The 10 WORST Kingdom Hearts Worlds

Twilight Town

“Kingdom Hearts II” (2005)

Alright, picture this; It’s 2005, and the sequel to arguably one of the best games of all time with arguably one of the best player parties ever assembled has dropped, and you jump into the game expecting to pick up right where you left off with Sora, Donald and Goofy. Instead, we begin our adventure in Twilight Town, and sure, the music is fantastic, the town is cute and fun with perpetual twilight and trains and trolleys, but it’s undeniably tedious, AND on top of that, you’re playing as this new character Roxas, who (and let me say it extra loud for the people in the back) we don’t give a F*** ABOUT! Many argue that the exploration of this world, and introduction to Roxas is crucial for the game's lore and world building… Okay, let me repeat that back to you when you’re bouncing a balloon to entertain a crowd, and you explain the importance to me then.

Deep Space

“Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep” (2010)

Lilo & Stitch holds a special place in the hearts of Disney fans, and if you personally were designing a level for it, where would you place it? On the beautiful sandy beaches of Hawaii where you can explore the dance studio and Lilo’s house? Well, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep decided to set this world in and limit it to the spaceship where Stitch is confined at the beginning of the film. Instead of traversing the sandy beaches of Hawaii and riding the waves, players navigate through a dull white ship, negotiating a frustrating vertical environment that heavily relies on platforming, an aspect not typically highlighted in the series. Additionally, an awkward pinball-like exterior section disrupts the flow of the game. So many bad decisions were made surrounding this level that it boggles the mind.

San Fransokyo

“Kingdom Hearts III” (2019)

San Fransokyo fails to provide a promising glimpse into what Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts 4 could potentially offer, so an updated list may need to come out in the future. While it showcases some interesting Japanese-inspired architecture, the overall experience feels sorta… meh? There's a noticeable absence of engaging activities such as side quests involving cooking in a fast food restaurant or protecting citizens from the Heartless, just anything that would honor the source material in cool and interesting ways. Moreover, the presence of invisible walls is a true bummer. Either build walls, or don’t, but don’t have Hiro constantly calling us prompting us not to leave the area. That’s annoying as hell.

Wonderland

“Kingdom Hearts” (2001)

I’ve been making a lot of Kingdom Hearts content recently, and because of this I decided to replay the series. I just finished Wonderland from Kingdom Hearts 1, and I’m so glad it’s on this list, because that world is hot poop garbage. First off, as (what should technically be) the first world on your adventure, it barely does anything fun, the final boss isn’t from the world's story, there are no world-related party members to join you, and the actual areas are so SO boring. Honestly, you’ll spend your entire time in this world going back between the same three areas, solving puzzles that are so poorly blended with the puzzles that you have to come back later to solve. It’s just a yuck way to start your Disney adventures, especially after playing for a few hours already getting keen to explore the worlds.

Arendelle

“Kingdom Hearts III” (2019)

Arendelle feels more like a token inclusion due to its immense popularity rather than being a fully immersive world, which is wild! Because it could have been as fun as any other world! But it FEELS like the devs were rolling their eyes as they made it. Square Enix opted to extend the storyline by introducing a perplexing ice maze. The peculiar waymarking and level design in this area often leaves players bewildered until they manage to navigate their way out. The scenery is pretty damn awesome, and the music is emotional and driving, but no one can save this world from the unnecessary recreation of the iconic "Let It Go" scene that feels redundant, considering one could simply watch the movie instead. Furthermore, Sora, Donald, and Goofy fail to form an alliance with the formidable princess, instead finding themselves accompanied by which popular character from the film? Olaf? Kristoff & Sven as a team? Nope… Marshmallow, the creature Elsa created to guard her castle… F*** this S***.

Monstro

“Kingdom Hearts” (2001)

What is it with Square Enix and setting the worlds of Disney films they’ve decided to use in the absolute worst locations they can think of? You thought Lilo and Stitch in space was bad, let’s set our Pinocchio location inside the whale that ate Geppetto… Good idea. I’d say it didn’t age well, but it also sucked in 2001! Within the whale's interior, the walls are adorned with untextured, alien-esque blobs, and the level design leaves much to be desired. The placement of hallways seems random as you move from chamber to chamber, making it difficult to remember which doorway leads where. Coupled with the subpar camera controls in Kingdom Hearts, navigating through Monstro becomes a task that Pinocchio definitely can’t lie about. Is your world fun, Pinnocchio? “Ummm, yes” AND you’ve stabbed Geppetto with your nose… Nice going.

Disney Town

“Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep” (2010)

Mini-games plague the Kingdom Hearts series, and Disney Town epitomizes this issue in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Players find themselves spending a considerable amount of time engaged in mini-games, from awkward volleyball matches with fruit to lackluster kart racing reminiscent of a subpar Mario Kart clone. Furthermore, there's a rhythm mini-game featuring Chip and Dale that feels disjointed and out of sync. Honestly, STOP MAKING RHYTHM GAMES IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO PUT TIME INTO THEM. What exacerbates the problem is that this overly cheerful world feels glaringly out of sync with the darker tone of one of the most serious narratives in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Its vibrant colors and whimsical atmosphere starkly contrast with the tone Birth By Sleep strives to achieve.

100 Acre Wood

“Kingdom Hearts” (2001)

Not only is Winnie The Pooh one of the most beloved childhood series for many players of Kingdom Hearts, but it has some of the sweetest and most heartwarming characters to exist in Disney history. The idea that this would be a safe haven from Heartless was a relief. It would exist as a place to tackle fun little mini-games with fun little characters. Instead, it was a world that was broken up, so we had to keep returning to it, and had mind numbing mini-games that almost ALWAYS sucked stinky farts. So much potential squandered.

Atlantica

“Kingdom Hearts” (2001) & “Kingdom Hearts II” (2005)

Atlantica often receives criticism from the Kingdom Hearts fanbase, and it's not without merit. The controls feel clunky, and Sora's merman form limits the available moveset, resulting in a less satisfying gameplay experience. Both of Ursula's boss fights are particularly frustrating to navigate, and traversing the world becomes increasingly awkward, especially in the latter stages where you must ride a dolphin to reach Ursula. Okay, I’m happy to forgive and forget, let’s give them another crack at it in Kingdom Hearts II - And they messed it up, they messed it up bad. Going from mediocre to excruciating, they turned Atlantica into a rhythm game which ONCE AGAIN, was designed so poorly that it’s a drummer's nightmare. Constantly out of sync, and featuring some TERRIBLE songs, this whole world feels like it ended up in the ocean after being flushed down the toilet.

Deep Jungle

“Kingdom Hearts” (2001)

It’s a true and honest to god shocker that any of us stuck around Kingdom Hearts after playing Wonderland and Deep Jungle back to back right at the beginning of the game, because Wonderland was bad, but it was nothing compared to the Tarzan entry. With some of the WORST level design we’ve seen from Square Enix, navigating through Deep Jungle proves to be a daunting task as the game fails to provide clear directions on how to progress the story. Even seasoned players of Kingdom Hearts find themselves lost amidst the chaotic layout of the world. Maneuvering through the jungle by swinging on vines proves to be cumbersome, requiring precise timing of button presses between each jump. Players often find themselves falling due to the unreliable swing mechanics, compounded by the erratic camera angles and awkward platforming jumps performed by Sora. I’d rather get the snot kicked out of me by Tarzan than play his level.