devoid - to - maneuver games often search appealing , but it ’s difficult to know at a glance whether the business model is insidious and sport ruining , or reasonable and deserving pump a few bucks into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a late free - to - gambol iOS biz , put it through its stride , and let you know if it ’s really deserving your time ( and money ) .
The Kingdom Hearts franchise has a wonderfully captivating premise : it ’s a mash - up of the Disney plastic film catalog and the Final Fantasy gaming universe , letting you ship on charming pursuance across worlds exhort by everything fromAladdintoThe Little MermaidtoTron .
The only trouble is that it has become nigh - impossible to follow . After the first two PlayStation 2 first appearance from more than a decade ago , the serial splintered into an array of twist - offs with oft - incomprehensible titles ( like Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days ) and even more convoluted plot point . And now you could play the series on your iPhone or iPad withKingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross ] , another biz with a way-out title . Does it at least have a clearer narrative arc ?
No , not really — but if you ’re looking for a unmindful theatrical role - playing walkaway through an raiment of Disney - themed environments , then this fourth dimension - orca might suffice .
The pitch
Conceptually , Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross ] does n’t deviate from what we ’ve seen in the various console and handheld entries : it ’s a fight - centrical plot that detect your hero toss into an array of Disney lands , with environments inspire by the likes ofAlice in Wonderland , Snow White and the Seven Dwarves , Aladdin , Hercules , andWinnie the Poohin this one . And you get more than just the conversant backdrop , too , as each land brings some of its far-famed characters along for the ride .
Funny , I do n’t commend the Heartless float around inAladdin .
As ever , you ’ll also combat against the Heartless : sorry , humanlike creatures that lack emotion and direct to consume center . And you ’ll do so by wielding the Keyblade , a monolithic key - shaped steel used to beat the stuffing out of those grim - yet - cartoonish beings . The fighting has been dramatically simplified here , however , as the game hold place entirely in 2D world ( rather than from a 3D , behind - the - back linear perspective ) and you ’ll simply tap and swipe to attack .
Each mission typically lasts only a couple of instant as you guide up to the next Heartless monster hanging around , slash it to bits , and then repeat until the chief target is defeated . Although the terrain may interchange , the tactics scarce do — and the action cursorily turn tedious . Even if you vary to a different type of keyblade or swap out the medals that define its attributes and attacks , it all tends to feel the same .
Some familiar lineament linger .
The story mode parcels out piffling bits of narrative over time , but it ’s been very fragile in the few 12 missions I ’ve been through — although there ’s tons still forward , with several hundred of the snack - sized missions available . There are also peculiar and event missions useable outside the tale modal value , although these are mostly direct at in high spirits - level players who have log a net ton of meter and have powerful heroes .
And then the titular Union Cross style add a multiplayer twist to the military action , letting you team up with up to five other players to take down monumental Heartless Raid Bosses . They ’re tough , though , so you might get pummeled if you ’re a low - level histrion — but your allies can also lend a hand and potentially carry you through the challenge .
The catch
I suppose the biggest gimmick with Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross ] is about the same as a good deal of aerodynamic mobile office - acting or strategy games : there ’s alotof minutia in menus that is either unclear or just so Byzantine that you might just ignore it entirely . Or you might be compel to spend money to reckon for a ready fix . Neither is a great option .
You ’ll have to work out out which medal are practiced for your hero to equip .
Union χ[Cross ] is monetise through a currency send for gem , and you ’ll really pick up a comely phone number of them just by logging in and playing the game . However , you might be tempted to buy great package of them thanks to the frequent laurel wreath promotional material . laurel wreath have you equip your keyblade with attack barrack by various Disney , Kingdom Hearts , and Final Fantasy fibre , plus you’re able to scrap unneeded laurel wreath to power up your favored medals .
The big promotions offer up the possible action of drawing a uncommon , special medal , but it ’s also possible that you ’ll spend your 3,000 jewel andnotpull that unique ribbon . It ’s a crapshoot , and a pricey one at that : you would have to spend more than $ 25 in real John Cash to buy that many jewels under normal toll . However , there is a resort “ raft ” that grants you 3,000 jewels for $ 15 , along with access to particular quests until the next calendar week begins . Die - hard players see it as something of a hebdomadal “ subscription fee”—an optional and very expensive fee , at that .
This could be a very pricey habit for grievous instrumentalist .
In any case , you ’ll get a steady flow of jewels just for logging in any playing day by day , so spending that much money to do a random medal tie seems highly unnecessary . Also , Union χ[Cross ] does have an energy system , and at least too soon on , it has n’t been very unspeakable at all . You ’ll have enough AP ( energy ) to finish at least three successive mission , typically , and you ’ll still dismantle up frequently enough to have your cadence mechanically satisfy — so even during long gambol sessions , I ’ve never run out of AP .
That ’s more of an issue later on , though , as level upgrades become few and far between and some deeper missions be more AP to toy . Just be forewarned : if you get late into the secret plan , you may eventually feel pressured to pass money to top off alternatively of waiting for your AP metre to refill .
The verdict
Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross ] ’s biggest sin has nothing to do with its freemium model — it ’s plainly too dumbed down to maintain much interest . The routine of tapping and swiping to smash up through plebeian enemies turn dull almost immediately , and the game afford zero indication that there ’s any more complexity or significant variety later on .
And yet it ’s a solid enough diversion . It scarce seems critical to the Kingdom Hearts lore , even if it does serve as a prequel to the entire series , but that ’s enceinte news for anyone who is n’t already invested in Disney and Square Enix ’s series : you’re able to for the most part snub the dialog and just appreciate the unique pairing of fantasy characters with Disney creations . That ’ll be enough of a hook to pull some players in for a few minutes a Clarence Day , even if the actual interactions prove to be laboriously irksome .
