. Vector to the Heavens had that resolute tension to end everything. Xion's final fight I just couldn't stop saying to myself no no... not like this it can't end like this please... and then her death after all that build up together with that somber Xion's theme playing in the background. It truly was one of the most heart wrenching scenes in the series for me, meme or otherwise.
That had to be the best Days analysis I have seen!!
I joined the KH fandom when this game was still in development, and I remember the flame wars about it and Xion that raged for years after. To where you couldnt even mention it anywhere without a firestorm starting to the point where no one really spoke about it at all. There were fans (like me) who would sometimes still talk or make or look up fan art but it wasnt prominent. So I really warmed my heart how many people have been stepping forward to declare how much they love the game in the last few years. To where it's not hard to find other fans anymore and people will still talk about it like they did back in '09 and '10! And when people bring up it's flaws (the graphics, the pacing, the gameplay) we all just sorta shrug and go it's there but it serves a purpose I can grasp and I still like it anyways.
I played Days when I had just started high school and I found my self engrossed in it because I could relate to it so much. Desperately trying to maintain those old friendships that I knew were doomed to fall apart as we grew and went in different directions and changed and longing for the days when me and my 3 best friends would sit at the same lunch table for 3 years and talk about the things that on their own were silly or petty or had no greater meaning but still meant a lot to us at that moment. Which is what days did with its scenes between ARX.
Those moments may not have been grande but they meant something for all that, and I think it says something that people were disappointed that we didnt see more of it in the movie when it came out.
I sometimes wonder if maybe the fandom had to grow in age more to realize what those moments meant and why they were important. To grow and live through what Roxas lived through. The loss of friends, the changing of circumstances outside your control that force you to make a choice that ends those relationships that were important to you. Or maybe more people liked it from the start than expressed it at the time lol!
I think it says something that of all the reunion scenes in KH3, ARXs is the only one that is basically silent. They say nothing, they just look at eachother, break down and embrace each other.
All the other reunions had dialogue and explanations but the Seasalt trio needed none of that for their closure. We knew all the emotion that was in that moment. How close they were, what they went through, what they had to do to each other and what they meant to each other. To where when they were whole and saw each other again, no words needed to be said. Because we knew. Because we felt it and it was so real.
I cant believe it's been 10 years since it came out. I really wanna go play it again now. I still have my original copy too. And my original save file from when I bought it new.
I just wanted to tell you I’m so glad you made this video. I love this game so much: it’s my favorite kingdom hearts game and one of my favorite video games of all time. And I literally rewatch this video so many times because I love experiencing the game again every once in a while without having to play through the 20 hours over and over again. I think this may be my 7th rewatch now. I love this video and your channel and I thank you for the work you do.