Things KS taught me

[Pseudogenesis]

Excuse me, i'm going to go beat my head against the wall. Tell me, what words would you use to describe the protagonists of Kingdom Hearts? I honestly don't remember much about it these days.

It's been years since I've played the game, I couldn't really give an accurate description of the characters. I did however replay the first 20 minutes of it at my friend's house the other day, and I can say that the beginning is conflicted. On one hand it's got fantastic story value. On the other it's filled with mundane mission quests that serve only to have the player running back and forth across the island. I can tell you three things about the Kingdom Hearts series:

1. The second is better than the first.
2. Yeah, the delivery is odd. But if you can stomach the fact that it contains Disney characters (Oh no!) you'll be rewarded with an excellent game.
3. The story, while initially very complex and confusing, is well worth the time.


And no, to aknowledge the above post, it doesn't just rip off the Disney movies' stories. The Disney universes are where they get the inspiration for their "worlds", but in most if not all of the worlds the original movie's storyline is basically nonexistent. All these criticisms are so off-base, I really wonder if any actually played the damn thing.

[Pyramid Head]

Kingdom Hearts would count as Square Enix's most overrated title.
If Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, XIII, XIV, Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, and XIII-2 didn't exist. At least you could argue that Kingdom Hearts has appeal to people who can tolerate angsty teens and Disney and it's story isn't quite as stupid and convoluted as what Square usually does. But with games like Final Fantasy X which have writing so full of holes it makes Max Payne 3 look like Silent Hill 2 and characters so ear-rapingly annoying it makes Silent Hill 2's voice cast sound like BioShock's voice cast, i seriously question the sanity of anyone who likes it.

Dirge of Cerberus is overrated? I hear nothing but bad things about it...And XIV. And I keep hearing about these holes in FFX but nobody ever points any out...Though some characters really should have their vocal cords cut out.

And the reason KH's story isn't the usual Square fare is because it literally just ripped off every Disney film it stole characters from, then strung the plots of those films together with some flimsy bullshit overarching story. Any given section of KH is just a rip-off version of a Disney film plot, rendered stupider by the added story bits and mythos they pulled from their asses to justify cramming it all together in one game. I'd rather just go watch the films.

(Nitpick: VII, VIII, IX, and X weren't Square Enix. )

Addressing the nitpick, they actually were all Square. Square SOFT specifically, it was always the same studio, Square Soft changed it's name after merging with Enix, the group that did Dragon Quest.
...which i've been meaning to get into actually, but i keep having problems with my DS, the joints between the two screens have a break and i can't get it to lock into position, and the shoulder buttons don't work. I'll just have to grab a DSi or a new DS Lite when i get some freelance work in. I'm not quite ready to shell out for a 3DS with it's current lackluster library.

As to the plotholes...
...

Why do temples for groups explicitly against the use of technology rely heavily on technological puzzles?
How did no one ever discover the identity of Yevon and Sin?
How did the leaders of the Yevon religion hide the fact that they were zombies?
Just how exactly does that whole thing with the unsent work?
How did Jecht become the new Sin and how did Auron know who he was? Isn't Auron an unsent who lived in the original Zanarkand?
Just WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK IS DREAM ZANARKAND?! And what is Tidus's relationship to Shuyin? Is Tidus just a chiral image of Shuyin with pieces of his memories? Why does Jecht egg the three dipshits on during the fight against him?
What the fuck is wrong with Wakka's hair?
What the fuck is wrong with Seymour's hair?! Seriously, how the fuck did he style his hair into antlers?!
How did Seymour hide the fact that he was evil?
Why did Seymour want to destroy the world?
Why do ANY Final Fantasy villains want to destroy the world?!
How is it that the most boring and stupid summoner ever to exist was the only one to try and find a way to kill Sin without calling on the Final Aeon?
Did anyone know the partner of the summoner who used the Final Aeon would become the next SIn?
Why did Tidus stop to play Blitzball when Sin was destroying entire civilizations?!
Why were their mechs at Yuna's forced wedding when the Church of Yevon was, again, opposed the use of machina?
Why didn't Yuna ever send Seymour?!
Why did Seymour get more powerful with each death?

I'm sure i could dig more up but the list is already moderately long and i don't remember enough about Auron's back story to get into the big ones. But still, Final Fantasy X did have shit writers. As did every Final Fantasy arguably, though i didn't research all of them and never did finish Final Fantasy VI.



Anyway getting to Pseudogenesis if i could get a more detailed review maybe i'd put a little more effort into finding out more about Kingdom Hearts. I am planning on replacing my PS2 to dig a little into the Persona series and may check Kingdom Hearts out if an option exists to mute voices or change languages.

[Pseudogenesis]

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/371/371125p1.html Here you go. He spent half his time bitching about the camera and other inconsequential gameplay elements, but all in all it's a pretty fair review. I still think KH2 is better though, as well as more mature. (Despite the dreaded Atlantica minigames.)

[Pyramid Head]

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/371/371125p1.html Here you go. He spent half his time bitching about the camera and other inconsequential gameplay elements, but all in all it's a pretty fair review. I still think KH2 is better though, as well as more mature. (Despite the dreaded Atlantica minigames.)

I'll keep it in mind when i replace the PS2, and to make sure this doesn't go too far off topic, the reason i'm even considering checking this out is because Katawa Shoujo taught me you shouldn't drop an item just because it has a rock stupid premise, like oh say for example cripple fucking.

[Pseudogenesis]

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/371/371125p1.html Here you go. He spent half his time bitching about the camera and other inconsequential gameplay elements, but all in all it's a pretty fair review. I still think KH2 is better though, as well as more mature. (Despite the dreaded Atlantica minigames.)

I'll keep it in mind when i replace the PS2, and to make sure this doesn't go too far off topic, the reason i'm even considering checking this out is because Katawa Shoujo taught me you shouldn't drop an item just because it has a rock stupid premise, like oh say for example cripple fucking.

That's a good attitude to have. It's been a long time since I've played it, but to me it never felt like Disney fanservice. It was odd, but it worked.

[Pyramid Head]

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/371/371125p1.html Here you go. He spent half his time bitching about the camera and other inconsequential gameplay elements, but all in all it's a pretty fair review. I still think KH2 is better though, as well as more mature. (Despite the dreaded Atlantica minigames.)

I'll keep it in mind when i replace the PS2, and to make sure this doesn't go too far off topic, the reason i'm even considering checking this out is because Katawa Shoujo taught me you shouldn't drop an item just because it has a rock stupid premise, like oh say for example cripple fucking.

That's a good attitude to have. It's been a long time since I've played it, but to me it never felt like Disney fanservice. It was odd, but it worked.

Actually here's a question for something that might be in your more recent memories. Is Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies any good? I know a Gamestop that is having problems moving a copy of it and and i might need a fall back item if Sleeping Dogs turns out to suck and Painkiller fails to work.

[Pseudogenesis]

I'll keep it in mind when i replace the PS2, and to make sure this doesn't go too far off topic, the reason i'm even considering checking this out is because Katawa Shoujo taught me you shouldn't drop an item just because it has a rock stupid premise, like oh say for example cripple fucking.

That's a good attitude to have. It's been a long time since I've played it, but to me it never felt like Disney fanservice. It was odd, but it worked.

Actually here's a question for something that might be in your more recent memories. Is Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies any good? I know a Gamestop that is having problems moving a copy of it and and i might need a fall back item if Sleeping Dogs turns out to suck and Painkiller fails to work.

Haven't played it. Until probably 4 years ago I didn't choose the games I played, and until about 2 years ago I considered Call of Duty to be a legitimate franchise. So my games played library isn't quite as extensive as it should be, but I'm working to remedy that.

[Xanatos]

The premise of Katawa Shoujo isn't fucking cripples...

Another thing KS taught me though: Bitches love lemons, just not in the ass.

@Scary Triangle Cranium Guy: Nice list. I stuffed my analysis of it into a PM though to avoid straying too far off the point here. XD

[hisao616]

Hey everyone! I was replaying katawa shoujo and a nagging thought ran through my head "What has this visual novel taught me?". Personally I prefer hanako's route, and I thought about it and realized that (in my own opinion) that the route represents trust and support that most reject and being able to trust and to be trusted. I also believe that it represents being able to accept someone for who the REALLY are, even when others would say not to. And in closing, it means to not be scared of social rejection but to overcome it. So my question to you guys is: What has katawa shoujo taught you?

"Can you face your fears?"

[Beanwell]

Did you get that from this?

http://localhostr.com/file/OJ88dRF/498735389.png

TBH, I'm still not sure what KS has taught me.

[Nicendeth]

It's taught me that Aura is an awesome writer

Besides that I guess it taught me mostly how to read the emotions of others better and what's fair to me and what's not in a relationship. Some pretty important stuff I'd wager.

[magzh]

It taught me about female conspiracy theory ^^

[Reksho]

Katawa Shoujo taught me about grabbing the moment. It taught me about not having any illusion whatsoever that I will be living a long life - if anything, life could be over the very next second.

It gave me that honest feeling. That feeling that life has more in store, if only you try a bit harder and force yourself to move forward.

[Garbax]

Each of the girls can teach you something, since it's a different take and perspective on live that ends up influencing Hisao and maybe you in the end.

Hanako is about trust, confidence, self esteem and equality in a couple. Hanako dreaded being seen with disgust or repulsion because of her scars, but what really ticked her off was when you started to look at her with pity, she wanted to be regarded, and loved, as an equal by her peers and her lover. That arc in particular taught me to respect everyone's boundaries, ideas, feelings and opinions, as well as their own strength. To not think any less of the people around regardless of who they are or what they've been through.

On the other hand, we have Shizune, who is the total opposite of Hanako in the self esteem department at least: Driven, competitive, ferocious, dominant but still yearning for someone who would be able to share these same drives for her goals, a companion, someone she could look in the eye. Yet, it also shows that if you think way too much about your goals and disregarding the people close to you, you can end up isolated, as her bad ending demonstrated. Work toward your goals, while sticking to your true friends and family is what I learned from her.

Emi taught that to get better you only have to seize the day and start acting with that in mind. You can discard your horrendous and scarred past if you wish so, you only have to start acting upon it, since wishes alone won't get anything accomplished. It might be a rough start, it won't be easy, but slowly but surely you'll get better. You are in control of your life, be the better person you want to be and decide to be that person.

Now Rin is a rather complicated character, a character I certainly enjoyed but at times jarring. Nonetheless, I believe the main theme is acceptance, you may not always understand the persons around you, but it is not necessary to understand them ALL the time, Also, to accept and understand someone, you have to accept and understand yourself.

And Lilly, who reminds me way too much of the girl I like, shows that honesty and communication are the basis for a happy interaction with everyone, not only in a relationship. Sincerity is the best policy, so if you don't feel alright with something, might as well talk about it. Empathy doesn't come only through silent observation, Maybe nobody knows how you feel because you not honest about it.

And Katawa Shoujo as a whole taught me, or reinforced my beliefs, in that you shouldn't be quick to judge someone, that everyone has their own values, worth and strengths, and weaknesses too. That whole bundle is what makes a person, maybe even a beautiful person, not if that person is anatomically correct, or right or wrong or ugly or attractive. Be honest with your beliefs, and respect the people around you. As the game poster said "Be the Better Person", start being such person today.

My first post and such an embarrasing wall of text. My apologies, all of you. Glad to have found this game and these forums.

[OtakuNinja]

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