While the basic gameplay loop of attacking enemies to the beat is satisfying and charming, some enemies do have visibility problems. Virtually every enemy or scene is reused from a previous game. Looking back on fond memories is a treat, but that’s diminished somewhat by the many moments when it becomes obvious Square Enix cut corners by reusing models and assets instead of creating new animations and textures. Nostalgia is a foundational element of the game’s appeal, with songs, levels and characters reminding you of the franchise’s many high points at every turn. Enemy designs are also tailored to each stage, with the round Large Body bouncing to the “Mickey Mouse March” or flying enemies soaring at you while bashing to a “Whole New World.” Thwacking Heartless enemies on every beat feels responsive and smooth, allowing you to keep tempo. There are three levels of difficulty for each song, and precise enemy placement lends each variation a satisfying increase in challenge. Green music notes can be consecutively collected while gliding through the air that need to be collected consecutively to maintain your combo meter.
Some enemies needed to be defeated with spells, while must be jumped on and thwacked. It’s your job to attack any enemies or objects in your way to the beat, pressing between one and three attack buttons depending on how many enemies appear. The majority of gameplay features a three-lane field that appears in front of you with three characters walking forward. It took me about seven and a half hours to get there, which isn’t a lot of meat on the bone for $60. Once you get through the main story of Memory of Melody, you’ll get even more cutscenes, which introduce some intriguing new plot points. As you progress, you’ll unlock new teams to fight and cutscenes explaining the series’ intricate lore.
In it, you’ll pilot the Gummi Ship to the many worlds of KH, going through Kingdom Hearts 1-3, Chain of Memories, Dream Drop Distance, 358/2, Re:Coded and the Final Mixes.
World Tour is the main mode of Memory of Melody.
The gameplay of Memory of Melody borrows a bit from Guitar Hero, Crypt of the Necrodancer, and the singular eccentricity of series mastermind Tetsuya Nomura. From “Simple and Clean” to “Circle of Life,” there are no shortage of good songs to fight through. Hearing the eerie piano of Hollow Bastion from KH1 or the lazy xylophone from the Other Twilight Town in KH2 brings me back to the days of the PlayStation 2 - when the only thing I had to worry about was which spells I’d take to fight Maleficent. The music of Kingdom Hearts, mainly composed Yoko Shimomura, holds a special place in the hearts of the series’ devoted fans, and it’s the most appealing aspect of Memory of Melody. Timing is everything in 'Melody of Memory.' Square Enix A Whole New World?