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Many people who are not largely invested in the Kingdom Hearts franchise may look at the newly announced rhythm-action game, Melody of Memory and see it as fun spin off title for fans of the series.
However, as a KH diehard since I was old enough to hold a controller, believe me when I tell you there is no such thing as a ‘spin-off’ Kingdom Hearts game.
While there are only three that share the original title format, every game in the series, including the mobile apps, are not only cannon, but extremely important to the lore and understanding of the series.
Melody of Memory will be no different.
Even in the announcement trailer there are scenes hinting at some of the large cliffhangers left in the wake of Kingdom Hearts 3 and the accompanying DLC.
So, for any fans interested in getting more out of the KH story, MoM will
be a necessary game.
Knowing the history of secret movies in the series, like those at the end of
the first game and many of the spin-offs, Melody of Memory is likely to shake up the KH fandom with some surprising reveals and tantalizing cliff hangers.
I would also be willing to bet that this game will at least have some ties, if not direct consequences or references, to the new mobile game released recently: Kingdom Hearts Dark Road.
Moving away from the lore and speculation side of things, the gameplay of this new title looks very refreshing.
The music of the KH series has always been one of its strongest points, so
it is actually a little surprising that this is the first rhythm style game we have received for the series.
It also keeps the action-RPG elements that are a staple of the series which will please fans who may not be as interested in rhythm style games.
From what we have so far, which is really only a trailer and some screenshots, it seems MoM will be a very classic Kingdom Hearts experience.
For a helpful comparison, I would turn to Re: Chain of Memories.
In terms of look, both games are rather similar, both moving back to the original game in terms of character design and overall graphical style.
Both games also incorporate ‘tours’ through worlds visited in previous
games, feature music, enemies, and characters met in those worlds.
I don’t mind this too much, but as many of the “spin-off” games do revert back to the older styles of the series, I do wish that we could get a newer, more interesting look and feel.
Kingdom Hearts 3 looked absolutely fantastic and I think leaning more towards that visual style. The more updated looks of all the characters would have been really enjoyable to see.
Of course, there are likely many factors at play in this choice, such as merchandizing, money, ability to use pre-made models, and things of
that nature.
Other than that, the game looks fun.
There seems to be some sort of ability system, with famous staples of the series such as Ars Arcanum making multiple appearances in the announcement trailer. Other abilities that seemed to be called ‘tricks’ showing up in the advertised online battles.
Speaking of, the KH series has never been excellent in terms of
multiplayer experiences, at least not in the console market. Seeing them put some more time into multiplayer functionality is very exciting.
There even seems to be a possibility of multiple playable characters in the online mode, which is always a plus.
Overall, this title looks promising.
I feel that the style may be a little bit uninspired, but the Kingdom Hearts series has always delivered games that, at the very least, feel fun to mess
around with for a while.
I will definitely be picking up Melody of Memory, as I own every other
game in the series and personally very much enjoy rhythm games.
I am almost positive there will be some sort of convoluted story to go along with it. I am excited to see what sharks the series can jump over next.