8/10
Jul 21, 2019·✓ Recommended
Beat·PS4
The odd interquel between Kingdom Hearts and KHII, Chain of Memories is definitely an acquired taste - but it's definitely one that hit the mark for me.
The main reason this game is a black sheep among the franchise is that it's a card battler. This kind of sharp left swing in the gameplay is a big part of why it doesn't work for some, but I personally love the balance of deckbuilding with the way it plays out during actual combat. Rather than turn-based, which might be what you expect from a card game, it is actually fully real-time. This means you get both the pre-fight strategy of assembling your deck to best suit what you think might be coming, plus the tense need to react and find answers in your deck in real time as enemies throw unexpected attacks at you. It can be a lot to get your head around but if you do I think it settles into a frenetic and wonderful flow.
Of course, the story is where things get a bit less coherent. Sora and co. are climbing a strange castle but lose memories as they ascend each floor, which is a pretty cool idea but it is obviously slightly more melodramatic than that as the narrative tries to widen the scope of Kingdom Hearts' plot to include new threats alongside the already established Heartless.
It’s easy to see why it has its detractors – the card system is at worst obnoxious and comes with a steep learning curve, and it is punishing if you can’t engage with and learn it. However, I found myself immersed quite quickly; I have a fondness for deckbuilding and Chain of Memories satisfied that love easily.
Check out my full review! The Almighty Backlog, review #50:
https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2019/08/04/kingdom-hearts-chain-of-memories/
1
