LOCK-ON (It Was Best in Kingdom Hearts 1)

[@RegularPat]

This is the dumbest and pettiest video I've ever made, and there are quite a few contenders for that already. Please enjoy, or whatever verb you prefer.

[@saifuusuri]

I prefer "Expedite" as in I'm expediting the end to my boredom.

[@JayboCorp.2014]

The dumb and pettiness doesn't matter; talking about small mechanics like this are important interesting and fun.

[@TheShinyFeraligatr]

I dunno, talking about how KH keeps fucking up something that KH1 got right seems pretty on theme for this channel.

[@gerasheo958]

This has bothered me for a long time, so I'm glad you made this video. I agree that KH1 had the best lock-on system, but it doesn't work as well for KH3. So the lock-on has never really felt good since KH1. I was very interested to hear you explore all of the details of it's evolution and what might work well in the future. The lock-on is a little detail, but you use it CONSTANTLY so it is kind of a big deal. Hopefully Square will pay attention to your feedback, thank you for sharing with us!

[@K-C-D-A]

One of my favorite videos yet... (Which sounds kinda depressing if you think about it.)

[@momom5429]

"You'd probably make like Utada and not think twice" well that's it, that's the video. I need to see nothing else. That line made my day.

[@FiggFig]

“mutters something about finally fantasy 13 and leaves” is another line of his that got me

[@KingdomHeart556]

Same

[@tootsie_]

A pre-KH1 game that has lock on and platforming with a combat focus would be DMC1, which released about 6 months before KH1 if my memory serves. However, the combat is much different and the stats mostly change with your weapon (between the 3 swords and Ifrit), and instead of levelling, you buy new moves. It's still a bit different but the two are remarkably similar when you boil it down.

[@younggutz9628]

I was thinking this too

[@LeonardoRodrigues-uj1sm]

DMC1 has fixed camera angles, its nothing like KH1 to be compared to. If you want a better comparison then Megaman Legends 2 would be the better one.

[@Atticus_Moore]

@@younggutz9628 DMC and Kingdom Hearts 2 are a bit more similar. I think KH is the first game to have aerial combos, but KH uses Devil Triggers in the form of Drive Forms.

[@ubermaster1]

Oh wow, I didnt remember KH1 having fixed camera angles with levels built around said camera!

[@tootsie_]

@@ubermaster1 well no shit theyre different in some regards. KH doesnt have guns or multiple weapons either, but it was pre KH1 and they have somewhat similar combat

[@LunaAlphaKretin]

When I saw this video I thought it was going to be about the fact that the target icon changes in KH1 to tell you if you're out of range/in sliding dash range/in attack range, which I don't think has been replicated in other games in the series. But now I know about DDD's lock-on switching system and my life is worse for it.

[@JayboCorp.2014]

The thing about DDD is that they could have had an option to change the lock-on to what it was in BBS, without flipping the deck, and changing your scroll method.

[@randibillett472]

Wait I haven't played the first game in a while, but I don't recall it doing that. It did that??

[@bigjelly3384]

@@randibillett472 yeah dude it did

[@randibillett472]

@@bigjelly3384 OMG, that's really cool. I adore it whenever games do that sort of thing. It's the little things that really make the experience, whether you notice them or not.

[@PseudoFanboy]

WHAT

[@ProxyLou]

Hey now! L2 isn't unused in KH2! Holding it changes the function of the right stick to control the command menu by default (so you can navigate it without a claw grip or halting movement). There's a config setting though to have the right stick control the command menu like in 1, and holding L2 makes it control the camera

[@Kingu-Sama]

No one uses that its too weird well idk if speedrunners use it but I always use the Dpad bc its just easier learning to use L2 is just asking to fry ur brain

[@qwerty77772]

This is pretty much why KH2 has my favorite control scheme. Shame they couldn't do this for the KH1 ReMix.

[@ladyinwight]

@@Kingu-Samajust because you dont use it doesnt mean no one uses it lmao

[@sorma007]

That's new for me! Thanks for sharing this fact!

[@scorpioigor]

@@Kingu-Sama I did. It wasn't hard at all.

[@Cri_Jackal]

There is actually a setting in Re:Com to flip L1/R1 with L2/R2, it makes more sense for flipping through cards to be on the triggers anyway.

[@tylercasea]

That was messing me up in that game for the first two worlds until I saw I could change that.

[@divaalfirman3295]

Thank God for that. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to lock on with something other than R1 lol

[@Chibi_Rikka]

It kind of baffles me that people will start playing a game and not immediately go to the settings to see what type of control options are available. Even more-so when going to the trouble of making a video about them.

[@tylercasea]

@@Chibi_Rikka 99% percent of the time when I play games I play with default settings even if they feel awkward and I am normally able to adjust to them within 20-30 minutes of playing. I was a bit stubborn and tried to tough it out, but I guess muscle memory of KH1/KH2 lock on being R1 was making that difficult.

[@Chibi_Rikka]

@@tylercasea I personally can't see why anyone would subject themselves to that when they have the option not to. I always look for an option to change controls to something more preferable if it's available. If it's not then yeah I'll adjust to the default controls, but if a game lets me change my attack button from O to square or X or change sprint from clicking the stick to a shoulder button, then I'm gonna do it rather than torture myself with less than optimal controls for no reason.

[@MeToo82301]

It might not be the best comparison, but I think Devil May Cry 1 is pretty close to KH1 in terms of a game with platforming elements where you're mostly beating things. It predates KH by about a year

[@justcallmexen]

I thought that KH2 didn't have a lock on switch system, I feel silly now. Also I had come to appreciate KH1's contextual lock on reticle, turning brighter and fuller when the locked on target is closer and a white circle when a target is "in range". This extends to the magic shortcuts menu as the reticle turns white at a further range to show that the enemy is within range of the magic and likely to connect. The only other game I can think of that does that is... Gundam: Federation vs Zion? That one just changes the reticle when a target is knocked down and can't be hit very easily until it gets a chance to recover.

[@keenobrown919]

That applies to the entire Gundam Vs. series, iirc

[@dmas7749]

didn't know how to switch targets in KH2 until i looked it up either

[@EngineerKappa]

I think this was actually pretty interesting from a game design standpoint. Lock-on is one of those things that's super easy to take for granted, but ridiculously frustrating when things just don't work.

[@LilacMonarch]

Yeah, it's something that needs to be prioritized for sure. In Dark Souls Remastered the lock on has an issue (I think because of failing to adjust for the framerate change from the original?) where it tends to make you just aim completely *wrong*. Especially with magic and other ranged attacks, you just always miss if you're locked onto a moving target.

[@dekuisagreatmaincharacter]

I’ve never thought about this, and after that, I’ll probably continue to not think about it. But I watched the video anyway because you’re my favorite youtuber. 😊

[@giriiko]

I agree with both the name of this commenteer, and at least the first sentence of their statement. If we nudge in "KH" between favorite and youtuber, I agree with everything they brough to this comment section.

[@gusgarrison9211]

So: • Critical functions on the bumpers (shortcut and lock-on) feel most natural, due to less input time/effort than triggers • Single-button lock-on switch is unscaleable when you reach a tipping point • L2 and R2 tend to go unused or inconsistently used in most games Solution seems obvious. R1 for Lock-on and L2 and R2 for switch à la 3D Type C, but with a 360deg cycling system where it finds the enemy with the smallest clockwise/counterclockwise angle difference compared to the enemy Sora's currently locked onto. Wouldn't be too difficult to program. While I'm at it about L2 and R2, I'd quite like an option to use them to cycle up and down through the menu, sort of like how BBS uses them for Command Deck. I hate using the d-pad in-battle, since I feel like I can't move while doing so. This would retail full movement, like Ni No Kuni, and it'd soothe my soul. Another solution I'd quite like would be an option for controllers with a touchpad (like Dual Shock 4+) I'm which you can flick in the direction of the enemy you wanna switch lock-on to. Perhaps that would be integrated into the former L2/R2 menu navigation idea. If I could use any system, I'd choose that.

[@darkfire1408]

"Did you know you can lock on to the Giant Guardian's head to disrupt that?" What the Fuck? 17 Years playing this series and I had no idea.

[@kristopher4557]

Damn... This is the one boss in the game I would have just tanked and brute forced my way through even on proud! (Multiple times)

[@curabletoxin]

Kh1 is a game where I'm still learning new things years later

[@billli3418]

Hey Pat, in the vanilla 2002 KH1, you can cycle back and forth with both L2 AND R2. It is that you have press L2 once after you lock before you can cycle the opposite direction with R2.

[@TimberCreates]

I remember that! I always thought it was kinda weird that they didn’t include it in the remaster.

[@GoldenDrummer730]

You also gotta appreciate that KH1 also let's you know how close/far you are from an enemy by changing the icon! So it's still the best in every regard As for how you fix it, that's hard to tell Games like Ys or Souls have a small dot on your enemy and you flick the right stick left/right to switch enemies which works for small mobs but you fall into the same issue for big mobs soo I'm not really so sure

[@Aisubun]

I recently replayed KH2, am replaying through 3D on 3DS, and a little bit of KH3 on the side. I always forget that KH1 has that target switching with L2. It's a small thing but yeah it would help immensely to be in games that use the same control scheme to just have a simple way of doing it instead of assuming they scrapped it. Though, thanks for the R2 tip for 0.2/KH3 because I never knew that until now lol. Also side notes 1) Those HD camera systems are basically taken straight from the 3DS version with minor adaptations, hence why target switching is used with the left stick for Type A, since the game released back when Circle Pad Pro was the only way to get another stick. 2) Reality Shift control of 🔺️+⭕️ is carried over from 3D where it was X+A but there's no reason to use that method with the touch screen being much more intuitive. I'd also argue command deck+confirm is easier to guess than command deck+jump but either way I wouldn't have tried it if I didn't play HD first.

[@novemberbravo6194]

"Was this interesting at all?" Yes. Extremely. No, I'm not being sarcastic. I work (sort of) in the games industry, and it's always fascinating to me to see these types of...heh...Deep dives, especially from people who know the games/franchises as well as you do. At this point, to my mind, you are *without a doubt* the definitive KH YT channel. Also the title of this video had me, briefly, considering what a KH+Gundam 00 mashup would look like, and it made me extremely happy, and then sad, because I realised that on the list of impossible things...it's..well, it's on there. It's on that list. Because it's impossible.

[@blepthebleep469]

I believe as far as the better solution going forward for multiple enemies; the later DMC games actually let you choose the priority of the lock-on, whether it’s closer, farther, among other things. Like many things in UI and button layout, giving the player multiple options is only a good thing.

[@TheSenateOfficial]

Sick video. Bad lock on is generally much more visible than good, or even mediocre lock on, so it’s cool to deep dive into this weird, specific topic. Thank you, regulatory patrick.

[@IronCodyAlan]

i've thought this 100% for so long and im so glad you hit this subject. it's so perfect the way you can shift targets and how easy it is. this targeting is what truly saves what could feel clunky. much love dude keep up the great work

[@RecruitofApollo]

This thumbnail image is hilarious

[@RegularPat]

The work of Kinode! He's so good

[@SirSpoofy]

I will say the closest thing would be Devil May Cry, it’s a hack n slash game with playforming and a lock-on mechanic

[@obeserob5027]

I'd definitely say devil may cry is the closest to kingdom hearts pre-2002. It's even got xp albeit on weapons and not Dante himself. There's also certain platforming sections that are equally infuriating

[@ladyinwight]

also when you compare kh2 to kh1, t's very clear to me what games they were taking inspiration from for kh2. even with how different dmc and kh actually feel

[@sketcher445]

@@ladyinwightHell, lock-on is the same button even

[@solfegesc]

Honestly you just sort of verbalized internal thoughts I've been having for awhile about lock-on targeting and I appreciate that

[@paytonmeeks9559]

"What's a game where you're hitting stuff but you're also jumping around and exploring in a 3-D space that came out before kingdomhearts one" Me: *screams in devil may cry fan*

[@TheShinyFeraligatr]

It works in Atlantica in KH2 because they gave an entire mechanic to you so that you never have to touch the swimming controls there, but it only works properly if you're locked onto something.

[@NocturnalAegis]

Honestly love seeing little edge case videos like this. It's really interesting to hear a perspective on something I've interacted with for years but have put almost no thought into.

[@Craft_Mesa]

now that I've seen this video, I realize that KH1's lock on also measures distance with the different symbols with the symbol becoming less and less detailed as you get further away, going from the traditional lock on look, to two semi-circles, to finally four quarter-circles.

[@japcloud]

FInally, someone who has shared the exact same annoyances I've had with this system since each playthrough! I too was highly confused when I played DDD... I think a possible solution for current games is having Sora switch lock on to Large enemies, bosses, and medium sized enemies ONLY if the enemy threshold is above a certina amount. Not only would this be very easy for developers to implement considering the fact that the variable would mainly be enemy count and enemy type, but it would smoothly create a dynamicly system that most likely wouldn't bother the player at all. By tackling the aspects of the system that remain subconcious to most players, they'd most likely never notice without experimentation. Most players tend to target the enemies who stand out the most, and wouldn't actively lock-on to or attack let's say 8 Shadow heartless when there's 3 or 4 Large Body present. The nature of our eyes just work that way, and even you're more detail oriented like myself, it only makes sense to prioritize unless you want to do otherwise. Considering how many enemies there are on-screen with the added lack of ai aggression to compensate, I don't see that it's really needed to lock onto every single small or tiny enemy anymore, at least depending on the group size. I find the auto-lock and large amounts of AOE magic and sweeping attacks to work just fine for enemies the size of Soldiers and Shadows. Very rarely are there enemies of that size that cause real trouble on even Critical mode, at least in my experience. Priority wise, you may as well have the lock-on focus on more dangerous or larger enemies while making the controls intuitive enough to tackle the small fry at the same time. And on higher difficulties or challenge runs, this change wouldn't do much because the strats are less vanilla anyway. Either way, that's my proposal.

[@rashi7535]

Now that you mentioned Dark Cloud... Well even though it might not have platforming it kinda has exploring, since you have to explore dungeon levels to progress the game. It also has moments where you are fighting a group of enemies together and the lock-on feature is SO helpful. It might not be as good as KH1's but I think it comes really close.

[@condemnedd684]

Sure but mechanically in terms of targeting systems that is pretty much the same as KH1, outside of circular strafing

[@megasoniczxx]

Dark Cloud worked more like Legend of Zelda than KH.

[@vivil2533]

Dark cloud is actually closer to a 2d game than you think. You can't do airborne combat, and you very rarely have enemies flying over other enemies. You also don't typically have changes in elevation, most fights are on flat ground. That make lock on less impactful, and easier to implement. I'm not trying to be rude, I love dark cloud, but if the game was viewed from an over head camera it would basically be a 2d game. The same could be said for Legend of zelda ocarina time. The combat is very two dimensional, unless the enemy is flying, but a flying enemy is functionally identical to an enemy that is out of melee range. Kingdom hearts is a great example of a 3d action game because of air combos.

[@socialistbcrumb]

When you mentioned the big triangle button graphic I realized how much nostalgia I have for that effect lol. Genuinely no clue why but something about the KH2 UI in general is probably what I think of as representative of KH on that end. That said KH2 did have a much better lock-on lol. Edit: Also common 0.2 W. If that game wasn't only like three hours long it would be top tier KH.

[@insertnamehere2746]

Does 0.2 have good lock on?

[@socialistbcrumb]

@@insertnamehere2746 pat goes into it in the video but it’s more or less the same as kh3’s which is probably the best system overall since 1

[@phantomgamer9264]

@@socialistbcrumb second best I would definitely agree DDD type C would be better if you could go to your other left or right

[@alexcapuchino2554]

at the very beginning there's a short clip of deep jungle where you have to jump on the hippos to cross the water....I never realized you could swing the keyblade to give yourself an extra boost of air and not fall in the the water! The endless frustration with that platforming sequence could have been solved so easily and I had no clue!!! Young me took way too many swims back in the day haha

[@Poldovico]

Young me quickly figured out the Keyblade thing because I was used to the helicopter kick in Jak and Daxter, and I still took way too many swims. The hippos are just slippery, I think.

[@Bravidunno]

ngl dream drop had one of the best lock-ons, because both the enemy and the player character stayed on screen, where in KH1 the enemy could still go offscreen and then you wonder if you locked them on or not

[@TimothyGod]

Yea but ddd sora wouldn't alqays be in the center screen, much like kh3

[@Bravidunno]

@@TimothyGod The only lock-on issue in kh3d is that you can't lock into a next target during the use of a command after defeating an enemy with it.

[@TimothyGod]

@@Bravidunno there was definitely an issue with the character getting lost on screen. Moving too fast would make them not be centered. Young xehanort is a good example, if you dash too much you'll lose yourself

[@robertmorgan5979]

This is peak Kingdom Hearts content. I actually thought about the lock-on features and the changing command menu styles a lot as I played through the games, so thanks for manifesting this into being, Pat ✨

[@MikeKennedyNFL]

Only Pat could make a 24-minute video about the lock-on function, and that’s why we love him.

[@MaquinaRara1]

A solution could be: R1: turn on and off targeting L1 tap: cycle targets on release button L1 Hold: while holding L1 you can use Right stick to direct which enemy is targeted, relative to the original target position. For example: tap up with right stick and you Target a flying enemy above original enemy, tap left and you Target an enemy to the left of original enemy. This way you can cycle enemies naturally by just taping L1 or you can manually select am an enemy by using the R stick. And you gain use control of the camera after selecting the enemy. L1+R3: an optional idea, if you hold L1 and tap the right stick, you can command your allies to attack current Target. So that you can tell them to go after some mobs while you focus on another enemy, like a boss.

[@thatguyoverthere2755]

That description of the consoles being different age groups was spot on

[@1983horizons1]

I also never realized how unique KHI was at the time. I just assumed it was a genre that had always existed and that I had only discovered because of Disney. It wasn't until years later in retrospect that I realized how unique and revolutionary it was. It's kind of crazy how influential this weird Disney crossover game was for every A-RPG that would come later.

[@TheHeroFrost]

I absolutely love the KH1 target switch. In literally every other KH game though, i didn't even know there was an equivalent. I just unlock and lock again until i find what i want

[@DragonMasterZFighter]

Bro, I didn't know you could interrupt that move Ansem does! Here I thought we knew all that KH 1 had to offer, but I should've known better.

[@finalfirehearts]

I recently started to replay each game (not necessarily in the order) but definitely changing lock system from one game to another is a bit frustrating. Great video!

[@QuiteDan]

21:40 I have to replay FFXV to see, but I recall it doing a few things I really liked, though it took some time to fully understand how it worked. -First off, your "potential" lock on target (like the yellow reticle in KH1) would usually be the closest enemy to the middle of your screen. You'd have to move the camera a bit to change the focus. -If you held the lock-on button (R1?), the potential lock would be hard locked until you released. Or you could also keep the hard-lock continuous by pressing R3. -While you were hard-locked, you could switch targets by moving the right stick. This was also in screen space, so it would consider higher enemies if you pressed "up." This felt unintuitive up until I understood how it worked and THEN it became one of my favorite lock on methods.

[@JTD95]

Quality content! I've low-key thought about this for years (though not to this degree) Thanks for putting my tiny feelings into a bachelor's exam!

[@Lilly-dq5wn]

Can't wait for the next video on which game had the best save points!

[@RegularPat]

3-- intra-world fast travel is the bomb

[@tylerfrancom8538]

I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned and I really don’t wanna read all the comments, so if someone has mentioned this just ignore me. But L2 IS actually used in re:com. It’s the button to return your sleight cards to your deck to cancel it.

[@ShiaTheBunnyGirl]

This is one of those things where you never think about it before but still makes so much sense

[@zapunknown]

I’ll be honest, I never know you could switch lock on I always moved the camera to get a new lock on… but I do change the lock on in Re:com to R1 and cycle through the cards with R2 and L2, I find it more comfortable

[@relaxedbatter]

A little correction, both KH2 and Re:CoM *do* have actions mapped to L2. While held, KH2's L2 allows the right stick to control the Command Menu, as it did in the original KH1 on PS2. Re:CoM's L2 (by default, before you swap it to Type B controls because R2 for lock-on feels so weird) cancels any stocked Cards, a function added because it was fairly annoying in the original to be forced to make a card Unreloadable that you accidentally stocked.

[@cypressmicnovicz9541]

As someone who is playing these games on PC as opposed to any console, the keyboard-mouse layout left KH2 with an amazing lock on, swapping targets by swiping the mouse left or right was incredibly comfortable. I do wish like mentioned that I could swipe up or down (mostly up) to target opponents above Sora. If they continue with simultaneous releases on consoles and PC, I hope they allow for choice, letting the player decide what is best for them.

[@JV-uq9cf]

I was today years old when I found out you can lock on switch in KH2. Also, I always loved how the reticles changed depending on distance in KH1. It helped cement what ranges you had to stand at to use special attacks like strike raid, and informed you what combo starter attack you'd do with X before you even pressed it.

[@chickenpotatoking]

I’ve always just mashed the lock on button until I got the guy that I was wanting to fight. Always forgot you could switch your lock.

[@BarnabusBarbarossa]

I kinda want to point to Ratchet and Clank as a somewhat similar mix of platforming and hitting things from that era, but now that I look at it, it actually came out shortly after Kingdom Hearts. Those games have a pretty similar lock-on system to KH1.

[@kblade08]

This was more entertaining and intriguing than I expected. Nice work.

[@Zohard104]

I’m very happy to see that this video actually exists I know a lot of people might hit the little mermaid combat system but it is made a lot easier if you do understand the lock on mechanic it will also pull you a great distance to any enemy you were fighting in the little mermaid‘s world it is a great help if you don’t understand the movement system which is pretty much the same as Neverland movement system for flying

[@tri1937]

6:20 I was going to say Ys from 6 on, but I looked it up and Ys 6 came out in 2003. I haven't played the original Ys 3-5 so I cant say whether they had any platforming elements to them, but based of Ys 1 and 2, I doubt it

[@KEVINF0X]

Ys 3 had platforming but it still was 2D so idk xD (also just finished Dana a few weeks ago - what an INSANELY good game holy shit 💖)

[@Orchestrafanboy19]

Always happy to see another Ys fan. Started with the two newest games and working my way from the beginning. The two newer Ys games also have options to automatically lock on to whatever enemy you hit. That alone has its issues such as not focusing on the enemy you want, but it's an alternate form of lock on that KH doesn't have.

[@dmas7749]

Ys 6 was also really good imo

[@spark9189]

the first game that comes to mind for a pre-kh1 3d game with locking on, a focus on combat, and platforming that is servicable but a bit clunky is dmc1

[@MaquinaRara1]

Sad for many to not remember the castlevania games on N64. They also had targeting systems and are adventure platformers that focuses on combat.

[@musubi8885]

Absolutely love the first 7 minutes of this video! I'm a little too young to have grasped in the moment how much games changed in the late 90's and early 00's, so thank you for explaining how revolutionary KH1 was from a game mechanics perspective.

[@Zer0Main43]

Your right I have never thought about or cared about the lock-on in Kingdom Hearts, in fact I completely forgot you could even switch your lock-on because why change lock-on when you can just commit murder and lock-on again

[@chainsmokingpeepo]

Im replaying the second one now. And my god this video speaks to my soul so much

[@adnagapot]

I do really like the idea of the fairy flying around to guide the players attention in loz and I think having a fairy fly around during combat and adding to cutscenes could have been really fun

[@mel-nl9lx]

CONGRATS ON 30K (especially your 30,000th subscriber👀). Great video as always! You really went so in depth about lock on in a way that I never thought about. I don’t think it’s ever been perfect but KH1 and 0.2 come the closest. You’re lucky you skipped Days because it is unusable! It’s on R which also controls the camera. (Btw this isn’t your worst video; what a great analysis as always). Cant wait for the hot take off with Kiwi🥝

[@lightishredgummi]

I hardly ever care which enemy I'm locked on to and when I do, I've always ran up to them to lock on. I guess that's a good thing, because it means I've never had a chance to be upset with the different systems lmao

[@alstonsmith3924]

Dude I think about this all the time, I’m so happy I’m not alone

[@matttattack54]

Nice video, Pat! I agree with about everything. The general target of where you're hitting is still helpful in a 3d space, but "lock ons" across many games seem to be becoming more situational than how they were once so fundamental, like in KH1

[@akibared2048]

Like other people mentioned, the most definitive 3D action game after OoT was the original Devil May Cry, released a year before Kingdom Hearts 1. That game pretty much defined what fast-paced 3D action should look like, including its "press R1 to lock on to the nearest enemy" function.

[@ChampionAnalysis]

I stopped noticing these lock on issues you mentioned ever since I started playing From Software games. In those games they teach you that locking on isn't always the best solution when facing hoardes of enemies because the camera will work against you. So it's advantageous to not lock on at times and just control the directions of the swings yourself. I'm not sure how well that translates to Kingdom Hearts considering attacks gravitate to enemies regardless of lock on, but ever since playing those games I've been approaching others with a similar mindset; including KH.

[@ShadowChaosKrystal]

I'll be honest I've never thought about this too much. I think my favorite fights in the series tend to be versus 1 big monster or guy and the lock-on function in most of the games tend to be good enough for that

[@fentimablader]

been a fan 15 years and never really considered this but you're absolutely right

[@erazor251]

Not finished the video yet but if you want a pre-2002 example of a combat focused game with a good lock-on mechanic, Devil May Cry was the first to pop into my head. Absolutely fantastic series and a huge recommend if you want more fast-paced combat with some explorative aspects. I wouldn't classify it as an RPG though.

[@RegularPat]

Yeah it definitely should've been an honorable mention in here, because there's at least something of a kinship there with a few mechanics

[@TheKabuto90]

DMC was pre-2002? Goddamn I knew the series was getting up there in years but I didn't quite realize it was over twenty years old.

[@erazor251]

@@RegularPat I've now finished the video so I can offer up my opinions. Firstly, great video, 10/10. Secondly, I really don't remember lock on switching being so obtuse in games passed KH1 but it's probably because I have personally almost stopped using it outside of boss fights. I find that, as the games get more enemies per fight, lock-on kinda restricts my crowd control. So KH1 is the only game where I still actively use it and in my last playthrough, I found it kinda frustrating how much I locked on to environmental objects before enemies so I'm glad you mentioned that. Overall, I think Type C Dream Drop is the best concept for a lock on and it's how I remembered KH2 and KH3 actually working.

[@erazor251]

@@TheKabuto90 Yup. The first DMC came out in 2001

[@pastrypanda8921]

This was actually so interesting. I saw the title was like “What the heck is with this weirdly specific video?” But as I watched it I could stop going “huh, that’s so true!” and “Yeah, I felt that when I played that game!” I was probably more invested in this video than most of your others for some reason! 😂

[@generationmillennium1584]

Threads of Fate (aka Dewprism in JPN), is a PS1 game Square made and released around the same time FF9 released that eased me into Kingdom Hearts’ gameplay that kind of has a LOCK-ON mechanic since the characters auto-lock to the nearest enemy.

[@qwerty77772]

Threads of Fate is kind of a transition game from the Mana series to the KH series. Shame Square hasn't rereleased it, it was quite fun.

[@TimberCreates]

I agree that the lock on for kh1 is the best out of the games by a mile. Out of all of the games I use the lock on in kh1 the most. For the other games I really only locked on to the bosses. Loved the video, congrats on 30k subscribers and can’t wait to hear some more hot takes!

[@Rue109]

You asked for a game like kh1 before kh1. While not long before. Kh1, dmc1 shares a decent amount with it. Both are character action games with platforming, puzzles and lock on tied to r1! I doubt kh1 looked too closely at doc, but they aren’t so distant to call kh1 revolutionary when compared

[@Paladont]

Love Kh1's lock on. I had a broken controller that perpetually held down the R2 button and it caused me to learn that KH2 also had lock on swapping at all. It's amazing how much a small change tanked the practical application of such a fun and useful tool

[@joeyjose727]

So true! I think the KH1 lock on could’ve been improved upon, but changing it completely feels uncomfortable

[@noahpauley]

I find it interesting that Re:CoM inherited the Sonic franchise's same-button-syndrome with its lock-on 😂

[@blekksverd]

If they really want this "switch either to the left or right" system, then I don't understand why they don't just tie that to the L2 and R2 buttons, seeing as the L2 button is rarely used for anything else. That would be so much more intuitive. DDD sort of had the right idea, but having R2 "reset" the target made it weird.

[@ZenoDLC]

That's what you get when you try to translate a 3DS game into a PS console

[@thatgibberishrappingdog6057]

something about sora with a gun really speaks to me

[@DillonVance247]

I get ridiculously excited every time you post a video. Thank you. Happy. More please!

[@TheUnseenPath]

I actually like the platform in the first game you give me a reason to come back and find the hidden treasures unlike the other games

[@ongyuxuan6989]

As a kh3 lv1 all pro codes player, lock on system in kh3 is frustrating af, so I'm relieved someone finally talked about it

[@yojosenpai261]

This was really interesting I’m currently playing through all the games and didn’t notice it until I watched this

[@MarKreationsStudios]

As usual, your KH video essays impress me. Keep up the good work, man!

[@monster8me]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the DMC franchise considering how many people have pointed out the similarities, and considering how much of a roller-coaster of varying quality that series is (much like KH)

[@QuiteDan]

1:25 heck even the 1 year gap between ffix and ffx was an incredible leap in production value.

[@theprettypony9599]

I'm so glad you mentioned the L2 button rotating the camera in KH1 it was so tedious.

[@Martyste]

Really nice video! On the topic of 3D games where you can jump around and whack stuff and enemies, the only things I could find that you didn't mention already, are: Harry Potter 2 on PS2/GC/XBox ( 2002 ) however Harry's spells are ranged attacks above anything. This game also features a targetting button on the shoulders, but I forgot how it worked exactly. Asterix & Obelix XXL on PS2/GC/PC ( 2003 ) is the closest match in gameplay with melee attacks and a similar level design to KH2 ( without loading zones ), but released later of course, and your controlled character doesn't have a lock-on button ( wouldn't matter with often over 20 enemies on screen ), but the character would often aim his attacks towards any enemy that is in arm's reach, especially if you're not pushing the left stick in any direction.

[@JinzoFiter]

6:20 DMC1 maybe? (Minus RPG elements)

[@wairfeather972]

I was…actually waiting for a video on Kingdom Hearts lock-on mechanics. Thanks, Pat And congrats on 30k🎉

[@archenjol9726]

i just found your channel because i was recommended your direct-to-video disney ranking, and after sitting through 2 hours of that i'm bingewatching everything you've uploaded--i wasnt expecting the kingdom hearts!! its my favorite game and the first game I actually ever played myself at age 5, i'm 25 now and i agree with many of your thoughts and opinions. i instantly subscribed and i'm slowly working through your videos! i love to see someone else who has so much care and passion about these games; they really have influenced my life and myself as a person a lot, as silly as that sounds. idk if you'll even see this but!!! keep up the great work, i cannot wait until you post a new video!

[@archenjol9726]

(not saying "sat through 2 hours of that" as a bad thing at all--- i loved every second of it and was so excited to see more content from you! i love your video essays and your voice is very soothing lol, def a new favorite channel of mine)

[@Thomaskh7]

I haven't really thought about this actually lol. I stopped using lock on in kh2 a long time ago, but thats just how I play. Good vid!

[@Trivial_Man]

A couple points that I think are worth bringing up. The first is that KH1 has relatively few area of effect attacks. Most of them are magic or summons, and the few that aren't were almost all added in Final Mix. Lock on was more important in that game because rather than attacking groups of enemies clustered together, you were usually focused on 1 at a time. Almost all subsequent games include way more crowd control options in the basic abilities and further expand the amount and quality of special abilities, like drives or attractions, that can do so. Second, KH1 has no context sensitive button. The Tech Points you get from doing specific actions (attacking an enemy with it's weakness, reflecting a projectile, etc) were functionally replaced with Action Commands in KH2. They both allow Sora to take advantage of an enemy's opening by launching a tailored counter, but in KH2 the counters are more specific to each enemy and much more obvious about when they can be countered. In KH1 you need to be focused on the enemy and ready to respond in order to get those Tech Points. But since Reaction Commands got their own button and are often context sensitive based on location rather tham target, this also removes one of the uses for target switching. While I agree that KH1 had the best lock on system thus far, later games are making it's tertiary capabilities less and less important through other aspects of their design. If they continue using modern hardware to it's limits and including larger hoards of enemies in every encounter then they'll have to move on from these old design decisions and embrace something more like how Dynasty Warriors works or something.

[@MangaDungeon]

I think KH feels so original because games masterd existing in 3d at this point but had trouble with thriving in 3d. KH was the natural next step of what an action game would be in 3d with Zelda as a base and that base id argue is "Zelda, but in style and none of that boring puzzle stuff" and KH was the first one to the party with Ninja Gaiden, Okami and DMC showing up later

[@aidanklobuchar1798]

DMC 1 predates Kingdom Hearts and is not a bad reference point. Kind of split the difference between OoT and DMC and you get, sorta, KH1.

[@benmcgiggles7655]

What I learned from this video is I never realized you could even switch targets lol. i always just unlocked and relocked. I fully support this kind of content though, video essays on extremley specific topics are my jam

[@randibillett472]

In many ways, I am firmly of the mind that KH1 was the best game in the series, period. And I didn't play it when I was a tiny child, so I'm pretty sure it's not a nostalgia thing. I knew the series existed back then, but I didn't get to experience any of it for a long time, doubly so for amount of time until I got my hands on any of the numbered entries. The first game has a particular charm to it that I've never been able to put a name to. It always felt more polished and thought out than the games that came after it, both in terms of story and gameplay. It certainly has a simplicity to it, but there is a subtle complexity as well, down to the way Sora's necklace and chain have their own bones so they move independent of the rest of his model.

[@redmage808]

I liked the comparison of one of the lock ons between all the games. I would like to see what other mechanics in the KH franchise have improved or worsened.

[@keybladeoverlord]

Hey I like when you dive into various mechanics or details of the Kingdom Hearts games, no matter how small and insignificant they may be.

[@GattoNero4278]

This is why I run up next to what I want to target, it's what I've always done, and if it picks the wrong one, I just unlock and lock back on.

[@ellingtonbanks6913]

"Did you know.. you can lock onto the fish." Lmao, I've been a fan since 2002 and no! I did not know this!

[@Limit02]

God, this really was something I was thinking about in my replays of 1 Com and 2. Com has an abysmal lock on system while 2 has an abysmal target change system. Honestly not sure which was worse

[@casualvanilla]

I'd say Re:Chain of Memories barely. Because at least when changing targets in KH2, your target remains locked. In Re:Chain, it disengages unless you keep holding onto the button (which makes no sense).