Kingdom Hearts Re:coded is a cluttered desktop.
Whenever people would say "nothing happens in Re:coded, but the game's still fun," I thought they were being dismissive. It turns out that's actually the best description of the game.
My favorite part is the stat matrix, which is basically the sphere grid, but it also handles gameplay changes. Wanna change the difficulty? Wanna gain CP instead of EXP? All handled right there. It offers a lot of customization while reinforcing the computer theme. The game also offers choice in the System Sectors. Each floor has a challenge, and you place a bet on if you can beat that challenge. If you want all the prizes at the end, you gotta go all in, so you can either play it safe and attempt the Sector multiple times or git gud. The Sectors do kinda feel like being sent to the budget dimension, but I appreciate having a dedicated space for more dynamic challenges. I will say though, the platforming and camera work for what the DS can do, but it was never really that fun. Auto-jumping was weird, but it never screwed me over or anything.
The combat was also enjoyable. Commands can be used to cancel regular attacks, and it's never not satisfying to go from a full combo to a thundaga into another combo. The fact that a couple of the keyblades have unique combos is icing on the cake.
It's a shame then that the combat doesn't get the attention it deserves. So much of this game is full of random mini-games. 2D sidescrolling, stealth (thankfully not all of Wonderland was this), Space Harrier, turn-based combat, chasing Iago (under a time limit!), not having a keyblade at all (tho relying on Donald and Goofy was neat). The developers made a great combat system, and then don't let me use it! Thankfully I can just replay the few boss fights that were actually great, like Dark Riku, Heartless Sora, and Roxas.
As for the story, I think it can be summed up by the moment where Data Sora defeats Sora's Heartless, everyone says their goodbyes, resolution is achieved, and then Goofy says "hey wait, that didn't have anything to do with the inciting incident," and the game goes for another two hours. Amazing.
Whenever people would say "nothing happens in Re:coded, but the game's still fun," I thought they were being dismissive. It turns out that's actually the best description of the game.
My favorite part is the stat matrix, which is basically the sphere grid, but it also handles gameplay changes. Wanna change the difficulty? Wanna gain CP instead of EXP? All handled right there. It offers a lot of customization while reinforcing the computer theme. The game also offers choice in the System Sectors. Each floor has a challenge, and you place a bet on if you can beat that challenge. If you want all the prizes at the end, you gotta go all in, so you can either play it safe and attempt the Sector multiple times or git gud. The Sectors do kinda feel like being sent to the budget dimension, but I appreciate having a dedicated space for more dynamic challenges. I will say though, the platforming and camera work for what the DS can do, but it was never really that fun. Auto-jumping was weird, but it never screwed me over or anything.
The combat was also enjoyable. Commands can be used to cancel regular attacks, and it's never not satisfying to go from a full combo to a thundaga into another combo. The fact that a couple of the keyblades have unique combos is icing on the cake.
It's a shame then that the combat doesn't get the attention it deserves. So much of this game is full of random mini-games. 2D sidescrolling, stealth (thankfully not all of Wonderland was this), Space Harrier, turn-based combat, chasing Iago (under a time limit!), not having a keyblade at all (tho relying on Donald and Goofy was neat). The developers made a great combat system, and then don't let me use it! Thankfully I can just replay the few boss fights that were actually great, like Dark Riku, Heartless Sora, and Roxas.
As for the story, I think it can be summed up by the moment where Data Sora defeats Sora's Heartless, everyone says their goodbyes, resolution is achieved, and then Goofy says "hey wait, that didn't have anything to do with the inciting incident," and the game goes for another two hours. Amazing.