10 Video Game Sequels That DRASTICALLY Missed The Point
2. Kingdom Hearts III
Once again, we find ourselves reiterating the statement that a game doesn't have to be bad to be disappointing.
The third entry in Square Enix's Disney/Final Fantasy mash-up was a fine, 8/10 action RPG with plenty of fan-service for followers of The House That Mickey Built (Woody! Elsa! Mike Wazowski!). Unfortunately, if you came into the game as a Final Fantasy fan, you were fresh out of luck.
Kingdom Hearts had built its identity on bringing together the worlds of Disney and Final Fantasy, to great success. Who could forget fighting Hades alongside FFX's Auron, taking on a literal army alongside Squall and Cloud, or fighting Sephiroth alongside Donald and Goofy?
Well, apparently Square Enix forgot, as Kingdom Hearts III removed all traces of Final Fantasy from the story. Series producer Tetsuya Nomura has since stated that he wanted to put the focus on Kingdom Hearts' original cast rather than Final Fantasy's, perhaps not realizing that Kingdom Hearts' increasingly bloated mythology is something players tolerate rather than enjoy.
Kingdom Hearts is at its best when it mashes FF and Disney characters together like an overexcited kid playing with all their action figures at once, and hopefully the upcoming Kingdom Hearts IV recaptures some of that giddy magic.