Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days DS
User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 58
  3. Negative: 7 out of 58

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    10 out of 10
    Rate this:
    out of 10
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

  3. Characters remaining: 5000 out of 5000

view
per page
  1. JoJomonkey
    May 22, 2011
    10
    great game with a good story and gameplay and everyone should buy it it's not as good as the ps2 ones but it's still a fun game for any kingdom hearts fan will love it!!!
  2. DarrenZ.
    Dec 10, 2009
    7
    The premise of this game is to tell you what happened between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. As it turns out, the answer is "not much". Despite the topnotch presentation, the story here is threadbare and largely uninteresting. But we all know that it's gameplay that matters and, well, 358/2 falls a little short there as well. While the RPG character development is handled quite well, the actual combat is repetitive and you'll find yourself just mashing the attack button over and over again with little variation. It's reasonably entertaining, all things considered, but there are better games out there.… Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  3. BryanH.
    Sep 30, 2009
    7
    A fun game that gets hampered by a mess of repetition. Moving from room to room can feel tedious, and for longtime fans, the use of many worlds they've already seen in previous KH titles is a disappointment. That doesn't mean there's a lack of quality, far from it. The story begins with Roxas, introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2 as the Nobody of Sora (please don't make me explain that) as he joins Organization XIII (or that). The battle system, while somewhat simplistic, is still a blast. One of the best new features is the level-up system, which applies to more than just Roxas (spells, weapons, etc), gives you a great deal of control over how you prefer to play (spellcasting, melee, defense, and others). There's also a multiplayer mode, a first for the series, but sadly have yet to try it with friends (one of the DS titles where everyone must have the game to play multiplayer). Called Mission Mode, these extra missions can be unlocked as you progress through the main story mode, allowing you to earn items and XP. These can still be played single player. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days might have one of the worst titles ever, but its a good game with one major flaw that takes down its quality as a whole. Lapsed fans of the series won't find anything new to bring them back, while the hardcore faithful will definitely be overjoyed by it. Newcomers, I'd suggest giving it a spin if possible before making a decision. (PS: If you were curious, the name is pronounced 'Kingdom Hearts Three Five Eight Days Over Two.' How that's possible is a question I too still ponder.)… Expand
    • 1 of 2 users said yes
  4. [anonymous]
    Jan 24, 2010
    7
    It's okay. The pannel system isn't as great as the card or skill set battle systems from other games. The graphics are okay, but not the best. Like all the other games, the beginning and end cutscenes are incredibly good looking, though. The new mini-mission style of play also ruins the pacing. The enemies, locals, and music are all really interesting, but it's all recicled from Kingdom Hearts 2. There are very few new things. The story is pretty much the only good part, but not as good as as any of the other except the first one. Unfortunatly the gameplay gets old fast. Oh yeah, if you beat the game and complete all the missions, you unlock some extra characters, which is pretty cool. In conclusion, this is the weakest one in the series other than the PS2 port of Chain of Memories.… Expand
    • 1 of 2 users said yes
  5. gm101
    Oct 17, 2010
    10
    I absolutely loved this game! My favorite Kingdom Hearts side game (not including Birth by Sleep, which isn't really a side game, but more like the console games). Great gameplay, and a beautiful story that has a very tearful ending (in fact, it was the first time I ever cried from a work of fiction!).
  6. BasilZero
    Nov 18, 2011
    8
    Squareenix creates another installation of the popular Kingdom Hearts series. This game takes place after Kingdom Hearts I , during Chain of Memories and before Part II. The game's storyline explains the events before part 2 and to the origin of Roxas who now plays the protagonist role. The game includes familiar worlds with a different set of routes from the previous games. The gameplay is similar but includes a complex structure compared to previous games. This is by far the most difficult Kingdom Hearts game and can be the most annoying at the same time. Not recommended for beginners of the series as you wont like the gameplay as much nor would you understand the storyline.… Expand
  7. LJH
    Oct 22, 2009
    8
    This game isn't perfect, but it's bloody close. For fans of the series then it's interesting to see the character development, especially between Roxas and Axel, and it's cool to see what was going on during that big gap between COM and KH2. Then there's the gameplay, which is fantastically done, despite the fact that you might have to take a break to rest your thumb every now and then. The story is a little loose, but very engaging and gives a deeper insight into the relationships between the characters. My biggest complaint about this game is that there are no new levels. All of the maps are lifted from the other games which is a bit of a rip off. Other than that there are no big holes in this game. Veteran fans will enjoy the story line, newcomers will be equally pleased with the gameplay and everyone will be pleased with how visually impressive it is for a handheld. Basic point you should take away from this review: BUY THIS GAME!… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  8. EoinD
    Oct 8, 2009
    10
    I have to agree with the reviewers who say this is for Kingdom Hearts fans, but as a Kingdom Hearts fan, I can safely say that this is a fantastic addition to the series and is essentially a PS2 game squeezed into the DS, which is an amazing feat
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  9. Fozzy
    Oct 8, 2009
    8
    They did well transforming Kingdom Hearts into the DS. KH offers very mobile friendly play styles. In story mode, you get a series of quests you can go on. Each one feels like a reasonable amount of time. This format works well on the DS can you can pick-up-and-play and do one quest and put it back down or if you have more time, you can keep playing for a more common feeling, but one that's constantly broken up by returning to the castle (RTC). Playing the game like that will lessen the game, thankfully, that's not how DS games are typically played. The one big issue would be camera angles and zoning. There's a fair amount of problems with the camera not following the charters direction, requiring constant pressing of the "R" key to re-place the camera. Also, some angles feel awkward and hard to navigate and you might miss some jumps as you thought the way was clear, but wasn't due to the camera angle.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  10. Tomd
    Oct 13, 2009
    2
    I really wanted to like this game due to the reviews. But the slow dialogue I ended up skipping in anger. The odd controls. The squint inducing scaled out graphics. Where the hell is mickey by the way. Fail. Go play bowsers inside story.
    • 0 of 6 users said yes
  11. f_type
    Sep 10, 2011
    6
    While I enjoyed the two main Kingdom Hearts games, the portable releases have been rather weak. The developers deserve credit for adapting the gameplay of the console games on the DS but it's not without flaws. It's extremely difficult to control the camera to keep up with all the enemies, turning simple fights into frustrating ones. The repetitive and dull missions, which feel like a tutorial for most of the game, really slow things down. The music and visuals are both very good, containing familiar areas, faces and tunes from the series. What really hurt the game is the weak story... for nearly the entire game, you're only given minor details and snippets of the story but I will say that the final few hours are absolutely fantastic and will put Kingdom Hearts II into a much more powerful perspective. This game is flawed but fans of the series will find some enjoyment in it.… Expand
  12. ExpEchoX5
    Nov 28, 2011
    9
    Even though this game is technically a side-story, I really enjoyed it for its story and gameplay. The action-oriented combat helped this game felt more like a traditional Kingdom Hearts title than Chain of Memories. I had fun strategizing with the panel system once I started unlocking panels. For the first 8 or so missions you feel like you don’t have space to make good use of the system, but it gets better. I also appreciated the attention to the details put into the weapon designs for all of the characters, especially the ultimate and bonus weapons. Each weapon panel had a different artistic (and sometimes attack movement) style that was translated to the character it was equipped to. Collecting emblems/sigils (challege missions) and crowns (multiplayer missions) added hours of replayability and challenge for me, even though some of them are too hard for me. However, one of the main problems I had with the game is that sometimes during the story there was a lack of heartless energy to collect in the story missions. This motivated me to do some challenges and extra missions, when I really wanted to continue with the story. It also felt strange that hearts bought items and munny bought synthesis transactions. I would have preferred it to the other way, and it always felt a little unnatural throughout playing the story. Those two things are minor complaints that I found a little annoying, otherwise I would have rated this game a 10.… Expand
  13. Winfer
    Feb 13, 2012
    10
    In my opinion KH 358/2 has the best story ever seen in Kingdom Hearts' Saga. Some problem with control but is one of the best game played in my life. The explanation of Roxas' story makes this character probably one of my favourite hero (after Goku).
  14. Autosaver
    Apr 8, 2012
    9
    Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a remarkable experience you don't want to miss out on. If is very emotional and all the characters pull you in. The 3D worlds are an incredible feat for the DS to handle. It is quite impressive how Square Enix managed to scale down the PS2 worlds onto the DS. The gameplay is just like how it was. Real time fighting with an RPG menu on your side. Through out the game, you take out on missions to do certain tasks. The tasks range from defeating an enemy to investigating a world. You should get this masterpiece for your DS, it is really fun and it has an excellent story to back it up.… Expand
prev next
Page:
  • 1

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 53
  3. Negative: 1 out of 53
  1. Nintendo Life
    Feb 6, 2011
    70
    While it doesn't really add a great deal to the overall story of the series and recycles a lot of content from the previous games, what you'll find is a very enjoyable experience, chocked full of content that will keep you glued to your DS for a long while.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    81
    If you've never liked Kingdom Hearts before, 358/2 Days will not sway your opinion, as it's basically the same action RPG seen on the Playstation 2 with a different (and one may argue, more interesting) customization system. However, if you like Kingdom Hearts or even action RPGs in general, 358/2 Days is a worthy game for you to spend time on.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Gamer
    75
    It's worth putting up with the nonsense as this is a satisfying action RPG. [Dec 2009, p.68]
See all critic reviews »