Apparently taking a squirrel-type creature and combining its power with a panda-type creature nets you one incredibly large, powerful and fat panda that proceeds to crush all enemies under its immense girth. The moment I managed to get Sora to execute a Dual Link with his two allies, I knew the TGS Kingdom Hearts 3D demo would please me greatly. For those of you not as concerned with fat pandas, there's plenty else about the latest chapter of Square's Disney franchise to keep your interest.
The primary enhancement to the Kingdom Hearts formula is a very fast, very chaotic agility mechanic that allows your lead character to essentially bounce off of walls, grind on rails and slingshot off of poles. That movement is chained into an attack system that, while chaotic, feels great and controls wonderfully. It'll take you a few minutes to really get a grasp of all the faculties at your command, including allies (see: fat panda) and special "deck" attacks, but once you do, you'll feel like a total badass.
At this point the game's biggest hindrance is that it's almost too chaotic and too fast. Having Sora surge forward for an all-out assault is a sight to behold... until you can't see him because the camera can't keep up or doesn't know how to properly track the action. L and R can rotate the camera, and there is a lock-on system which definitely helps, but I ran into several instances where the game wasn't quite sure how to deal with the constant wall-jumping.
Beyond that, Kingdom Hearts 3D is shaping up nicely. Visually the game is certainly looking strong - think good PlayStation 2 graphics on a small screen. (That's not a bad thing, honestly.) The 3D depth is also effective though not necessarily essential. One other interesting fact is it appears another Square franchise is finding its way into Hearts. Neku, from The World Ends With You, appears in an opening scene in Sora's half of the TGS demo. (The other half involves Riku, though you're effectively doing the same activities in a different Hunchback of Notre Dame setting.) He runs off before anything of real substance occurs, and you don't get to play as him, but no doubt fans of the critically-acclaimed series are going to be thrilled regardless.
