Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Reviews
I haven't been as conflicted about a rhythm game as I have Melody of Memory. On the one hand, the rhythm game action itself is wonderful and the music, across 140 tracks, is sublime. On the other hand, being forced to play through a truncated and baffling summary of the Kingdom Hearts narrative just to unlock those tracks has done little to enamour me to the series, and there are far, far too many little additions that distract from what the game does best (i.e. the rhythm action). The grand sum of it is that Melody of Memory is much more a game for existing fans of Kingdom Hearts than it needed to be, and once again Square Enix has struggled to fully capitalise on the rich opportunity that the Disney license provides them.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory takes advantage of the emotional mastery of Tetsuya Nomura's work and offers us an uncomplicated rhythm game. An entertaining option that was able to take advantage of the world and the charisma of an established franchise.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A full priced love letter that excels both as a rhythm game featuring some of the most iconic videogame music ever as well as a comprehensive distillation of an incomprehensible series. You don't even need to have played the series to enjoy this; the music is that good.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory offers a nostalgic trip through the greatest soundtracks the series has to offer with dozens of hours of content. If you’re a fan of rhythm games, this offers possibly one of most content-rich experiences out there and if you’re into Kingdom Hearts, I won’t even have to sell you on this as you’re probably already playing.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a game aimed at series fans; it achieves what it wanted to do which is a good rhythm Kingdom Hearts experience, but there is certainly a room for improvements.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Melody of Memory is a competent if simple rhythm game that serves as a solid recap of the series for existing fans, making it a worthwhile purchase if you’ve followed the escapades of Sora, Donald, and Goofy through the years. However, it does showcase how impenetrable the plot has become, but even seasoned fans will get enjoyment out of the confusion. Its what we’ve done all this time anyway, right?
Melody of Memory is a nostalgic, rhythmic celebration of Kingdom Hearts that fans of the series and the genre will adore.
Using the impeccable soundtrack of the entire saga, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is, in addition to a great rhythmic game, an excellent recap of everything that has happened in the the series so far.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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.
The co-op mode more than makes up for this, however, featuring levels custom made for local two-player action that is incredibly well implemented. If you like Kingdom Hearts, and you like the music of Yoko Shimomura, I would personally call Melody of Memory a must buy. Just don't expect to find a blowout story reveal buried in this title, and you should find yourself bopping along to the rhythm and having fun in no time.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a perfectly competent Kingdom Hearts rhythm game and not a lot else. Despite being canon to the series, its bare-bones plot is barely relevant, and the thin story is mostly a reason for more music. Thankfully, the core rhythm gameplay is fun if not particularly new or exciting. If you like Kingdom Hearts music and rhythm games, Melody of Memory will scratch the itch, but don't expect much more.
It’s no secret I’m a big fan of the Kingdom Hearts series, and I loved reliving the key events and iconic music tracks here in Melody of Memory. It’s a game that will be best enjoyed by people already familiar with the core story of the series and want a new way to enjoy something in the Kingdom Hearts universe. And does provide a slight glimpse into where the series may be headed next, although it’s surely to be many years before we get our hands on whatever that may be.
I had a fun time with the music, and am set up for whatever’s next without needing to maintain a bunch of YouTube bookmarks. Mission accomplished.
Without giving too much away, 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: Melody of Memory may be just fan service of sorts, but it is also one of the most enjoyable rhythm action titles to come along in years.
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.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a good game but a very bad Kingdom Hearts title! It’s a game with a deliberately arcade nature disguised for something more by adding only thirty minutes of storyline. I would have been sincerely happy if it had been proposed as a simple musical title of the saga, but totally unrelated to it from a narrative point of view and sold at a lower price. Tetsuya Nomura is a genius, but supporting him even in such rambling projects could turn out to be bad over time. If you are looking for the magic of Kingdom Hearts in a new iteration you will have to wait a little longer, but if you simply want a rythm game dedicated to one of the most accurate sagas from a musical point of view, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is right for you.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This release is based on amazing melodies and it is the kind of game that fits perfectly with the world of Kingdom Hearts.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory isn't perfect, but the fanservice is so good, I can almost overlook my disappointment in Kingdom Hearts 3.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a homage to the entire series. The background music has always been an essential part of the franchise. That's why I was all the more pleased when this game was announced. The story sections are told in their most essential features, which is good for newcomers, but simply too little for veterans. Also the scope is exhausted relatively quickly and the other modes are nice, but it doesn't have a real added value. The enemy types are also exhausted after a while. The real highlight is and remains the music, because every single track reminded me of the wonderful events around Kingdom Hearts. If you want to remember such moments, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a must buy. If you don't have any nostalgic memories of it, you will have to think twice about buying it.
Review in German | Read full review