Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory Review – A fun nostalgia trip that’ll have you hooked
Melody Of Memory (or MoM) is the latest spin-off game from Square Enix taking part in the Kingdom Hearts universe. As is usual for spin-off games it doesn’t take the form of an RPG but instead a rhythm game. And a fun one at that.
Plotline
Melody of Memory plays out through Kairi’s memories. The main story is basically a recap of what has happened to Sora and company throughout the three main games and multiple side games. Her voice-over guides us through the story as small cutscenes play out, however for the most part you’ll be playing your way through the rhythm game part.
I won’t lie or cover it up. Story wise, Melody of Memory is very bare bones. The most exciting thing is one small cutscene, that happens once all the story has been cleared, which hints at what direction the main Kingdom Hearts story will be going in.
Gameplay
The gameplay is where this game shines through as the fun it is. It’s devilishly complex. In a way it kind of tricks you into thinking it’s easier than it is, I’m not certain on if this was purposeful or not but if it is then big props because that consistently caught me off guard.
You control a team of three characters, starting with Sora, Donald and Goofy. As they run down a track and attack enemies (by pressing either, X, L1 or R1) in time to the beat. You can glide to get aerial notes.
And that’s really all there is to it. Sometimes you’ll be accompanied by a guest character from the world you visit, like The Beast or Peter Pan but it’s a roll of the dice if you will.
It’s incredibly simple as far as rhythm games go. Generally you’ll have more than one button for each function, not one button to control everything but that doesn’t make it any less challenging.
Overall thoughts
Generally I think Melody of Memory is a good game. It’s not record breaking but it honestly doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be. It is what it is and doesn’t ask any more of the player than acceptance of that fact.
The gameplay is simple yet demanding for completionists, the story is nostalgic without relying too much on nostalgia to sell it. In this way it gains my respect, MoM could’ve easily just played on the nostalgia bait game but it doesn’t. It gives existing fans what they want to see and is fun enough that even a non-fan could get stuck in and enjoy it.
That’s really the key here (lol “key” get it?) It’s fun. Harmless, addictive, fun. No bells or whistles because it doesn’t need them.
Will this annoy existing fans? Maybe. Who am I kidding? Probably it will. But it really shouldn’t, if you just take the game for what it is then it really isn’t that deep and doesn’t need to be.
Let’s just all have fun and dance to some awesome music!
