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Review:
KINGDOM HEARTS: CHAIN OF MEMORIES mixes well-known Disney
and Final Fantasy characters together in this card-based adventure
game. A proven success-the first Kingdom Hearts game was a
big success-Chain of Memories also proves to be a game that
is fun and challenging to play.
Chain
of Memories' storyline begins shortly after the conclusion
of the first game-with Sora (the hero of the story) and his
two friends Donald Duck and Goofy returning from their travels
of the first game. A series of animated cut scenes lay out
the plotline of Chain of Memories-Sora needs to search for
something or someone that is important to him. In the process,
however, he may lose something very dear to him. Led by a
mysterious stranger, Sora and friends enter into Castle Oblivion.
Here Sora discovers that Castle Oblivion is actually the memories
of friends he met and places he visited during the adventures
of the first Kingdom Hearts game, including the 100 Acre Wood
with Winnie the Pooh, Neverland with Peter Pan and Agrabah
with Aladdin. The mysterious stranger continues to explain
that Sora will need to use special "cards" to defeat
his enemies as well as gain access to other areas of the castle/Sora's
memories.
As the
game progresses, Sora finds his enemies-"The Organization"
along with its minions, known as the "heartless."
These enemy creatures change depending on Sora's location.
For example, they turn into palace guards when she is in Agrabah.
When Sora bumps into one of the "heartless" characters
a battle ensues. Once started, Sora uses a combination of
real-time action (moving around and jumping) and special cards
to attack and defend against the enemy. These special cards
are kept in a "deck" and are selected by the player
throughout the battle. Each card has a different capability
or damage amount caused. Special moves can be created by grouping
cards together and by using the right combinations of cards
at the right time. All of this amounts to a lot of strategy.
Simply wading in without a plan of attack makes victory much
more difficult. A victory often allows Sora to pick up new
cards from defeated enemies, which can then strengthen her
deck.
There
are a number of positive factors in this game. As mentioned,
the combat system requires real thinking skills and it is
bloodless and free of gore. Enemies simply disappear when
defeated. Additionally, the game's story is uplifting and
positive, focusing on the importance of friendships, of being
helpful and kind and that it is good to be true to oneself
and others. Finally, much of the story is told through text,
which encourages reading and imagination.
There
are a couple of things parents may wish to consider. First,
very young players may still be frightened by "the heartless"
and other enemies. Despite being blood-free, the game does
contain some fantasy violence. Additionally, by using well-known
Disney and Final Fantasy characters the game has instant recognition
and credibility with kids; however, this also leads to some
inherent commercialization concerns.
In the
end, a child ages six and above will probably get the most
out of the game. It is a fun game to play, and the card-based
fighting is a refreshing and strategic change from the simple
mayhem of first-person shooters.
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Jeremy
Gieske has been an avid game player since the days
of the Apple II+ and Karateka. Recently, however,
his interests have developed beyond simply playing
the games, but also trying to understand the historical,
social and cultural impacts of video games. He recently
acquired his Masters degree with distinction from
the University of Salford in Manchester, England,
where he conducted research on videogames. Jeremy
has a background in design and marketing, and has
worked with several Internet and publishing companies.
Recently, he has written articles for DIGA-the Digital
Game Archive and has worked with the Computerspiele
museum in Berlin, Germany.