Kingdom Hearts 3 Patch Notes: 1.04 And 1.05 Updates Add Critical Mode

A free patch to be rolled out today for Kingdom Hearts 3 is expected to up the ante for the series' more hardcore players.

Called the Critical Mode, this mode doubles the damage you’ll take and receive in the game, which should incentivize careful planning and strategy over brute forcing your way through levels. Critical mode is completely optional, and was only patched in because some of the returning players of the series missed its inclusion like in past games. Some of these players also found the game’s existing Proud mode to still be a bit too easy, and that’s probably why the game’s co-director has addressed critical mode during an interview with GameReactor a few months ago.

Game director Tetsuya Nomura also took to Twitter last night to announce the arrival of critical mode.

While critical mode makes you take more damage, it does not change the values of enemy health. It more or less just acts as a debuff in which you take more damage after being hit.

In addition, hit points and magic points are reduced by half in critical mode, and the command prompts in certain situations won’t be as common and as forgiving as the other modes. Decreasing magic is also another reason to power through. The incoming update will also include new actions and critical abilities while playing in the critical mode (thanks to Famitsu for providing that one; translation via VG247).

Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 And 1.05 Patch Notes

Here are the patch notes for 1.04 and the 1.05 update expected to roll immediately after it (original Japanese source here; translation via VG247).

Update 1.04

• “Critical mode” has been added to the game mode, and new abilities can be used.
• Adjusted the behavior of some enemy characters.
• Acquisition of mini-game “Frozen Slider” The treasure can now be checked from the results screen and the mobile portal.
• A check mark is now displayed on composited items in the item composition of Moguli shop.
• We added messages such as game help.
• Fixed various problems.
• When this version is installed, new save data is created.

Update 1.05

• When starting a new game with “New Game”, it became possible to take over the key blade etc. from the clear data.
• Changed processing about photography and became able to save up to 200 pieces.
• Fixed various problems.