Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories: Summary

Chain of Memories takes place after Kingdom Hearts I and this game was my introduction to the series. My friend had Kingdom Hearts and liked the game, but I didn’t own a PlayStation, but Chain of Memories came out to Game Boy Advance, so I got this game and played it. The story was confusing because it’s the sequel to the first, but I enjoyed the game play as a kid until I got stuck. In the game Sora enters a memory of a world that he went to in the previous game and to go from room to the next you must use a map card to open the door. Sadly, I didn’t have the card they wanted, and I got tired of grinding to get the card. This round of playing I didn’t get stuck, and I enjoyed the story more than I did as a child, but didn't like the game play as much.

Before I explain the plot, I would like to mention the battle system. The game revolves around collectible cards. Either battle cards or map cards. Map cards are used to open doors and are a one-time use, while battle cards are used to fight enemies and can be used repeatedly. The battle is in real time, and you use attack cards (that have a value) to attack the enemy. If your value is higher than your opponents, they get hit and take damage, however if theirs is higher Sora/Riku get hit and stunned. With combinations your character can perform a higher damaging attack.

While playing Sora’s story each world you revisit progressively gets larger than the previous and the game becomes more of a grind. I didn't like this until Sora learned this one ability that annihilated most of the enemies you battled. When I learned that I enjoyed the game more. However, when I played as Riku, he never learned the powerful combo’s that Sora learned which was sad, but the worlds he visits are much smaller. I think the best scenario would have Sora’s combos with Riku's smaller area.

I didn’t like revisiting all these worlds again, especially since I just played Kingdom Hearts I and the layout of each world was copied from that game in the remix version. However, I liked the story of the game it brought more lore of the universe. This game introduces “Organization XIII” members wearing black hooded coat. There are 13 members that we will discuss a different post each member has an “x” in the name.

If you never played this game and played KH I and KH II there is a lot that happens in between the two games, but what I thought was cleaver is we experience the same confusion Sora has if we just play those two games. At the end of this game Sora chooses to lose his current memories of what happened while in castle oblivion. So, he remembers what happens at the end of the first game and “wakes up” in the second game. I think this is very clever.

Summary: Sora

At the end of the first game Sora, Donald, and Goofy set out to find Riku and King Mickey who are trapped in the realm of darkness. While searching, a man in a black hooded coat appears and directs Sora towards Castle Oblivion to find his friends. The hooded man explains the deeper into the castle they go memories they will lose but will uncover new memories that were "forgotten". Sora and the gang are willing to lose their memories to find their friends, but don’t understand what memories will be uncovered.

To ascend in the castle Sora must revisit a memory of the world he went to in the first game and as he leaves, he forgets more of his memories. I think he forgets the memories of that world as he leaves it. The story of that world is different than KH I, but this is Sora's recollection of events that took place. So he remembers it differently than what actually happened. As he progresses up the castle loosing his memories, he appears to remember a girl name Naminé a friend of his and Riku’s. As he gains more memories of Naminé he forgets his search for Riku and Mickey.

He eventually learns about the Organization and how they have captured Naminé who is imprisoned somewhere in this castle. He finds a replica of Riku created and controlled by an organization member named Vexen. They fight each other frequently trying to protect Naminé. Eventually another organization member, Axel (a double agent), releases Naminé and allows her to find Sora. When they meet Sora discovers that Naminé has been forced to alter his memories (releasing his memories and putting fake ones in) by Marluxia, another Organization member and lord of Castle Oblivion. He also was the one that lured Sora to the castle. He wanted Sora’s power of the keyblade to overthrow the Organization and become the leader. After Sora climbs the highest floor and defeats Marluxia. He has a choice to either enter a pod to regain his memories and forget the memories he gained in the castle or forget his past and keep his current memories. Sora decides to enter the pod firmly believing that he will be friends with Naminé again when he awakens because the memories will be remembered in his heart.

Summary: Riku

While Sora and his gang is in the Castle, Riku is transported from the realm of darkness to castle oblivion’s lowest basement by Diz teleporting him there. He climbs the castle to conquer the inner darkness in him. As he climbs the Castle he fights Vexen, who takes his data to make a Riku replica. The darkness that Ansem (the villain in KH I) gave Riku tries to posses him. Mickey and Riku keep Ansem darkness at bay. Throughout this story we see Riku trying to not give into darkness and Mickey helping him out.

The Organization knows about Riku being in the castle and when Marluxia is defeated, the organization decides to eliminate Riku. Zexion, a member of the Organization, tries killing Riku by drowning him in light but Riku is saved by Naminé disguised as Kairi in a memory. He starts to learn to control his darkness and embraces the light. He meets Diz who instructs him to find the real Naminé and as he does he fights against his replica who wants to justify his existence by killing Riku, only to be destroyed by him. Riku finds Naminé and is given a choose to either wipe the darkness in him or overcome the darkness and face Ansem who dwells in his heart. He chooses to face his heart and after defeating him with light and darkness he travels with Diz and Mickey.