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First Impressions: Kingdom Hearts III

Kingdom Hearts 3 2

As someone who’s been playing video games since elementary school, the Kingdom Hearts games have been the biggest part of my childhood. So, when I heard about the release of Kingdom Hearts III, a game I’ve been waiting for the longest time to come out, I was so excited and ready to play it.

Kingdom Hearts III takes place after the events in Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, following when Riku and Sora take the Mark of Mastery test. As Riku and King Mickey go on the search for Aqua (another chosen Keyblade wielder whose story you learn more about in Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep), Sora goes on an adventure of his own with Donald Duck and Goofy in search of reawakening his weakened powers and trying to learn the power of wakening. As Sora travels from world to world, he encounters Heartless, Nobodies and Unversed as well as runs into various members of the new Organization XIII whose true goals remain unknown.

While I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of Kingdom Hearts III, I truly believe it’s my favorite game in the series that I’ve ever played. One of the things I enjoy about the game so far is the combat. I love the different abilities (otherwise known as form change) that each of Sora’s Keyblades has that you can activate when you fight. I feel like each of them is unique to the Keyblade Sora is using but in a way that suits it.

Kingdom Hearts 3 Form Change
One of the form changes in the game.

There’s also a new ability in combat called attractions that I still have mixed feelings about. Just like the name suggests, attractions are an ability that Sora can use where he’s on different attraction rides that can cause damage to the enemy. I have mixed feelings about this new ability because some of the attractions you can use are very useful and others I just find to be very annoying and don’t like using in combat. But overall, I find the combat in this game to be the most fun I’ve had in a Kingdom Hearts game in a very long time and look forward to fighting whenever I play.

Another thing I’ve enjoyed with Kingdom Hearts III so far are the different worlds you can travel to in the game. I like the worlds you get to go into because most of them you’ve never been to in any of the other games in the series. I also like the role Sora gets to play in those worlds, whether he’s dressed like a toy and helps Woody and Buzz search for their missing friends or he’s a monster helping Mike and Sullivan get Boo back home. Sora is always getting himself into situations, making friends along the way and I love it just as much in this game as I do all the others.

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Sora in the Carribean, one of my favorite worlds from Kingdom Hearts II that I’m glad they’ve brought back.

I also love the message of friendship these games bring with them. Of your friends even when they aren’t around still being a part of your life, close to your heart. This message always resonates with me and I feel like its exactly what I needed to hear. Especially with the personal stuff that’s been going on in my life.

There are, however, some issues I do have with Kingdom Hearts III. One of the biggest issues I have with the game is how they go about the plot. I’ve just recently started to get further into the main storyline of the game and while I do at times find it interesting, I also find myself left with a lot of questions that remain to be answered. I know since I haven’t completed the game yet I probably shouldn’t be complaining about this, but its something that bothers me so I feel like it needs to be discussed.

What I think doesn’t help is that a lot of the worlds Sora goes to the story doesn’t feel complete. You get some gameplay in these worlds, but I feel like you never truly get any resolution to the conflicts the characters in the world are dealing with. For example, one of the worlds I enjoy going to because the characters were a big part of my childhood is the Hundred Acre Woods from Winnie the Pooh. In the previous Kingdom Hearts games, you go to the Hundred Acre Woods and must help Sora find the missing pages of the book to see Pooh and the rest of his friends. In this game, however, Merlin shows you the book and Sora notices his image is missing on the front cover, so you go visit to see if anything is wrong there. It’s the shortest world visit in the game you experience and its one of many worlds in the game I felt were treated the same way, though not quite as short.

I also don’t like with Kingdom Hearts III that the worlds you go and visit don’t really tie in with the main storyline in the game. Usually, in these games, the worlds you go into playing as Sora there’s usually a reason he goes there that ties into the main storyline in the game. With this game, I didn’t see that truly being the case. I felt like you got some snippets of what the main storyline was, but not enough to really understand why Sora went to these worlds. The main storyline doesn’t take place until after you’ve completed these worlds. While I didn’t necessarily mind it, it’s different from what I remember in the other games, so it threw me off.

But overall, I’m enjoying my experience playing Kingdom Hearts III. I remember when I first got into the series, excited to play these games. This game has been no different for me because I’ve been waiting for its release for so long. I know I’ll be sad when I finish this game because this game series has been a part of my life for such a long time. But right now, I’m enjoying my first time playing through it and believe I will continue to do so despite my criticisms.

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If We Were Having Coffee: Be Thankful For the Things You Are Given

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Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great week and that your weekend is everything you want it to be right now.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask you about your Thanksgiving. I’d want you to tell me how it went, would want to know about your Thanksgiving traditions. Then, I’d tell you how mine went. I’d tell you my sister came from Nashville to spend time with Mom and I and that we invited one of Mom’s friends over to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.

I’d say we have a lot to be thankful for. Because that’s what Thanksgiving is about: being thankful for the things you are given. At least, that’s how I choose to celebrate it. I choose to be thankful that I have a life and that I have clean water, food and a place to sleep. Because not everyone has these same comforts in life. I might at times complain a lot about the way things in my life are going. Life is hard and everyone has their own struggles they have to deal with. But I’m lucky because not everyone has things as easy as I do.

Yes, I’ve had my own struggles. But that doesn’t mean I can’t sit back and reflect on the things I’m grateful to have. I might sometimes hate my job and definitely wish I worked elsewhere, but I’m glad I have one even during the roughest of times. I’m grateful for my family. Because while we might be a small bunch, we are really close and there isn’t anyone else I’d want to spend my holidays with. I’m grateful for the friends I do have because while we might not talk as much, they are important to me and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.

I’m thankful for this blog. I love it so much because I can express my feelings and emotions in my writing to others in a welcoming community of people. I might not know every single person who reads my blog, but I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my posts. I’m thankful for my blog most of all because I can express myself. I can be my own person here and talk to others who share the same passions as me.

So if you’re reading this post right now, thank you. I appreciate you and hope you are having a wonderful day because you deserve it. Know that you are loved and don’t stop believing in yourself.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you what all else I’ve been up to. Besides spending time with my wonderful family, I’ve also made some time for myself too. Maybe not as much time as I’d have liked, but I was with family so it was okay. I was able to write a post about one of my favorite video games Kingdom Hearts for Chapter Six of the online course I’m currently taking, which can be found here if you’re interested in checking it out. I’ve been thinking about this post a lot so I figured I’d go ahead and write it so I can continue this class and become a Creator on the site.

Along with finally writing another post, I’ve also started playing one of the games in the series mentioned Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. I’ve felt the itch to play this series games in their true order to try the best I can to actually beat all of the games. We’ll see if I’ll be able to accomplish this or not, but I’m definitely thinking about writing a post about all of the games once I do.

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Characters from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.

I’ve also continued watching Criminal Minds whenever I’ve had the chance and just recently started rereading a book I haven’t read in a long time. Criminal Minds is still very enjoyable for me, probably one of my favorite crime shows today. And the book I’m currently reading is still as enjoyable to me as when I last read it, which I plan on telling you all about on my next book review.

But other than this, I haven’t been up to much. When I go back to work tomorrow, I only have two more weeks until we have our Christmas break, which roughly lasts a month. So with that, I plan on thoroughly searching for a job in my field or trying to get a job closer to home.

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the rest of what’s left of this weekend.

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Giving Something New a Try: If We Were Having Coffee First Post

If We Were Having Coffee Image One

For the past couple weeks now, I’ve read Zen and Pi’s If We Were Having Coffee posts. I find them to be very interesting, seeing her posts about what she’s been up to during the week that I’ve decided I want to do my own weekly #weekendcoffeeshare posts.

Part of the reason I want to become a part of the #weekendcoffeeshare is because I want to personalize my blog some more. I don’t want my blog to be just about the books I’ve read and video games I’ve played. And I’m trying to do that by including some of my own writing through flash fiction challenges and writing prompts. But I also want it to be somewhere readers can learn a little more about me, including them in my life because my blog is a part of my life.

I believe If We Were Having Coffee will be able to help with that. What I’ll be doing each weekend is writing a post directed at my readers, telling them what all I’ve been up to during the week over a cup of coffee. I’m planning on doing these posts starting today every weekend if I can to give my readers a glimpse into my everyday life. I hope these posts will allow more conversation to happen between me and my readers, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m sorry but I don’t drink coffee. I’ll be having milk with our weekend coffee sessions instead and hope that’s okay with you. I’d also apologize to you for the lack of posts over the past two weeks. Two coworkers of mine who work nights at my job quit so I’ve been covering their hours with very little free time for myself to spare. These extra hours have caused me so much stress, frustration and exhaustion that I haven’t felt like writing as much until I got through the weeks I’d be working them. They’ve also made me realize how miserable I am with my current job and am ready to get a job in my field sooner rather than later. Right now, I’m working on that with my general manager at work, who’s offered to help me find a position for the company in my field. I’m actually supposed to meet with him tomorrow about this so fingers crossed he has some good news for me. But if not, I’ve been applying for positions while I’ve been home, both for a job during the summer and in my field so I’m not unemployed during the summer and so I have somewhere to work full time so I don’t have to go back. While I enjoyed working for them for a little while, I’ve realized it’s time for me to go because I’m no longer happy working there anymore. I’m ready for a different job and to get my career started.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I had applied to be a contributor at Book Riot a couple weeks ago. I’d tell you how excited I was about the opportunity, but also inform you that I didn’t get picked. But I’d also let you know how okay I am with that now because the two posts I wrote for the position I can always put on my blog. In fact, I’d say, I’m planning on putting them on my blog. As soon as I get the chance to look over them one last time to make sure there isn’t anything more I want to add. I’d also tell you if you asked that what they are about is a surprise and that you’ll see them on my blog soon enough. I don’t want to spoil them for you my dear reader, I’d tell you.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’ve made friends in the most unlikely of places. Yes, I have friends both from high school and college I still talk to. But I also made friends with people I never expected to talk to me. In fact, I’ve been spending time with one of them quite a bit. I went to a couple parks with them last Sunday, some of which I’d never gone to before. It was lots of fun and I hope we go to some more very soon. But for now, this friend of mine is slowly becoming a part of my life in ways I didn’t imagine. We talk to each other every day and with each conversation had, I feel like I’m learning more and more about this person that makes me realize I want them to be in my life and someone I can continue to call a dear friend.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about my best friend’s Mary Kay consultation party I went to last Saturday. I’d tell you how proud I am of my best friend for starting up her own business and about the good time I had at the consultation. I’d tell you I had such a good time that I even bought stuff, not only to support my friend but because I need it. I have a lot of problems with my skin getting dry and the stuff they have for dry skin I was able to try during the consultation. It seemed to work well so I’m hoping the stuff I’m getting works good for me. I would also mention there’s going to be another consultation next Saturday at 10. I’m going to that one as well so I can continue to support my friend and see what other products Mary Kay has to offer.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I haven’t read a book since I tried reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, even though I’d gotten two other books on my Nook. I’ve been so busy playing Kingdom Hearts Unchained X whenever I’ve had the chance that I haven’t started reading another book. I just couldn’t get into this book right now so I’m hoping whatever book I start next will be better. But I can tell you that Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is pretty good, despite how annoying the battery life on my tablet can be.

If we were having coffee, I’d apologize for blabbering for so long and ask you about your week.

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First Impressions: Kingdom Hearts Unchained X

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is a RPG, action turn based game. Played on Android and mobile devices, Kingdom Hearts Unchained X has just recently been released in the United States.

And it is unlike no other Kingdom Hearts game. For one, you get to create a character uniquely your own. In previous Kingdom Hearts games, you played heroes chosen by the keyblade. But in Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, YOU are the hero. You can customize your avatar’s clothes and hair as well as choose which keyblade you want to use on each quest. It has also been released on Android and mobile, something Square Enix has never done with Kingdom Hearts in the past.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X Avatars

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is an enjoyable game for beginners to the series. Those unfamiliar with Kingdom Hearts can play it without playing any of the other games.

I both like this and hate it. I enjoy that this game can be a stand-alone because it has unique features other Kingdom Hearts games don’t have. But at the same time, as a big Kingdom Hearts fan, I’m sad. Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is a good game, but I was hoping this game would move the plot of the series further along. But it doesn’t.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X Action

However, I also just started playing Kingdom Hearts Unchained X a couple days ago. So while I feel like there’s no real plot to the game, there’s still a lot I haven’t gotten to just yet.

But from what I’ve played so far, Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is a fun addition to the series. I enjoy being able to play a unique character that I’ve created as well as explore familiar worlds seen in the rest of the series and can’t wait to dive further into the game to see what all else it has to offer.

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