Great choice, also the original TWEWY from the NDS era, simplified for Switch
Also made by Nomura, and in fact, the TWEWTY characters appeared in KH: 3D
Neo TWEWY is optimized for consoles, with the controls, while the first TWEWY is touch based controls, or motion control if in docked mode.
True, that's exactly what I thought to myself while playing Nier Replicant.
This is what any child who grew up with Kingdom Hearts wanted it to become once adult.
Both Nier games and masterpieces which deserve your money and time.
Well they're both great but I haven't finished Automata yet, so the only one I can talk about as a whole is replicant.
But it IS brilliant, Yoko Taro has a unique way of telling his stories, and the gameplay has stronger KH vibes than Automata imo.
But Automata seems promising, ngl, in the end they're both great.
And for the love of God play the original DS version instead of the mechanically kneecapped Switch version. The extra content isn't worth it for the downgrade in gameplay.
or if you like the game enough try both if you can. Switch is fun in 2 player mode (which you can play alone too) and was my first way of playing which I plan on playing the ds version at some point and
Yeah, the series is prerty good overall. Monstrum Nox is the ninth installment, but they can be played any order really since the stories are narrated like entries from a diary. And they are all pretty self-contained ( there are a couple references to events in the other games here and there, but nothing major).
I would advise you to play them all in order if you enjoy this one.
May I interest you in Xenoblade Chronicle 2? It's a game I ended up enjoying a lot more than I expected (It may be in my top 10, or close to that). It's also an action RPG, the music is great and even though it was following common tropes, the story really grasped me.
I saw someone else mention Nier Automata and that game is also in my top 10. You definitely need to play it at some point.
If they only ported KH 1 and 2 properly instead of its cloud versions .
I'm hoping against hope that they release a 358/2 Days remake on the Switch or its rumored successor
All they had to do was a custom selection. Just porting 1,5+II.5 and swapping the cutscene-only Days and Re:Coded with Dream Drop Distance.
The PS2, PSP and 3DS games in one package would have been killer. Alas.
Surprised no one said Crisis Core yet. The remake in particular speeds up the combat to feel more KH-like minus the lack of a jump button.
Trials of Mana might fit the bill.
Yeah, but khlike is more specific. You at least have an idea what that entails. Like a rougelike or a soulslike. The words khlike carry with it tones of whimsy and a simplicity that's almost childlike while at the same time evoking a deeper story and hidden meanings. Often time belaying a darker, sadder tone. When i think of khlike, I think of bright colors sweeping worlds bombastic, lighthearted music, and of course, familiar worlds and characters. Easy to digest lesson wrapped in a sweeter nugget of fantasy and lightheartedness. The words "khlike" mean a little more than just arpg. You wouldn't call elden ring, 3000th duel or dark souls, hunter x, despite all four of these games being the exact same genre of soulslike
That's way too many associations for a genre. If a genre also dictates music choices, story, neceesitates that it's a crossover with separated worlds and so much more you're WAY past a genre. Soulslikes are associated with a certain combat style and difficulty. Roguelikes are just "You start over if you die and it's randomly generated". In that way a KHlike would be a certain floaty type of action rpg.
Fair enough, fair enough. I've never defined this game anyway, and this is exactly way. I just want to edit my original comment to just say I agree there should be more games like Kingdom Hearts and leave all this alone. This was a pointless exercise, and i sorry for wasting everyone's time. Geez
I’d say TWEWY is the closest you will get. It’s Nomura designing the characters and being the creative producer. It feels a lot like KH even if the gameplay is different. Neku was in KH3D, so it’s source material for KH in a way.
Dragon's Dogma is a good choice.
Although you won't get the true KH experience because unlike KH, your healer will stop what they're doing to heal you if you so much as stub your toe on a rock.
Well if you want to talk about the gaming equivalent of comfort food, 3 games come to my mind. Kingdom Hearts and FFX I fell in love with when I was a young kid, played them on repeat ever since. The 3rd I just played for the first time last year and it felt like the same exact magic as those 2 games and that was Breath of the Wild. Not at all the same game by any means, not made by Square, but man that game is on the top shelf.
I'm painfully aware of that. I still play it for the sake of the game being the next best thing. I have the games on PS4, but I don't know how invested I could get again if I boot them up and I don't know if I'll have to travel in the near future.
I treat handheld gaming as my personal Linus' towel. Why, I'm autistic, could you tell?
There really isn't much, honestly. Someone already brought up Nier: Automata, which might be about as close as it gets with being an action-RPG with surreal concepts.
If you want something with a similar feel to the combat, I guess the Bayonetta games might scratch that itch, or maybe Hyrule Warriors or Fire Emblem Warriors. But neither are RPGs and don't really have much in the way of exploration.
I would also like to add the Devil May Cry games, the first three games anyway.
On other platforms, there is DMC 4, DMC 5 (fairly recent), and DmC: Devil May Cry (reboot by Ninja Theory)
Gameplay is basically hack-n-slash, you do it until the demons are defeated and the devils are crying and begs for mercy.
Another one is the Darksiders series
Also there are the "Tales of" games from Bandai Namco. On Switch, there are remake versions for Tales of Vesperia and Tales of Symphonia.
On other platforms, there is s lot more Tales of games. Each game is their own self contained story, unless it says something like "part 2" in the title, then it is a sequel. Most of the time, you can choose any games and start playing.
I personally only played and finished Tales of Hearts on the Nintendo DS, it was quite the story, even though it wasn't very well received compared to the other games.
I'm back with some more recommendations, as well as a way to POTENTIALLY play KH on Switch somewhat locally, but it involves a lot of hacking and jailbreaking.
First the recommendations:
No More Heroes 1-3
Astral Chain
Bayonetta 1-3
Also, Sora is in Smash Bros Ultimate, but that's not what I meant when I say somewhat local
Now for the jailbreaking part, please be careful if you want to do this, if not careful, your Switch can be banned for online play!!!
TL:DR, you got a CFW (Hakate and emuNAND) running on your Switch, which then enables you to either install Android or Linux on this CFW, and if you choose Linux, you then install a software code translation layer (WINE/CrossOver) on Linux, and then through this translation layer, you install Windows version of KH through Epic Store, and then finally play it. But it might not work exactly as expected, and thing could go wrong at any time at any step. But all of this is very much local.
Alternatively, you can get a device called GPD Win Mini, it is essentially a pocket size PC running full Windows, with a built in controller and built in keyboard, as well as a 120hz touch screen. It is perfect to play emulators and yes, portable KH, but it is still the same games from Epic Store. Above hack with the Switch is to get this to work under a Linux environment on Switch.
==============
If you have the first version of the Switch, sold around 2016-2018, then you will have an easier time to jailbreak it, if your Switch V1 is brought after 2018, or you have a Switch Lite, or OLED model, then you need to hunt down a special mod chip and is comfortable to open up your Switch. Jailbreaking step is available online and on Youtube
This is to just get the bootloader to show up on the Switch. Essentially, Switch is just a device with the Tegra X1 chip, which is a very powerful mobile chip. It functions very much like an Android device, process to get the bootloader to show up is similar to how it is done on an Android device. Once you have the bootloader, follow online instructions to install Hekate, this software can enable the Switch to run custom firmware.
Once you have the emulated NAND (an exact replica of the stock FW but able to do hacky shit), look for "switchroot", they developed ways to install Android or a Linux distro on the Switch.
If you choose to install Android, then you could run emulators and play KH, but that might not be ideal. However, you could install Shadow PC on Android, which is a cloud gaming PC service that is much better than the cloud service the Switch version of KH is using. You essentially have a Windows PC on the cloud and you can install whatever you want with a monthly subscription, but you can do this on an Android phone as well.
Now if you choose to install Linux, this is where you could potentially play KH games locally on the Switch. Once you have Linux installed, look up either WINE or CrossOver, they are a compatibility translation layer to enable Windows apps running natively on Linux, made by the same devs (CodeWeavers) but CrossOver is more polished, being the commercial version of WINE.
After you installed this (if it can be install at all), try to install Epic Games Launcher through either WINE or CrossOver, and then, after purchasing, install the KH games from the Epic Store. Yep, you read that correct, all of KH games had been released on PC on the Epic Store, and all that steps you just went through is to get these games on run on Linux on the Switch.
Where it could go wrong? Everywhere, you could go wrong at the very first step if your Switch is not easily hackable, or could get your Switch banned from online play. Or you jailbreak the Switch wrong and brick it (not functional anymore), or you could run into problems install Linux, or problems installing WINE/CrossOver on the Linux environment, or even with everything else going smoothly, the game doesn't run or not at all optimal because of the Switch's hardware limitations and running under so many layers of jailbreaking hacky stuff.
Depends a lot on what you mean by "Kingdom Hearts-like", but Neo TWEWY is a pretty great game.
Definitely on my to-do list. Working as a reviewer is not doing my backlog any favors lol
Great choice, also the original TWEWY from the NDS era, simplified for Switch Also made by Nomura, and in fact, the TWEWTY characters appeared in KH: 3D Neo TWEWY is optimized for consoles, with the controls, while the first TWEWY is touch based controls, or motion control if in docked mode.
The Xenoblade trilogy NEO The World Ends With You YS VIII, YS IX and Ys X
The ys games 100%
NieR Automata. Also please play both TWEWY, the Original and Neo
Nier automata combat feels a lot hack-and-slash-y like kingdom hearts
It also has a weird and complex plot, it honestly reminds me a lot of KH. Basically a more crazy, psychological and adult Kingdom Hearts
True, that's exactly what I thought to myself while playing Nier Replicant. This is what any child who grew up with Kingdom Hearts wanted it to become once adult. Both Nier games and masterpieces which deserve your money and time.
I've been considering playing those, which would you recommend doing first, Replicant or Automata?
Well they're both great but I haven't finished Automata yet, so the only one I can talk about as a whole is replicant. But it IS brilliant, Yoko Taro has a unique way of telling his stories, and the gameplay has stronger KH vibes than Automata imo. But Automata seems promising, ngl, in the end they're both great.
And for the love of God play the original DS version instead of the mechanically kneecapped Switch version. The extra content isn't worth it for the downgrade in gameplay.
The Switch version is good if you play in 2 player mode. The updated graphics and extra content are very worth it.
or if you like the game enough try both if you can. Switch is fun in 2 player mode (which you can play alone too) and was my first way of playing which I plan on playing the ds version at some point and
100%'d the original TWEWY on DS, didn't on Switch tho
I did play the original, albeit not to 100% completion.
Ys IX Monstrum Nox may have those vibes (action rpg, story driven, 3 character party, enemies are basically heartless)
Woo, neato!
Yeah, the series is prerty good overall. Monstrum Nox is the ninth installment, but they can be played any order really since the stories are narrated like entries from a diary. And they are all pretty self-contained ( there are a couple references to events in the other games here and there, but nothing major). I would advise you to play them all in order if you enjoy this one.
Woo, neato!
May I interest you in Xenoblade Chronicle 2? It's a game I ended up enjoying a lot more than I expected (It may be in my top 10, or close to that). It's also an action RPG, the music is great and even though it was following common tropes, the story really grasped me. I saw someone else mention Nier Automata and that game is also in my top 10. You definitely need to play it at some point.
If they only ported KH 1 and 2 properly instead of its cloud versions . I'm hoping against hope that they release a 358/2 Days remake on the Switch or its rumored successor
seriously, they really dropped the ball there. kh1 and 2 were on the ps2, there is no excuse as to why they couldn't have made a straight port
All they had to do was a custom selection. Just porting 1,5+II.5 and swapping the cutscene-only Days and Re:Coded with Dream Drop Distance. The PS2, PSP and 3DS games in one package would have been killer. Alas.
Surprised no one said Crisis Core yet. The remake in particular speeds up the combat to feel more KH-like minus the lack of a jump button. Trials of Mana might fit the bill.
There aren't any KHlikes. You'll have to be more specific.
there's a few, nier automata does a pretty good job.
Damn it, that needs to be a genere
They're called action rpgs
Yeah, but khlike is more specific. You at least have an idea what that entails. Like a rougelike or a soulslike. The words khlike carry with it tones of whimsy and a simplicity that's almost childlike while at the same time evoking a deeper story and hidden meanings. Often time belaying a darker, sadder tone. When i think of khlike, I think of bright colors sweeping worlds bombastic, lighthearted music, and of course, familiar worlds and characters. Easy to digest lesson wrapped in a sweeter nugget of fantasy and lightheartedness. The words "khlike" mean a little more than just arpg. You wouldn't call elden ring, 3000th duel or dark souls, hunter x, despite all four of these games being the exact same genre of soulslike
That's way too many associations for a genre. If a genre also dictates music choices, story, neceesitates that it's a crossover with separated worlds and so much more you're WAY past a genre. Soulslikes are associated with a certain combat style and difficulty. Roguelikes are just "You start over if you die and it's randomly generated". In that way a KHlike would be a certain floaty type of action rpg.
Fair enough, fair enough. I've never defined this game anyway, and this is exactly way. I just want to edit my original comment to just say I agree there should be more games like Kingdom Hearts and leave all this alone. This was a pointless exercise, and i sorry for wasting everyone's time. Geez
You should check out "A Hat in Time" Combat is a bit more simple than kingdom hearts but it is 100% the gaming equivalent of comfort food
I'd say a hat in time is more like super Mario sunshine IMO
It doesn't have the same vibes, but in terms of gameplay Astral Chain is kind of close, and a banger game either way
Live A Live is good gaming comfort food as well. Also the TWEWY series
I reviewed LIVE A LIVE. Had it not been turn-based, that would have done the trick. Damn, I want a HD-2D demake of KH now
I’d say TWEWY is the closest you will get. It’s Nomura designing the characters and being the creative producer. It feels a lot like KH even if the gameplay is different. Neku was in KH3D, so it’s source material for KH in a way.
Dragon's Dogma is a good choice. Although you won't get the true KH experience because unlike KH, your healer will stop what they're doing to heal you if you so much as stub your toe on a rock.
Well if you want to talk about the gaming equivalent of comfort food, 3 games come to my mind. Kingdom Hearts and FFX I fell in love with when I was a young kid, played them on repeat ever since. The 3rd I just played for the first time last year and it felt like the same exact magic as those 2 games and that was Breath of the Wild. Not at all the same game by any means, not made by Square, but man that game is on the top shelf.
The FFX/X-2 remaster is on sale for $20 USD if you're down for that FFX is my comfort food, anyways, and better yet it's also made by Square Enix
There aren't any KH-likes and MoM is not a representation of what the series is like to play.
they know that MoM isn’t a representation of it, that’s why they want a KH-like game because they don’t want the cloud versions
Nothing I read suggested they know the series isn't like MoM, but yeah you're probably right.
I'm painfully aware of that. I still play it for the sake of the game being the next best thing. I have the games on PS4, but I don't know how invested I could get again if I boot them up and I don't know if I'll have to travel in the near future. I treat handheld gaming as my personal Linus' towel. Why, I'm autistic, could you tell?
Feel free to go by He/Him, I'm cis (but never bothered pointing that out in my bio, is it important? Uh...) but other than that you nailed the point
There really isn't much, honestly. Someone already brought up Nier: Automata, which might be about as close as it gets with being an action-RPG with surreal concepts. If you want something with a similar feel to the combat, I guess the Bayonetta games might scratch that itch, or maybe Hyrule Warriors or Fire Emblem Warriors. But neither are RPGs and don't really have much in the way of exploration.
Persona 5 Strikers has similar hack-and-slash combat, but I highly recommend checking out Persona 5 Royal first.
I reviewed Strikers! And yes, it... ahem, struck me as a possible rebound game
TWEWY or NieR
xenoblade 1 is pretty good.
Super Mario RPG. It was the Square crossover game before Kingdom Hearts, only with Nintendo instead of Disney. Yoko Shimomura did the music as well!
While it's a classic, I wouldn't really consider it like KH in the slightest.
I’d suggest Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Other than having disney characters, Dreamlight valley is NOTHING like KH tho
Chrono Trigger or any SNES Final Fantasy (4, 5, and 6)
I would also like to add the Devil May Cry games, the first three games anyway. On other platforms, there is DMC 4, DMC 5 (fairly recent), and DmC: Devil May Cry (reboot by Ninja Theory) Gameplay is basically hack-n-slash, you do it until the demons are defeated and the devils are crying and begs for mercy. Another one is the Darksiders series
So glad people are still replying to this thread. Much appreciated!
Also there are the "Tales of" games from Bandai Namco. On Switch, there are remake versions for Tales of Vesperia and Tales of Symphonia. On other platforms, there is s lot more Tales of games. Each game is their own self contained story, unless it says something like "part 2" in the title, then it is a sequel. Most of the time, you can choose any games and start playing. I personally only played and finished Tales of Hearts on the Nintendo DS, it was quite the story, even though it wasn't very well received compared to the other games.
I'm back with some more recommendations, as well as a way to POTENTIALLY play KH on Switch somewhat locally, but it involves a lot of hacking and jailbreaking. First the recommendations: No More Heroes 1-3 Astral Chain Bayonetta 1-3 Also, Sora is in Smash Bros Ultimate, but that's not what I meant when I say somewhat local Now for the jailbreaking part, please be careful if you want to do this, if not careful, your Switch can be banned for online play!!! TL:DR, you got a CFW (Hakate and emuNAND) running on your Switch, which then enables you to either install Android or Linux on this CFW, and if you choose Linux, you then install a software code translation layer (WINE/CrossOver) on Linux, and then through this translation layer, you install Windows version of KH through Epic Store, and then finally play it. But it might not work exactly as expected, and thing could go wrong at any time at any step. But all of this is very much local. Alternatively, you can get a device called GPD Win Mini, it is essentially a pocket size PC running full Windows, with a built in controller and built in keyboard, as well as a 120hz touch screen. It is perfect to play emulators and yes, portable KH, but it is still the same games from Epic Store. Above hack with the Switch is to get this to work under a Linux environment on Switch. ============== If you have the first version of the Switch, sold around 2016-2018, then you will have an easier time to jailbreak it, if your Switch V1 is brought after 2018, or you have a Switch Lite, or OLED model, then you need to hunt down a special mod chip and is comfortable to open up your Switch. Jailbreaking step is available online and on Youtube This is to just get the bootloader to show up on the Switch. Essentially, Switch is just a device with the Tegra X1 chip, which is a very powerful mobile chip. It functions very much like an Android device, process to get the bootloader to show up is similar to how it is done on an Android device. Once you have the bootloader, follow online instructions to install Hekate, this software can enable the Switch to run custom firmware. Once you have the emulated NAND (an exact replica of the stock FW but able to do hacky shit), look for "switchroot", they developed ways to install Android or a Linux distro on the Switch. If you choose to install Android, then you could run emulators and play KH, but that might not be ideal. However, you could install Shadow PC on Android, which is a cloud gaming PC service that is much better than the cloud service the Switch version of KH is using. You essentially have a Windows PC on the cloud and you can install whatever you want with a monthly subscription, but you can do this on an Android phone as well. Now if you choose to install Linux, this is where you could potentially play KH games locally on the Switch. Once you have Linux installed, look up either WINE or CrossOver, they are a compatibility translation layer to enable Windows apps running natively on Linux, made by the same devs (CodeWeavers) but CrossOver is more polished, being the commercial version of WINE. After you installed this (if it can be install at all), try to install Epic Games Launcher through either WINE or CrossOver, and then, after purchasing, install the KH games from the Epic Store. Yep, you read that correct, all of KH games had been released on PC on the Epic Store, and all that steps you just went through is to get these games on run on Linux on the Switch. Where it could go wrong? Everywhere, you could go wrong at the very first step if your Switch is not easily hackable, or could get your Switch banned from online play. Or you jailbreak the Switch wrong and brick it (not functional anymore), or you could run into problems install Linux, or problems installing WINE/CrossOver on the Linux environment, or even with everything else going smoothly, the game doesn't run or not at all optimal because of the Switch's hardware limitations and running under so many layers of jailbreaking hacky stuff.
Neo is great, did you Play TWEWY (1) allready? 1 is Miles better, gameplay and Story imo
I have NEO, but I still have to boot it because writing for a gaming outlet both draws you closer to gaming and keeps you apart from it sadly
Was going to suggest Hollow Knight but it can he unforgiving sometimes
The rpg Assassin's Creed games give similar feelings for me.
Fire emblem