Thought I'd give everyone a heads up before the game actually comes out. Some spoilers ahead.

Note: I originally played the game in Japanese. So, the names of some things might be different.

Difficulty:

Even if you're used to the KH series, I HIGHLY recommend starting on Beginner. Days doesn't have a learning curve; it has a learning cliff. If you don't know what you're doing, the first few bosses will kill you. Even regular enemies can be deadly in Days, especially in swarms.

The first non tutorial mission will kill you. I say this absolutely honestly. When I go replay the mission at level 30+, it still kills me.

Skill system:

Skills are assigned in a method similar to that of COM, with limited uses of magic and items. Magic recharges after you finish each mission; items don't, so you'll have to re-equip them. By the end of the game, you shouldn't be using any items except Elixirs; there's more than enough of them.

The panel system itself is pretty easy to figure out, but if you're horrible at jigsaw puzzles, you might want to get a friend to help out.

Another thing to note is that different levels of spells have different effects; Thundaga isn't just a stronger version of Thunder. I personally use Firaga, Thundara, and Cura, but it really depends on your play style. However, Curaga is next to worthless; it requires you to stay in one place to heal, which is NOT A GOOD IDEA against many of the later bosses.

Play style:

It plays very similar to KH1. Combos are fairly short; they depend on the weapon you equip to each character. Different weapon panels create different weapons for each character, except the Zero Gear, which creates the "default" weapons you'll see in the other games, and the Casual and Mystery Gears, which create gag weapons.

As noted above, each equiped magic panel is one time use, but they can be equipped to mulitplier panels. Leveling up is non-linear; you earn individual level panels normally, and get level multipliers as you advance through the story. My current highest level is 65; in the later parts of the game, earning level up panels takes a LONG time.

Synthesis:

Most of the best items in the game are available through the synthesis shop, which has three subsections: Heart Point buy (which is the points you earn by defeating Emblem Heartless in missions), Synthesis (which is like the original in KH1 and KH2, except that it also costs munny and individual recipes), and Prizes, which you get for completing Trial Missions and missions with actual people in Multiplayer.

My advice regarding the synthesis system is this: Don't sell anything. If you need munny, replay missions. Don't. Sell. Anything.

Multiplayer:

Ah, the meat of the story, so to speak. Mission Mode is MUCH harder than single player Story Mode, because it's balanced for around three players. All of the original Organization members (I-XIII) are available, as well as six unlockable characters (four unlocked by default by the time you finish the story), which I'll leave in the dark except for one.

Each character member has differently balanced stats; Roxas and Xion are perfectly balanced, but Lexaeus has almost no magic ability, although his attack is one of the best in the game.

My personal favorite characters to use are Axel (who is the easiest for me to handle) and Xion (because she's my favorite character : D ).

Story, Graphics, and all the jazz:

I'll be upright honest with you; the graphics aren't great. For the DS, though, they're really very good. This doesn't include voiced cutscenes (the majority of cuts are text format as in the original COM); those scenes are very high quality, like KH2.

Storywise? Your Milage WILL vary. It is very surprising at times, but a common criticism is that it was made exclusively for the fangirls. Personally I disagree; if it was for the fangirls, Xion would not exist. Nomura had something he wanted to do with Roxas' story, and he did it well.

The ending is very sad. I mean that.

There isn't much new music in Days, but what there is is very good. The two pieces of music used for Xion, in particular, fit her character very well.

Three things that pissed me off:

1. Emerald Serenades.

Most annoying Heartless ever. Interestingly, they seem more vulnerable to magic in Standard than in Beginner o-o But overall, they're easily the most annoying boss in the game. And you have to fight three of them.

What do they do that's so annoying? Absolutely nothing. Seranades don't attack in any way; they just fly around the area on a set path. However, they move faster than you can, so you pretty much have to find a good spot to sit and wait for them to come back so you can kill them.

2. Ability Unit hunting.

This was insanely frustrating. For those not aware, you can use Dual-Wield Roxas in multiplayer. However, you need to equip three Ability Units to the Zero Gear to do so. Two of these are easy to find; the third one is hidden in a chest in Agrabah in a fairly early mission that's easy to miss once your inventory has filled up. It took me TWO MONTHS and a second game file to find it.

3. Freaking Sora

Really, Nomura, can't we have just one game without Sora as a player character?

In fact, could we maybe have him as a BOSS next time?

Please?

Just for some variation?

Overall:

My favorite game so far, ever. Birth By Sleep is looking to bump it out of the spot though.