Let’s be real for a second. Most people start playing this game, see the cards, and immediately want to throw their controller across the room. It’s jarring. You just came off the high of the first game's action-combat, and suddenly you’re stuck in a hallway simulator managing a math deck. But here is the thing: if you're looking for a Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories walkthrough, you don't need a list of every single chest in the game. You need to understand how to break the game before it breaks you.
Sora is trapped in Castle Oblivion. His memories are leaking out like a faucet that won't shut off. You’re playing through a fever dream of the first game’s worlds, but the mechanics are entirely different. This isn't just a "hit X to win" situation anymore. It’s about "sleights," deck building, and realizing that a "0" card is basically a god-tier item if you use it at the right millisecond.
The Strategy Most People Get Wrong
The biggest mistake? Treating this like a standard RPG. In a typical Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories walkthrough, you'll see people telling you to level up your HP. Don't do that. Or at least, don't make it a priority. You want CP (Card Points) and Sleights. Always Sleights.
Why? Because Sleights are the nuclear options of this game. When you stack three cards together and hit those shoulder buttons, you stop playing by the rules of the encounter. You’re no longer just swinging a Keyblade; you’re triggering Sonic Blade or Lethal Frame, which essentially freezes time and deletes boss health bars. If you pump all your level-up bonuses into HP, you'll just have a long, slow death. If you pump them into CP, you can fit more high-value cards and broken combos into your deck. It’s a game of math, not muscle.
Breaking Down the Card Break
You see a 9, you play a 0. You see a 0, you cry.
Actually, the 0 card is your best friend. It’s the ultimate counter. If Marluxia or Larxene is about to unleash some world-ending Sleight, playing a 0 card immediately "breaks" their move, regardless of how high their number was. But there is a catch—it only works if you play it after they start their animation. If you lead with a 0, any card from the enemy will break yours. It’s a high-stakes game of chicken.
📖 Related: OG John Wick Skin: Why Everyone Still Calls The Reaper by the Wrong Name
Navigating the Room Synthesis
The world-building here is weird. You aren't exploring a persistent map; you're creating it using Map Cards. This is where the grind happens.
If you're stuck, look at your Map Cards. You need specific colors and values to open the "Door to Truth" or "Story Rooms." A common frustration in any Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories walkthrough is getting stuck because you ran out of high-value Blue or Red cards. To avoid this, always keep a few "Teeming Darkness" or "Looming Darkness" cards in your inventory. They trigger fights with more heartless, which means more card drops. It's tedious, honestly. But it’s the only way to ensure you have the keys to the next floor.
- Momentary Reprieve: Use these. They are your save points. Never skip a chance to save in a floor’s entrance.
- Strolling Darkness: Good for casual grinding.
- Premium Room: These turn your cards into "Premium" versions which cost less CP but vanish after one use unless you use a specific reload item. It’s a double-edged sword. Use it on your high-value 9s.
The Boss Problem: Why Vexen is a Nightmare
Vexen is the first real "wall" for many players. He has a shield. He blocks everything. He’s annoying. This is where your deck construction is put to the test. If you’re just mashing cards, he will parry you into oblivion.
To beat him—and most of the Organization XIII members—you need to abuse the Sonic Blade sleight. It’s a series of 7s, 8s, and 9s. It rushes the enemy and keeps them staggered. If you chain three or four Sonic Blades back-to-back, Vexen can’t even get a word in about his "experiments."
Wait, I should mention the reload bar. People forget this. Every time you reload your deck, it takes longer. The first one is fast. The third one feels like it takes an eternity. If you're in a boss fight, keep an "Item Card" like a Potion or Hi-Potion at the very end of your deck. Using an Item Card reloads your deck instantly without the charge-up time. It’s a literal lifesaver.
👉 See also: Finding Every Bubbul Gem: Why the Map of Caves TOTK Actually Matters
Sora vs. Riku: The Difficulty Spike
Late in the game, you’ll fight Riku Replica multiple times. He gets faster. His cards get higher. By the fourth fight, he’s basically cheating. This is where Lethal Frame becomes mandatory.
Lethal Frame is a Sleight made of a Stop card and two Attack cards. It’s the most broken move in the game. It stops the boss in their tracks and lets Sora wail on them for a few seconds. If you build a deck that is just 5 or 6 Lethal Frames in a row, the game stops being a challenge and starts being a cutscene.
Honestly, the "meta" of this game is finding the one move that works and spamming it until the credits roll. It’s not elegant, but neither is getting stuck on a boss for three hours because you tried to play "fair."
The Reverse/Rebirth Factor
Once you finish Sora’s story, you unlock Riku’s. It’s a totally different beast. You don't build decks. The game gives you a pre-set deck for every floor.
This changes the Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories walkthrough dynamic entirely. You can’t rely on broken Sleights you crafted. You have to rely on "Duel Mode." When you and an enemy play cards of the same value, you enter a duel where you have to rapidly break their cards. If you win, Riku does a massive AOE attack. It’s faster, more aggressive, and frankly, some people find it way more fun than Sora's spreadsheet-management style.
✨ Don't miss: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
Managing Your Enemy Cards
Don't ignore the heartless cards. The "Blue Rhapsody" card boosts blizzard damage. The "Search Ghost" card lets you absorb HP when you hit enemies. But the king? The Jafar card.
The Jafar enemy card prevents your attack cards from being broken for 20 hits. Against bosses that love to spam 0s or high-value Sleights, Jafar is your insurance policy. You pop that card, and for the next 20 swings, you are unstoppable. Pair that with a "Powerwild" card to swap your low-value cards for high-value ones, and you’re basically playing on God Mode.
The Grimmer Reality of the Grind
Let's talk about the 100% completion. If you want the Platinum trophy or all the card collections, you’re in for a rough time. There are cards that only drop in very specific rooms, like the "Random Joker" card or specific enemy cards with low spawn rates.
Neoshadows? Easy to find. Mushrooms? A total pain. You have to use "White Room" or "Black Room" cards to find the different types of Mushrooms. It’s a lot of RNG. If you aren't a completionist, just ignore it. The story is the main draw here, and you can see all of it without spending forty hours hunting for a rare Fungus card.
Final Tactics for Castle Oblivion
As you reach the top floors, the difficulty curves upwards like a vertical wall. The Heartless get more HP, and their card values start averaging at 7 or 8.
- Edit your deck every floor. What worked in Olympus Coliseum will not work in Twilight Town.
- Organize by value. Put your 0s at the very beginning or very end so you can shortcut to them quickly when a boss starts a Sleight.
- Use the shortcut button. You can set a "shortcut" card in your deck settings. Set it to a Potion or a 0.
- Bounty Cards. Use these in every new world. They give you unique Sleights and powerful magic cards that you can't get elsewhere.
The game is a weird experiment. It’s a bridge between the first and second main titles, and while the card system is polarizing, it’s incredibly rewarding once you stop fighting the mechanics and start using them to your advantage.
Moving Forward
To get the most out of your run, stop trying to play it like a hack-and-slash. Go into your menu right now and look at your Sleights list. See what you're missing. Hunt down the "Bounty" rooms in worlds you've already cleared to unlock moves like Tornado or Quake. Most importantly, stop neglecting your CP. You can never have enough space for more cards. Once you have a deck full of 0s, 9s, and the right Sleights, Marluxia won't even know what hit him. Good luck in the Castle; you're going to need it for those final boss phases.