Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a great game for the fans of the series, plunging the player deep into nostalgia to refresh the events and immerse them in the beloved universe. However, it might not be the best game to begin your journey in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Despite being a strong rhythm action game, the game’s biggest point is reliving memories that already have an emotional impact with its audience.

This isn’t a game for hunting high scores or even for getting your hands on new lore (you get about 20 minutes of new, low-stakes cutscenes), but it is a good fit for lovers of Kingdom Hearts music or young players who are usually put off other rhythm games by the high difficulty. [Issue#183, p.81]

Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory could have easily been a simple rhythm game with nothing but a huge set of Kingdom Hearts songs going for it. The fact that it goes out of its way to emulate the visuals of the series and recaps major story moments elevates it to something more. It's a shame that the new story elements of the game are held off until the very end, and that Kairi isn't even a playable character despite being on the cover of the dang game. Those issues alongside a surprising amount of missing Kingdom Hearts 3 music and a tacked-on item system add some awkward wrinkles to an otherwise magical, musical, melodic nostalgia trip for Kingdom Hearts die-hards.

Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a great collection for the most hardcore of fans. While the story doesn't progress the plot that much, the gameplay is fun and entertaining for the most part and shows off just how great the Kingdom Heart music really is.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a nostalgia-heavy reflection of a triumphant but persistently jumbled-up franchise about spell-slinging ducks and Final Fantasy characters living in Disney castles, but it lovingly memorializes its legacy and honors the fans who have grown to love it. While it doesn’t do anything remarkable or exciting with its rhythm gameplay, and it may not be the most alluring for those who don’t have the same understanding and love of Kingdom Hearts, it’s certainly a delightful experience that’s well worth the time spent.

It isn’t the best game in the rhythm genre (that’s Gitaroo Man), but Melody of Memories is going to entertain a lot of people, make a ton of money, and get fans playing through the whole series again.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a surprising rhythm game that leads the player on a journey through memories.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory takes a stripped back look at the story of the series whilst putting the fantastic music at its core, although the timing issues can effect the enjoyment of revisiting the past.

In terms of gameplay mechanics, there are undoubtedly better rhythm games out there than Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. Being able to use any of three buttons just feels a bit slapdash. And as fantastic as the Kingdom Hearts’ soundtrack is, much of it doesn’t feel particularly suited to rhythm play. As such, you should probably think twice before jumping in if you’re simply after a new rhythm game. But if you’re a fan of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, its issues are easily overlooked, making it much more of an interesting prospect.

Kingdom Hearts is a good rhythm game that meanders way too often with its presentation.

Melody of Memory succeeds as a fun, well-made rhythm game that successfully adapts Kingdom Hearts’ combat into the genre. The gameplay is fast, fluid and frantic, giving players a new way to experience the franchise’s excellent music. Though there isn’t much in the form of new worlds or music, it’s a one-stop-shop to listen to Yoko’s extraordinary music.

If you are a die-hard Kingdom Hearts fan that loves the music and needs to play every game, then yeah, this game is for you. However, it just feels sloppy for a full-priced game. There are better rhythm games out there, and better Kingdom Hearts games out there, so unless you really need a combination of the two, you can safely pass this one up.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a decent rhythm game with a huge compilation of tracks to play, however the repetitive stages, the lackluster content and the poor RPG features are disappointing.

Kingdom Hearts’ rhythm-game spin-off brings you a huge soundtrack library of beautifully arranged music embedded in merely average mechanics.

Melody of Memory is indeed a Kingdom Hearts title. It's kind of like Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded in that dedicated fans might not want to overlook this one too much. Really, this is a game made for those fans anyway as it offers a fun way to re-experience the music of the series with some fun Disney extras. With bite-size stages that are easy to take in, it might help alleviate the pains of waiting for the next title just a little.

Kingdom Hearts fans will want to see the new story content and there’s likely enough content here to make them feel they got their money’s worth. Everyone else will be able to find a rhythm game more worthy of their time.

Due to an unclear staff and unreliable timing, Melody of Memory does not work well as a rhythm game. That's a shame, because this gigantic pile of memorable music deserved better.