One thing that Kingdom Hearts 3 excelled at among the series was the inclusion of dozens of mini-games and bosses with gimmicks that separated them from every other fight. While some of these bosses missed the mark a bit, like Baymax vs Dark Baymax, plenty of these encounters like the Raging Vulture are what Kingdom Hearts 3 got right, at least for some players.
This specific enemy actually acts as a twist of some older mechanics that players might find familiar from Kingdom Hearts 2, but with an added level of spectacle that appears in many of the sequel's encounters. However, not every fan is as receptive of the Raging Vulture as others, which puts this Kingdom Hearts 3 boss in a strange middle ground that further divides players on the level it originates from.
The Raging Vulture's Gimmick in Kingdom Hearts 3
To break down the fight itself, the main gimmick comes from the fact that the entire encounter is played out while in the air. The player is either consistently falling, riding on another Heartless in order to chase the Raging Vulture, or grabbing onto the back of the boss in order to start dealing real damage. It's a setup that never really leaves the player comfortable, as they have to manage these different sections of the fight, with the intention of moving from one area to the next, in order to finally slap the boss around with Sora's Keyblade.
For fans of previous games, some of these sections might feel familiar, specifically when it comes to the final part where the player is tasked with grabbing onto the spines on the Raging Vulture's back and smacking its face. This calls back to both the Steamboat Captain Pete and the Storm Rider fights from Kingdom Hearts 2 with the way the player has to hold onto a giant spike in order to attack the boss. However, the addition of rail-riding on smoke trails and piloting a Vaporfly adds to the spectacle in ways that only the modern platforms Kingdom Hearts 3 released on could attain.
Divisive Mechanics Among Kingdom Hearts Fans
Of course, as is often the case with any fight that leans on gimmicky mechanics as opposed to the game's base combat, this fight is divisive among fans. For some, the Raging Vulture is compelling because of the spectacular way that it has Kingdom Hearts protagonist Sora flying through the air, taking on an army of Heartless and their giant boss all at the same time. However, others could easily see the encounter as all spectacle with no substance, amounting to little more than button mashing while all of the exciting things are scripted around the player's lack of meaningful interaction.
It's nothing new for fans of any series, the Kingdom Hearts series especially, to become divided over things like their favorite and least favorite games or boss encounters. There are still debates among the community about the second Riku fight in the first game's iteration of Hollow Bastion, which has since extended into an ongoing conversation about the series' difficulty as well as the nerfs and buffs that came with Final Mix. So, it's only natural that there are people who see this as a speedbump on the way through a level that is already a point of contention for several fans.
Raging Vulture's Impact on The Caribbean World
On the topic of divisions between fans on Kingdom Hearts 3, there's no better topic than The Caribbean and the impact that the level's gimmicks and gimmicky bosses had on the world. The ship mechanics alone have become a source for argument since the game released, and that's without getting into having to collect crabs, Luxord's rubber banding race, and this encounter against the Raging Vulture. However, even with so many points that players are frustrated with, it is still often ranked as one of the best worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3, because of everything else it does.
In some cases and for some players, boss encounters like the Raging Vulture and the Kraken can bring the whole experience of the world down, but even that is on a player to player basis. For those that didn't enjoy those moments that put form over function, it keeps The Caribbean from quite rising to the top of every ranking list. That being said, the fact that this boss fight is divisive does imply that there are plenty of players that enjoyed the gimmicks and spectacle, which leads some players to rank The Caribbean highest for Kingdom Hearts 3.
The Kingdom Hearts 2 vs Kingdom Hearts 3 Debate
Another topic that has started to spread through the Kingdom Hearts fan community lately is whether or not Kingdom Hearts 3 deserves all of the negativity it got, and where it stands now among the other games. Some fans have noted a similar initial response to the other game that much of the community now holds up as the best entry in the series thanks to some of Kingdom Hearts' most intense boss fights and combat. This would be Kingdom Hearts 2, which launched with heavy criticism from the fans, thanks in part to the reaction commands making the game feel easier, and a deviation from platforming to focus more on the same combat it is praised for now.
At the moment, the mini-games in Kingdom Hearts 3, and gimmicky bosses like Raging Vulture, still take some of the flack for the game's release. However, much of that negativity still comes down to even the most difficult parts of Kingdom Hearts 3's combat didn't match up with what players expected. Square Enix having since released updates like the Pro Codes and Critical Mode, as well as the boss rushes found in the Re:Mind DLC, has done a lot to elevate the game for players looking for a challenge.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.