Now I realize why KH 2 has always been my favorite. That moment with xemnas was literally The most badass thing my 9 year old self could ever experience, and all later game bosses have lacked a cinematic quality. I hope it comes back in KH 3
BBS on the harder difficulties is something I almost cannot stand. IMO, the enemies are damage sponge cannons (as in glass cannon cannons) and it isn't the most riveting thing to be smashing at an enemy that should have died a lot sooner, then be taken by surprise by a different enemy and be demolished. In KH 2 critical they also hit very hard and had quite a bit of health, but I don't think the fights were unreasonably elongated by this fact, meanwhile BBS definitely felt that way if I didn't grind like hell.
Not wanting to focus on flashy boss battles. Oh, you mean that thing that keeps making people buy Platinum games? Or that thing that Square is obsessed with in every Final Fantasy game? Boss battles -should- be flashy, it helps them become memorable.
Congratulations, BestGuyEver! Your thumbnail for this video has been used to represent Kingdom Hearts 3 as a nominee for the Worst Gameplay award in the /v/idya Gaem Awards 2019!! How does it feel to be honoured by such a prestigious award show like this?
Kingdom Hearts II is my dearly beloved ;( Also, great video and you make great points. Your outro was the best I have ever seen. My favourite Procrastinator for a reason ;D
I have to say, coming into this video, I was expecting an unimpressive argument, and that being said I'm delightfully surprised to hear someone pinpointing all the genuine pros of QTE's. It was eloquently worded and the content itself was spot-on. However, I think there is an unquestionably superior way to implement them than they currently are in KHII, that would still create flashy battles and let the player still feel like they initiated it with some semblance of skill. My main issue is that these reaction commands are simply not apart of Sora's immediate or consistent moveset, meaning it's not something that can be practiced at any time and as a result, it can't properly be mastered. The reaction commands are ONLY available at certain times and can ONLY be done when you see the Triangle button. On top of that, since they can't be used at any time, they must be a powerful move in order to be balanced fairly, meaning there's pretty much no downside to pressing triangle, which is a huge removal of skill from the equation. I feel that if Sora had been given an actual move with the Triangle button that could be practiced against enemies, people would be more open to it. The button prompts could be replaced by a dazed animation. The main difference between the current system and the one I propose is that a little bit more skill and decision-making is required to execute reaction commands against enemies. You could even add a bonus to it, possibly making the Reaction command even flashier and more powerful if the button is pressed when an enemy is dazed, rewarding good timing and observation. I feel that this method is unquestionably better because it turns what is currently a pretty good iteration of the QTE into a legitimate mechanic that requires observation, timing, and technicality in order to pull it off, hopefully making the player feel more engaged and rewarded with the game. I think a game that does this pretty fantastically is DMC4, where Nero's Buster move essentially does what I'm describing. The circle button will always cause Nero to use his buster, which causes a sick animation to play out and switches animations between enemies and enemy types. There's no button prompt floating above the enemy or anything, just a player and their ability to kick ass. I think that feeling you get during QTE's can be a lot stronger and make you, the player, feel way cooler when you're the one spotting a weakness and then taking advantage of it, as opposed to the game telling you, "Okay, Sora, NOW you can be cool." I know I'm over a year late to this video, but I was taken aback by how much I agreed with you and thought I should just put my two-cents on the matter forward. Overall, it was a very good video and I enjoyed it a lot!
Thank you very much for the detailed response. I definitely see what you mean and how what I described simply doesn't line up with what you desire in Kingdom Hearts. I wonder if the unpredictability you described will return in the form of the Disney Rides in KH3. It looks like they may range from standard attacks able to be used anywhere like the cups to incredibly situational ones like the roller coaster against the Titan fight, that, by the way looks like more a new circumstance to work under as opposed to a unique attack itself, which might lend even more dynamism to these encounters.
Fuck, that Laser Sphere at the end of 2 has to be one of the most intense moments in any game for me. ...and after watching this I realized I'm an idiot. Literally the only reason I never tried to get a copy of KH2 Final Mix is because for some reason I thought it was only available in Japanese. Though now it'll probably turn out that the English version is PS3 only and I'll have to sudoku.
I hope that your Channel grows like a weed Man You deserve it that amount of effort and editing as well as how professionally you do everything is just awesome. I never liked QTE's but now I have a respect for them. I hope u never stop making content :)
At the start of this video I disagreed with you and thought that Reaction Commands were bad. By the end of this video, you completely turned opinion around. Showing that moment with Xemnas just about brought a tear to my eye... this is some nice ass analysis, man. Keep up the amazing work.
The appeal of Reaction Commands is not only on the action, but it makes the game (or Sora) interacts with the world even better. Moreover, the names they give for the RCs aren't just "Kick" "Stomp" "Jump" "Attack" but the honestly came up with brilliant names for them, even when what Sora does is just smashing things up
Great points. Though, I'm pretty sure reaction commands will be in KH3 in some way. When you look at 0.2's final boss (the devil wave), Mickey and Aqua do a combo attack that is very reminiscent of KH2's flashy boss reaction commands when you activate "Wayfinder". As long as that kind of stuff remains, I'm good. You also see Sora taking over robots in the D23 trailer. I know this vid is old now, but it's good to see we haven't lost anything there.
i may be late, but the *evolved* version of the reaction commands will be present in KH3, known as situation commands(introduced in kh 0.2 bbs fragmentary passage)
TheVigilante So that means technically they're not actually gone? Because man I would be really disappointed if they got rid of reaction commands entirely.
Logicalityz TM yeah, they r not gone, but they wont be as flashy as they were in kh2. pretty sure because of flowmotion the situation commands were toned down. i could be wrong tho.
I'm guessing we'll have some sort context sensitive actions in KH3 too. Maybe activated as specific flowmotion moves or boss fight exclusive command styles. The roller coaster seems tailored to the Rock Titan fight at least.
Not to mention the QTE's in Yakuza games. They work just as well as in Kingdom Hearts 2 because they implemented QTE's and perfectly blend in the gameplay. Kingdom Hearts 2 still remains to be my favorite of the series and whether they ditched the player agency in favor of reaction commands or not, you still felt like a badass when you activate them. It made the best boss battles more memorable.
People forget: We technically had the reaction command at the bottom of the command list in KH. I remember thinking about it when I first played KH. It wasn't used in fights (that I remember), but it was for small things, like lifting boxes or grabbing that stupid dolphin in Atlantica. Just a thought.
I completely agree! I really do like the reaction commands and will miss them in KH3. I can't speak for other people but I know that I personally felt pretty bad-ass after properly executing really cool looking reaction commands.
Im probably alone in this, well maybe, I don't know... but I hate those data battles so much. You've basically described the main reason why I like KH1 so much more than 2
Yeah, but the thing is, QTE takes less control for the player. For my opinion, in order to create a character action game( which kh is but with rpg elements) you want the player to be the character. All of those QTE moments in kh2, instead of pressing one button, the player does the action himself based on your character's action. So instead of pressing one button, you do one of sora's move sets. That way, it would be more awesome because you did it yourself. It's like you are the character on screen. You are the one who did the effort. You control that character. You are the one who has done all these cool moves. You are the character.
Personally I don't even count Reaction Commands as QTEs, since the system is much more nuanced and player-focused than probably any other game's QTE. A dedicated button for context-sensitive action =/= QTE if you ask me. 9:02 Whoa Best Guy, slow your roll Re:coded was pretty dang flashy, especially as a Command Deck game on the fucking DS
Angelique Pretty sure the xemnas duel where you have to hold off on hitting the big triangle to maximize damage, all of the gambler minigames, the samurai duels, and obtaining roxas's keyblade to augment your moveset and defending against his retaliation count as nuance.
I mean....I kinda liked the card combo thing for the handheld games. But it in no way replaces the battle style of KH1-2. I don't know what they mean by this at all. Haven't we seen that QTE type stuff still exists in FFXV anyway?? I am confused...
Goddamn, I've been saying this shit about KH2 since the game came out. KH2 simply has the best boss battles and even normal combat of any game I've ever played
I completely agree with all the points brought up. The best aspect of Kingdom Hearts 2 is it's use of game feel to drive home it's theme of friendship and overcoming adversity. With every Reaction command, Sora's ability to complete that action (while taking control away for a few seconds) gives the character a sense of power not felt in most other installments in the game. And even when it comes down to it, aside from a few boss fights, the reaction commands were basically optional. You could easily choose to dodge and perform a combo. Or even use reflect or guard to block the incoming attack. The use of QTE makes this game feel so much more alive than any previous or subsequent game in this franchise. Honestly seeing anyone shy away from this (especially Nomura) is really disheartening. Missing the point of the QTE and In so, missing an integral mechanic of the game. Also, the extra bosses in BBS are stupid and bullshit! Fuckin Cartwheelin everywhere and shit! It's just bad design.
KH3 feels way too flashy in like every other way. And in some ways its easier than the old ones, you used to actually have to jump around the fat guys, now you just summon neon teacups and hope for the best
Well Guy there are a few things I'm hoping they WILL add in KH3. More FF characters (Lightning, most of all, for me) More Disney Movie characters (Old and New like the new Malevicent(If i spelled that right)) More party members to change from And most definitely more cooler Keyblades.
I honestly think that as long as they keep the cinematic flashy elements that reaction commands afforded you, that things will be fine. But Nomura saying bosses were too “flashy” genuinely worries me. THATS what made KH so awesome in the first place! FLASHY! If they completely do away with the cinematic elements in a fight I will be very sad. The “pause” that it brings doesn’t halt the gameplay so much as gives you an awesome reward for proper timing and positioning. If the cinematic badassery is left behind in KH2 it will be a tragedy beyond words.
You hit the nail on the head with this video. I wish they would bring them back because they added a unique flavor to this game. Another company that does flashy QTE sequences really well is Platinum games. I don't think I hear too many people complaining about the QTE's in Metal Gear Rising, Wonderful101, and Bayonetta 2, though Bayonetta 1 was kinda ridiculous.
I loved KH1 for the detail and pazzaz they put into a very strange idea. It was very confidently and expertly made. The second one is just... Gold. It is brawler RPG gold. Even if you're not into FF or Disney, the game isn't just style but has a ton of substance in the combat. You have so much customization in how you fight too, it's actually pretty astonishing. I was always a big fan of the ariel combo extenders and keeping the enemies juggled as long as I could.
So how do you feel about this topic now that we kno that they basically replaced them with the situation commands, that we got in 0.2. It's basically a KH2 reaction command, but more in control of the player instead of the enemy ai. You build them up and trigger them when u want, not loop or wait until the boss lets u do it.
QTE's are not entirely bad but they can be overused to the point of monotony. Asura's Wrath has some really creative QTE's but they got old after the hundreds that the game threw at you. KH2 has a similar problem where the samurai reaction command and the card game are good examples, so many others are just boring combos or escapes from enemy attacks. Your Sephiroth example really illustrates this, taking that first massive hit sucks, most people were not prepared and lost a huge amount of health cheaply. When they finally succeed it does look cool but it's just a button push, it reminds me of taking reaction tests at the doctors office. Wait for the X to appear... push a key. Compare this to fighting Jetstream Sam in Revengeance, pulling off a perfect parry on one of his combos is immensely satisfying and relies on a consistent mechanic, the timing is still there but you are asked to examine the Boss's telegraphs rather than a glowing green prompt at the top of a menu. QTE's have their place but KH2's easy button often felt like a crutch. Kinda bummed to see that KH3 has all these flashy teacups and Choo Choo Trains to clear out enemies.
I'd have to disagree on the point of reaction commands not being an easy mode button at times, but I definitely have to agree that KH2 was better for their inclusion. It's a shame that they're doing/have done away with them. At least it's not like they can't still choreograph some awesome cinematic sequences without QTEs. Right?
You have made a lot of great points, but I don't think "flashy" combat is a substitute for good gameplay. QTEs are not the only way to pull these things off and it's time developers start thinking outside the box. Personally I'm glad they're doing this and I think it's the first step that needs to happen to eventually influence other developers to follow.
While you're not wrong and qtes aren't a substitute for good gameplay, I think the point here is that the qtes ARE a good flashy gameplay mechanic that are stylized to be unique to kh2 that feel natural --- and are often entirely optional (not to include boss fights). Guess we'll see once kh3 eventually drops.
The Data Battles in KH2 FM are all about exploiting the way their phases are programmed. You are not going to beat them all unless you can do this, and it's different from any other thing in the game. I think it's dumb and it really takes me out of it. And yes BbS had dumb optional bosses too. I just want to see KH3 bring back shotlock commands without them being as mindlessly broken as they were in BbS, and 0.2 shows promise with that.
There were certainly moments when reaction commands added to the game, primarily when choosing to use them changed the whole style of the battle for a while, like in the roxas fight, but I personally think they were terrible in fights like Sephiroth's. It was kind of cool the first time, but otherwise just broke up the flow of the battle. Besides, it wasn't nearly as satisfying to defend against as most of Sephiroth's other attacks, due to the reduced options. The games after Kingdom Hearts 2 had worse battle systems to be sure, but not because or reaction commands. Birth by Sleep just had too many poorly balanced combat options. What the hell were they thinking when they gave 2 out of the 3 characters nearly unbeatable rolls?
they were thinking "we gave the player zero options to deal with our broken boss" seriously, terranort uses dash invincibility all the time and due to your slow wined up for attacks, your best option is, block counter :/ BBS needed more base combos and qte's just to at Least give you something great to do while you're raging
+DeathgGod I liked bbs battle system I just think they did a terrible job at designing some of the bosses. I mean mysterious figure might just be the worst designed secret boss in KH history.
+DrkwalkerPs3 battle system? sure, I'm referring to base combat. you swing your keyblade 3 times and that's a "combo", and qte's can fix the bad combat designs in bbs
+DeathgGod Yea I'm not saying the qte was bad I'm just saying for a handheld game the battle system was pretty decent. Your not gonna get a kh2 type battle system on a handheld system. That's why DDD was pretty much the same in terms of the command deck. I just think they did a poor job designing some bosses and using the system they put in place. Mostly the secret bosses which is just a dodge fest.
Meh. I wasn't a fan of reaction commands. Reason being, they were pretty much always objectively the best thing to do. They only further linearize the already linear combat. They looked really cool and flashy, but it was all style and no substance. If reaction commands don't return, i hope it's in return for more depth in the combat system
while you do make really good points that i agree with personally i think they game that has the best QTE like actions is Devil May Cry 4 with Nero's Buster now i say "QTE like" because the buster isn't really a QTE it's something you can use at any time but DMC4 never straight up tells you when to use the buster so it's up to the players skill to know when and where is the best time to Buster an enemy it which makes it incredibly satisfying
Director Bison Yup. DMC4 is the master of context-sensitive attacks in an action game. It's understated and simple to pull off but it works because you figured it out on your own. Satisfaction.
QTE was the only reason why i never finished KH2. It made the game less immersive and too easy. The harder the challenge, the greater the dopamine reward. This is almost always true for any game. (Dark Souls, Cuphead, Binding of Issac, IWBTG, Any retro game) Why is it that the most memorable parts of a game is "that level" or "that one boss" that just ticked you off? (KH1 Coliseum, LOZ:OOT water temple, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE DAMN TRAIN CJ) just imagine if all those difficult parts were instantly cured by pressing triangle. there is no reward, its just another cutscene. QTE is the easy solution, like you're handing off the controller to a better player to land some unearned damage. What's more satisfying? watching some pro 360 noscope, or doing it yourself?
Sorry, but I just can't get behind this video. All your arguments can be implemented in gameplay without the need of lazy rollercoaster triangle rides. You don't need QTEs to make boss battles meaningful, challenging or flashy.
Haphazy Except that reaction commands ARE part of the gameplay. Arbitrarily callying it otherwise doesnt change that. They give you more options and help give the levels and enemies personality. I don't understand how just mashing x is any more gameplay intensive then mashing triangle and x.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Now I realize why KH 2 has always been my favorite. That moment with xemnas was literally
The most badass thing my 9 year old self could ever experience, and all later game bosses have lacked a cinematic quality. I hope it comes back in KH 3
Justin Dykes That laser reflection scene was probably the most exceptionally awesome thing I've seen, like ever.
SaberRexZealot ditto.
But... but... the flashy Kingdom Hearts 2 battles made the game for me.
I loved KH2's flashy battles. People go on and on about how good Birth by Sleep's is but I can't get into that at all.
SaberRexZealot I did like 3D's boss fights though. They were pretty well designed.
BBS on the harder difficulties is something I almost cannot stand. IMO, the enemies are damage sponge cannons (as in glass cannon cannons) and it isn't the most riveting thing to be smashing at an enemy that should have died a lot sooner, then be taken by surprise by a different enemy and be demolished. In KH 2 critical they also hit very hard and had quite a bit of health, but I don't think the fights were unreasonably elongated by this fact, meanwhile BBS definitely felt that way if I didn't grind like hell.
Not wanting to focus on flashy boss battles.
Oh, you mean that thing that keeps making people buy Platinum games?
Or that thing that Square is obsessed with in every Final Fantasy game?
Boss battles -should- be flashy, it helps them become memorable.
Congratulations, BestGuyEver! Your thumbnail for this video has been used to represent Kingdom Hearts 3 as a nominee for the Worst Gameplay award in the /v/idya Gaem Awards 2019!! How does it feel to be honoured by such a prestigious award show like this?
Kingdom Hearts II is my dearly beloved ;(
Also, great video and you make great points. Your outro was the best I have ever seen.
My favourite Procrastinator for a reason ;D
Man, what a fucking awesome video. This kind of shit is literally exactly what I want to spend my time on.
I have to say, coming into this video, I was expecting an unimpressive argument, and that being said I'm delightfully surprised to hear someone pinpointing all the genuine pros of QTE's. It was eloquently worded and the content itself was spot-on. However, I think there is an unquestionably superior way to implement them than they currently are in KHII, that would still create flashy battles and let the player still feel like they initiated it with some semblance of skill.
My main issue is that these reaction commands are simply not apart of Sora's immediate or consistent moveset, meaning it's not something that can be practiced at any time and as a result, it can't properly be mastered. The reaction commands are ONLY available at certain times and can ONLY be done when you see the Triangle button. On top of that, since they can't be used at any time, they must be a powerful move in order to be balanced fairly, meaning there's pretty much no downside to pressing triangle, which is a huge removal of skill from the equation. I feel that if Sora had been given an actual move with the Triangle button that could be practiced against enemies, people would be more open to it. The button prompts could be replaced by a dazed animation. The main difference between the current system and the one I propose is that a little bit more skill and decision-making is required to execute reaction commands against enemies. You could even add a bonus to it, possibly making the Reaction command even flashier and more powerful if the button is pressed when an enemy is dazed, rewarding good timing and observation.
I feel that this method is unquestionably better because it turns what is currently a pretty good iteration of the QTE into a legitimate mechanic that requires observation, timing, and technicality in order to pull it off, hopefully making the player feel more engaged and rewarded with the game. I think a game that does this pretty fantastically is DMC4, where Nero's Buster move essentially does what I'm describing. The circle button will always cause Nero to use his buster, which causes a sick animation to play out and switches animations between enemies and enemy types. There's no button prompt floating above the enemy or anything, just a player and their ability to kick ass. I think that feeling you get during QTE's can be a lot stronger and make you, the player, feel way cooler when you're the one spotting a weakness and then taking advantage of it, as opposed to the game telling you, "Okay, Sora, NOW you can be cool."
I know I'm over a year late to this video, but I was taken aback by how much I agreed with you and thought I should just put my two-cents on the matter forward. Overall, it was a very good video and I enjoyed it a lot!
Thank you very much for the detailed response. I definitely see what you mean and how what I described simply doesn't line up with what you desire in Kingdom Hearts. I wonder if the unpredictability you described will return in the form of the Disney Rides in KH3. It looks like they may range from standard attacks able to be used anywhere like the cups to incredibly situational ones like the roller coaster against the Titan fight, that, by the way looks like more a new circumstance to work under as opposed to a unique attack itself, which might lend even more dynamism to these encounters.
Yup, cheers indeed. Thanks for the great discussion, mate.
The reply's gone.
Fuck, that Laser Sphere at the end of 2 has to be one of the most intense moments in any game for me.
...and after watching this I realized I'm an idiot. Literally the only reason I never tried to get a copy of KH2 Final Mix is because for some reason I thought it was only available in Japanese. Though now it'll probably turn out that the English version is PS3 only and I'll have to sudoku.
ps4 soon too :s
this video is really underrated
IKR? He has so many good Videos, but it seems no one can find them -.-
I hope that your Channel grows like a weed Man You deserve it that amount of effort and editing as well as how professionally you do everything is just awesome. I never liked QTE's but now I have a respect for them. I hope u never stop making content :)
At the start of this video I disagreed with you and thought that Reaction Commands were bad. By the end of this video, you completely turned opinion around.
Showing that moment with Xemnas just about brought a tear to my eye... this is some nice ass analysis, man. Keep up the amazing work.
The appeal of Reaction Commands is not only on the action, but it makes the game (or Sora) interacts with the world even better. Moreover, the names they give for the RCs aren't just "Kick" "Stomp" "Jump" "Attack" but the honestly came up with brilliant names for them, even when what Sora does is just smashing things up
Bestie just made me appreciate KH2 so much more, than I already did before. I love his KH stuff to bits.
You convinced me! I have been a QTE naysayer for years! Didn't even think about the Reaction Commands.
Great points. Though, I'm pretty sure reaction commands will be in KH3 in some way. When you look at 0.2's final boss (the devil wave), Mickey and Aqua do a combo attack that is very reminiscent of KH2's flashy boss reaction commands when you activate "Wayfinder". As long as that kind of stuff remains, I'm good. You also see Sora taking over robots in the D23 trailer. I know this vid is old now, but it's good to see we haven't lost anything there.
Still the best video youve done tbh
Shrek + Highschool DxD? Are you god...?
i may be late, but the *evolved* version of the reaction commands will be present in KH3, known as situation commands(introduced in kh 0.2 bbs fragmentary passage)
TheVigilante So that means technically they're not actually gone? Because man I would be really disappointed if they got rid of reaction commands entirely.
Logicalityz TM yeah, they r not gone, but they wont be as flashy as they were in kh2. pretty sure because of flowmotion the situation commands were toned down. i could be wrong tho.
Unique Reactions died just for them to put Attractions in every fight in KH3
why the Renai Shrekulation at the end!!!!
Fantastic dude.
I'm guessing we'll have some sort context sensitive actions in KH3 too. Maybe activated as specific flowmotion moves or boss fight exclusive command styles. The roller coaster seems tailored to the Rock Titan fight at least.
Not to mention the QTE's in Yakuza games. They work just as well as in Kingdom Hearts 2 because they implemented QTE's and perfectly blend in the gameplay. Kingdom Hearts 2 still remains to be my favorite of the series and whether they ditched the player agency in favor of reaction commands or not, you still felt like a badass when you activate them. It made the best boss battles more memorable.
Thank you for this video. I could never completely explain why KH2 is my favorite game. And this video is perfect! Thank you SOOO MUCH!!
People forget: We technically had the reaction command at the bottom of the command list in KH. I remember thinking about it when I first played KH. It wasn't used in fights (that I remember), but it was for small things, like lifting boxes or grabbing that stupid dolphin in Atlantica. Just a thought.
2:00 love that added motion blur
So what happened to that Kingdom Hearts class vid you posted? Was looking forward to checking that out after work.
Thank you...just thank you!
I completely agree! I really do like the reaction commands and will miss them in KH3. I can't speak for other people but I know that I personally felt pretty bad-ass after properly executing really cool looking reaction commands.
They back
The balance and finesse of Chad RC> busted, babys-first-game keyblade transformations
Im probably alone in this, well maybe, I don't know... but I hate those data battles so much. You've basically described the main reason why I like KH1 so much more than 2
Yeah, but the thing is, QTE takes less control for the player. For my opinion, in order to create a character action game( which kh is but with rpg elements) you want the player to be the character. All of those QTE moments in kh2, instead of pressing one button, the player does the action himself based on your character's action. So instead of pressing one button, you do one of sora's move sets. That way, it would be more awesome because you did it yourself. It's like you are the character on screen. You are the one who did the effort. You control that character. You are the one who has done all these cool moves. You are the character.
Personally I don't even count Reaction Commands as QTEs, since the system is much more nuanced and player-focused than probably any other game's QTE.
A dedicated button for context-sensitive action =/= QTE if you ask me.
9:02
Whoa Best Guy, slow your roll
Re:coded was pretty dang flashy, especially as a Command Deck game on the fucking DS
Angelique Pretty sure the xemnas duel where you have to hold off on hitting the big triangle to maximize damage, all of the gambler minigames, the samurai duels, and obtaining roxas's keyblade to augment your moveset and defending against his retaliation count as nuance.
Can you do more PCP lectures?
I was kinda hoping they could do that wit vanitas
I mean....I kinda liked the card combo thing for the handheld games. But it in no way replaces the battle style of KH1-2. I don't know what they mean by this at all. Haven't we seen that QTE type stuff still exists in FFXV anyway?? I am confused...
yeah, the qte's are not among the MANY problems i have with kh2. the greatest strength of that game is the coolness of its presentation.
and this is why we are getting situation commands in kh3
Goddamn, I've been saying this shit about KH2 since the game came out. KH2 simply has the best boss battles and even normal combat of any game I've ever played
I completely agree with all the points brought up. The best aspect of Kingdom Hearts 2 is it's use of game feel to drive home it's theme of friendship and overcoming adversity. With every Reaction command, Sora's ability to complete that action (while taking control away for a few seconds) gives the character a sense of power not felt in most other installments in the game. And even when it comes down to it, aside from a few boss fights, the reaction commands were basically optional. You could easily choose to dodge and perform a combo. Or even use reflect or guard to block the incoming attack. The use of QTE makes this game feel so much more alive than any previous or subsequent game in this franchise. Honestly seeing anyone shy away from this (especially Nomura) is really disheartening. Missing the point of the QTE and In so, missing an integral mechanic of the game. Also, the extra bosses in BBS are stupid and bullshit! Fuckin Cartwheelin everywhere and shit! It's just bad design.
I ended that badly... QTE GOOD, BBS CARTWHEELS BAD...
KH3 feels way too flashy in like every other way. And in some ways its easier than the old ones, you used to actually have to jump around the fat guys, now you just summon neon teacups and hope for the best
Dat dxd ending. I've never played kingdom hearts aside from the one with roxas and xion on the DS. I have a lot of catching up to do now.
Well Guy there are a few things I'm hoping they WILL add in KH3.
More FF characters (Lightning, most of all, for me)
More Disney Movie characters (Old and New like the new Malevicent(If i spelled that right))
More party members to change from
And most definitely more cooler Keyblades.
I missed the reaction commands. The attractions was garbo.
i think theyre replacing them with situation commands, which are like command styles in bbs. which is shitty if you ask me.
Lets show this too Nomura
I honestly think that as long as they keep the cinematic flashy elements that reaction commands afforded you, that things will be fine.
But Nomura saying bosses were too “flashy” genuinely worries me. THATS what made KH so awesome in the first place! FLASHY! If they completely do away with the cinematic elements in a fight I will be very sad.
The “pause” that it brings doesn’t halt the gameplay so much as gives you an awesome reward for proper timing and positioning.
If the cinematic badassery is left behind in KH2 it will be a tragedy beyond words.
You hit the nail on the head with this video. I wish they would bring them back because they added a unique flavor to this game. Another company that does flashy QTE sequences really well is Platinum games. I don't think I hear too many people complaining about the QTE's in Metal Gear Rising, Wonderful101, and Bayonetta 2, though Bayonetta 1 was kinda ridiculous.
Now I would love to Play KH 2 Final Mix :( But I don't have a Console... Maybe just KH2 with PS2 Emulator would work :P
I played the first KH and wasn't too inpressed. After this, I wanna give KH2 a try. That combat looks too fun to pass up.
I loved KH1 for the detail and pazzaz they put into a very strange idea. It was very confidently and expertly made. The second one is just... Gold. It is brawler RPG gold. Even if you're not into FF or Disney, the game isn't just style but has a ton of substance in the combat. You have so much customization in how you fight too, it's actually pretty astonishing.
I was always a big fan of the ariel combo extenders and keeping the enemies juggled as long as I could.
Nice video! But I think the development team knows what they are doing. I have full trust in them to make this game awesome, even without qte
No QTE but tons of abilities that takes the control away from the player. Nice.
So how do you feel about this topic now that we kno that they basically replaced them with the situation commands, that we got in 0.2. It's basically a KH2 reaction command, but more in control of the player instead of the enemy ai. You build them up and trigger them when u want, not loop or wait until the boss lets u do it.
QTE's are not entirely bad but they can be overused to the point of monotony. Asura's Wrath has some really creative QTE's but they got old after the hundreds that the game threw at you. KH2 has a similar problem where the samurai reaction command and the card game are good examples, so many others are just boring combos or escapes from enemy attacks. Your Sephiroth example really illustrates this, taking that first massive hit sucks, most people were not prepared and lost a huge amount of health cheaply. When they finally succeed it does look cool but it's just a button push, it reminds me of taking reaction tests at the doctors office. Wait for the X to appear... push a key. Compare this to fighting Jetstream Sam in Revengeance, pulling off a perfect parry on one of his combos is immensely satisfying and relies on a consistent mechanic, the timing is still there but you are asked to examine the Boss's telegraphs rather than a glowing green prompt at the top of a menu. QTE's have their place but KH2's easy button often felt like a crutch. Kinda bummed to see that KH3 has all these flashy teacups and Choo Choo Trains to clear out enemies.
that maybe true but rising also had the hype ass final boss qte's which were great
+DeathgGod This guy knows. And that's the good shit, they are more for style than substance.
I'd have to disagree on the point of reaction commands not being an easy mode button at times, but I definitely have to agree that KH2 was better for their inclusion. It's a shame that they're doing/have done away with them.
At least it's not like they can't still choreograph some awesome cinematic sequences without QTEs. Right?
You have made a lot of great points, but I don't think "flashy" combat is a substitute for good gameplay. QTEs are not the only way to pull these things off and it's time developers start thinking outside the box. Personally I'm glad they're doing this and I think it's the first step that needs to happen to eventually influence other developers to follow.
While you're not wrong and qtes aren't a substitute for good gameplay, I think the point here is that the qtes ARE a good flashy gameplay mechanic that are stylized to be unique to kh2 that feel natural --- and are often entirely optional (not to include boss fights). Guess we'll see once kh3 eventually drops.
The Data Battles in KH2 FM are all about exploiting the way their phases are programmed. You are not going to beat them all unless you can do this, and it's different from any other thing in the game. I think it's dumb and it really takes me out of it. And yes BbS had dumb optional bosses too.
I just want to see KH3 bring back shotlock commands without them being as mindlessly broken as they were in BbS, and 0.2 shows promise with that.
There were certainly moments when reaction commands added to the game, primarily when choosing to use them changed the whole style of the battle for a while, like in the roxas fight, but I personally think they were terrible in fights like Sephiroth's. It was kind of cool the first time, but otherwise just broke up the flow of the battle. Besides, it wasn't nearly as satisfying to defend against as most of Sephiroth's other attacks, due to the reduced options.
The games after Kingdom Hearts 2 had worse battle systems to be sure, but not because or reaction commands. Birth by Sleep just had too many poorly balanced combat options. What the hell were they thinking when they gave 2 out of the 3 characters nearly unbeatable rolls?
they were thinking "we gave the player zero options to deal with our broken boss"
seriously, terranort uses dash invincibility all the time and due to your slow wined up for attacks, your best option is, block counter :/
BBS needed more base combos and qte's just to at Least give you something great to do while you're raging
+DeathgGod I liked bbs battle system I just think they did a terrible job at designing some of the bosses. I mean mysterious figure might just be the worst designed secret boss in KH history.
+DrkwalkerPs3 battle system? sure, I'm referring to base combat. you swing your keyblade 3 times and that's a "combo", and qte's can fix the bad combat designs in bbs
+DeathgGod Yea I'm not saying the qte was bad I'm just saying for a handheld game the battle system was pretty decent. Your not gonna get a kh2 type battle system on a handheld system. That's why DDD was pretty much the same in terms of the command deck. I just think they did a poor job designing some bosses and using the system they put in place. Mostly the secret bosses which is just a dodge fest.
Agreed
Has anyone ever told you that you sound a lot like Yuri Lowenthall
that's weird, he sounds nothing like him
Meh. I wasn't a fan of reaction commands. Reason being, they were pretty much always objectively the best thing to do. They only further linearize the already linear combat. They looked really cool and flashy, but it was all style and no substance. If reaction commands don't return, i hope it's in return for more depth in the combat system
Bren Dan Question, did you prefer the command menu or command deck?
Can you send this to the creator? I think your input matters alot.
while you do make really good points that i agree with
personally i think they game that has the best QTE like actions is Devil May Cry 4 with Nero's Buster
now i say "QTE like" because the buster isn't really a QTE it's something you can use at any time
but DMC4 never straight up tells you when to use the buster
so it's up to the players skill to know when and where is the best time to Buster an enemy it which makes it incredibly satisfying
Director Bison Yup. DMC4 is the master of context-sensitive attacks in an action game. It's understated and simple to pull off but it works because you figured it out on your own. Satisfaction.
Sure why not. I guess your right.
I HATE data Luxord. That is all
qte hate is a meme
QTE was the only reason why i never finished KH2. It made the game less immersive and too easy.
The harder the challenge, the greater the dopamine reward.
This is almost always true for any game. (Dark Souls, Cuphead, Binding of Issac, IWBTG, Any retro game)
Why is it that the most memorable parts of a game is "that level" or "that one boss" that just ticked you off? (KH1 Coliseum, LOZ:OOT water temple, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE DAMN TRAIN CJ)
just imagine if all those difficult parts were instantly cured by pressing triangle. there is no reward, its just another cutscene.
QTE is the easy solution, like you're handing off the controller to a better player to land some unearned damage.
What's more satisfying? watching some pro 360 noscope, or doing it yourself?
Aren't literally the majority of them optional?
Sorry, but I just can't get behind this video. All your arguments can be implemented in gameplay without the need of lazy rollercoaster triangle rides.
You don't need QTEs to make boss battles meaningful, challenging or flashy.
Haphazy Except that reaction commands ARE part of the gameplay. Arbitrarily callying it otherwise doesnt change that. They give you more options and help give the levels and enemies personality.
I don't understand how just mashing x is any more gameplay intensive then mashing triangle and x.
By definition, "mashing" x is more intensive than pressing triangle and then watching a cutscene.