After 17 years between main series games, Kingdom Hearts III finally released on January 29th. The newest entry in the fan-favorite series finds Sora scouring the worlds of various Disney films searching for what it means to be a true hero. The raging war between Light and Darkness comes to a close as Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck (yes, you read that right) face off against the villainous Master Xehanort and Organization XIII.

Kingdom Hearts III is an absolute joy to play. Despite long delays in its production, the game developers put great detail into their twelfth installment. Fans of the successful video game series have been begging Square Enix to develop a third installment for almost two decades. The several games that have released in that time have all been prequels, spin-offs, and redistribution. Kingdom Hearts III sees the characters from those stories caught up into the present. Fans from around the world have been eager to see Aqua, Ventus, and Terra’s stories to find their happy ending.

The mash-up between Final Fantasy and Disney properties has previously seen Sora and his friends trekking through worlds of beloved Disney films such as “Aladdin”, “Peter Pan”, “Tron”, and “The Little Mermaid”. More recent Disney films also find their way into Sora’s journey including “Tangled”, “Big Hero 6”, and the massively successful “Frozen”. Beloved worlds of past games return to the series such as “Hercules”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, and “Fantasia” also appear. The newest entry has shaken its formula up a bit by throwing Pixar films into the mix. Kingdom Hearts III adds the worlds of “Toy Story”, “Monsters, Inc.”, and even “Ratatouille”.

The series is not only based on Disney films; in fact, the main story has little to do with the Disney characters at all. Characters like Rapunzel, Hercules, and Baymax serve more as a catalyst for Sora’s character development. At its core, Kingdom Hearts is a series following Sora’s journey into adolescence and becoming a hero. As Sora and his friends battle apocalyptic odds, no weapon will help him as much as a strong heart and a kind spirit.

The Kingdom Hearts series is notorious for its ludicrousness. Seeing a spiky-haired anime character wielding a novelty-sized key alongside Donald Duck and Goofy is no-doubt an idea that seems to make very little sense. Yet, the series abounds with so much heart and soul that it’s irresistible. The franchise has been an introduction to video games for most and holds a dear place in the hearts of hundreds. Kingdom Hearts III is a beautiful game with stunning visuals and a compelling story about love, loss, and being the hero of your own story.

Kingdom Hearts III is available now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.