There was a lot of hype and excitement in the lead-up to 2019’s Kingdom Hearts 3. It promised to finally conclude the Dark Seeker Saga that had kicked off way back on the PS2 in 2002. Expectations were sky-high and the final product didn’t quite stick the landing, but it did manage to deliver plenty of that sincere Kingdom Hearts magic that kept us invested since the beginning. Now that it’s finally come to Switch 2 with a proper native port — no Cloud Versions here — I’m pleased to report that it was largely worth the wait.

Narratively, this adventure is very bizarrely paced, with a lot of meaningless detours into unrelated and largely irrelevant Disney stories before a sudden lightspeed attempt to resolve all the major subplots. The story is thus unsatisfying and not really given the necessary time to breathe, yet it’s also something that you can’t help but love despite it all. Sora’s earnest optimism, the frequent goofy monologues on the power of friendship, and the shoehorned ways in which the party is inserted into known Disney stories somehow all come together in an incredibly charming and pleasant way, making it feel like a worthwhile journey despite shortcomings.