Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is the seventh main game in the series, and the first entry in the series for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a direct sequel to the previous games in the series.

Like other games in the series, Kingdom Hearts 3D takes place in a number of Disney-based and originally themed worlds, complete with their original casts of characters or new ones made specifically for the series. The game is an action RPG, where players take control of Sora and Riku as they embark on their Mark of Mastery exams.

Kingdom Hearts 3D is notable for its unusual "Drop" system. After a period of time playing as one character, the game forces players to shift to the other. However, this time can be extended using items or cut short whenever the player chooses. The gameplay uses similar mechanics to other entries in the series, most notably the Command Deck system created for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, but also incorporates a new style of gameplay known as "Flowmotion." This allows players to traverse the environment by rolling into and bouncing off of walls, objects, and enemies, allowing for faster movement and environmentally-sensitive attacks.

An HD remaster of the game titled Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD was released for the PlayStation 4 in 2017 and Xbox One in 2020 as part of the Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue collection.

Story
Anticipating Master Xehanort's return following the defeat of his Heartless Ansem and Nobody Xemnas, Yen Sid puts Sora and Riku through a Mark of Mastery exam to deem them Keyblade Masters and counter Xehanort. For the exam, they are sent to worlds that were restored at the end of Kingdom Hearts, albeit in a "sleeping" state disconnecting them from other worlds. These worlds are inhabited by Dream Eaters, creatures born from darkness that seek out the Keyholes of Sleep found there. Sora and Riku's task is to reawaken the sleeping worlds by unlocking the seven Keyholes of Sleep, and then return to the realm of light; they are advised to create benevolent "Spirit" Dream Eaters to guide them and battle the malevolent "Nightmare" Dream Eaters. Sora and Riku are separated at the start of the exam, and find themselves each in a separate version of the first sleeping world, Traverse Town. Throughout the exam, Sora and Riku periodically encounter a gray-haired young man who is accompanied by Xemnas and Ansem, respectively.