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Professor Layton und die Schatulle der Pandora: Reviews

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Game Score: 10/10

Note: There are no spoilers in this review. Enjoy!

Story: Not scored
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days takes place between the time frame of Kingdom Hearts 1 and Kingdom Hearts 2. It actually spans across the time of Chain of Memories as well. Before even playing this game I would strongly suggest playing at least one of these games, so that you're not lost in the story line, although it's very abstract so you might get lost along the way anyway :) I'm not going to rate the story simply because it all depends on what you want out of this game. If you're looking for the back secrets to Kingdom Hearts then this game is definitely for you, it nearly fully explains the small details that were left out (either intentionally or not) of the previous games. On the other hand there are no new worlds, and nearly all of the worlds are modeled after either KH1 or KH2. This brings about a mixed reaction, because some people like that they kept the originality of the worlds, and others wanted something new, so that's why I'm not rating the story/content, just giving an overview. Basically you play as Roxas, a nobody who's just joined Organization XIII, a group of powerful "Nobodies" who are all working towards a common goal. This game centers around the relationship you form with Axel (an organization member) and a new organization member, and the game plays out form there, revealing some details that solves many people's questions about the events in KH2 and Chain of Memories. Since there are no spoilers I will not delve deeper into this subject.

Game play: 9/10
The game play is what makes or breaks any game, and luckily this game has an excellent one. The battle system is modeled almost exactly after KH1 and 2, where you have real time battles in an open 3D space using either your Keyblade or magic, with help from your party members (who happen to be random members of Organization XIII). Although it keeps the original battle system, this game changes up it's ability/equipment/magic/level system. These are now all clumped together under one name called "panels". Basically it's a system where you have an allotted amount of space to place panels, and those panels constitute the customization of your character. Since you have to "install" magic and abilities, there is no longer a mana bar, instead you have a limited amount of casts per level, where the amount depends on what panels you've placed. This system allows for a greater amount of customization, but unfortunately much of your panel space is taken up by levels. Yes, levels are also panels, and you must install them in order to level up. Of course you don't HAVE to level up but it's always a good idea. Another thing that was changed is that instead of an entirely plot driven game, this one is based around missions. Your are assigned a mission in a certain world and you must fulfill the requirements of that mission. It's still free-roam to an extent, as some missions will block you off from other sections of the world. Doing missions is what drives the plot, not the other way around. Once you complete a mission you can go back and do it at any time that you're not on a mission. All in all it's not that much different than KH1 or 2, you still go out and smash on heartless or fight a boss. There's just extra things you have to do as well, such as medal collecting or recon missions which in my opinion adds a lot of fun to the game.

Graphics: 10/10
I was amazed at the graphical quality. This game runs ridiculously smooth, and on top of that the environments are very detailed. They also have certain special cut-scenes where they use Kingdom Hearts 2 graphics and full voice overs, but these are far apart. These are mainly saved for the dramatic parts, but luckily there's a LOT more of them then there were in the GBA version of Chain of Memories. All the dialogue in-game is accompanied by a very detailed picture of the speaker's face, and you can clearly see their emotions.

Sound: 10/10
I was also very impressed by the sound quality in the game. Many of the worlds have nearly identical, if not the actual, music from the console versions. The voices are clean and crisp, as well as the sound effects. It's a really nice mix of KH1 and KH2 music, and really gives you that nostalgic feeling while exploring the worlds.

Multi-player: 10/10
One of the best end game experiences I had was being able to go back and do any mission I wanted to as ANY of the in game characters, and on top of that have REAL PEOPLE in my party. I really enjoyed redoing missions with my friends, and it added many more fun filled hours of game-play. The multiplayer is all local, no online connectivity. On top of that you can attack the other players, thus turning missions into battles whenever you want to! Of course you don't have to do so, it's just extra content.

I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys KH. It's a really enjoyable experience and a whole lot of fun. I liked the overall presentation of the game, from start to finish, and it has an excellent replay value. The only complaint I have for this game is that sometimes enemies just have too much health, and you find yourself battling a single enemy for ages, but these are rare occasions, and there is almost always a way to defeat them faster, I was just lazy and didn't try all the options. And NO, I'm not talking about bosses :) Anyway, as long as you've liked a previous KH game you should definitely play this one.