Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

 PlayStation 2
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 388 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 232 out of 388
  2. Mixed: 101 out of 388
  3. Negative: 55 out of 388
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  1. KnuffleBunny180
    Jul 24, 2023
    7
    *Flawed, but fun*
    Originally, I didn't play this game and watched the story cinematics because I just couldn't play it. However, I decided to give it a shot. Needless to say, I found some enjoyment out of it. It takes time to learn, but when you do, it feels great. However, if you're looking for a standard Kingdom Hearts experience, or just wanna get to Kingdom Hearts 2, just watch the    *Flawed, but fun*
    Originally, I didn't play this game and watched the story cinematics because I just couldn't play it. However, I decided to give it a shot. Needless to say, I found some enjoyment out of it. It takes time to learn, but when you do, it feels great. However, if you're looking for a standard Kingdom Hearts experience, or just wanna get to Kingdom Hearts 2, just watch the story scenes on YouTube. This game has Gameplay>Story which makes sense because it was originally a GBA game, but it still feels empty in some spots. The bosses were the best part of the game because they actually provided challenge, and Riku's campaign provided challenge as well. What I liked a lot about this game is the deck building and how you could approach it however you want. But, it's not for everyone. 7/10, didn't expect it to be as good as it was.    … Expand
  2. MacArron23
    May 19, 2023
    7
    Interesting combat system, it will not appear again in the franchise, it just get a little bit repetitive to advance defeating heartless again and again
  3. Unemportant
    Feb 9, 2023
    3
    Yeahhhh it sucks. I'm sorry I tried. The story was not that "gritty" and nowhere near as deep as people say. The world's are probably the worst in the series other than Arendelle. The combat is so not funny, it's not strategy you just play the better cards and find a **** meta.
  4. aaronnmp96
    Jan 31, 2023
    8
    I really like the idea of ​​the cards, the story meets and exceeded my expectations, they are two very different campaigns in Gameplay and history
  5. sakaiclan
    Nov 28, 2022
    8
    Really loved it but there are definitely problems. I don't like when there's moments where you have to fight random enemies for hours trying to get a card to unlock a door. It's all random so if you don't have the roulette card, you're **** Also the music can make you want to go crazy if you stay in a world for too long like Atlantica for example.
  6. ZangBang
    Oct 24, 2022
    3
    38/100
    Chain of Memories tells a story that is even better than its predecessor's, thanks to a captivating atmosphere, greater focus on old characters' inner struggles, fascinating new antagonists and a fantastic story pacing that has you constantly hooked. Alas, to this narrative upgrade corresponds an equally massiv gameplay downgrade. Gameplay has many exceptional ideas, but they all    38/100
    Chain of Memories tells a story that is even better than its predecessor's, thanks to a captivating atmosphere, greater focus on old characters' inner struggles, fascinating new antagonists and a fantastic story pacing that has you constantly hooked. Alas, to this narrative upgrade corresponds an equally massiv gameplay downgrade. Gameplay has many exceptional ideas, but they all fail in some way. The progression is characterized by a unique, fun system that allows players to customize their path to the end of the level in interesting ways, but the potential of such an original idea is significantly squandered by some fundamentally dull Level Design structure. The Combat System is incredible: a wonderful balance of real time strategy and action thanks to the deeply addicting card system that rewards strategy and planning as much as reflexes, also adding some fun card-game collecting to the mix. This amazing blend is quickly ruined by some horrendous balancing, where a couple of easily obtainable powerful Abilities can be spammed, removing almost all challenge from the game.    … Expand
  7. ASSASSIN_TRISTA
    Apr 4, 2022
    0
    where do i start........ KINGDOM HEARTS 1 RESKIN WITH NEW CUTSCENES IN BETWEEN WORLDS. THE CARD SYSTEM IS ASS BECAUSE MARLUXIA BLOCKS ALL YOUR **** CARDS AND THEN STUN-LOCKS YOU INTO A CORNER AND DESTROYS YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS GAME IS **** NOMURA YOU HAVE DIISAPOINTED ME SEVERELY I'M DONE SO MUCH KINGODM HEARTS 4 BETTER BE A LOT BETTER AND YOU FFVII PART 2 BETTER NOT BEwhere do i start........ KINGDOM HEARTS 1 RESKIN WITH NEW CUTSCENES IN BETWEEN WORLDS. THE CARD SYSTEM IS ASS BECAUSE MARLUXIA BLOCKS ALL YOUR **** CARDS AND THEN STUN-LOCKS YOU INTO A CORNER AND DESTROYS YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS GAME IS **** NOMURA YOU HAVE DIISAPOINTED ME SEVERELY I'M DONE SO MUCH KINGODM HEARTS 4 BETTER BE A LOT BETTER AND YOU FFVII PART 2 BETTER NOT BE SCREWED UP.… Expand
  8. tadnid
    Mar 15, 2022
    10
    PS4 version here. That's a really sweet game, great story, I seem to be in the minority that enjoyed this one more that Kh1. This one is more concise, has some strategy elements. But honestly you can just spam your way with Sonic Blade and Lethal Frame through most of the game, the only boss that gave me a *really* hard time is the final boss for Sora (I play on Proud). I'm still midway inPS4 version here. That's a really sweet game, great story, I seem to be in the minority that enjoyed this one more that Kh1. This one is more concise, has some strategy elements. But honestly you can just spam your way with Sonic Blade and Lethal Frame through most of the game, the only boss that gave me a *really* hard time is the final boss for Sora (I play on Proud). I'm still midway in Riku's story, his gameplay is different, and I'm looking forward to finishing it.

    You must play Kh1 before this one, and it is recommended you also play 358/2 Days (I mean watch) before this one.    … Expand
  9. Jasse3
    Feb 28, 2022
    9
    Super Spiel! Dafür das es ein Remake von einem GBA Spiel ist, ist es nicht schlecht. Das Kampfsystem ist vielfältig, wenn man es verstanden hat und es vernünftig benutzt. Die Story ist fantastisch und die Sicht von Sora als auch Riku zu erleben ist toll. Das Einzige was mich stört ist, dass der Weltenaufbau zu schnell repetitive wird. Man hat zwar verschiedene Möglichkeiten, einen Raum zuSuper Spiel! Dafür das es ein Remake von einem GBA Spiel ist, ist es nicht schlecht. Das Kampfsystem ist vielfältig, wenn man es verstanden hat und es vernünftig benutzt. Die Story ist fantastisch und die Sicht von Sora als auch Riku zu erleben ist toll. Das Einzige was mich stört ist, dass der Weltenaufbau zu schnell repetitive wird. Man hat zwar verschiedene Möglichkeiten, einen Raum zu erstellen, jedoch fällt der Erkundungsdrang im Gegensatz zu anderen Kingdom Hearts Spielen fast komplett weg.… Expand
  10. Frosstype
    Oct 28, 2021
    5
    I'm a huge KH fan but this game is very rough. I ended up just spamming Sonic Blade the entire time with, fortunately, no mechanics that would tilt me off the planet. Played this one just to get the story out of it. One thing I can say is good about this game is the atmosphere and the new music they added it gives a different vibe to the franchise which is refreshing. Unique gameplayI'm a huge KH fan but this game is very rough. I ended up just spamming Sonic Blade the entire time with, fortunately, no mechanics that would tilt me off the planet. Played this one just to get the story out of it. One thing I can say is good about this game is the atmosphere and the new music they added it gives a different vibe to the franchise which is refreshing. Unique gameplay nothing really annoying imo and not for everyone.… Expand
  11. NicoCC
    Aug 1, 2021
    1
    Who was the degenerate that decided this was a good game to make and a valuable addition to people's entertainment "bank"? Seriously, go and swat flies in the kitchen, I promise it will be more interesting and you'll also have more fun.
  12. Kingdomhear
    Dec 5, 2020
    10
    Bellissimo ! Gameplay innovativo e ottimo livello di sfida!! Trama intrigante !! Fenomenale
  13. neko555
    Dec 2, 2020
    5
    Después de haber jugado al 1, que me encantó, este juego creo que sobraba completamente. En todo caso debería haber quedado sólo en GBA.
    Absolutamente todos los gráficos son reciclados del 1, y en las versiones para PS3 y PS4 ni si quiera se han molestado en remasterizar las escenas de vídeo.
    En cuanto a la jugabilidad, repetitivo hasta el infinito con el sistema de habitaciones. Y lo    Después de haber jugado al 1, que me encantó, este juego creo que sobraba completamente. En todo caso debería haber quedado sólo en GBA.
    Absolutamente todos los gráficos son reciclados del 1, y en las versiones para PS3 y PS4 ni si quiera se han molestado en remasterizar las escenas de vídeo.
    En cuanto a la jugabilidad, repetitivo hasta el infinito con el sistema de habitaciones. Y lo peor de todo, las batallas con cartas parecen son un quiero y no puedo. En la primera parte del juego, aun así, funciona, pero en la segunda parte cambia bastante el sistema, le quitan muchas de las posibilidades que tenía y se vuelve increíblemente más engorroso.
    Sinceramente, lo estoy jugando y lo terminaré por saber de la historia, pero de haberlo sabido inicialmente habría visto algún resumen por youtube para continuar con el siguiente juego directamente.    … Expand
  14. Shmurgen
    Oct 19, 2020
    1
    Worst game I’ve ever played, combat starts off trash and confusing and only gets worse
  15. Endory
    Oct 10, 2020
    10
    Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories is a remake of a Gameboy Advance game with the Kingdom Hearts 1 graphics. The game has a card based battle system where you collect and equip them to build a deck and use it during battles.

    It's a bridge game to tell the events between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 and intruduces new characters and gives more insight to them. The Disney worlds are sadly    Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories is a remake of a Gameboy Advance game with the Kingdom Hearts 1 graphics. The game has a card based battle system where you collect and equip them to build a deck and use it during battles.

    It's a bridge game to tell the events between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 and intruduces new characters and gives more insight to them.

    The Disney worlds are sadly just a rehash of Kingdom Hearts 1 and the Level Design is due to being a Gameboy Advance Game, very limited.

    I still enjoyed the Story Cutscenes and messing around with my deck and trying new combos.

    If you don't like the systems I would recommend to watch the cutscenes on youtube before playing Kingdom Hearts 2.

    All in all I enjoyed the game a lot.    … Expand
  16. Raado-san
    Jul 26, 2020
    6
    The card system is good idea but it was great when the game was 2D on the GameBoy but the PS2 remake didn't deliver the idea that well but overall is acceptable.
  17. Dantheman707
    Jun 29, 2020
    7
    Great game with a fantastic story and decent combat that is different from the rest of the series
  18. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    Just an "ugh" of a game. Love the KH franchise but this entry doesn't do it for me. LOVE the story and it's place in the canon, but repetitive and frustrating gameplay bog down the experience. Completed the first KH game in 3 days while this one took me about 2 weeks to sit down and complete. Gameplay. ruins it.
  19. frederik1478
    Apr 27, 2020
    7
    I wouldn't call it bad but it's not good I would say it straight in the middle . I would recommend watching YouTube video while playing it
  20. David12171
    Apr 8, 2020
    0
    Awful, love the first game, i fell in love with the characters and then when I go to the next one to know about the storyline, the game hits me in the face with cards, like give me Blue eyes white dragon or I'm out, and so I did, never want to play it again, did not like it at all
  21. Kai82
    Feb 27, 2020
    4
    It enters the list of great games that had a serious flaw like Epic Mickey (Camera), Kid Icarus Uprising (Controls) or Mass Effect 3 (Ending). To be fair it is an 8-9/10 game for me but the horrible battle system destroyed the experience. Here they use a card style battle system in real time battles. It takes a lot of time to get used to it (If you can even get used to it). I had to pushIt enters the list of great games that had a serious flaw like Epic Mickey (Camera), Kid Icarus Uprising (Controls) or Mass Effect 3 (Ending). To be fair it is an 8-9/10 game for me but the horrible battle system destroyed the experience. Here they use a card style battle system in real time battles. It takes a lot of time to get used to it (If you can even get used to it). I had to push myself to play the game and was always annoyed by this. It is a shame because the rest is really good. The graphic and sound are good as always. The story is Kingdom Hearts like. That means it is good for me (fans) but can annoy others. Side-note: Have you ever explained the story of Kingdom Hearts to your friends that don't have played the games? It is an interesting experience and can turn awkward really fast;-). Back to the game. Like I said the story is really good for me as are the characters. You learn something about the Organization and it plays with the concept of memories. I will also praise that they tried something new or different. Overall this is my least favorite Kingdom Hearts game because of the battle system. If you don't agree that's fine for me. I was also on the other end of this type of conversation and admit that this is a thing about preferences. I prefer better systems.… Expand
  22. PokeProX
    Feb 3, 2020
    7
    Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories Review (in a nutshell)
    P.S: My review was originally long, but my review was all deleted and gone. Now, I’m kinda frustrated so I putting this review in a nutshell.
    Re: Chain of Memories is a continuation of Kingdom Hearts and the story is pretty good. The card gameplay is kinda controversial. Fighting against enemies feels like a chore and fighting    Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories Review (in a nutshell)
    P.S: My review was originally long, but my review was all deleted and gone. Now, I’m kinda frustrated so I putting this review in a nutshell.

    Re: Chain of Memories is a continuation of Kingdom Hearts and the story is pretty good. The card gameplay is kinda controversial. Fighting against enemies feels like a chore and fighting against bosses feels really tough and annoying. The graphics are only just PS2 graphics and the music is nothing special. The cast of characters are really good and interesting. And there’s voice acting.

    Story, really good. Gameplay, controversial and annoying. Graphics & music, nothing special. Characters, really good and interesting. There, it’s done! Well, the score is... 7.6 (7)!    … Expand
  23. Zetastein
    Jan 20, 2020
    0
    Its mostly a retelling of the first game and made a lot of unnecessary bad decisions and changes. Ignore the fan boys that rate based on nostalgia.
    All it does it lead up to the best kingdom hearts game and it doesnt have much more to be worth playing.
  24. WLovecraft
    Nov 30, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I played this game recently so that I can try and remember what happened in the story. At first it was fun but after the first set of worlds were done and the second appeared I became exhausted with the system and the grind.

    I realize now, why they have never remastered this game and it's because it's a bad game. Well, it's not a bad game per se, it's just not very good. There's voice acting, a unique new story, animations, and updated cutscenes at a higher resolution is really cool but my god did the gameplay take a hit. And, I love card games and I love kingdom hearts. But basically, the bosses are really hard in this game and the game expects you to grind, waste time levelling, and mindlessly kill enemies.

    I just want to say, I remember beating this game many years ago and noticing that I can play Riku and do his side of the story but I never bothered to play it because I was just done with the game. Like, the story is new but it's not good. To play Rikus story and expecting it to be better than Sora's story would be a waste of time and that's the thing, I don't think this game is worth the players time.

    I'm sorry but if you're a fan of the KH series, I would suggest that you just watch the cutscenes. The game sucks the life out of you and there are better games to play.    … Expand
  25. Empyrea
    Nov 12, 2019
    4
    I played this game for 5 hours (1/3 of the game) until I got stuck and I was playing it in easy mode. This game has the worst battle system that I've ever played. They tried to do a mix between turn-based and real time gamplay and they didn't succeed. Plus, it's a game that doesn't have much new things. It feels repetitive. I just watch some videos on youtube about the argument and watchedI played this game for 5 hours (1/3 of the game) until I got stuck and I was playing it in easy mode. This game has the worst battle system that I've ever played. They tried to do a mix between turn-based and real time gamplay and they didn't succeed. Plus, it's a game that doesn't have much new things. It feels repetitive. I just watch some videos on youtube about the argument and watched the ending and I went on. If you have KH 1.5 do the same as I did: try this game in easy mode but skip it if you have troubles.… Expand
  26. DarkBlastLP
    Jun 10, 2019
    7
    This game is a hit or miss. People seem to love it a lot or hate it a lot. However, if you get behind the games' mechanics it can be a really fun experience and it's definitely worth playing if you've got the hd remix. The cards are well thought out for battle and creating your deck is fun. What isn't fun is the room generation. It's always the same! You get cards to generate rooms andThis game is a hit or miss. People seem to love it a lot or hate it a lot. However, if you get behind the games' mechanics it can be a really fun experience and it's definitely worth playing if you've got the hd remix. The cards are well thought out for battle and creating your deck is fun. What isn't fun is the room generation. It's always the same! You get cards to generate rooms and chances are the only thing to change is the theme of each world carries over. Play it to get the most out of your kingdom hearts II experience.… Expand
  27. MudRipChar
    Mar 5, 2019
    9
    Most people will play this game for a couple hours, get frustrated and quit, and say it's a terrible game. If you take the time to learn the very complex battle system, this game will surprise you with how great it is. It's very challenging but also extremely rewarding. I've played through every Kingdom Hearts game and this one always stands out as the toughest but the most satisfying.
  28. Connorcox1997
    Feb 15, 2019
    10
    I honestly don't know why people hate this game, I though this was a fantastic game. I might be a little bit biased, but I think KH Re:Chain of Memories is the fourth best game in the series to date in my
    opinion. This game has great stages, great story, and great combat with the card system. Even the bosses in this game is fun to face against in this game. I totally enjoyed playing this    I honestly don't know why people hate this game, I though this was a fantastic game. I might be a little bit biased, but I think KH Re:Chain of Memories is the fourth best game in the series to date in my
    opinion. This game has great stages, great story, and great combat with the card system. Even the bosses in this game is fun to face against in this game. I totally enjoyed playing this game from start to finish. I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  29. RadReviewer
    Feb 8, 2019
    4
    A tedious, confusing system that tried to fix something that wasn't broken. This disappointing combat system is only further emphasized by the fact that the game doesnt know where its going until the last 2-3 hours of gameplay. It feels pointless and drawn out. Unfortunately, like all the games side titles, it is imperative to know this part of the story or the rest will make 0 sense.
  30. SilverFranko
    Jan 20, 2019
    2
    The story is the only thing that this game has going for it. The card based system is a nightmare to handle with and frustrating when you can't do certain attacks, spells, and combos. Kingdom Hearts is known for it intense fun combat and when you limit that to where you can sometimes make combos happen (if the enemy doesn't break your combo or cards first) it kills the fun factor andThe story is the only thing that this game has going for it. The card based system is a nightmare to handle with and frustrating when you can't do certain attacks, spells, and combos. Kingdom Hearts is known for it intense fun combat and when you limit that to where you can sometimes make combos happen (if the enemy doesn't break your combo or cards first) it kills the fun factor and immersion. On top of the bad combat of the game, there are some instances to where some of the bosses are in some weird places and Sora can't hit them properly or combo them. Then there is the problem to where a battle can last a long time and you will run out of cards. So when you run out of cards you basically have to hope that a Pluto card will randomly appear and help you get back some of your cards, or you will be stuck having to fight with one attack card and one heal that will make the battle even longer unless you die. All in all this game Should of been a Cinematic on the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix. If you hate having cards to judge your attacks and juggling multiple things in battle I suggest watch the story on Youtube, since it's a big part of the story that takes place between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PS2 Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 20
  3. Negative: 2 out of 20
  1. 1UP
    67
    Seriously, though -- for Kingdom Hearts fans who missed out on COM the first time, this is definitely the best way to play it. While the new stuff is small (a few so-so minigames in Hundred Acre Wood, additional voice acting from the Sixth Sense kid, etc.), my memory of Chain of Memories hasn't changed: It's a pleasant little title that reminds me how much I want Kingdom Hearts 3.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    84
    An impressive remake that improves the presentation of the original GBA version by leaps and bounds while simultaneously streamlining the battle system.
    Read full review
  3. GamePro
    80
    Even though it's not a wholly fresh experience, Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories is definitely worth a try, especially if you didn't play the original GBA release.
    Read full review
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