• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX |OT| Press to pay respects

No. KH2 is better than KH1 in almost every way. More challenging bosses, better combat, plenty to do.

I beat every boss in KH1FM and only died 3 times. Complete lack of challenge, synthing is annoying. The plot and some of the level designs are the only thing KH1 has in its favor, everything else is better in KH2.

Agreed. For me, BBS and KH2FM are way better than KH1FM in almost every single way. I even prefer the story of those games over KH1's personally (although KH1 did use the Disney elements better and had some really great moments like Sora using the keyblade on himself to free Kairi - one of the best scenes in the series). I'm not even sure if I would give KH1 the advantage on level designs either, but I've had this discussion a few times in the thread, so I won't repeat it.
Level design sucks in the entire series unfortunately.

Finished watching the movie and now it is time for the game trailers story YouTube video. Fuck waiting for DDD HD to drop.

KH3 seems like its gonna be the last game isn't it?

Nope. It's just the final game in the Xehanort-saga. Sora will supposedly still be the protagonist in later games although I would have been fine if they dropped him and focused on another character. AQUA MAIN PROTAG PLS. :p
 
Finished watching the movie and now it is time for the game trailers story YouTube video. Fuck waiting for DDD HD to drop.

KH3 seems like its gonna be the last game isn't it?

Honestly if DDD HD ever came out it would most likely be on the Wii U. That's the only system that could recreate it properly.
 
Just beat lingering will (using the exploit unfortunately as i am shocking at the game) just 2 data battles left (axel and xemnas), gummi stuff and some journal stuff
 

Finalow

Member
wait, I can fight the 2 post-game bosses only with Aqua? What the fuck, tell me that I'm missing something. I even grinded Terra for that.
 
I don't agree with some of the above statements. KH1FM is in my top five games of all time, and I find it to be much better than the games that followed. KH2FM is still an awesome game and has great things about it, but KH1FM has much more charm and soul put into it. I'm saying this as someone who has beaten KH2FM on Critical many times (imported it five years ago when you still had to use a translation guide) and even conquered the infamous Level 1 run.

Also, I will never understand the love for BBS's gameplay. Its only okay. Command menu >>>>>>>>>> Command deck and its not even a competition.
 
wait, I can fight the 2 post-game bosses only with Aqua? What the fuck, tell me that I'm missing something. I even grinded Terra for that.
Um yeah Aqua is the only character in the final story not in trouble. It makes sense.
Also, I will never understand the love for BBS's gameplay. Its only okay. Command menu >>>>>>>>>> Command deck and its not even a competition.
Melding and Cure spells are not stupid like in 2.
 

Caladrius

Member
Is there a better way to grind Aqua than running through Neverland with the Mickey D-Link?

wait, I can fight the 2 post-game bosses only with Aqua? What the fuck, tell me that I'm missing something. I even grinded Terra for that.

Go back to the character files after you've cleared the Final Episode. You can fight them in those.

Also, I will never understand the love for BBS's gameplay. Its only okay. Command menu >>>>>>>>>> Command deck and its not even a competition.

BBS offers multiple growth systems that allow for proper character customization, and there's no finagling with the controls trying to navigate submenus while trying not to get pummeled. Kingdom Hearts 2 has polish on its side, but BBS has some actual depth to its RPG elements, being able to fully determine your moveset and independently generate your own ability spread, whereas in 2 there's little in the way of complexity other than ability management, which in itself barely matters at all unless you're doing low-level runs or tackling the extra bosses (the latter of which takes up at most 10% of the game).

BBS's problems have more to do with the balance of blocking, shotlocks and dodging, and how bosses are heavily skewed in favor of the latter two. If not for that detail and the loss of mobility options I would peg BBS as best in series.
 

Finalow

Member
I'm close to finish BBS.

I like how with Aqua you get a conclusion for each world story (would have sucked if that wasn't the case) but you (almost) always have the same locations, same enemies, same stuff zzz. this third run became pretty boring, more "exclusive" areas for each character would have made this game much better.

among other things, Eraqus battle has to be the most stupid scene in the game. so unnecessarily forced too, lmao.

I also liked how Aqua destroyed
the X-blade and "Dark Ventus" or whatever that was
with the famous "power of friendship". I'm surely missing more scenes that made me cringe// or laugh which I can't recall right now.
somehow I thought that the writing in BBS was less awful than the usual KH standards but I was proved wrong.

You can fight all the optional post game bosses with all the characters.
how
 

Lightning

Banned
I don't agree with some of the above statements. KH1FM is in my top five games of all time, and I find it to be much better than the games that followed. KH2FM is still an awesome game and has great things about it, but KH1FM has much more charm and soul put into it. I'm saying this as someone who has beaten KH2FM on Critical many times (imported it five years ago when you still had to use a translation guide) and even conquered the infamous Level 1 run.

Also, I will never understand the love for BBS's gameplay. Its only okay. Command menu >>>>>>>>>> Command deck and its not even a competition.
KH1 fails in several aspects though. Platforming was off, new heartless were annoying more than fun, bosses aren't challenging despite being on the hardest mode, Antartica controls are awful, most bosses you can get up in bosses faces and hammer the attack button curing when required due to the MP situation so strategy's weren't required for vast majority of them. Ice Titan battle was stupid reflecting the entire time, Sephiroth was annoying more than fun with the mechanics of the fight.

There were several issues littered throughout the entire game. I still really liked the game but falls behind KH2FM due to the difficulty, improvements in platforming and combat, MP system not being so overpowered.

It's not only about the challenge but you can own most things in KH1FM without much effort and it shouldn't be this way. And I hate the chunky platforming in that game, Monstro can fuck off, Antartica? Great idea poorly executed.
 

Finalow

Member
^yeah controls in the first KH game were awful, very sluggish and stupidly imprecise until you get super triple jump slide flying ability but at that point you can just fly past everything. not annoying as much in combat but platforming sections and mini-games were terrible.

there wasn't really much of an improvement in BBS but at least you have only one major platforming section in Disney Town, optional too. and fuck those racing challenges.

I also agree that the game was REALLY easy, besides the optional bosses you just needed to spam X and sometimes L1+X to win. I remember KH2 being as easy but I've yet to play it on critical.
 
So, while most everyone is off in BbS land, I'm still on KH2 trying to defeat the superboss. I'm getting close. Here's the run I just had:

Superboss uses his Desperation move. I avoid it, mostly.
Do some more damage to him
He does his DM again, again, I avoid it, mostly.
More hits go in.

Then, he locked my Keyblade, trapped me in that stupid thing where you have to tag 'Escape' in the command menu, then did his DM.

What a jerk.
 

Caladrius

Member
what character files? I loaded Terra's save and I unlocked more stuff in the arena but the post-game boss Vanitas wasn't available.

As Frank said, it's in the Keyblade graveyard, accessible through the Badlands save point.

So, while most everyone is off in BbS land, I'm still on KH2 trying to defeat the superboss. I'm getting close. Here's the run I just had:

Superboss uses his Desperation move. I avoid it, mostly.
Do some more damage to him
He does his DM again, again, I avoid it, mostly.
More hits go in.

Then, he locked my Keyblade, trapped me in that stupid thing where you have to tag 'Escape' in the command menu, then did his DM.

What a jerk.

The seal moves and HP drain bow can actually be avoided with come very precise dodging. If you see him zooming in towards you, dodge almost as soon as he descends to stab the ground.

The bow is much harder. You have to dodge pretty much the moment he fires the bow. at you. The weird distorted noises that happen when he does it signal when he's teleported in and is about to fire on you. He does it 4-7 times in a row, so you have to be able to dodge all of them. That was probably my most common cause of death because of how damned hard it is to dodge.
 

The Lamp

Member
KH2 was dog shit in comparison to KH1. Broken difficulty, broken magic, and plot holes galore breaking the beautiful story in KH1.

As it stands, today, KH2FM is way better than KH1 or KH1FM. Most plot holes were filled and explained with the new content and cutscenes, way more fun content, a better difficulty level that actually works well with magic.

As for BBS, what difficulty should I play it on? Critical?

I'm close to finish BBS.

I like how with Aqua you get a conclusion for each world story (would have sucked if that wasn't the case) but you (almost) always have the same locations, same enemies, same stuff zzz. this third run became pretty boring, more "exclusive" areas for each character would have made this game much better.

among other things, Eraqus battle has to be the most stupid scene in the game. so unnecessarily forced too, lmao.

I also liked how Aqua destroyed
the X-blade and "Dark Ventus" or whatever that was
with the famous "power of friendship". I'm surely missing more scenes that made me cringe// or laugh which I can't recall right now.
somehow I thought that the writing in BBS was less awful than the usual KH standards but I was proved wrong.


how

Haven't beaten Aqua's story yet, but isn't that really par for the course? One of the strongest themes of these games is connected hearts. It's been that way since the paopu fruit. TVA are the series' ultimate example of the strength of connected hearts.
 
LOL at saying the platforming aspects in KH2 were better. They were absolutely NON EXISTENT. Even in the Cavern of Remembrance, I was disappointed five years ago because of all the "return of platforming" hype when it included almost nothing of value.

The platforming and world design of the first KH1 was far superior because they actually tried. I don't understand how people can hate FFXIII's linearity and then NOT find KH2 to be disgusting in that regard as well, since it did the same thing.

KH1's combat was much more realistic in its approach. People call it "clunky" but whatever. It wasn't totally unbalanced like KH2 and BBS were. BBS had the illusion of options when only a few were actually important and worth using, so its "depth" is massively overstated. I love KH1s combat because the system required thought. Sephiroth is a great example of this. In KH2 its just guard, guard break, and Reflega. In KH1, you have to jump to avoid his horizontal slash, guard to avoid his lunge, and do five guards on his Omnislash before a single well timed one.

Now, I love KH2FM for sure, but it had more stuff that I dislike than KH1FM. The bosses in KH2FM are definitely better, and its another one of my favorites. I just find KH1FM to have a lot more heart put into it, mostly due to its simplicity and charm.

But sure, complain about "clunkiness" so that they just take it away in the next titles instead of you know, improving on it.
 

The Lamp

Member
LOL at saying the platforming aspects in KH2 were better. They were absolutely NON EXISTENT. Even in the Cavern of Remembrance, I was disappointed five years ago because of all the "return of platforming" hype when it included almost nothing of value.

The platforming and world design of the first KH1 was far superior because they actually tried. I don't understand how people can hate FFXIII's linearity and then NOT find KH2 to be disgusting in that regard as well, since it did the same thing.

KH1's combat was much more realistic in its approach. People call it "clunky" but whatever. It wasn't totally unbalanced like KH2 and BBS were. BBS had the illusion of options when only a few were actually important and worth using, so its "depth" is massively overstated. I love KH1s combat because the system required thought. Sephiroth is a great example of this. In KH2 its just guard, guard break, and Reflega. In KH1, you have to jump to avoid his horizontal slash, guard to avoid his lunge, and do five guards on his Omnislash before a single well timed one.

Now, I love KH2FM for sure, but it had more stuff that I dislike than KH1FM. The bosses in KH2FM are definitely better, and its another one of my favorites. I just find KH1FM to have a lot more heart put into it, mostly due to its simplicity and charm.

But sure, complain about "clunkiness" so that they just take it away in the next titles instead of you know, improving on it.

I can respect this and I agree with a lot of it. I do miss KH1s combat for those reasons. And the level design was much better. KH2 world design is one of its weakest features. They're just shitty linear setpieces for performing combat, and it really shamed the power of the PS2 hardware when you would have loading screens in between completely empty corridors.
 

RPGCrazied

Member
Having trouble with Terra's last boss. The string of combos on me I can't even dodge, not to mention I get hit like a truck and die so fast.

What abilities should I be using? Also, I'm missing a few command boards, is that from the arena, or the other characters story?
 
Having trouble with Terra's last boss. The string of combos on me I can't even dodge, not to mention I get hit like a truck and die so fast.

What abilities should I be using? Also, I'm missing a few command boards, is that from the arena, or the other characters story?

Do you have Once more, Leaf Veil and Second Chance abilities? Commands are not too important for that fight, it's more about blocking and countering.

One command board you get from winning a game on all other boards. Another one (Winnie The Pooh) you get at Merlins if you missed that.
 
No. What are those on? I have Curaga, but its only level 1.

Aero+Aero+Pulsing Crystal, Fira+Fira+Wellspring Crystal, Blizzara+Blizzara+Pulsing Crystal for example.

Having those makes a HUGE difference. You might also want to have multiple cure spells on your command deck. At least 2.

Get the commands from moogle shop if you don't have them and level them till you can meld. Pulsing Crystal drops from the gorilla unversed and Wellspring Crystal from totem pole unversed in Neverland
 

Vashetti

Banned
Just finished Beast's Castle for the second time. Xaldin took two tries, Mickey saved me, but nothing too difficult really.

I'm noticing I'm at the point in the game now where Donald and Goofy are dying pretty much instantly on regular enemies. Annoying, but SE should have coded their AI better :/
 
Just finished Beast's Castle for the second time. Xaldin took two tries, Mickey saved me, but nothing too difficult really.

I'm noticing I'm at the point in the game now where Donald and Goofy are dying pretty much instantly on regular enemies. Annoying, but SE should have coded their AI better :/

If you're playing on Critical, unfortunately you should expect this to happen with Donald basically for the entire game. Goofy, on the other hand, will reach a point where he basically never ever dies.
 

Finalow

Member
me as Terra vs Vanitas' Lingering Spirit.

latest


I can't evade his shotlock at all unless I use mine. his dodge is garbage compared to the other 2 chara and I didn't even realize that until now.
why did I decide to grind the worst character. = ( I guess I'll cheese him but not sure what to do against MF.
 
The seal moves and HP drain bow can actually be avoided with come very precise dodging. If you see him zooming in towards you, dodge almost as soon as he descends to stab the ground.

The bow is much harder. You have to dodge pretty much the moment he fires the bow. at you. The weird distorted noises that happen when he does it signal when he's teleported in and is about to fire on you. He does it 4-7 times in a row, so you have to be able to dodge all of them. That was probably my most common cause of death because of how damned hard it is to dodge.

I figured that out just now about the arrow/bow thing! (Apparently you can also hug him to avoid that, as I found out, but that's probably not recommended)

As much as this fight still frustrates me, it's so much fun. The challenge is excellent. I've mastered guarding and using aerial recovery to parry

I'll eventually get it down. hahaha.
 

Finalow

Member
Haven't beaten Aqua's story yet, but isn't that really par for the course? One of the strongest themes of these games is connected hearts. It's been that way since the paopu fruit. TVA are the series' ultimate example of the strength of connected hearts.
it sure is one of the main themes but to me it doesn't make a scene like that less stupid.

Proud. On Critical you have to grind in order to make Aqua and Ven not do pathetic damage.
I even had to grind on standard mode, I can imagine that it takes a very long time if playing on critical.
 

Lightning

Banned
Now, I love KH2FM for sure, but it had more stuff that I dislike than KH1FM. The bosses in KH2FM are definitely better, and its another one of my favorites. I just find KH1FM to have a lot more heart put into it, mostly due to its simplicity and charm.

But sure, complain about "clunkiness" so that they just take it away in the next titles instead of you know, improving on it.
How many heartless or bosses in KH1 do you need a strategy to beat them? Not counting the special heartless as they were designed to be beaten a specific way.

You can talk about effort all you like but when you can beat the game simply by mashing X for hours and curing when you need to THAT is a massive failure when you consider that's the game. The platforming was poorly done, Sora is so agile in KH2 that platforming was taken away, but that's still better than the clunkiness of KH1's platforming.

The other thing that needs to be understood is that S-E want KH to be accessible to all ages which means they limited in complex levels as the more complex the level the more casual games may not like that. Just because all the hardcore gamers will like it doesn't mean it will appeal to everyone after all these Disney worlds are associated with children. That's why I couldn't understand those saying critical mode was too easy and should be harder, further limiting those who can actually complete it to satisfy a few is not a good thing.

For me KH2FM was great because of what I expected from a KH game. Gameplay for me is most important to nail and KH2 nailed it imo along with excellent bosses that require thought to beat. That's why Xaldin kicked so many gamers ass first time through, wanting to mash X and Oh Shit can't do that here this boss is hard. Put thought into it, figure him out, and all of a sudden Xaldin ain't so bad afterall. There's hardly any of this in KH1 and that's very disappointing.
 

Finalow

Member
I love KH1s combat because the system required thought.
-
not at all. I don't see how a single optional battle relates to the combat in general. besides the optional bosses, which obviously do require some strategy, you might as well leave the game on auto-press X to attack-mode and watch Sora killing everything.
you sure have more ''thinking'' to do in BBS, with some broken spells or not.
 

Berordn

Member
BBS definitely had the right idea with the command deck giving you the ability to plan out a set of abilities to get you into command styles that suited you.

In any case you're going to be mashing X a lot in the series, and BBS probably gave you the best tools to put thought into it. Most of KH2's fights are boring outside of a couple of Organization fights and the FM ones that actually add mechanics to them.
 

Afrocious

Member
Anyone have any tips on Mushroom 8 at Yen Sid's tower? I got it to 85 hits but didn't save my game, and now I'm having a hard time even hitting 70 because the mushroom will either drop like a rock or get out of my reach in the air.

I've been using Berserk Charge and spamming that aerial attack where you hit square and Sora hits side-by-side.
 

Kinsei

Banned
Anyone have any tips on Mushroom 8 at Yen Sid's tower? I got it to 85 hits but didn't save my game, and now I'm having a hard time even hitting 70 because the mushroom will either drop like a rock or get out of my reach in the air.

I've been using Berserk Charge and spamming that aerial attack where you hit square and Sora hits side-by-side.

That's what I did to get 99 hits. Wait until your MP recharge is at the D in Drive before starting the game. Once your MP recharges use Donald's Comet limit to keep him in the air after each combo.
 

RPGCrazied

Member
Aero+Aero+Pulsing Crystal, Fira+Fira+Wellspring Crystal, Blizzara+Blizzara+Pulsing Crystal for example.

Got them, still can't do it, lol. Then I figured out you can reflect his attacks and damage him. I do better, but now I can't get past his meteor phase most of the time, plus he cures himself sometimes.

Guess I shouldn't have played on Proud first time, seeing as how I never played BBS before.
 

The Lamp

Member
"I don't want to disturb the ball"

"The guests were just starting to enjoy themselves"

Does SE realize how stupid this dialogue in BBS sounds when these games have level design with almost no NPCs present? There's no one at this stupid ball.

I fucking hate that about KH games. KH3 better have actual living things occupying their level spaces. Crowds and townspeople and inhabitants.
 

Falk

that puzzling face
wait, I can fight the 2 post-game bosses only with Aqua? What the fuck, tell me that I'm missing something. I even grinded Terra for that.

Depends on your definition. There's two extra bits of story that end with story bosses that are fundamentally part of Aqua's story, past the place where Terra and Ventus' stories end.

Technically those aren't 'post game' bosses as they are final bosses.

The real post game bosses that -will- kick your ass over and over can be fought by all 3

edit: nm I should read the thread before replying
 

Carbonox

Member
Could someone help me out with a synthesis question? I need one of every material at least to get an Orichalcum+ from the Synthesis Moogle and there are just 4 materials I haven't found. They're between the Remembrance and Bright categories in the material list. Does anyone know what they are and where to get them?
 

Afrocious

Member
Could someone help me out with a synthesis question? I need one of every material at least to get an Orichalcum+ from the Synthesis Moogle and there are just 4 materials I haven't found. They're between the Remembrance and Bright categories in the material list. Does anyone know what they are and where to get them?

That far down the list? Sounds like Dense or Twilight. You're missing an entire category?
 

Carbonox

Member
That far down the list? Sounds like Dense or Twilight. You're missing an entire category?

Was able to dig it up online by process of elimination: Tranquil items. Only found on Mushroom XIII. Sigh. What are the easiest Mushrooms to take on and are you guaranteed drops with these guys or is it entirely random like with normal drops?
 

Soriku

Junior Member
"I don't want to disturb the ball"

"The guests were just starting to enjoy themselves"

Does SE realize how stupid this dialogue in BBS sounds when these games have level design with almost no NPCs present? There's no one at this stupid ball.

I fucking hate that about KH games. KH3 better have actual living things occupying their level spaces. Crowds and townspeople and inhabitants.

They're in your heart.

/KH logic
 

Afrocious

Member
Was able to dig it up online by process of elimination: Tranquil items. Only found on Mushroom XIII. Sigh. What are the easiest Mushrooms to take on and are you guaranteed drops with these guys or is it entirely random like with normal drops?

If you have Reflect and Stitch, go to Halloween town where you fight that boss the second time you're there. The mushroom there requires you to reflect its blasts. Summon stitch, start the game, and reflect everything. You can farm all Tranquil items in no time off this thing if you get a high enough score (check the journal).
 

Carbonox

Member
If you have Reflect and Stitch, go to Halloween town where you fight that boss the second time you're there. The mushroom there requires you to reflect its blasts. Summon stitch, start the game, and reflect everything. You can farm all Tranquil items in no time off this thing if you get a high enough score (check the journal).

Thanks!
 

Yasumi

Banned
"I don't want to disturb the ball"

"The guests were just starting to enjoy themselves"

Does SE realize how stupid this dialogue in BBS sounds when these games have level design with almost no NPCs present? There's no one at this stupid ball.

I fucking hate that about KH games. KH3 better have actual living things occupying their level spaces. Crowds and townspeople and inhabitants.
Olympus Colosseum dot jaypeg.
 

RPGCrazied

Member
That fight was the hardest fight on Terra's story, holy shit. Died so many times. Finally did it though. I made a Ars Solum. That made it easier, if it lands hits it takes giant chunks of his HP. Spent 20 hours on his story.

Onward to Ventus story!
 

Finalow

Member
the Vanitas fucking lingering spirit "hiding behind a rock" trick doesn't work anymore. welp, I'm getting my ass kicked.

"I don't want to disturb the ball"

"The guests were just starting to enjoy themselves"

Does SE realize how stupid this dialogue in BBS sounds when these games have level design with almost no NPCs present? There's no one at this stupid ball.

I fucking hate that about KH games. KH3 better have actual living things occupying their level spaces. Crowds and townspeople and inhabitants.
gotta use your imagination.

Agrabah in the first game made me laugh because of that.
 
Top Bottom