Kingdom Hearts III

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 210 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Kingdom Hearts III Game Cover
Battle through some of Disney/Pixars best known worlds as you try and save the universe from the Heartless!
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In Kingdom Hearts III, an older Sora teams up with Donald, Goofy, and Disney/Pixar characters to hunt down seven guardians of light, preventing Xehanort from triggering a second Keyblade War. The game boasts hack-and-slash combat, resembling Kingdom Hearts II, and includes elements from later handheld entries. The adventure unfolds across various Disney and Pixar worlds, as Sora and his companions encounter the real Organization XIII.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 210 reviews
story34 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • Stunning graphics and visuals that bring Disney worlds to life.
  • Engaging and fun combat system with new mechanics like Keyblade transformations and Attraction Flow.
  • Nostalgic experience for long-time fans with emotional moments and character reunions.
  • Convoluted and confusing story that requires knowledge of multiple previous games to fully understand.
  • Excessive cutscenes that disrupt gameplay and can feel tedious.
  • Lack of Final Fantasy characters and meaningful challenges, making the game feel less impactful.
  • story249 mentions

    The story of Kingdom Hearts III is a complex continuation of the series, heavily reliant on prior knowledge from numerous spin-off titles, which can leave newcomers feeling lost. While it successfully ties up long-standing plot threads and explores themes of friendship and light versus darkness, many players find the pacing uneven, with significant exposition and convoluted dialogue that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its engaging moments and nostalgic Disney references, the narrative often feels cluttered and lacks the coherence that fans hoped for after years of buildup.

    • “The storyline is rich and emotionally compelling, blending themes of friendship, courage, and adventure.”
    • “In this regard, longtime fans have nothing to fear; Kingdom Hearts 3 manages to pull off all those threads together and deliver an epic story that feels rewarding for fans who have been there since the beginning.”
    • “The story delivers on well over a decade of build-up and left me hungry for a new adventure.”
    • “The story is confusing.”
    • “The plot is beyond cluttered.”
    • “After years and years of countless games that expand on the story while we wait for a 'conclusion', this game waits to try to wrap everything up until the last couple hours and it's kind of a mess.”
  • gameplay78 mentions

    The gameplay in Kingdom Hearts III is widely praised for its smoothness, responsiveness, and variety, offering a mix of action-packed combat and engaging exploration across numerous visually stunning worlds. While many players appreciate the integration of mechanics from previous titles and the fun factor of the combat, some criticize it for being overly simplistic or easy, with a tendency to feel like a mash-up of various gameplay elements. Overall, it stands out as one of the strongest aspects of the game, providing an enjoyable experience despite some inconsistencies and a disconnect with the story.

    • “The gameplay is smooth, responsive, and incredibly fun, with a perfect balance of action-packed combat and engaging exploration.”
    • “The gameplay is the best in the series and feels very smooth and intuitive.”
    • “With a collection of fun Disney adventures and fun gameplay, this is the finest entry the series has seen in recent memory.”
    • “The gameplay is very inconsistent.”
    • “The gameplay loop was pretty much run through a TL;DR Disney plot that didn't do anything fun or engaging with character actions, exploration, or anything really, until it was time for the big plot mode of the KH universe, which was also really disappointing.”
    • “The gameplay was okay, but the difficulty was insulting.”
  • graphics50 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and vibrant art style, effectively bringing beloved Disney worlds and characters to life. While many players appreciate the overall aesthetic and improvements over previous titles, some have noted issues with framerate and character design, particularly for original characters like Sora and Riku. Overall, the graphics are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the immersive experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth and pacing.

    • “The graphics and visuals are nothing short of stunning, immersing players in a vibrant and enchanting world filled with beloved Disney characters and iconic locations.”
    • “The graphics are phenomenal and so is the frame rate.”
    • “The graphics and world design are just incredible, and the gameplay is smooth once you pick a play style that suits you.”
    • “After playing 0.2 in preparation for 3, I became worried due to the horrific framerate and graphic quality in 0.2.”
    • “Everything from the slightly sub-par graphics to the overly-varied menus and mini-games to the blank-and-a-bit-slow load screens.”
    • “The graphics are pretty but there's no effort in any of the battles.”
  • music30 mentions

    The music in Kingdom Hearts III is widely praised as a standout feature, with many reviewers highlighting its emotional depth and the seamless blend of original compositions and iconic Disney tunes. Yoko Shimomura's soundtrack is described as stellar, enhancing the overall gaming experience and providing memorable moments throughout the game. Despite some criticisms of the story and gameplay, the music consistently receives high marks, contributing significantly to the game's presentation and emotional resonance.

    • “That being said, the most amazing thing about Kingdom Hearts III's presentation is the music.”
    • “Furthermore, the game's soundtrack is a masterpiece in itself, featuring a mix of original compositions and iconic Disney tunes, enhancing the overall gaming experience and adding to the emotional depth of the story.”
    • “I'm so glad they took their time making this - the music is amazing, familiar strains, yet original to this entry; the plot is now clear and heartwarming; improvements in graphics and gameplay are impressive.”
    • “No going to Arendelle Castle or entering Elsa's ice palace... just add a musical number and finding Olaf mini game... it was just an awful world.”
    • “However, the dialogue, music, and mood of the battle worlds is pathetic.”
    • “Like, the entire song 'Let It Go' is an example of a cut scene.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    "Kingdom Hearts III" delivers an emotional experience for longtime fans, effectively blending nostalgia with new themes of friendship and adventure. The game's soundtrack enhances its emotional depth, featuring a mix of original compositions and familiar Disney tunes that evoke strong feelings. While some players may find the story lacking, the emotional moments and character development, particularly for Sora, create a heartwarming journey that resonates deeply with those familiar with the series.

    • “It can be quite emotional even to hear the game's opening theme as it reminds you of everything you've done throughout the series, but even more emotional are the beats the game hits when remixing old tunes to feel brand new, and the new themes it brings to the table to make the characters, worlds, and the relationship between them all connect.”
    • “The storyline is rich and emotionally compelling, blending themes of friendship, courage, and adventure.”
    • “Furthermore, the game's soundtrack is a masterpiece in itself, featuring a mix of original compositions and iconic Disney tunes, enhancing the overall gaming experience and adding to the emotional depth of the story.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth, but the story lacks emotional depth.”
    • “I found the emotional moments to be unconvincing and flat.”
    • “The characters didn't evoke any real feelings; it felt like I was just going through the motions.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some moments are genuinely hilarious and feature clever, self-aware dialogue, others fall flat with awkward delivery and clichéd attempts at comedy. The story's absurdity can lead to laugh-out-loud scenes, but the overall execution often feels forced and cringeworthy, detracting from the comedic potential.

    • “The good news is that while some dialog and voice acting moments can feel awkward, the story isn't afraid to goof around (pun intended), and be funny.”
    • “That's absolutely hilarious and I love it.”
    • “There are some tongue-in-cheek, self-aware, even 4th wall-breaking lines that make for some humorous scenes.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can be engaging and adds depth to exploration, particularly for those aiming for 100% completion, it can also become tedious over time, especially with repetitive keyblade actions. Overall, grinding is seen as a necessary component that enhances the game without becoming overly burdensome.

    • “This made exploring the large worlds interesting, but not tedious.”
    • “You still are not going to boot up the game just to do it for hours unless you are grinding for 100% completion on synthesis items, but at the same time, it isn't something you wish wasn't included either.”
    • “Some of the newer actions are fun (running up the walls!), but the different keyblade actions are cool at first - and then tedious.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized, with many users noting a lack of meaningful growth, particularly for the protagonist, Sora, who is portrayed as simplistic. While the game features returning favorites and impressive graphics, the convoluted story and excessive reliance on Disney elements detract from character depth, leaving some development scenes feeling unnecessary.

    • “There is absolutely no relevant character development.”
    • “Sora’s character development died apparently because he’s treated like an imbecile.”
    • “Some character development scenes were pointless.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for its smooth performance during action sequences and its beautiful graphics, though some users have reported occasional framerate issues, particularly on lower-end hardware like the base PS4.

    • “There is always a lot of action going on, and the game runs smoothly, allowing you to keep track of everything.”
    • “Graphically, it's beautiful to me. I remember some people complaining about this at launch, but honestly, it looked gorgeous to me (who is primarily a high-end PC player using a base PS4).”
    • “The framerate was an issue at times even with the better performance option turned on.”
    • “Despite the game's beautiful graphics, the optimization leaves much to be desired.”
    • “I experienced significant performance drops, which detracted from the overall experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is cleverly integrated, as users noted that the advertisement for the game is seamlessly woven into the narrative, enhancing rather than detracting from the overall experience.

    • “The monetization in this game feels intrusive and takes away from the overall experience.”
    • “I can't believe how many ads pop up during gameplay; it completely disrupts the flow.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overpriced and make it hard to enjoy the game without spending a fortune.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game's replayability is rated low at 2/5, indicating that it may not offer significant incentives for players to revisit it, though opinions on this aspect can vary widely among individuals.

    • “Replayability 2/5 - this is very subjective.”
    • “Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel like a chore rather than a choice.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report experiencing computer glitches and issues when entering codes, indicating that stability can be compromised during this process.

    • “When you get the codes, you risk computer glitches and problems when entering them.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and freezing, which ruined the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

89% average critic score

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