Kingdom Hearts III and games like it

The WhatsNext verdict

For Fans of action RPGs, Disney, and Pixar worlds who enjoy cinematic spectacle and fluid, flashy combat.: It delivers high-energy, acrobatic Keyblade battles and lavishly detailed Disney and Pixar worlds that bring beloved animated films to life with stunning visual flair. Tradeoff: The heavy reliance on long-running series lore and frequent cinematic combat interruptions can detract from pacing and difficulty balance.

What it does best

Breathtaking Disney and Pixar worlds that look identical to the animated films
Responsive, visually flashy swordplay elevated by kinetic Keyblade transformations
Limitcut and secret boss encounters that demand frame-perfect defensive mastery

What might put you off

Extremely back-loaded story pacing
Overwhelming mechanics and low initial difficulty

The setup

What you are walking into

Kingdom Hearts III is the third main installment in the Kingdom Hearts series developed and published by Square Enix. It was initially released January 2019 for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. An expansion, Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind was released in January 2020. The story takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. It features an older Sora as the main protagonist, who sets forth on a new adventure to search for seven guardians of light in an attempt to stop Xehanort from bringing about a second Keyblade War. Sora is joined by Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Riku, Kairi, and others. Along the way, Sora travels to many worlds from Disney and Pixar intellectual properties, and cross paths with the real Organization XIII. Kingdom Hearts III features hack and slash combat reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts II, with elements from later handheld entries, allowing the player to control Sora in a party with Donald, Goofy, and up to two other Disney characters from the various worlds he visits. A major addition compared is the Formchange mechanic, which allows his currently equipped Keyblade to grant him special abilities and change shape. Sora can equip up to three Keyblades at a time, and cycle between them to use his abilities. Another addition is the Attractions mechanic, which occasionally allows Sora to summon and pilot a vehicle inspired by Disney theme park attractions. At certain points throughout the game, the player will be able to control other characters.