@SN – I remember. Did you ever attempt to play BbS a second time? I feel like the possibility exists that it was the game that shattered your hopes of what the series could be and so perhaps you never saw it for what it was. I don’t have low expectations of KHIII so much as I have interested expectations. There are some truly hideous moments in KHII – in fact, they’re not uncommon – but there are glorious moments too. I hope to find KHIII just as fascinating, even if it also collapses under itself.

@Mel – Nor can I blame you! There is more there, but never would I try to convince somebody that the games are worth the price of admission unless the person had already been inside that world at some point in their life (see my comment to SN above).