Most fans, however, don't play Kingdom Hearts for the battles. We love the story, the characters, the heart-wrenching cutscenes and Utada's emotional ballads. I can say in good faith that 358/2 Days has some very appealing cutscenes. Some of the characters – the chakra-wielding Axel, the cat-eyed Xemnas, and the mysterious Xion – are intriguing specimens as well. Unfortunately, playing out Roxas' road to self-discovery just isn't interesting when we already know exactly who he is and how he ends up. Even if you manage to enjoy the small remnants of plot, the game is mostly bogged down by the same monotonous pattern. Day 1: Wake up, fight some Heartless, eat ice cream, and go back to bed. Day 2: Wake up, wander Wonderland, eat ice cream, and go back to bed. You get the picture.

If the missions don't bore you enough, you can ask your friends to join. In Mission Mode, you and three friends can replay the missions you've unlocked throughout the game. While the combat is the same, the real fun is the opportunity to play as one of 19 characters, from Xemnas to Donald Duck.

When you get down to it, 358/2 Days answers the age long question: When the hero is leveling up, meeting new friends, and fighting off henchmen, what do the other bad guys do? Well, maybe this query was never meant to be answered. Without a goal or the feeling of adventure, doing the missions just feels like a chore. If the game could be chopped down into six hours of gameplay, many of the cutscenes and the full last hour would be worth it. Until then, YouTube is a great place to watch FMVs.