It makes me sad. I went into the first Kingdom Hearts right after Christmas of 2005. It was the last video game my parents ever gifted me. Back then, I had never beaten a Square game or non-Pokemon RPG, so I had my doubts about it. I gave it an honest go, and after two 100% playthroughs, I had discovered a game that triumphed over its flaws with style and warmth. The gameplay was good, but the intangibles were so much better. From the Disney characters who helped shape my childhood, to the childishly endearing Square characters, to the touching music that ranks among my favorite ever, this fusion of Disney magic and Nipponese melodrama plucked at my heartstrings in a way few other games had before.
Luckily for me, I beat it in early 2006, a mere three months before the planned release for Kingdom Hearts II. My excitement was palpable, and I felt so fortunate to have experienced the original KH when I did, not just for the experience itself, but to spare myself of the agonizing 3.5-year-wait which plagued early fans. I preordered the sequel, which came out on a day where I wasn't burdened with school or work. I drove to GameStop, took my tiny treasure home with carefree excitement - the excitement of a child - and popped it in my PS2. I had salivated over this game for three months, yet when I heard the newest rendition of Dearly Beloved, I put down the controller and just listened, forgetting the 40+ hour adventure ahead of me.
Kingdom Hearts II brought with it faster, more action-oriented gameplay with flashier moves and some of the epic QTE set pieces gaming had seen. It might not have had as much simple heartwarming charm as the first, but anchored by the Roxas sub-story, it was no less emotional. As a new but devoted fan, KHII had met all my requirements. It was, in every way, a worthy sequel, and I was now, in every way, a hardcore fan of the series.
And now I sit here, typing this over five years later, wondering what the hell happened. My only new experience with the series was a PS2 remake of the GBA card game spinoff. While not terrible, it was nothing more than a spec of dust landing idly on the two real games that had spawned an army of anxious fans. The series has since migrated to handhelds with spinoffs that I will likely never play - ones that apparently wreak havoc on an already complicated story. The Kingdom Hearts team is currently preoccupied with Versus XIII, a game several years in the making that could likely wind up a financial bomb. With that being the case, who knows if Kingdom Hearts III will even be made. It is not in development. It has not been announced. Fans' best case scenario, when noting Square's recent release schedule, is that it gets released in about five years. That puts the release window between sequels at a solid decade, or from sophomore year in high school to grad school graduate in the real world.
I loved the two games so much back in 2006. They were unquestionably my two biggest games of that year. I had just turned 20, and in a period of my life where the world was gradually forcing me to trade in childish dreams for cold reality, they allowed me to briefly hold on, to cling to lazy afternoons - relics of simpler times.
I was 20 then, waiting for Kingdom Hearts III. If it ever sees the light of day, I'll probably be 30. It might be too late. And realizing that, it looks like
my summer vacation is over. =(
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Yoblazer: http://oi52.tinypic.com/ad21i1.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!