The name isn't the only interesting part of this game.

Much like the Game Boy Advance title Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is another story that bridges the gap between the two console Kingdom Hearts titles, answering many of the questions or filling in plot holes any fan of the series may of had. Though in a lot of ways it is far more similar to another Square Enix spin off on the Playstation Portable, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. You play as a minor character from the main series who had major effects on the plot yet was a mystery for most of the game(s), and just like Crisis Core players of Kingdom Hearts II know exactly how 358/2 Days will end. Though don't worry if that bit turns you off as the game has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to keep the plot interesting and even introduces new characters.  
 

You play as Roxas, which as Kingdom Hearts 2 explained is Sora's (the franchises main protagonist) nobody which is a sort of alternate person ripped from someone who loses their heart. As the title of the game suggests the story takes place within a 358 day time frame which is where the game becomes less like its predecessors. You still have a keyblade, you are still fighting heartless, and you are still visiting various Disney themed worlds but instead of flying around space and clearing a world through story progression everything is now mission based. Every morning you will be greeted by one of the many Organization XIII members who give you a set of missions to pick and choose all with various goals. Some require you to kill a boss or a large number of heartless, while others may just have you on recon to a new world. 
 
This alone really changes the flow of gameplay from previous titles, instead of dealing with a worlds problem and moving on like before Roxas will constantly revisit worlds until the very end of the game. Of course unlike Sora, Donald, and Goofy, being apart of Organization XIII means Roxas wants to keep a low profile when traversing the worlds which paints the Disney lands in a whole new light. He rarely ever directly interacts with the inhabitants of worlds and instead you get to see the Organization putting the pieces into place for all the events that occur in Kingdom Hearts 2. This is all a breath of fresh air in the series as instead of being directly involved with the worlds you travel to many of the Disney characters will never even know you were around, it takes the concept of past games and flips it upside down.
 

The story itself though, is unfortunately the weakest part of this package. The content itself isn't bad, it is actually quite the opposite. The entire thing is about Roxas learning what it is to be a human despite never truly being able to know as he lacks a heart. He learns about friendship, lying, betrayal, and all those other things that make humans tick. After clearing most missions you will generally see a cutscene of Roxas hanging out with Axel and newcomer Xion who become his best friends. Of course things are going on in the background and Roxas is a very important part of all this as Organization XIII has their own plans for him and Xion. The problem with all of this is as good as it is there just isn't enough given the games length. At around 20 hours it is the typical length when compared to other games in the series, but 358/2 Days has terrible pacing. Nothing remotely interesting happens for about half of the game which really makes it feel as if it should of been much shorter. Of course though it makes the second half all the more exciting, it is just a shame the entire game didn't keep that pace. 
 
For that first half of the game what will keep you coming back for more is the missions. These all range from killing, sneaking, to collecting various items. You will usually be given three or four missions at a time which you can clear in any order you wish. The setup is absolutely wonderful as I never felt I was just grinding through missions for the sake of completion. The majority of the missions actually tie in quite well with the story as Roxas' goal in the Organization is to collect hearts for the Kingdom Hearts itself, which is Organization XIIIs ultimate goal. The developers also made a wise decision as to never pile these handfuls of missions on you constantly, as after completing these there is usually a stretch of time where you will only have one mission available a day to move the story along. 
 
Outside of the mission based format 358/2 Days actually plays very similar to any other Kingdom Hearts game. You run around the worlds in 3D mashing the attack button to kill enemies as you go. The game also takes the series back to its roots more than the most recent iterations. Kingdom Hearts 2 did away with most puzzle solving and platforming that were a large part of the original. 358/2 Days brings back these aspects as early on there will be puzzles that must be solved before you can progress or bottomless pits that must be avoided or you will die.  
 

The major difference to the normal formula comes in character customization. The ability system from past games is completely removed in favor of what is called the panel system. Everything from weapon upgrades to magic comes in the form of a panel that can be placed on a grid to power up Roxas. However, you only have limited space which means you have to think hard on what you want to bring into a mission as panels can only be placed outside of the missions. This system actually works quite well and I really hope something like it becomes a series staple as it refines what past games have tried to do quite well. You still have a ring or weapon that can be equipped they just have much more refined roles such as increasing aerial damage vs ground damage and each of these can be socketed by other panels for even more customization. The entire system lets you play Roxas any way you wish and the variety is enough to keep combat feeling fresh until the end.  
 
Outside of the main story quests 358/2 days also boasts a robust mission mode similar to that found in another Square Enix DS game, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fate. You can play as many of the characters from the series as you customize them by doing missions pulled straight from the main story and can even play with three other friends in every mission. It is an interesting system that supports team work and thanks to the panel system each player can even take on specific roles if they want to support or heal instead of run straight into combat. Everything is balanced quite well too as the game never feels like it favors the single player over the multiplayer and they both offer a very different feel.
 

All of this gameplay would be for nothing if it wasn't backed up by excellent tech, which 358/2 Days doesn't fail on. Unlike the past Kingdom Hearts handheld, this game is in full 3D and allows you to explore the Disney worlds exactly as you remember them in past games as they all feature near the same layout. While it isn't as impressive looking as its console brethren it pushes the DS to its limits and looks far better than any other fully 3D game Square Enix has released prior on the console. On top of excellent visuals the audio is what you have come to expect from the series as I discovered the moment the title screen played an all new (and probably my favorite) remix of the classic Dearly Beloved that has became somewhat of a theme for the series. All the original voice actors are back as well which makes the few times characters speak all the better.  
 
A lot of care was put into 358/2 Days to make it feel more like a full fledged Kingdom Hearts game instead of a quirky spin off like the last handheld game. It controls well, looks nice, has interesting characters and plot, and answers many questions about Kingdom Hearts 2 while still leading you on with hints of the series prequel Birth by Sleep due out sometime in 2010. While the plot pacing is terrible the addicting gameplay makes up for it and once you get to the later half of the game it becomes a truly amazing experience. With a strong single player story and well developed multiplayer Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days is a must buy for any fan of the series.