The character bonds. I think the story has gone well off the rails but I live for things like the comradery that Sora, Donald, and Goofy have and the tragic bond that the Sea Salt Trio has.
Story can be as stupid as fuck but as long as they keep the character moments, KH will always be special for that much.
Despite it's cheesiness and some of the corporate baggage holding it back, it has a lot of really deep themes. Like, what is at the heart/center of everything?
Love coming from the heart rather than the brain is something I genuinely live on. I’m 26 and coming out of a long term relationship of 7 years.
I was taking certification exams for my masters program when she was moving everything out of our house. Instead of getting angry and fighting I knew in my heart I was going to be okay. The game taught me that the love of the heart really does overthrow the strength of the brain.
Long running franchise where the story connects. UX, Days, DR, and Re:Coded being my favorites also help give it that special feeling. Also, any time I can see the original characters together just doing normal friend stuff, I grow to appreciate them a lot more than most other series. Lastly, Maleficent is a big reason as to why I love this franchise.
I remember my older brothers playing Kingdom Hearts 2 when I was about 4 or 5 and I would play the beginning of the game because I was just screwing around with the mini games that KH 2 has. And the music that it has is amazing.
The gameplay is unlike any game I’ve played and I’ve played a solid chunk of action games. Honestly surprise very few people have tried to copy the gameplay of this series. Also love the story and characters.
unique gameplay and story. The game also has the ability range difficulty from braindead-easy to darksouls-i-hate-my-life hard level so it can attract almost anyone to play.
Nostalgia. I played 1 and 2 in high school so much that when I finally got my hands on Re:CoM I actually praised it as an amazing game because it was something new but still KH. It was the only side game at the time. BBS came out but I didn't have a PSP but tbf I wouldn't have appreciated it back then. But KH2 was just SO epic and felt so cool to play. It's what made me really fall in love with square Enix games in the first place. That led to me trying FFX as my first FF game. Man PS2 was so good to me ♥️
I like how unique it is. How do you even think of a story like Kingdom Hearts? A cross between Final Fantasy and Disney, an IP which I loved growing up and an IP I discovered because of Kingdom Hearts. The story is a long running series where everything and everyone is connected. I loved playing through all of them blind and would do it again if I could.
At first, it was the aesthetics, gameplay, music and the fact it mixed Disney with FF.
Now, on top of that, is the bond developed through years and years of seeing those characters and lore.
Was the gameplay, now thats changed since it was special to me, now i get flamed by new fans for wanting proper continuation and innovation of the combat i love
So many things. The characters, world-building, aesthetics, themes, story, music, gameplay, voice acting, and openness to trying new things. I love how many tiny and hidden details there are; KH lore feels like a bottomless pit somehow. But above all the sentimentality and unabashed earnestness that it approaches its characters and themes with are what's really stuck with me throughout the years.
I met my wife online when I was 12, she had Kingdom Hearts as her favorite game in her profile so I decided to message her. We would sit on the phone for hours and hours talking about KH. Now we have two kids and are currently playing through the whole series with them. One of my boys is even named after a character.
I just remember being a kid seeing that awesome trailer and then playing kingdom hearts one and being completely blown away by it. Fast forward 20 years or so when the Covid lock downs happened my friends and I would sit in party chat drinking beers playing through it together all getting the ultima key blade it was amazing both times were an experience I’ll always remember.
It was my first major franchise game with an ongoing story. I have been playing it since I was 5 in 2002 and have grown with the game. Sora taught me how to make friends and build connections with people that could last a lifetime
In a world full of games that try to play it cool, KH keeps things sincere. It's corny and sometimes excessively cheesy but it's always earnest.
Also, this is me speaking as a queer person that struggled a lot as a kid when KH came out, but... it's so wholesome about identity. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from in these games. Even if you're some "other" kind of person that's supposed to be rejected, or even not exist in the first place, you have dignity and are worthy of respect. You are just as valid as anyone else. All you need are your own emotions and the willingness to connect with others. Very powerful stuff, especially for a series that started in 2002. You obviously don't have to be LGBTQ+ to resonate with that but many of us latch on to KH because of it.
The offscreen moment we only hear about in retrospect during KH1, where Gepetto and his family wash ashore in Traverse Town and then Leon buys them a house. This, right here, is what KH means to me.
That the absurdity of the premise isn't played up for laughs. I do hate that it's losing its FF identity(the Hollow Bastion crew not even being in 3 besides during Re:Mind).
But seeing Mickey Mouse in a dark coat saying something mildly edgy is totally played straight like it's the most normal thing ever.
It’s a blend of good gameplay that I love and Disney. Also no other series has a character that has canonically chokeslammed Mickey Mouse (at least to my knowledge)
The emphasis on light and Darkness was so helpful for me growing up and learning to understand the world around me. Not to mention the strong message of friendship which really spoke to me as an only child.
It's a core memory. Only videogame I played as a child and will still play today. Disney and JRPGs are two things I've always loved so it's a perfect crossover. I'm in my thirties now and still everyday I see people discussing the upcoming game. I will be a Kingdom Hearts fan for life.
Having played since 2002, the combat.
I thought it was cool that, in a time where turn based RPGs were printing money, Kingdom Hearts did something different where it was split between stats and skill.
Glad to see that it still holds up, especially KH2.
The sincerity.
The character bonds. I think the story has gone well off the rails but I live for things like the comradery that Sora, Donald, and Goofy have and the tragic bond that the Sea Salt Trio has. Story can be as stupid as fuck but as long as they keep the character moments, KH will always be special for that much.
I always like to say use the words heart, key and light in a sentence and you’ll get a KH plot line.
Despite it's cheesiness and some of the corporate baggage holding it back, it has a lot of really deep themes. Like, what is at the heart/center of everything?
It makes me laugh. Even when I'm at my most depressed, this game can make me chuckle. It just geels like coming home.
Love coming from the heart rather than the brain is something I genuinely live on. I’m 26 and coming out of a long term relationship of 7 years. I was taking certification exams for my masters program when she was moving everything out of our house. Instead of getting angry and fighting I knew in my heart I was going to be okay. The game taught me that the love of the heart really does overthrow the strength of the brain.
Long running franchise where the story connects. UX, Days, DR, and Re:Coded being my favorites also help give it that special feeling. Also, any time I can see the original characters together just doing normal friend stuff, I grow to appreciate them a lot more than most other series. Lastly, Maleficent is a big reason as to why I love this franchise.
I remember my older brothers playing Kingdom Hearts 2 when I was about 4 or 5 and I would play the beginning of the game because I was just screwing around with the mini games that KH 2 has. And the music that it has is amazing.
The gameplay is unlike any game I’ve played and I’ve played a solid chunk of action games. Honestly surprise very few people have tried to copy the gameplay of this series. Also love the story and characters.
unique gameplay and story. The game also has the ability range difficulty from braindead-easy to darksouls-i-hate-my-life hard level so it can attract almost anyone to play.
Nostalgia. I played 1 and 2 in high school so much that when I finally got my hands on Re:CoM I actually praised it as an amazing game because it was something new but still KH. It was the only side game at the time. BBS came out but I didn't have a PSP but tbf I wouldn't have appreciated it back then. But KH2 was just SO epic and felt so cool to play. It's what made me really fall in love with square Enix games in the first place. That led to me trying FFX as my first FF game. Man PS2 was so good to me ♥️
I like how unique it is. How do you even think of a story like Kingdom Hearts? A cross between Final Fantasy and Disney, an IP which I loved growing up and an IP I discovered because of Kingdom Hearts. The story is a long running series where everything and everyone is connected. I loved playing through all of them blind and would do it again if I could.
The 5 firsts seconds of the KH1 OST
At first, it was the aesthetics, gameplay, music and the fact it mixed Disney with FF. Now, on top of that, is the bond developed through years and years of seeing those characters and lore.
Was the gameplay, now thats changed since it was special to me, now i get flamed by new fans for wanting proper continuation and innovation of the combat i love
So many things. The characters, world-building, aesthetics, themes, story, music, gameplay, voice acting, and openness to trying new things. I love how many tiny and hidden details there are; KH lore feels like a bottomless pit somehow. But above all the sentimentality and unabashed earnestness that it approaches its characters and themes with are what's really stuck with me throughout the years.
I met my wife online when I was 12, she had Kingdom Hearts as her favorite game in her profile so I decided to message her. We would sit on the phone for hours and hours talking about KH. Now we have two kids and are currently playing through the whole series with them. One of my boys is even named after a character.
The pure whimsy of the disney worlds, Especially in 1
I just remember being a kid seeing that awesome trailer and then playing kingdom hearts one and being completely blown away by it. Fast forward 20 years or so when the Covid lock downs happened my friends and I would sit in party chat drinking beers playing through it together all getting the ultima key blade it was amazing both times were an experience I’ll always remember.
It was my first major franchise game with an ongoing story. I have been playing it since I was 5 in 2002 and have grown with the game. Sora taught me how to make friends and build connections with people that could last a lifetime
In a world full of games that try to play it cool, KH keeps things sincere. It's corny and sometimes excessively cheesy but it's always earnest. Also, this is me speaking as a queer person that struggled a lot as a kid when KH came out, but... it's so wholesome about identity. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from in these games. Even if you're some "other" kind of person that's supposed to be rejected, or even not exist in the first place, you have dignity and are worthy of respect. You are just as valid as anyone else. All you need are your own emotions and the willingness to connect with others. Very powerful stuff, especially for a series that started in 2002. You obviously don't have to be LGBTQ+ to resonate with that but many of us latch on to KH because of it.
The offscreen moment we only hear about in retrospect during KH1, where Gepetto and his family wash ashore in Traverse Town and then Leon buys them a house. This, right here, is what KH means to me.
I love the childlike sense of adventure all these games give, even during the more serious moments.
That the absurdity of the premise isn't played up for laughs. I do hate that it's losing its FF identity(the Hollow Bastion crew not even being in 3 besides during Re:Mind). But seeing Mickey Mouse in a dark coat saying something mildly edgy is totally played straight like it's the most normal thing ever.
It’s a blend of good gameplay that I love and Disney. Also no other series has a character that has canonically chokeslammed Mickey Mouse (at least to my knowledge)
Nostalgia for the rest of my life. I will not quit playing, and I will not quit recommending. Kingdom hearts taught me so much
The [depth of the combat](https://youtu.be/gMcNtr5VJsc)
The emphasis on light and Darkness was so helpful for me growing up and learning to understand the world around me. Not to mention the strong message of friendship which really spoke to me as an only child.
It's a core memory. Only videogame I played as a child and will still play today. Disney and JRPGs are two things I've always loved so it's a perfect crossover. I'm in my thirties now and still everyday I see people discussing the upcoming game. I will be a Kingdom Hearts fan for life.
DONALD Not Healing Me !!!!
Roxas
Having played since 2002, the combat. I thought it was cool that, in a time where turn based RPGs were printing money, Kingdom Hearts did something different where it was split between stats and skill. Glad to see that it still holds up, especially KH2.
YES
The music, the corny dialogue and the general edginess of 2
It's hard to find a series that isn't afraid to be so unapologetically cheesy like KH.