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This game had so much charm and character. It tells a cheesy but cute story and has a perfect soundtrack to fit the mood. It isn't afraid to get dark, but it still has that Disney touch. I'd say this is the KH game that feels the most like a Disney movie. There's a lot mystery that keeps you plugging along, and the Disney worlds seem woven into the story fairly well. The FF characters feel like more than fan service, and this game does both franchises justice. There are some odd choices, like certain world's designs - Monstro and Atlantica come to mind. But even then, this game has some of the best worlds in the entire series - Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion are just crazy! You can feel the love oozing out of this game, and I love the amount of details they put into the maps.

Square wasn't afraid to experiment here and the end result is fantastic when it isn't awkward. The game play holds up insanely well - Sora feels heavy and his main ground and air combos feel tuned. Donald and Goofy actually get in for damage and can properly heal when you set up their AI. I loved all the Collectibles, Synthesis and Coliseum (this game easily has the best one) - though the lack of a Chests page in Jiminy's Journal did disturb me. Some of the music in certain worlds was repetitive and mind-numbing. I didn't really mind the camera - which I know many hate. I'm good at blocking that stuff out with my brain though, so who knows.

This game isn't perfect, no... but it's the perfect start to the series. Yeah, it's a little rough around the edges, but it sets up the series that would go on to take Square 20 years to "finish" while still telling its own unique tale that doesn't need all the other games to exist. No wonder it captured the hearts of so many people, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are many more who would fall in love with this series if they were to stumble upon this game. I'm excited to see where this lands in my all time list of games in the series, and I imagine it will end high. It is, after all, the game that started my obsession with this series, which brought me here to this website, and which led me to meet so many great people online. I'll see you again for the next game in the series, Re:Chain of Memories.

Chapter 012 ...... NOT out now. Psyche. Tomorrow tho

• Ultima is mine. I must be closing in on the plat by now.
• Wow, of course Atlas Armlets need Dark Matters. Imagine having 3 of them, though… lol nah, there’s nothing in this game even close to hard enough to make that worth it.
• How the **** did I miss a blue trinity?
• Ok, Jiminy’s Journal done. This game has a really good postgame. All the side bosses were REALLY fulfilling.
• Ansem: “Here you won’t find even a glimmer of light.” Dude, the door to KH is ****ing white.
• Wow. I just beat Ansem and what did I get from my level up? Second Chance. I literally just did all of that on Proud without Second Chance. Nice.
• This game had such a wholesome story compared to the others.
• Way less complex, too.
• There’s something sweet and charming about it which I love, and the memories I have attached to this game are also monumental and sometimes hard to process while playing the game itself.
• It’s probably not the best In the series but it tells the perfectly condensed story while hinting at a bigger plot.
• That scene with Sora and Kairi is so memorable. I must have watched that a million times as a kid…
• Oh and the cave scene before the credits. That one can make you cry lol. Great ending to a great game.
• I still have some trophies to get but I can already say this game comes in at a solid 9/10. I wish I could give it a higher rating but some of the world design is a bit suspect. Despite that, the overall atmosphere, RPG elements and mystery are enough to make this one of the best games in the series. There are some campy moments that I overlooked for years that made me laugh now, but that’s part of the charm.
• Ok, only one more trophy for this file to go - reach level 100.
• That took about 45 minutes with all 4 EXP equipment on. Started around level 84 for reference
• Gonna beat the speed run/no changing equipment/no continue file tomorrow, but then I'll finally have the plat for KH1FM

• It’s actually hilarious how easy it is to miss Curaga in this game. You have to talk to Aerith three times AFTER beating HB… like, thank god I had no guide back then.
• It’s time for the side quest gambit. Hades Cup and Ice Titan are done. Might do some Stone + Serenity Power grinding now that I have Diamond Dust since the MP boost is so good.
• Currently on Kurt Zisa. After this, probably gonna do Phantom, then Synthesis, then Sephiroth + Unknown. Then I’ll look at the trophy list and see what I need to do.
• Ok I got distracted by the Speed Run + Unchanging Equipment trophies - I started a new file on Beginner and made it to End of the World in about 2 and a half hours. My save there is right before Ansem. I wanna keep going for 100% in the other file though so gonna bench this.
• One little thing that would have been cool? Having the Disney characters have more than one weapon. Like at least one of those random Gummi block chests could have had one.
• Prepping for Phantom, I have 18 MP LMAO
• Still took 3 tries, though…

Chapter 011 - OUT NOW!!!

011​

Darkandroid lifted his fingers from the bark of a palm tree's trunk. He’d studied each tree and left an etching with his nail as he journeyed deeper into the jungle. The place was a maze and the trees were so similar, one would go mad wandering the place without a way out. Occasionally, the brush grew so thick he had to whip out his weapon - a sickle - and hack his way through before he could carry on. He advanced toward the volcano, his legs heavy with the weight of a two hour walk and the sickle slowing him down even more.
When the game had begun, he’d exited the dormitory and started up the eastern coast. With water on one side, he knew he could only be attacked from his left. One eye looked at the map while the other watched his surroundings, and soon the beach ended and merged with the palm tree jungle.
At first, Darkandroid hadn’t really had a specific destination in mind, but during his walk in the forest, he thought he heard whispers. He crept carefully to where the voices were, but discovered no one. Giving up, he moved on. But later, two sets of footprints appeared where the canopy broke and the sun brightened the forest floor. The grass was matted and the tropical flora had been smashed. Darkandroid felt they weren’t far off. I’ll follow them closely, he told himself. But don’t be seen. You look dangerous. Scary. He glanced at his sickle and grinned. He was the grim reaper of the forest, and he had to be careful he wasn’t seen.
The trees grew more sparse as he reached the base of the volcano, and the trail of matted dirt left by the two players in front of him began to ascend its brown slope. Darkandroid crouched, realizing how easy it was to see him now. His weapon was great for close-combat but he was a sitting duck to those with guns. I wonder how many guns Roxas put into the game? I wonder how brutal and gory he wants it to be? Cin. Sara. Mish. Me. That he’d throw us away, after all we’ve been through together… His fingers grazed the sickle’s pole. That he’d expect me to hack one of my own friends to bits with this bloody sickle. He was getting emotional. That this would even happen in the first place...
He suddenly realized the footprints had disappeared. He had no idea where they'd gone.
“So, Darkandroid. You’ve been following us.”
Darkandroid gasped and held his breath.
“Don’t turn - not yet.”
“I know that voice,” Darkandroid interrupted. “It’s you, Trigger, isn’t it?”
“Not just him,” said Yozora. “Yozora here, too. So watch yourself.”
“You idiot!” Trigger tried to whisper, but practically shouted. “It was still a mystery ‘til you said that.”
“I mean, he knew who you were,” shrugged Yozora. “He’s gonna turn around in a second anyway, right?”
“I already have,” Darkandroid smiled. He held up his hands when he saw that Trigger had a Colt Python .357 Magnum. “Wow - fancy weapon you got there, Trigs.”
“And that sickle’s yours?” Trigger chuckled. “Gaudy, but at least it can do some killin’.”
“Yo, were you tracking us?” Yozora asked. Darkandroid saw no obvious weapons in his hands or on his person.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Well, if these were your footsteps.”
“It was a trap,” Trigger explained. “But we can’t kill you, man.”
“And how did you two end up together?” Darkandroid asked.
“My name was called after Trigger,” Yozora recalled. “And he must not have gotten far, because I caught up with him pretty quickly.”
“Someone else didn’t get far, either,” Trigger reported. “We saw Kitty and Calxiyn heading for the volcano not too long ago.”
“Did you approach?” Darkandroid asked. He wouldn’t mind running into Kitty himself - she might have a plan, and she’d be a good ally besides.
“We stayed back,” Trigger answered. “Kitty had an axe, and well, we didn’t really know what to say.”
“Damn,” Darkandroid stomped his foot. “We need allies.”
“Allies?” asked Yozora.
“Forget the players,” Darkandroid said. “We need to take out Roxas and the Organization.”
“Them? But-”
“They had machine guns, right? And look what we have.”
Trigger looked at his magnum.
“With enough of these…”
“Exactly,” Darkandroid jumped. “We can take them out, right? I mean, Roxas only had three guards back in that room. And there are twenty-nine of us!”
Dah-dah-dahhh, doo-doo-dahhh.
“Player twenty-two - cstar - has left the game. Player twenty-six - GhettoXemnas - has left the game.”
“Make that twenty-seven,” Trigger said.
“The game has truly begun,” Yozora said frantically. “People are killing - multiple people, maybe! People want to play!”
“It’s that ****ing money,” Darkandroid said. “Who knows how weak some of us are.”
“I mean, it’s tempting,” Trigger admitted. “We all thought about it, didn’t we? I still think about it now.”
“But I love you all,” Yozora said. “Well, except Boris... But, I don’t want any of us to die!”
“That kind of mindset will get you killed,” Darkandroid shared. “We need to stay sharp - or at least sharper than whoever we run into next.”
Their conversation was interrupted as their phones rang in unison. They all checked to see the text from Roxas regarding the first challenge, and soon, he made his announcement. “Reach the top of the volcano!” he said, and the men shared excited glances when they realized how close they were to completing the challenge. A horn blasted and it officially began.
“We’re practically there!” shouted Darkandroid. “Follow me!”
Bang! Bang!
“Agggh!” screamed Trigger. A bullet tore through his right forearm, and the magnum flew from his hand. It landed in front of Darkandroid, who picked it up and fired a warning shot back toward the gunfire.
“Grab him!” he screamed at Yozora. Bang! A bullet whistled by his ear. “Let’s go!”
Darkandroid turned to see who fired, but no one was in view. Bastards, he thought. Just leave us be.
He helped Yozora lift Trigger, who was moaning and clutching his arm. “You still have legs, don’t you?” asked Darkandroid. “Use them!”
Another bullet missed Yozora and the three gentlemen ran for it. They reached a patch of boulders and soon, the shooter had no line of sight. There was no time to stop and talk, and soon they crested the lip of the volcano. As they came up on the peak, Darkandroid saw the Organization waiting ahead.
“They must be the finish line,” said Yozora. “Run!”
They reached the Organization, who stood silently while they gasped for air.
“Congratulations,” one of them said. “You are not the rotten egg.”
Darkandroid turned to celebrate with his friends, but he saw that Trigger and Yozora had been apprehended by the Organization. Tubes of gas were strapped to their mouths and they both struggled as they slowly passed out. A hand grabbed Darkandroid’s arms and he felt a canister slip around his own mouth.
“This one needs treatment,” said one of the Organization members, pointing at Trigger’s bullet wound. Another pair of masked men came to examine him, but Darkandroid’s vision began to blur. Why would they help us? What’s going on right now?
Confused, troubled and concerned, Darkandroid's brain began to shut down. Everything faded to gray and soon, he felt the sweet hug of sleep.

27 players remaining

What happened to Mish and Misty when they reached the top of the volcano?
Why is the Organization waiting for players at the end of the challenge?
Will Roxas ever find the lost sock that goes with the one that's been on his closet shelf for the past month and a half, and he's starting to wonder if he should just throw it away?

Find out in Chapter 011 of KH-Vids Royale III

Chapter 010 is here :O :O :O ....and it may change the game forever

010​

Pop!
The shot echoed across the island. Mish and Misty shared a sad look.
“Do you think someone’s dead this time?”
After twenty seconds, the happy trumpets came in. Doo-doo-dah!
“Player twenty-two - cstar - has left the game. Player twenty-six - GhettoXemnas - has left the game. Twenty-seven players remaining.”
“What happened over there?” asked Misty.
“I wouldn’t have gone north myself,” Mish said. “I don’t know why anyone would.”
“I agree,” Misty nodded. “The volcano - now that’s smart.”
“The highest point will give us the best view of the island. And it’ll be the easiest place to find us, in the M column.”
“Who are we hoping finds us?”
“Kitty. Inasuma. Cin,” answered Mish. “Darkandroid, C, I could keep going. Anyone we can trust, or know will team up with us. People who Roxas loved. With enough of us, we might stand a chance if we go back to the dormitory.”
“If we take that kind of stand, Roxas can just blow our microchips,” Misty sighed. “It’s valiant, but it’s unrealistic.”
“You really think he’d do that to us?” asked Mish. “To you?”
Misty hesitated.
“It could be our one chance,” Mish said. “I mean, maybe…”
We still have no clue who those Organization people are, or what they’re capable of. It troubled her. A full on stand… yeah, maybe that’s not the best choice right now.
They walked in silence for a bit, the canopy blocking out the midday light.
“Ew!” Misty whined, waving her hand. “These bugs up here.”
“It’s humid, and they like it.”
“It’s getting hotter as we get closer to the volcano’s peak, Mish. I'm getting sweaty. Can we stop for water?”
“Here, take this. But don't take forever. We need to make sure we get there before anyone else.” Mish tossed a water bottle to Misty, who stopped to take a drink.
“Come on, two seconds,” she said before she started chugging.
Mish sat down to wait. They’d been walking and hiking for a couple hours now, and knew they had a nice head start on everyone but Lauriam. She sipped her water and thought back to New Year’s Eve, when she’d received a phone call from a random number. She kept going back to that, beating herself up - wondering why, for any reason, she went along on this stupid trip.
Why’d I even pick that damn thing up?
Maybe she would have never looked out the front door and found Roxas’s letter. She’d still be with Sam, cuddling and watching The Holiday; not here, baking under the trees on the slope of a volcano. I could have worse company, Mish realized. At least she was finally meeting many of her old friends. Perhaps their relationships online could translate into something here that could change the game in their favor. Misty’s a good partner, she nodded. We just need a few more friends.
“Thanks for sticking with me,” she said, deciding to put her thoughts into words. “I was pretty worried until you told me you'd wait for me.”
“We’ll stick together,” Misty responded. “If there can be more than one winner, then there’s a way out of this for both of us. It’s in the rules - so let’s find a way to do it. Some people will be freaking out, easy pickings. But we have more to do, Mish. We need to find out where we are, and why this is happening.”
“Do we really need reasons?” asked Mish.
“I do,” Misty answered. “This could have been the most incredible trip, and he did this. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to know why.”
Beep, beep, beep!
Their phones buzzed, and they both pulled them out and looked at the screen. Roxas had sent a text to everyone on the island:

The first challenge will be announced in, oh… five seconds! Haha! Prepare to play!

“A challenge - already!?”
Dah-dah-dahhh, doo-doo-dahhh.
The trumpets played and Roxas began his island-wide announcement.
“It looks like it’s time for our first challenge, folks - and you know what that means! Someone will be leaving the game this afternoon, oh, they will indeed… but don’t worry - if you move fast, it won’t be you!”
Roxas burst out laughing, his chortles distorted by the low quality of the microphone.
“It’s a simple game, friends. We’re playing last one’s the rotten egg - and if you’re the egg, well, you might just crack like one! Haha! But seriously; you’ll die. Anyway, here’s the rule. Reach the top of the volcano, okay? Easy, right?”
He stopped speaking, but they could hear breathing.
“Do I need to say go? Oh, right - sorry everyone. On your marks, get set… go!”
A horn blasted and a flock of birds flew from the treetops and scattered over the water.
“That’s not good,” Misty whispered, crestfallen.
“Nope. Everyone’s coming right here!” screamed Mish. “Come on, let’s move!”
They grabbed their bags and hauled ass to high heaven, Mish’s random weapon had been a Glock 42, so she took the lead. Misty, with her crossbow, stayed back and kept an eye on the rear.
“We aren’t far from the pinnacle,” Mish said. “So let’s get there first and bunker down. If everyone's coming here, it’ll be a bloodbath.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Misty shook her head. “Maybe we want to stay on the outskirts?”
“Our head start was good enough,” Mish replied firmly. “We’ll get there before anyone else.”
She eyed her map. They were in the L-6 square, nearly to M-6; the top of the volcano.
“Up there!” Misty shouted. “Where the trees end!”
Mish sprinted forward, her weapon outstretched. She cleared the trees and the trunks broke. The peak rose in front of her, its cavernous opening waiting to be searched. But between two boulders was a sight she had not expected. There, at the top of the volcano, waited the Organization.
“What’s going on?” Misty screamed. “Is this part of the game?”
“Congratulations,” said the Organization member. “You are not the rotten egg.”
But before she could move, Mish felt herself go numb.
“Don’t worry,” the Organization member began, flanked by two others with machine guns. “It’s the microchip. It’s all part of the game.”
Mish’s eyes began to fade and she was reminded of being gassed.
“No,” she called, turning to Misty. Her friend had already passed out and was being lifted up by the Organization.
We’re ****ed, it hit her. But they said congratulations, so… maybe, just maybe…
Mish’s chin dropped as she lost the strength to hold it, and she closed her eyes and gave in to the chip as the Organization carried her away.

27 players remaining

• Hollow Bastion is the world that MADE this game.
• Wow, gathering the 4 fractured bits of the Heartless symbol at the beginning of Hollow Bastion is PEAK 2000s Square puzzle design.
• Scratch that, this book puzzle in the library is actual peak Square puzzle design.
• It’s Maleficent time.
• Wow, that was easy. I am way too OP from all that side questing after Neverland.
• I remember when Maleficent Dragon into Riku 2 was the hardest thing in video games.
• Mushu time baby! As if I really need something that broken right now.
• Could probably skip this cutscene before Riku 2 tbh, saw it a trillion times as a wee boy.
• Wow… the scene where Sora saves Kairi might be the best in the game. That music is so good.
• OATHKEEPER!
• End of the World Pog. The last 4-5 worlds in this game are dark af aren’t they? Wtf.
• It looks like the Giant Crevasse is made of lost Gummi blocks.
• Got to the end of that world easy. Hades Cup time I guess.

• Even when overleveled as **** Hook is still a pain in the ass.
• I have like 11 MP right now though, this is getting ridiculous.
• Not really looking forward to the Stone grind after this, but it’ll be nice to get it over with I guess…
• REALLY hoping I remember to come back to Neverland and open the correct clock tower doors every hour.
• Riku seeing the Keyhole as a kid after Neverland was added in Final Mix, right? What a crazy scene.
• Maleficent is a grooming ass hoe. Poor Riku.
• I’ve remembered 4 clock towers while doing random side quests like getting chests, Stones, Trinities and Coliseum.
• Add 100 Acre Wood to that list. Doing the last Torn Page right now. There’s so much you can complete before Hollow Bastion in terms of side quests, it’s crazy.
• Going for Hercules cup alone. I’m telling you, the Coliseum having EXP in this game makes it so much more addicting. That never should have changed in KH2.
• Got the Time Limit for Hercules by using a more balanced Strength/MP build so I could cut down time on Cloud and Hercules.
• Synthesized 18 items already, plus got all the stones for the next things I need. So all I really need now are Crystals and I’m done with the next set.
• Holy ****. My Gummi Ship got wrecked on the way to Hollow Bastion. I can’t believe this is what’s holding me back right now.
• That’s 8 clock tower rewards done now. I don’t even know if this is a trophy tbh but I’m doing everything I can remember that’s in the game.

Prepare yourself for Chapter 009, out now

009​

Boris grunted, lowering his rifle. Sara put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“He had a pistol, babe. Let’s back off.”
Her husband spat on the cracked road. They laid on the sidewalk behind a broken Woodie for cover. “I shouldn’t have missed,” he grumbled. “They were wide open.”
“It was the wind,” Sara told him. “It caught your bullet.”
Sara wished she had a gun, but at least her random weapon wasn't trash. On her back was a katana with a three foot blade. If Roxas's old story was any indication, they'd likely lucked out with the weapons they'd gotten.
Boris had whispered to her before his name was called to walk ten minutes northwest after leaving the underground room. They would first meet there, then move to the northern part of the island. When she’d arrived at the spot ten minutes after leaving, Boris waited topless, wiping the gun’s barrel off with his white t-shirt. With the rifle and katana in their possession, they set out immediately to find and kill Lauriam.
“Well, now what?” Boris asked. “That didn't go as planned.”
“Let’s hide for a moment,” Sara suggested. “Those gunshots will attract attention.”
They rolled across the sidewalk to the door of a soft-serve ice cream shop. Boris smashed the bottom of the door in with his elbow and reached up to turn the lock. His sturdy figure disappeared into the shadows and Sara crawled after him. Inside, the walls were decorated with old aluminum signs that gave Sara real boomer energy. Classic Coca-Cola, Moon Pie and 7Up logos covered the walls. A neon sign for “the best beef in town - 100% hamburgers” hung above the cash register, covered in cobwebs.
Boris wiped some grime off the window and took a peek outside. “I’ll keep an eye out,” he said. “You get those phones set up.” He tossed his bag her way.
Sara pulled out both of their maps and set them next to each other. After the Sharing Data process had been completed, she slid it back to Boris.
“We're represented by our old avatars - how sweet.”
Boris grinned. “He’s having fun with the game, isn’t he?”
“I don't want to try and guess what he's thinking," Sara sighed. "Let's hope we can ask him ourselves before the end of this. Here, have something to eat." She tore off a bit of bread and handed it over. I’m hungry, but I’m not famished, she thought while she ate. How long did it take for us to get gassed, transported and wake up? Can’t have been too long... right? Are we still in the US? I can’t be certain. And what’s with this island, anyway? It looks like a 50’s film set.
“Sara,” Boris whispered. “I see someone coming.”
Sara looked outside. “Two figures,” she confirmed. “But they're too far away right now to tell who.”
She kept her eye on the outlines of the two players who walked the same street they just had. Brazen fools. Never go where the action is - unless you want to die.
Boris’s finger curled around the trigger. “I’ll kill ‘em, babe. We’ll be safe.”
“Wait,” hissed Sara. “Remember what I told you - the list of people you can’t kill.”
Boris tutted, pissed. “You and your little list,” he chuckled. “And what do you think’s going to happen when you and those friends are the only ones left? You really think Roxas will let us all go like nothing happened? Your friends will die, Sara. I wouldn’t be surprised if we all do.”
“If they’re to die, it won't be by our hand,” she said. “We need to team up with them, Boris. We'll be stronger.”
“We’re not taking anyone else into our group, Sara. Stop dreaming about it.”
“But-”
“Shut up. Those two players are nearly here and I don’t know who they are, so come have a look for me.”
Sara pulled her face up to the ice cream shop window and looked down the road. They were somewhat obscured by an abandoned car, but she saw the faces of cstar and GhettoXemnas as they passed beneath a broken traffic light and walked through the nearby intersection.
“It’s cstar,” she reported. “And Ghetto. I’m scanning for weapons.”
From what she could see, Ghetto didn’t have anything visible that seemed threatening, though a pair of binoculars hung from his neck. Interesting - are those his weapon? Meanwhile, cstar held an AK-47.
“Jesus, Boris, get down!” she whispered. “He’s got a machine gun!”
They both ducked their heads beneath the window. “****,” Boris sighed. “He could kill us right now if he knew we were here.”
“Even if we take out cstar, what about Ghetto? He can pick up the AK and start blasting.”
“I have an idea,” said Boris. “But I’ll need you to serve as a distraction.”
“A distraction!? Your own wife!?”
“You’ll be safe. I swear.”
“You *******, Boris. What the ****?”
“Do you want to win that money, or not?”
“Ah, and I’m just a sacrifice along the way, am I?”
“We’re winning this together,” Boris said, and he kissed her. Sara felt his gristle scratch her chin, but she loved it. More of booboo’s love cuts, she giggled to herself. Wait! He’s trying to sacrifice you, remember?
“I’m not doing it, Boris,” she said. “You be the distraction.”
“Then you’ll have to shoot cstar.”
“Then I will shoot cstar.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am,” she replied. He handed her his rifle.
“Now give me your katana and I can truly live up to my name - Boris the Blade.”
Sara handed him her katana and he slowly raised it toward the ceiling.
“I’ll sneak out back. Wait sixty seconds, then shoot. Leave Ghetto to me.”
“Ok,” nodded Sara. She was starting to shake, but she knew what she had to do. Her ultimate goal was Roxas, and if she died now, then she couldn't get revenge for how hellish he'd made her time as administrator at KH-Vids - and, of course, the whole real-life Battle Royale thing going on right now.
Boris gave her a kiss on her forehead before he crawled to the shop’s rear exit and went into the alley outside. Sara began to count down from sixty.
She watched as cstar and Ghetto methodically checked windows and doors as they made their way through the city. Idiots. You could have gone anywhere but where the gunfire came from. They were closer than half a block away now, and when Sara raised her weapon and looked through the scope it was like cstar’s head was right there in front of her.
Thirty seconds, she thought.
Suddenly, cstar and Ghetto turned their heads. Sara heard a commotion and a trash can came rolling out of the alley next to the ice cream store and into the road.
Oh no - Boris, you fool!
Sixty seconds hadn’t passed, but Sara wouldn’t take any risks.
I’m sorry, cstar, she thought. I wish you hadn’t come here. She pulled the trigger and heard the sound of cracking ceramic as cstar’s face exploded into fractured pieces. Bits of tattered organ splattered onto Ghetto’s face and jumpsuit. He screamed as cstar’s headless corpse crumpled to the pavement.
“Raaargh!” screamed Boris, louder. He came down from a piece of rubble with the katana raised above his head.
Sara watched the blade slice straight through Ghetto’s torso. His body split in two and the top half fell to the ground like a blob of jelly while the legs teetered from side to side until the wind finally blew them over. Ghetto’s arms writhed, his hands trying to scoop his organs back into his body.
“This is a sick game, isn’t it?” Boris asked. He raised his blade. “But I won’t make this any worse for you than it has to be.”
His hands came down and the katana pierced Ghetto’s heart.
“I shall have mercy on you all.”

27 players remaining

• Halloween Town is easily a top 3 Disney world in this game.
• It’s funny to think that in the PS2 version of this game, if you missed the Trinity at Oogie’s mansion, you couldn’t go back and get it and thus could never complete Jiminy’s Journal. Like damn…
• I actually know where to go in this world because it’s done in KH1 speedruns, which I’ve been watching often while playing this game.
• It just hit me - I forgot to take the free items off Ariel. They should still be there but wow, I’m a n00b gamer compared to my younger, RPG destroying self who would have never missed that.
• Don’t forget the Elixir you get for pulling on Jack’s doorbell 3 times.
• Just got my first Stone synthesis item. The one in Deep Jungle isn’t too bad.
• I didn’t forget Jack’s items. Two Ethers are nice.
• Nothing gets me more aroused than an MP ^ when you level up.
• “I knew Oogie was behind this!” Uh, yeah *****, who the **** else did you think it was gonna be?
• This is probably my 20th or so play through of this game and I think that was the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve ever used a Cottage. These are actually ****ing good though.
• Damn, I know you have to kill them in the order Lock, Shock, Barrel to get max EXP in this boss fight but I don’t remember who is who. I’ve lost my KH touch over the years.
• This game has some seriously awkward level designs. I’m at Neverland and it’s more obvious here than ever.

Chapter 008 is out now

008​

It didn’t take long before the sound of the waves disappeared inside the forest. Beneath the trees’ green leaves, the sand sparkled where the sunlight crept through. Amaury jumped from one patch of shade to the next. His Smith & Wesson trembled in his hands, four bullets in the chamber.
This heat, he thought, his breaths labored already. I can’t stand it. And after that incredible weather I left behind, too.
Before he’d gotten on the flight to Los Angeles, he’d done donuts in the snow at the abandoned strip mall by his house. It wasn’t even the first time this year he’d met with his friends for a good time there. I’ll have to be smart if I want to see snow again. Lucky, too.
He unzipped the jumpsuit to get some air and underneath, discovered he was wearing a plain white t-shirt. In his pocket was the phone that came in the duffel bag, and he took it out to glance at it again. I’m heading north, still. Good. The map was rudimentary, but it showed the shapes of the volcano and the ruins in the abandoned city. To the ruins, to find Lauriam.
It was the best idea he could come up with when he walked out of that room, and it wasn’t even his own. But he knew he could trust Lauriam, and that it was some kind of signal to others who did, too. But Amaury had to move fast. If the wrong person got there first, he wouldn’t know what to do.
Dah-dah-dahhh, doo-doo-dahhh.
A loud and curious trumpet melody played from seemingly everywhere, and Amaury crouched to the ground, waving his pistol wildly.
“Player twenty-one - Catch the Rain - has been eliminated. Twenty-nine players remaining.”
Christ, Amaury thought. Catch was player twenty-one, then, huh… assuming she died on the way out, it’s been half an hour since I left that room. That also means Lauriam is at least an hour ahead of me.
Amaury pressed forward through the humid jungle. Almost an hour passed before he reached the edge of the trees. A small plain separated him from the city ruins. There was only one tall building but it was at least ten stories. Part of the roof’s corner had broken off, exposing the upper floors to the outer world. Vines strangled the walls and broken windows decorated each floor. Beside the one tower, the city was made up of medium-sized office buildings. The city must have only been four by four blocks at most, and beyond it, Amaury saw another plain.
He jogged down the abandoned streets, melancholic at the sight of shut down traffic lights and desolate cafes. What was this island? he wondered. Things are old here; the architecture, the infrastructure. When would this place have had to have been abandoned to look this old?
Certain things didn’t add up, but it escaped Amaury as he neared the end of the city. Tall grass swayed in the same direction the clouds moved, and Amaury’s hair blew with them. He checked his map and saw that he was just beneath the northern tip of the island.
Lauriam should be here.
A pebble landed at Amaury’s feet and tumbled into the grass. He turned to see Lauriam behind him, sitting in the frame of a second story window.
“You’re the first person to come here,” Lauriam called. “Do you come in peace?”
“I’d hope so, friend,” smiled Amaury. He still held his finger on the trigger of his Wesson.
Lauriam jumped onto a bit of rubble and walked down to the road. She followed Amaury’s footsteps and met him in the plain behind the city.
“What’s your weapon?” Amaury asked. “I have this.”
He revealed his gun immediately, a sign of power and respect. Lauriam opened her right hand; there was a switchblade. “We both have valuable weapons,” she said. “We’d make a good team.”
“I was hoping to find Aelin,” Amaury responded. “And it would be easier with someone else.”
“Aelin? I was looking for Arch myself.”
“Arch?” asked Amaury. “Why?”
“Does it matter? You know those two will be looking for each other, too.”
“You’re right,” agreed Amaury. “And something tells me they might come this way, too. We should look nearby for them.”
Lauriam began to reply, but their voices were drowned out by the music from the speakers that covered the island. It was the chorus from The KH-Vids Song, but it quickly faded out and was replaced by Roxas’s voice.
“This is an island-wide announcement by your Composer. The final player has left the dormitory and the game is well under way. Your phones have just unlocked a new ability. Ciao.”
Click.
Amaury felt his phone vibrate and picked it up, putting away his gun. He saw another text, complete with Roxas’s avatar.

You’ve unlocked Share Location Data. You may now share your location with people you are within 6 feet of. This is a permanent transaction and cannot be reversed.

“Did you read that?” asked Lauriam.
“I did. That’s an interesting addition to the game.”
With a small downside, maybe? It says it's a permanent transaction - but what exactly does that mean?
“I have an idea,” Lauriam said. “We share our location data and split up. You find Aelin, and I’ll find Arch. Then we meet back here. Like you said, they should be nearby - right? Let's split up and find them.”
“Yes. And if we don’t return after too long, we can find each other, too.”
“We won’t survive alone,” Lauriam said. “Not in a game this twisted.”
“You’re right,” agreed Amaury. “Let’s see how this works.”
The two came together and held their phones up to each other. A scanning circle appeared on both screens, spinning for a few seconds. There was a little vibration and a green check mark appeared.
“Location data saved.” It was the same high-pitched, robotic voice that announced Catch’s death.
Amaury looked at his phone screen. On the map, at the top of the island, he saw Lauriam’s avatar from the forum.
“Look,” Lauriam said, showing him her phone. He saw his own avatar in the same spot.
“That’s cruel,” Amaury snickered. “Our actual avatars. This is so ****ed up.”
“We’ll get out of this,” Lauriam reassured him. Amaury felt himself calm down a bit. Now that he knew where Lauriam was, there was always somewhere he could go.
Pop! Pop!
The bullets came fast, but both missed as they whizzed by and disappeared into the ocean. Amaury and Lauriam stared at each other in fright and quickly touched hands.
“Run!” screamed Lauriam.
Amaury turned and ran for the nearest piece of rubble. He heard another pop and something whistled behind his head, but he dived and landed in the grass unscathed. His hand reached for his gun and he looked up. In the distance, he saw Lauriam disappear into one of the city’s abandoned buildings.
Run, he told himself, and he dashed in the other direction. That’s when he saw a tall, scarred figure deep in the city ruins. It was Boris the Blade, holding a rifle.
He took another shot, but Amaury spun, dodged and ran back for the forest. He ran and ran, and even when he knew Boris was long gone, he sprinted for as long as he could. He had a mission to complete, and a promise with Lauriam.
I trust that you’ll find Arch, Lauriam - and I swear I’ll find Aelin.

29 players remaining

Chapter 007 just dropped

007​

Kitty burst from the hallway and covered her eyes from the sun. She squinted and turned, half expecting a throwing star or stray bullet to take her out. Abandoned sweet and toy shops lined the street and she glanced in their windows for shadows or movement. Her fiance was in the Army, and though she had no official training of her own, she’d heard up and down the ways one could protect themselves on the field of battle. Her eyes scanned the horizon and she turned to take the island in. She saw the vast ocean behind her, a volcano to the east, some dunes to the west and a ruined city far to the north. A cloud crossed the path of the sun and cast a shadow on the hallway she’d come out of, which went underground beneath the beach.
She ran swiftly to the edge of the road. Damn, this bag is heavy, she thought as it swung into her legs. I hope that’s a good weapon banging around in there. She wiped a bead of sweat from her eye and beelined it to the alley between the shops. There, in the shade, she finally set down the bag while she hid behind a dumpster.
Why's this thing so damn heavy? She unzipped it to see what her weapon was, and a long, wooden handle revealed itself. Her hand gripped it and pulled it out, and she saw her face reflected in its blade. A ****ing axe? Ugh, this is grim. I’ll really have to hack ‘em to pieces with this one. Still, could be worse…
Sob, sob.
Though she was well hidden, Kitty lowered her head instinctively. The sobs were coming from one of the two abandoned buildings that walled the alley. Poor soul, she thought, or a trap, set perfectly near the entrance of the game. Boris is already out here somewhere, isn’t he? And who knows what anyone else is thinking.
She listened again.
Surely those aren’t the sobs of a man the size of Boris, are they? Her hands gripped the axe’s hilt and she kissed its steel. Do me well.
Kitty lifted her head and looked inside the window of the toy shop. Sand and dust covered ancient playthings; rocking horses, doll houses and blocks. Puppets with red cheek paint and scarecrows on poles hung from the wooden ceiling. She couldn’t find a human figure amongst the odd, forgotten toys, so she turned toward the sweet shop.
As she lifted her head, movement flickered in the corner of her eye. She looked and saw Trigger run past the end of the alleyway. He must have been the next player, she realized. Every five minutes, someone else is going to walk out of there.
Careful not to be seen, she crawled across the alleyway and peered into the candy store. The sobbing was louder, and she saw Calxiyn crouched behind the counter.
Thank goodness.
Kitty threw her bag into the window and then rolled inside. Calxiyn jumped to her feet, a plastic hammer in her hands.
“No!” she screamed. “Back off!”
“Shhh!” Kitty hushed, ducking. “Be quiet!”
“Kitty…? Not you, please,” Calxiyn whimpered. Her eyes darted to Kitty’s axe.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” Kitty said. “I was hiding in the alley when I heard you.”
“Heard me crying, then, I’m sure. I’m scared,” Calixyn whispered. “So scared. I thought Misty would wait for me, but…”
“It’s too dangerous to wait,” Kitty said. “You can’t blame her. And we shouldn’t be here, either. Is this seriously your weapon?”
“Yes,” frowned Calxiyn, lifting the plastic hammer. “It’s useless.”
“This is a ****ing joke,” Kitty spat. “That could have been anyone’s. Roxas doesn’t care whether we live or die. No one’s special to him.”
She lifted the axe up and spun it around. “This one can kill, at least - though it won’t be easy. And we’ll never be at a loss for firewood.”
A smile broke across Calxiyn’s face. “Kitty, I have a theory about where Misty went,” she said. “I think she’s with Mish. I saw them talking in the room - and they left right after each other! They would have seen each other’s patches, right? They knew they’d be starting the game one after the other.”
Huh, if she’s right, then they probably are together, thought Kitty.
“I’m looking for Mish myself,” Kitty said. “Do you know where they might have gone?”
“I don’t,” Calxiyn said. “But, have you checked the map?”
****. I was so caught up with what my weapon was that I didn't even look. Amateur mistake.
“Look,” said Calxiyn, showing her a phone screen. “You should have one of these in your bag, too. They’re the maps.”
On the screen was an outline of the island broken up into an X-Y grid. Down the left side of the grid were the numbers 1-12, and on the top were the letters A-M.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Do you know where they’d go?”
I know Mish is looking for me, too, Kitty surmised. Where would she go that I’d know? Where!?
She racked her brain. What happened the last time they’d hung out? Were there two dots she could connect that would give her a hint?
Mish, Misty, Mish, Misty… M.
“Here,” said Kitty. “They’ll be here.” She pointed to the M column.
“M?” Calxiyn pondered aloud. “M… for Mish and Misty? Really?”
“I know,” Kitty said. “It sounds dumb, but if Mish wanted to leave a subtle clue, it wouldn’t have been complicated. She would have gone somewhere she knew I could find her.”
“A lot of the M tiles are in the water, except for the island’s east coast,” Calxiyn said. She ran her finger down the map and touched the three squares in M that had land in them. “And this one… it’s the volcano.” They both looked out the window, where the volcano’s peak was visible through the wooden pane. “Would they go there…?”
“It makes sense,” Kitty said. “Whenever I get mad at Mish I threaten to light a fire under her ass.”
“Honestly, I have no clue if you’re right about this, but I don’t have any better ideas myself,” Calxiyn shrugged. “I know my weapon isn’t exactly the best, but, can we team up?”
“Of course,” Kitty smiled.
Calxiyn sighed with relief. “Thanks, Kitty.”
With little time to waste, Kitty walked behind the candy shop’s counter. She grabbed one of the old strings the cashier used to tie plastic candy bags. What is this place? she wondered, peering around the room while she used it to fasten the axe on her back. Where's island located, and how did we get here?
“I’ll combine our bags,” Calxiyn said. “It’ll be easier if I carry our food and water in one, especially if you have that axe.”
When they were ready to go, Kitty made Calxiyn stand back while she waited for the next person to enter the game. Amaury came wandering out of the tunnel and headed toward the palm trees. Once he disappeared inside them, Kitty ushered Calxiyn over.
“You ready?” she asked. Calxiyn nodded.
“Then follow me,” said Kitty.

29 players remaining

Wow, what a sad year for games if that's the list. I'll def be responding to the 2021 in review thread, but I want to wait until a bit later.