Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Reviews
Whatever profound or resonant thought about selfhood or nostalgia or the trauma of remembering is buried in summary, in lulling, tired melodies. Fundamentally, Kingdom Hearts recurs in the way capital recurs, pushing on despite its contradictions and always banking on something new. We deserve better stories than this, but now, more than ever, I know we won't find them here.
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?
In the end, Melody of Memory is very much a fans-only affair.
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.
Fans of Kingdom Hearts or rhythm games will both find something to love here, but most will be left wanting more.
For Kingdom Hearts fans, Melody of Memory is a nice dose of nostalgia for your own memories of the series’ score.
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 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
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
An addictive and fun rhythm game celebrating the music and story of the Kingdom Hearts series - don't expect much in terms of story, but do expect a lot of fun, particularly in the vs and co-op mode.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a fun but flawed rhythm game that focuses more on gameplay than plot.
With that said, Melody of Memories is still somewhat enjoyable and the IP it represents is doing the game a lot of favors. Fans will be able to sink several hours into it and I think it is better played in short bursts anyway. I’ll definitely fire the game up again for that couch co-op — even though both parties have to be at the same difficulty level — or to play against my wife or AI to see more of the mechanic that lets the player throw extra hurdles and tricks at their opponent. 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.
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.
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: 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.
The wait for the next Kingdom Hearts game is sure to be agonizing and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory only does so much.
Considering how bloated and convoluted these games often feel, Melody of Memory is hopefully the beginning of a new trend for the series. Even if the music isn’t nostalgic for you, there’s a lot of fun to be had thwacking monsters to a catchy rhythm.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a good mobile rhythm game, which has the downside of being sold at full price. Along with this, the original content is limited to just 20 minutes in a 10-hour adventure.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While it's very short on story, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a neat celebration of the Dark Seeker Saga before moving on. With a huge selection of fantastic tunes and a fun yet simplistic control scheme, this game will keep fans busy until Kingdom Hearts IV.
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.