Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Review (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch & PC)

If Kingdom Hearts’ infinite world of chin-scratching lore wasn’t so adamant on adopting every single genre and platform—movies, card-based spin-offs, and even mobile remasters of previous chapters, for example—then I probably would have skipped over Melody of Memory. But that’s the thing with Kingdom Hearts — you don’t skip the sleeper hits. Because if you do gloss over a chapter, no matter how irrelevant it may seem to you at the time, you eventually come to the brutal conclusion that everything is connected in one way or another. And if Melody of Memory is anything, it’s proof that even rhythm-based spin-offs still have a place in the Disney-Pixar timeline. It might not do a great job of showing it, but believe me when I say, if it’s to do with Kingdom Hearts, then it’s critical for understanding the lore. Somehow, smashing boxes to the upbeat tempo of Traverse Town has something to do with it all. Don’t ask me how. Frankly, Square Enix won’t be able to clue you in, either.

Melody of Memory is a bit like a Marvel movie, in that it asks you to watch several hours of content in order to get a sneak peek at the next chapter after the credit roll has shed its final moniker. When it comes to Melody of Memory, though, you don’t unwind and recline to a three-hour superhero epic, but rather, you hack, slash, and bop your way through the soundtrack in its entirety over a node-blasting rhythm excursion. As Sora, Donald and Goofy (among other notable heroes from the Kingdom Hearts universe), you have the monumental task of carving through the highs and lows of the saga—the peaceful openings to the action-packed interludes, the almighty boss sequences to the epic orchestral climaxes. The only thing you don’t have the luxury of witnessing, really, is a proper plot to help bridge the gaps between the mainline entries and just about everything else that loosely constructs the Kingdom Hearts saga. Go figure.

Of course, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see that Kingdom Hearts has a rhythm game of its own. In fact, going by the series’ history of volleying back and forth between genres and platforms, it almost feels like a step in the right direction for Square Enix. In most cases, I’d have something to complain about. Yet, when it comes to Kingdom Hearts, a nonsensical timeline with vast spin-offs that fabricate the canon is a common theme, and one that I, among most other fans of the franchise, have naturally come to expect. Is it a necessary addition to the series? Not at all, no. But that’s Kingdom Hearts for you. In any case, it’s a darn good thing that it has a solid OST to support its unorthodox manner of telling stories then, really.

Let it be said that, if you can look past the fact that Melody of Memory isn’t the filler for the rolling series that you want it to be, but more of a celebration of the orchestral prowess that has remained a common theme throughout its existence, then you should be able to enjoy this rhythm-centric compliment for what it is. It might not have the thought-provoking effects that often tie in with most, if not every other chapter in the series, but it certainly does provide that all-important nostalgic feel that you tend to go looking for in an all-in-one rhythm game. And to be honest, Kingdom Hearts has a ton of excellent tracks to carve through, too, with an entire collection of orchestral timepieces that pay tribute to the original series. From Destiny Islands to Traverse Town, Wonderland to Hollow Bastion, true to its word, Melody of Memory captures the essence of each of its staple locations and themes. Honestly, I can’t complain about any of that. If anything, a game outlining the OST is a welcome addition to the series, even if it doesn’t add a lot to the overarching narrative.

In terms of gameplay, Melody of Memory follows a similar pattern as your traditional Invector-like IP or bog-standard rhythm game à la Guitar Hero, with a rolling conveyor belt of button prompts, actions and time-sensitive maneuvers. The idea is simple: hit the right commands in time with the beat, and smash certain prompts as and when they appear on the screen to earn points for a tallying score. It isn’t an overly difficult game to learn on the fly, though it does require a stern effort to complete, especially if you’re playing on a tougher level, in which case you need to hit more prompts and a lot quicker than you would in easier modes. But that’s textbook rhythm-based gameplay for you. The only plus side to this, really, is that it doesn’t come with a Through the Fire and Flames segment. Thanks for that, Guitar Hero.

With dozens, if not hundreds of tracks from the OST to work through across multiple difficulty levels and themed worlds, Melody of Memory comes clean with a generously packed campaign that can keep you ruthlessly bopping your head and twiddling your thumbs for a handful of hours. Although without a proper storyline or the usual cinematic sequences of a traditional Kingdom Hearts game, it still finds plenty of ways to keep you chiming along and exploring vast worlds on the Disney-Pixar keychain. With all of the hallmark characters and landmarks that you would have previously encountered in past installments, Melody of Memory doesn’t just keep to the single timeline; it dips into all of them and keeps ahold of each of their distinct strengths and thematic elements.

Verdict

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory serves as the perfect compliment to the series’ extraordinary plot and all of its orchestral interludes with an intoxicating love letter to the original soundtrack. Although a bit of an irrelevant piece of filler to the overarching theme, it is a charming little addition that feels awfully good to hack and bop through. It might not be the perfect Kingdom Hearts game, but at least it isn’t quite as confusing as the other mainline entries in the saga. That’s a huge plus in my books, and something that I can only imagine will resonate with die-hard fans of the franchise, too.