Kingdom Hearts 3 review: A charming, heartfelt and gorgeous end to Sora’s saga

The latest entry in the Disney / JRPG mash-up is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated games of this generation.

The culmination of 17 years of storytelling, Kingdom Hearts 3 arrives on a wave of huge expectation and hype.

It marks the end of a story that spans two mainline entries, around a half dozen spin-offs and goes across three console generations.

For its devoted fanbase, there’s a lot riding on Kingdom Hearts 3, with questions fans have been waiting years to be answered.

There’s a lot to wrap up, as the story of Sora and co’s battle against the forces of darkness draws to its final standoff.

At times Kingdom Hearts 3’s plot may buckle under the huge weight of lore and previous plot points set up in past games.

It’s hard enough for long-term fans to be up-to-date with all the ins-and-outs of the series, let alone newcomers who have plenty of catching up to do.

The plot may perplex at times, but the ride Kingdom Hearts 3 takes players on is well worth the journey.

Kingdom Hearts 3 sees Sora and his reliable companions Donald Duck and Goofy embark on a final quest to stop Xehanort and Organisation XIII.

Along the way our heroes will encounter other beloved characters as they travel to eight vividly recreated worlds from classic Disney and Pixar films.

Andy’s bedroom from the Toy Story series, Frozen’s Arendelle and Monster Inc’s Monstropolis all feature – to name but a few locales.

These locations are simply bursting with life – gorgeous, vibrant levels that are like stepping into your favourite Disney film and getting to explore it.

The Disney characters you get to meet in these worlds are expertly crafted, with Square Enix nailing the traits that makes them so beloved.

As with previous Kingdom Hearts games, the bulk of your time in these levels will be hacking and slashing your way through the Heartless enemies there.

The combat in Kingdom Hearts 3 is – undoubtedly – fantastic. Cinematic, stylish and just tonnes of fun to play.

Battles are always varied and interesting thanks to the Keyblade Formchanges and Attractions attacks.

Both of these are situational commands that occur after Sora hits enemies with regular attacks a certain amount of times.

They can be triggered by a press of the triangle or Y button, and are dazzling to behold.

Keyblade Formchanges does what it says on the tin, transforming your keyblade into an entirely different weapon with its own distinct attack pattern.

While Attractions work in a similar way to Final Fantasy summons.

Hit the triangle or Y button when an Attraction becomes available and you will be able to deploy huge, theme park inspired attacks.

From a rollercoaster that shoots fireworks to a tea cup ride that fires jets of water at your enemies – the Attractions are ridiculously stylish and fun.

These powerful attacks come in especially handy during boss battles, with these epic set pieces another highlight.

It’s been almost 13 years between Kingdom Hearts 3 and the release of the previous mainline entry in the series in the UK.

Fans have faced a huge wait to see how Sora’s story ends, and it’s hard to imagine there will be few dry eyes once the credits starts to roll.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is a beautiful game, with a story which – while at times confusing – at its core pays tribute to the value of friendship.

It’s an utterly charming title which wears its heart on its sleeve and speaks to the inner child in all of us.

If you’ve been a Kingdom Hearts fan since the PS2 days, then you already know you wouldn’t miss the latest entry for the world.

And if you’ve never played a Kingdom Hearts game before, now’s the perfect time to find out why it holds such a special place in so many gamers’ hearts.

VERDICT: 4/5