In all "Kingdom Hearts" games, the hard mode or “Proud” mode has always been one of the achievements a longtime series fan wants to reach. With its added difficulty, finishing a game on Proud mode earns players some bragging rights among their peers. Here’s how to help you survive Proud mode through legitimate strategies.

Get comfortable with controls

During battles in “Kingdom Hearts 3’s” Proud mode, enemies will hit harder than usual. A few hits from even the weakest of foes would be enough to kill Sora, and the player has to adjust accordingly. To make sure you make the right decisions to avoid dying, you’ll need to always know what your buttons do. Basic game knowledge like dodging, attacking, jumping, shortcut use, focus attacks and the environmental cues must be understood to make the best out of each situation.

Have good defense

So far, Sora’s defensive moves are limited to blocking and dodging. While dodging seems to be the easiest choice, there are times that blocking provides better benefits, especially during boss fights. When a block is correctly timed, the enemy reels in from the blocked hit and is incredibly to open for your attack. While not all enemies react like this, it’s still great to block attacks as it fully negates the damage it’ll deal.

Know your attack flow

As Sora levels up, he starts learning abilities which could be equipped to extend combos, add new moves, and generally improve his effectiveness in battle. Once you’ve equipped these skills, you’ll need to learn how to use them effectively to maximize your damage in every situation. With every optimal combo attack you land, the faster your enemy encounters will be.

Play by your strengths

Other than knowing your controls, playing to win in every situation is a must to avoid unnecessary deaths in Proud mode. Careless and sloppy playing may get you stuck in some areas which can be a problem for finishing Proud mode. If spamming magic, attractions, form changes, team attacks and other tools help you survive, make sure to use them as much as possible. Once you get the hang of flow of each battle, you can start experimenting depending on your tastes at the moment.

Once you have these down to pat, you can go on your Proud mode run now. If you’re in need of practice, try finishing “Kingdom Hearts 3” in Standard mode first with these tips in mind.

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