2.5/5 ★ – AzulAzuril's review of Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.

This is easily my least favorite of the playable Kingdom Hearts games in the various collections. My biggest problem with the game is the card-based combat system. While this system may have made sense for the GBA version of this title, I find that having to both manage a character in a 3D space and play the cards for combat ends up overwhelming my brain. I found many combat encounters increasingly frustrating and found myself actively avoiding combat during the game. I also am not the biggest fan of card games or deck building mechanics in general, so having to constantly manage what cards I had became rather tiresome. I much preferred the gameplay of Riku’s storyline with the pre-made decks, which I felt streamlined the game experience significantly. Exploration is also nonexistent, as every room is a simple square with not much to discover or find. On the story side, this is a bit of a weaker entry in the franchise as well. I find the Organization XIII and Namine storylines compelling, and I love the intrigue of Sora, Donald, and Goofy grappling with memory loss in this castle. However, due to the memory-based version of the Disney worlds (along with the repeat of the KH1 Disney world list) this entry has some of the most meaningless Disney content in the franchise. Altogether, this KH entry is not one I’d recommend to a newcomer, and only something I’d advise hardcore fans of the series to fully playthrough. Watching the cutscenes would be a sufficient way for most to experience this game.