Reading through all the reviews here that have been based solely on the cutscenes in 1.5 made me twinge in pain. It's such a shame that this game goes unloved simply because Square Enix doesn't feel like putting in the effort to remake it... Especially since it's actually pretty good. Probably my second-favorite, nestled very snugly below KH2 and above KH3.
The progression is entirely mission-based, with all the gameplay being segmented into multiple short quests in various Disney worlds. It gets repetitive quickly, but considering the medium, I think it was a good call. Being able to burn through a couple missions during a bus ride or a short break is very nice. It also pairs nicely with the game's story; the budding friendship between Roxas, Axel, and Xion is even easier to buy when you get a true grasp of how much time they spend together, and what they go through together while performing odd jobs for the Organization, throughout the events of the entire game. The trimmed-down cutscenes of 1.5 simply can't capture the feeling of it.
I am also very fond of the Panel equipment system. Put simply, all the game's mechanics - what magic you can cast, what items you have equipped, what your Keyblade is, what defensive and mobility options you can use, and even what level your character is... are all determined by equipping "Panels" onto a large grid, with some Panels being able to be augmented by attaching other Panels to them. This novel mechanic makes preparing your character into a little minigame in and of itself, and I always enjoyed messing with it. Especially since your equipped Keyblade will actually completely change your Attack combos.
And, of course, the immense coolness of being able to play as members of the original Organization XIII is, and always will be, incredibly cool.
358/2 Days is the second most underappreciated title in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. The MOST underappreciated, re:Coded, is on my to-do list to this day...
8/10. Roxas, that's a stick.
The progression is entirely mission-based, with all the gameplay being segmented into multiple short quests in various Disney worlds. It gets repetitive quickly, but considering the medium, I think it was a good call. Being able to burn through a couple missions during a bus ride or a short break is very nice. It also pairs nicely with the game's story; the budding friendship between Roxas, Axel, and Xion is even easier to buy when you get a true grasp of how much time they spend together, and what they go through together while performing odd jobs for the Organization, throughout the events of the entire game. The trimmed-down cutscenes of 1.5 simply can't capture the feeling of it.
I am also very fond of the Panel equipment system. Put simply, all the game's mechanics - what magic you can cast, what items you have equipped, what your Keyblade is, what defensive and mobility options you can use, and even what level your character is... are all determined by equipping "Panels" onto a large grid, with some Panels being able to be augmented by attaching other Panels to them. This novel mechanic makes preparing your character into a little minigame in and of itself, and I always enjoyed messing with it. Especially since your equipped Keyblade will actually completely change your Attack combos.
And, of course, the immense coolness of being able to play as members of the original Organization XIII is, and always will be, incredibly cool.
358/2 Days is the second most underappreciated title in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. The MOST underappreciated, re:Coded, is on my to-do list to this day...
8/10. Roxas, that's a stick.