Hope you brought some popcorn
Something that has always bugged me in western game discussion is how cutscenes are treated as a failure of design. To some western developers, if you have to take control away from the player for any reason, you messed up. This critique largely seems to be focused on Japanese titles, possibly because of the style being pioneered by Japanese developers in the Playstation era.
But I kinda love cutscenes. They’re incredibly useful design tools when we don’t want to design another game to tell the story that is necessary to create context for the game the player is already playing. A well done cutscene establishes a bond between the player and the character, setting the stakes and letting you know how to feel about what will happen in the next section of play, or enhancing the feeling of victory after.
Which is probably why the least interesting parts of the Kingdom Hearts compilations are the parts with no play to act as chocolate to the peanut butter that is cutscenes.
I don’t have too much to say about the 358/2 Days, re:coded and χ Back Cover cutscene collection/movies included in the series compilation, so I’ll keep this quick.
While my understanding about the play of 358/2 Days and re:coded is that they’re not particularly good games to begin with, the experience of 358/2 days in particular felt like it was missing something without the actual fights to follow and precede cutscenes.
Long ago, I often heard snide remarks about my enjoyment of JRPGs with derisive remarks suggesting I read a book or watch a movie instead. But JRPGs still have enough emphasis on game that they’re worth playing on their own, just so long as the story provides adequate context for the why in the play, and that’s why the “movies” for 358/2 Days and re:coded feel so lacking. There’s no play to break it up.
Well, re:coded also feels lacking because its story is garbage that is mercifully almost irrelevant aside from its connection to whatever Maleficent’s plan may be. Here’s hoping its use in Kingdom Hearts III (and let’s be honest of course it’s going to be used in Kingdom Hearts III) will at least not remind me too much of the hours I lost to this stupid retread of the story of Kingdom Hearts I.
358/2 days, however, is an excellent story, and one that I wish I could have played at several points. Though from what I hear it’s not a particularly good game, and the structure implied by the cutscenes seemed to suggest a story loaded with grindy nonsense, so… tough call!
χ Back Cover is at least created as a movie, though it’s not exactly well directed. It’s not enough to get me to want to try the mobile game though.
I’m pretty glad I didn’t have to play through three more games to catch up at least, even if 358/2 days felt lacking.
That’s the last of these. Next essay will be a response to Kingdom Hearts III.
❤ Touhi
Touhi Touko's Blog 