Seeing as the 15th anniversary of the title is coming up this month, I figured it was about time I finally sat down and pushed through it. Not to shit on the early celebration, but I have to be honest here and say that 358/2 Days is one of the most tedious experiences I have had with a JRPG to date. It's definitely not for a lack of trying on the developers' side. Quite frankly, 358/2's story is one of the most interesting in the series, and certainly the most emotionally despondent, but the game suffers from so many problems, some of which even detract heavily from the story itself, that I can't help but be left with a sour taste in my mouth after completing it.

First things first, forget the fact that I have not been going through this series in a consistent manner, but I did go through Days' story some years ago through the remaster's VN format, so I already understood the gist of what was to come before actually playing the game myself. And yet, despite not enjoying the game very much at all, I would still say that actually playing Days is essential. Roxas' near-year long residency with the Organization is one that easier to empathize when going through the mundane day-to-day life in his shoes. While this works wonders from a storytelling perspective, it's a double-edged sword that may also cause disengagement from the player, which was partially true for me.

To better explain what I mean, I'd like to draw comparisons to Pathologic, a game that many who hold in high esteem would still call extremely boring; I mean, it's meant to be. It's very much a case of "games as art" that I don't blame anyone for hating. As of the time of typing up this review, I have not finished Pathologic myself, but I have found some great sense of roundabout enjoyment in its deeper themes and worldbuilding, despite its gameplay being the equivalent of nails on chalkboard. In the same way that Pathologic sacrifices "good" gameplay to make the player feel part of its world, one could argue that Days takes a similar approach in order for the player to connect with Roxas. The main problem, however, is that Mickey Mouse is in this game, among other things.

Kingdom Hearts is a series that tends to not take itself too seriously; a fact that attracts many to the series in the first place. As a result, though, I'm someone who has not come to expect too much from the story in these games, but rather a fun and goofy time for a majority of it, and unfortunately, Days is just not fun. Between the boring mission-based structure, the incredibly tanky bosses, and the simplistic/janky combat, there was rarely a moment of genuine enjoyment on my part. Despite this, I'm still glad I finally got to experience it to the end. Roxas, Xion, and Axel are probably my favorite trio in the series, and despite not being as enthralled with the series' overarching narrative as some others, I still think Days was a story worth telling.