The Kingdom Hearts video game series is a blast to play for many reasons. Exploring Disney worlds, meeting fan-favorite characters, battling in intense combat, and playing through brilliant stories all make for a brilliant gameplay experience. That being said, there is one element of the gameplay in the Kingdom Hearts games that many fans seem to dislike. That element is the Gummi Ship, which is used by Sora and his friends to travel between the various worlds.
People say that it’s too different from the rest of the gameplay, so much so that it dsn’t fit the genre. Others say that it’s overly complicated and confusing. You know what, though? I have always really enjoyed the Gummi Ship.
You get to fly a magical spaceship while blasting enemies, dodging projectiles, and zoom through a unique version of space called the Ocean Between. It’s awesome. The Star Fox-like flying and shooting is extremely fun. These games are so big, that it’s nice that there’s something to shake up the gameplay a bit. There’s plenty of parts that take a break from the action RPG genre, like minigames with Winnie the Pooh, cooking with Remy, sailing with Jack Sparrow, and singing with Ariel. It’s strange that this one specific change from the core gameplay is getting so much hate for that reason, especially when it’s good.
Plus, there are optional missions that give you some goodies for completing. They give the player a little something extra to aim for when they’re playing these segments. Because of this, they only add to the fun while also making the Gummi Ship segments stand out from other spaceship shoot ‘em ups.
One of the most interesting mechanics to the Gumm Ship is the customization aspect. As you play through the games, you unlock different parts for your Gummi Ship. These parts allow it to shoot, fly, and control differently. You can make your own loadout that fits your own playstyle. It’s genuinely a lot of fun trying out different ways to fly your ship and take on enemies while getting creative and building something that you like and get to pilot. It adds so much more depth to the Gummi Ship segments.
Let’s not forget the music that plays when you’re piloting the Gummi Ship. Kingdom Hearts is known for having fantastic music in general, and that includes when the Gummi Ship is blasting off. It gets you hyped up for your epic adventure through space and ready to take enemies down.
I understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, especially if they just want to focus on the action RPG elements. It’s just been weird to see the Gummi Ship getting so much hate, especially as someone who has always enjoyed it while growing up playing the games.
It’s unknown if the Gummi Ship will return in Kingdom Hearts IV, but I genuinely hope it does somehow.
Nonstop Nerd 