Kingdom Hearts Chain Of Memories is a direct sequel to the huge enormously loved game, Kingdom Hearts. This entry into the Kingdom Hearts franchise takes a new spin on the gameplay of the original, as well as having an extra package of story to tell from Riku’s point of view. This review will focus on both the story and gameplay elements and the meaning behind them, as it has with each other game review, so strap in for this review, and enjoy!
The main focus, rather than the villains who controlled the heartless who you constantly battled against in the first game is a new group of enemies, an Organization that calls themselves “Nobodies” known as Organization XIII. Each member forces Sora to go through a fragment of his memories, locking each of his abilities into cards that he himself will have to gather in order to use his full potential. It is a great way to segway into a new game and explain the reason behind your abilities being reverted back to zero while introducing new villains and a new combat system at the same time.
The combat system revolves around the aforementioned cards that you are given at the start of the game, and collect from enemies or buy from shops. Each card can be used over and over unless used in a sleight, which is a combination of cards that release an advanced technique against your enemies. Of course, you aren’t the only one forced to use this system, as your enemies and bosses are forced to use this combat style as well. This is how a system known as “Card Breaks” comes into play. You can break your opponents’ card string, should you have a higher power card combo or more cards in your set than theirs, shutting down their attack while starting up your own. This clever system eliminates the complaint of enemies being too easy, as it forces you to mind your deck while paying attention to your opponents.
All in all, this card system attempts to remedy a ton of problems that could be involved with a sequel of the game and does a great job doing so, while at the same time being fun and manageable. The story is fun and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. However, this game can get really, and I mean REALLY confusing if you haven’t played the previous game, or do not pay attention to the pieces of story you collect on the way. It makes the game fun, but at times confusing, and is a mostly positive experience, while having a few negatives.
