Sora on 08 Jul 2007 03:41 pm
Kingdom Hearts III compared to Final Fantasy
Personally I hope that Sora, Riku, and Kairi don’t appear for long in the third game. Unfortunately the series seems to be completely unlike the Final Fantasy series. While this fact is indeed true, I will try to compare and contrast as well as I possibly can.
To begin with, they both have you starting off with relatively unfamiliar characters. None of the characters are ever the same, except for boss names and magic, in any Final Fantasy game, which adds an air of mystery as to what kind of storyline the game could have and what kind of weapons could you possibly wield. In Kingdom Hearts, however, you start the first game with a small boy and play around on an island until you have to fight. In the second game, however, you play as a character you already know, but he doesn’t remember anything about the past, except for his dreams, which makes you think that he is a relatively new character until he has yet more dreams. The second game has you start off thinking, “Where am I? Why am I here?” until you realize that you have to play as Sora again.
While Kingdom Hearts combines many different characters from different games, Final Fantasy creates completely new ones and forces you to run the gauntlet with unfamiliar people doing unfamiliar tasks. KH also is too familiar with the gamer, who has supposedly played the first game (which I unfortunately was unable to do) and all you do is mash X repeatedly while saying to yourself, “Aren’t keys usually blunt?” The basic plotline is just that; basic. You hit X and you destroy heartless.
I may be unqualified to talk about FF and KH because I have only partially played FFVII and almost beaten FFIII (Nintendo DS), and also only partially played KHI and beaten KHII, but I can get the general gist of both games. I do not believe that any thing used in Kingdom Hearts I or II can be used in the third game. The first two did the same worlds with little variation, and over used any and all plots. On the contrary, almost anything from any FF game (except 7) can be used as they are all different. What the programmers need to understand is that they need to break down old barriers they set up with the first two games, set high standards for the third, and then break those.
Again I have rambled on and off the topic, so please enjoy my ramblings and I hope I haven’t offended any freaky fan-kids.
Thanks to KingdomHearts3.net reader Kyo for this submission!
on 01 Sep 2007 at 5:34 am 51. Kannr
Alright I’ve never played ANY of the final fantasies so I’m not going to comment on them, but I just wanted to say KH2 is NOT a bleedin’ X-masher!!! If you DO actually pay a small amount of attention to the “abilities” section of the pause menu, you would know you can assign different buttons to different actions!!! I’m not sure how the hell you might beat sephiroth without using square to make the combos last longer or to block his attacks (not to mention knock the bastard(no offense intended FF fans)into the air). If this silly author HAD in fact truly played KH2, he would KNOW mashing X would only get you killed repetatively, even on the simplest setting. Oh, by the way, KH2 RULES! KH1 was incredible too.
on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:44 am 52. Ashen Lionheart
I’m curious, what’s the difference between mashing X and pressing it every four seconds as you slough through random monster battles that you could (literally) beat with your eyes closed?
on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:54 am 53. Ashen Lionheart
Also (sorry for the double-post), one of the theories concerning the next Kingdom Hearts game is that the keyblade war will involve the worlds, and that they will not be as self-contained as before. I’m really looking forward to this: in a time before the existence of the “World Order” Donald is so obsessed with, when Square can mess with the plotlines of Disney movies.
Also, getting rid of Sora, Riku, and Kairi would likely be a suicide move by Square. Although dropping into a new world for every Final Fantasy is fun, Kingdom Hearts is an altogether different universe, one where you’re meant to see a continuous story evolve and grow as time goes by. Personally, I prefer this to Final Fantasy. I like seeing characters evolve gradually, as opposed to all at once.
The Final Fantasy plotlines could be more thoroughly exploited, I’m looking forward to seeing FF I-VI worlds in future games and if Square doesn’t put Final Fantasy characters in except as cameo’s like they’ve been doing so far I will harvest their souls (Ironically, I learned how to do this from Sephiroth).
I personally prefer the Kingdom Hearts series for two reasons: One, it presented us with a cosmos which we grew familiar with in the first game, and is slowly showing us pieces of it that we did not see earlier (primarily because at the time they did not exist, but if you’ll just stop meta-gaming for a bit it’s rather enjoyable), such as introducing the Organization in CoM and defining them in KHII. I really like following the story of ONE character over multiple games. Two, I prefer button mashing to stale, psuedo-turn based combat like in FF XII that is horribly reminiscient of its predecessors, and I don’t think the FPS gimmick in FF XIII will work out very well either (though I won’t deliver a final judgment until I actually play it).
on 11 Sep 2007 at 4:49 pm 54. Rpg lover
Id have to say they are both VERY good games…and way to diffrent to tell whats better. Im just glad that they are both there for me to play. The more the better right?
on 14 Sep 2007 at 5:40 am 55. auron_roxas
I can’t swing wither way In this matter. ff x is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played as well as kh 2. Both games have great storylines amazing graphics and are well worth the cost of both. Kingdom hearts 1 is also a great game and ffVII is great too
on 04 Nov 2007 at 3:42 am 56. taskfro
i agree yet disagree
i mostly agree with every thing said
but
kh is more complicated than just pressing X
there is also:
magic
summon
limit
drive
reactions
but, you might be wrong with other stuff too, idk
cause i too have only played part of KH, beaten KH2
& played few FF games(FF X-2, FFVII:DOC, FFXII)
on 22 Nov 2007 at 1:18 am 57. Ookami_7
Sorry, but Kindom Hearts is much more then you appear to know. The characters grow and evolve throughout both games, and the combat system is more complicated then pressing X over and over. If you don’t have strategy, you will die, end of story. Plus, if they didn’t use Sora, Riku, and Kairi in the third game, fans would be very disapointed, and the game probably wouldn’t sell many games after the first release. Personally, I think that the third game will allow you to switch, at will, between Sora, Riky, and King Micky. They already showed this capability in KH2 when they allowed players to play as both Riku, and the King, in special instances. I beleive they will expand this in the third game, though Sora will have the most customization.
on 02 Jan 2008 at 12:05 am 58. Dannecia
Reading over some of the previous responses, some people have a REALLY strong opinion about this topic. I’ve personally played both Kingdom Hearts games and a few in the Final Fantasy series, but I REALLY liked them both. I completely respect everyone else’s opinions, but I think these two kinds of games can’t be compared. They are very different games that offer very different kinds of plots and battle sequences.
The few Final Fantasy games that I’ve played have all been thoroughly entertaining, and that’s mostly because because of the storyline. My favorite was (and still is)FFVII. It has a deeply moving story, and I admit that I’ve cried while playing it. Kingdom Hearts has a great storyline too, but it does have a childlike innocence. I still love it though–sometimes the storylines in FF wear me out. I mean that as a good thing, though! ^__^ The kinds of worlds in both games are different, but again, that’s because of the story. The worlds in Kingdom Hearts are simple, but full of life. Final Fantasy worlds are magical and ooze off feeling. But I think if you just focus on the characters and their stories, and world can seem amazing.
I won’t touch on the whole battling things, only because I’m the kind of person who plays mostly for the story. But I do prefer the battling in Kingdom Hearts, only because the random encounters don’t take you to a new screen. It gets a bit annoying when I’m in a rush to get somewhere. But for the most part, I think both games are incredible, but picking which to play depends on your mood, I guess.
(Sorry if my writing seems as bit scattered! >_
on 07 Mar 2008 at 1:49 pm 59. the frogman
i completly agree with Dannecia about the fact that are two completly different games. but i also agree with whoever the fruitcake was that wrote this ridicluos article (excuse any and all of my spelling) that they should have broken more barriers within the KH series. however the FF series did that with each game but in all seriousness comparing the two games is like comparing pickles to cake (u get the idea dont seriously do this) it shouldnt be done…. having played ffvii(only beating the first disc i havent had much time to beat the rest of the game yet) along w/ several other FF’s i must say this guy needs help….. Leonhart178 also has a point that this fruit should not be talking. well ty all for reading my rant:)
on 10 Mar 2008 at 1:55 am 60. cloud hatake
i don’t care crap worth of the theories or ff compare. all i know is that i can compare about how much i like both!!! and FFVII ROCKS. i already beaten it, and seen the movie
on 07 Jul 2008 at 4:46 am 61. Jello
First of all, both Final fantasy and Kingdom hearts are just two unique series of games. Why bother criticizing one and other when you KNOW you love the two series so much?
And second of all, I think having Sora as the main character just follows the storyline. It is a characteristic in the Kingdom hearts series and I’d say that I would like to keep the characters as it is in the entire series, otherwise it would’ve been another game, and not the familiar Kingdom Hearts game we like. Hey, I don’t hear many people complaining about disney characters appearing for such a long time.
However, I think the story has come to an abrupt end for kingdom hearts already, despite the fact that there are many mysteries unsolved. Does a kid wielding a giant key gets to save the world AGAIN? Riku, Sora and Kairi have already returned to their island. Namine and Roxas returned to their own selves. Goofy and donald have found their king, so doesn’t the story finishes just here?
And yet the question still remains: does the keyblade master stay in the island forever living in peace? If all the worlds are restored once again, does that mean he will never meet his friends again (if we try to get realistic and just skip the I will think of you and you will think of me bit)?
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:22 am 62. KH3obsessedXIII
if you dont have sora in the game its not really kingdom hearts. i mean sora is the main character and he is goin to be in the next one i know because at the end of the second game he opens the bottle with the kings seal on the paper inside and it says something about a new mission so yeah
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:32 am 63. KH3obsessedXIII
i personaly dissagree with every statement you made in that. i think that you really cant compare kh and ff becasue they are completely different games i personaly like kh better because 1 the fighting style is better, in ff you wait for the other guy to attack then you do its kinda gay. 2nd i like the story line of kh a lot the whole thing just works in every aspect. i think that if you took out the disney characters the game would be completely different. some good things and also some bad. i mean mickey is just such a beast.
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:40 am 64. Black Heart
Did anyone Miss me?
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:41 am 65. Black Heart
Come on people it doesent take that long to post damn you people are slow.
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:44 am 66. Black Heart
Man you are so slow i bet a Shadow Heartless could kill you .
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:45 am 67. Master Ansem
Black Heart that’s enough no more .
on 17 Jul 2008 at 2:46 am 68. Black Heart
Yes Master ….-opens a portal and disappers into it-
on 06 Aug 2008 at 8:34 pm 69. KH3obsessedXIII
right
on 03 Sep 2008 at 1:44 am 70. Kyo
Man, I really wish I had my knowledge of writing that I have now when I wrote this. I really need to do some editing.
on 03 Sep 2008 at 1:49 am 71. Key of Reason
anyone know where i might be ableto find a copy of final fantasy 7?
on 07 Nov 2008 at 8:48 pm 72. SirBlaBla
Womp!
on 07 Nov 2008 at 8:50 pm 73. Key of Reason
seriously Id truly like one.
on 20 Feb 2009 at 11:45 pm 74. Mechacrash
I still dont understand why everyone feels the need to compare to great selling points of a company to see which is better, especially in this case.
comparing KH (a *SERIES* just making that important for the author who believes making things new in such a thing would be better) to FF (a continous genre of games revolving around new adventures and characters but sticking (generally) to the classic RPG style) is foolish.
They are completely different, story, gameplay, genre. The only thing that ties them together is that square enix made them.
Thinking of it in another perspective would be comparing mario to zelda, they’re both made by nintendo, they both sell well, they both have large fanbases. Yet they are completely different, this is the same.
There is no need for these comparisons as many a time people will be biased (not saying the author is as he stated himself he has little experience of the entire game selection of both title) towards one game and thus attempt to state the other needs to be more like it, this is how i felt when i read that KH needed to have new characters and stories and locations, “like FF”.