User:TheSilentHero/KH3 Walkthrough/Dive to the Heart

Welcome to the beginning of this walkthrough. This walkthrough will guide you through Kingdom Hearts III, as well as the Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind DLC.

Worth the challenge
Beating the game in Critical Mode will reward you with the Proof of Times Past, which can be exchanged for the Oblivion Keyblade, so it's worth trying at least.

When you select New Game from the Main Menu, you get to choose the Difficulty Level for the game. For your first playthrough, you can only choose between Beginner Mode, Standard Mode, and Proud Mode. After beating the game once, you can also play in Critical Mode.

• Beginner Mode: Choose this if you just want to enjoy the story without worrying about the combat. Sora will take less damage, deal more damage and gain more EXP compared to Standard Mode.
• Standard Mode: This provides a nice balance between challenge and difficulty. A good choice if you want to play the game without being overpowered, and without getting frustrated.
• Proud Mode: Somewhat harder than Standard. Choose this if you want more of a challenge. Sora will take more damage compared to Standard.
• Critical Mode: A true challenge. Sora will take even more damage than on Proud, gain less EXP, and has less HP and MP. He does get several abilities early, as well as 3 exclusive abilities, and gets a free accessory from the start.

Choosing your playstyle

Like many of the games in this series, you'll start at the Dive to the Heart after the opening movie. You'll learn some basic controls, so walk over to the mirror and touch it. You are now on the other side of the mirror, where countless images of past games circle around. Three of such images will come down and you'll have to choose one of them, each giving a certain benefit.

Critical choice
When playing on Critical Mode, the values of HP and MP are halved. This includes increases to HP and MP gained during the game.

"What do you desire?"
Choice	HP	MP	Notes
Choose Wisdom	90 HP	120 MP	Wisdom... A sharp mind that will grant you mastery of wondrous power. A choice for players that focus on using magic from far away. It is represented by King Mickey helping to close the Door to Darkness at the end of the original Kingdom Hearts.
Choose Vitality	120 HP	100 MP	Vitality... A rugged body that will endure even the toughest of challenges. A choice that sacrifices some MP for more HP. Recommended when you're not into spellcasting, or get hit a lot. It is represented by Sora blocking Riku's attack in the Grand Hall of Hollow Bastion in the original Kingdom Hearts.
Choose Balance	105 HP	110 MP	Balance... A body and mind of equal merit and equal potential. A nice balance between HP and MP, for when you don't favor a certain fighting style. It is represented by Sora, Donald, and Goofy joining forces in Traverse Town in the original Kingdom Hearts.

"What power do you seek?"
Level	Ability
	Guardian	Warrior	Mystic
LV 2	Damage Control	Combo Plus	Magic Combo Thrift
LV 4	Withstand Combo	Air Combo Plus	MP Haste
LV 6	Combo Plus	MP Haste	Combo Plus
LV 9	Block Replenisher	Combo Plus	Fire Boost
LV 12	MP Haste	Attraction Enhancer	Water Boost
LV 14	Air Combo Plus	Fire Boost	Leaf Bracer
LV 16	Fire Boost	Air Combo Plus	Air Combo Plus
LV 18	Attraction Enhancer	Water Boost	Blizzard Boost
LV 20	Reprisal Boost	Combo Boost	Grand Magic Extender
LV 24	Combo Plus	Air Combo Boost	Reprisal Boost
LV 26	Leaf Bracer	Withstand Combo	Magic Galvanizer
LV 28	Water Boost	Leaf Bracer	Withstand Combo
LV 30	Second Chance	Blizzard Boost	Combo Plus
LV 32	Air Combo Plus	Link Extender	Damage Control
LV 34	Link Extender	Thunder Boost	Thunder Boost
LV 36	Combo Boost	Block Replenisher	Block Replenisher
LV 38	Blizzard Boost	Aero Boost	Aero Boost
LV 40	Thunder Boost	Reprisal Boost	Air Combo Plus
LV 42	Air Combo Boost	Grand Magic Extender	Second Chance
LV 44	Grand Magic Extender	Magic Combo Thrift	Attraction Enhancer
LV 46	Magic Combo Thrift	Magic Galvanizer	Combo Boost
LV 48	Aero Boost	Second Chance	Link Extender
LV 50	Magic Galvanizer	Damage Control	Air Combo Boost

The first choice determines your starting HP and MP. Any HP and MP you gain during the game is identical between choices, but the little extra HP or MP can make a difference in tough battles.

After making your choice, three new image come forward, presenting you with yet another choice. This choice determines the order in which you learn abilities.

The power of the guardian... Kindness to aid friends.

When you choose the power of the Guardian, you'll learn defensive abilities earlier, but abilities that boost your magic or combos will be learned later. These defensive abilities include: Damage Control: This ability reduces the damage you take when you're low on HP. Withstand Combo: This ability allows you to survive a combo attack with 1 HP left, if it would have knocked you out. Block Replenisher: This ability makes you recover some MP when you block an enemy's attack. Second Chance: This ability allows you to survive a hit with 1 HP left, if it would have knocked you out. The power of the Guardian is a great choice if you're having trouble staying alive. It is represented by Sora making Naminé a promise at the end of Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.

The power of the warrior... Invincible courage.

When you choose the power of the Warrior, you'll learn abilities that improve your combos early. However, defensive and magical abilities will be learned later. These combo-boosting abilities include: Combo Plus: This ability allows you to perform one more hit during a ground combo. Air Combo Plus: This ability allows you perform one more hit during an aerial combo. Combo Boost: This ability makes your ground combo attacks stronger based on the number of hits in the combo. Air Combo Boost: This ability makes your aerial combo attacks stronger based on the number of hits in the combo. The power of the Warrior is a great choice if you're a fan of just whacking enemies with the Keyblade. It is represented by Sora and Roxas clashing Keyblades in Kingdom Hearts II.

The power of the mystic... Inner strength.

When you choose the power of the Mystic, you'll learn abilities that boost your magical abilities. However, defensive abilities and abilties that improve your combos will be learned later. These magic boosting abilities include: Magic Combo Thrift: This ability reduces the MP cost of magic spells when casting multiple spells in a row. Leaf Bracer: This ability allows you to cast healing magic without being interrupted. Grand Magic Extender: This ability makes Grand Magic Situation Commands stay for a longer time. Magic Galvanizer: This ability makes your magic spells stronger based on the number of hits in the combo. The power of the Mystic is a great choice if you like to use Magic a lot. It is represented by Sora reuniting with the Dream Eaters at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

RE MIND

What kind of adventure do you seek?

When you have the Re Mind DLC, you'll get another set of images to choose from. These choices determine what part of the Premium Menu you will start with. Usual Adventure: This starts the game without using the Premium Menu. It's just like playing without the DLC. Note: You can gain access to the Premium Menu later. It is represented by Sora, Donald, and Goofy following the path to Castle Oblivion from the start of Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories. Easy Adventure: This starts the game with the EZ Codes available. EZ Codes can make the game easier by regenerating your HP and MP, defeating enemies in 1 hit, or automatically unlocking all Gummi Ships. However, keep in mind that certain Trophies cannot be obtained after a code has been activated. It is represented by Sora holding the party hat and fake goggles from the ending of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Challenging Adventure: This starts the game with the PRO Codes available. PRO Codes add an extra difficulty by slowly draining HP and MP, lowering your stats, or restricting what actions you can use. When beating certain bosses with PRO Codes available, you'll earn points, which will raise your rank, and finally reward you with a trophy. It is represented by Sora, Donald, and Goofy surrounded by an army of Heartless in Kingdom Hearts II. When choosing for one of the two types of codes, you can immediately activate the codes after choosing.

After making your choices, you get asked to confirm your decision. Once you do, you'll get swallowed up by a tidal wave, and arrive in a world of endless sky.

Combat 101

Three Shadows appear, and you'll get a tutorial screen about attacking, blocking, and dodging.

Shadow
	Attacks
	Thrust Scratch Jump Attack
Strategy
Shadows are quite slow-moving, and don't have a lot of HP, so they should fall easily. When they sink into the ground, they can't be attacked. However, Water magic will pull them out.

After defeating the Shadows, a giant monster appears: the Darkside, a familiar sight for players of the series.

Darkside
	HP	400	Strategy
			The Darkside can only be damaged by hitting its hands or its head. When it charges its fist with energy, it will slam it in the ground, so get out of the way, and jump to avoid the shock wave that follows. Where it hits the ground, a pool of darkness will appear that spawns some Shadows. Although it's not required to defeat them, they provide a nice source of HP prizes. When it lowers itself on its knees, and pushes its chest forward with its arms back, it will fire homing projectiles. Guard or hit these projectiles to stop them. When it places one hand on the ground, it will slam the other arm into the ground, causing a shock wave. If you get hit, there's a chance of getting stunned briefly. When he raises his arm back up, he's holding a dark orb. The orb will soon vanish, and several smaller orbs will rain from the sky. Stay clear of where they drop, or block them. The combat in Kingdom Hearts III makes it much easier to reach the Darkside's hand to damage it compared to previous games. Keep attacking, try to jump over the shock waves, and defeat the Shadows to regain some HP, and the Darkside should soon fall.
	Weakness	—
	Resistance	Dark
	Attacks
	Dark Punch Dark Homing Shock Wave Orb of Darkness

Defeating the Darkside gives you your first magic spells: Fire and Water. After the battle, you can choose to take another look at the tutorial, try your hand at fighting some more Shadows, or move on.

When moving on, a cutscene will have Yen Sid inform you of what to do, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy head off to... Olympus Coliseum (sort of)!

	Dive to the Heart	Olympus >>>