TGS KH3D Demo Report

Details

Published on September 15, 2011 @ 08:28 am

Written by Shamdeo

We have our first KH3D floor report! KHInsider's own krexia was able to play Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance at this year's Tokyo Game Show, and she's sent in the sweet details about the demo for our readers! Without further adieu:

SORA'S SCENARIO

We start off with Sora back in Traverse Town. He's got new clothes but... he apparently doesn't know why! It seems he's been separated from Riku, and Sora immediately yells out for his friend. It's then that we first see Neku Sakuraba from The World Ends with You. Neku promptly tells Sora to shut his noisy mouth and asks if he is a participant in the "Reapers' Game". Since Sora doesn't have the countdown stamp on his hand like Neku, it appears he is not.

Sora heroically offers his help to Neku as a friend. Neku retorts that Sora can't make friends that easy, to which Sora replies that it is easy. Neku then promptly dashes off into Traverse Town in midair in a cloud of sparkles.

It's here you gain control of Sora, fighting through Traverse Town. The X button on the 3DS is your "freeflow" button, which will allow Sora and Riku to do all sorts of crazy and fast maneuvers such as bouncing off of walls and swinging around poles. The idea behind this mechanic is freedom of movement based around objects in the environment.

While in freeflow you can attack by pressing the attack button, and it will be contextual to where you are in freeflow. It's particularly flashy and fun to execute. However, it seems that the camera is a bit slow with keeping up with these maneuvers.

Commands are structured just like Birth by Sleep and Re:coded in which you can cycle through abilities. Use one and there will be a cooldown before you can use it again. You get the idea.

At the end of Sora's scenario he fights a boss. The boss can described as boxy with long arms. It can attack from a distance by shooting it's arms into the foreground. This looks particularly impressive in 3D.

After the boss is defeated, Sora's scenario ends.

RIKU'S SCENARIO

We see Quasimodo carrying Esmerelda towards the cathedral of Notre Dame when we first visit Le Cité des Cloches (The City of Bells). Riku is with them and also sporting a new outfit and shorter hair. It seems he is protecting them.

Riku battles inside the cathedral, and you can freeflow between the pillars inside. It's important to note that Sora and Riku are now accompanied by new companions we've seen in the keyart. Sora's companions are described as a panda-like creature and a smaller more "squirrely" companion. Riku's companions are described as something resembling a unicorn and a bat.

When the group reaches the top of the cathedral, Riku's boss fight begins. It's a winged flying boss, and for this fight Riku is able to fly. You must jump up to the roof and chase it in flight around the cathedral. This is also impressive looking in 3D.