Games that combine different genres are rare. Many considered mixing Disney characters with legendary Final Fantasy heroes was absurd at first, but Kingdom Hearts has done it again. Sora, Donald, and Goofy combine forces with Cloud, Squall, and Mickey Mouse to save the universe. Kingdom Hearts II, for the Playstation 2, carries on where Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories leaves off, a few years after the first game ended. Sora is a little older, wiser, and stronger – important because he no longer just has the “Heartless” to worry about. Organization XIII, made up by beings called “Nobodies”, who have lost their human hearts, are attempting to create the mysterious “Kingdom Hearts” to replace their souls. They are ruthless super-humans who manipulate the different worlds to achieve their goals. Sora earns new abilities and new friends as he journeys in search of his childhood friends Riku and Kairi, and attempts to stop Organization XIII from reaching their selfish goals.
Graphics: 5.0/5.0 Kingdom Hearts II boasts stunning graphics. Everything is more detailed than the first, and the CGI sequences are on par with the movie Final Fantasy: Advent Children. The one major graphical problem is that battles can be a little confusing when there are many spells being cast – although it gives a feeling of a true, fevered fantasy battle with lights exploding everywhere, it is easy to lose track of Sora and for him to die at early levels.
Game play: 5.0/5.0 Good action RPG’s like Kingdom Hearts can be hard to find. Often they are dull and repetitive, or far too easy. Kingdom Hearts II offers several innovations beyond the original. The first is the “drive gauge” – as one damages enemies, Sora builds up this gauge. He can then unleash a special form by combing with Donald, Goofy, or the rest of his team. In this form, Sora carries two of his special weapon – the keyblade – and gains new powers for a short time. The next big change is the “reaction command” system. Certain enemies or objects offer a chance to perform this command by pressing a button at the correct time. In some instances, it allows Sora to slide behind the enemy for a quick back attack, or seize an enemy weapon and use it himself. Reaction commands are necessary to defeat some bosses. Finally, to travel between worlds, Sora and company must use the Gummi ship. Gummi ship travel has been revolutionized. In the past, flying via the ship meant a long, arduous space shooter battle. Now, with its new changes, Gummi ship battles are intense and take place in a 360 degree range of combat – so one must be aware of enemies approaching from the back, and the sides. Different modes are offered in each level to present an opportunity to gain more ship upgrades, and compete in even harder battles. Of course, there is still an involved system that can be used to create custom Gummi ships from salvaged parts.
Sound: 4.5/5.0 Like most SquareEnix games, sound carries a big emphasis. The musical tracks in the game suit the mood of each area extremely well. Utada Hikaru returns to sing the opening and ending songs “Sanctuary” and “Sanctuary ~After the Battle~”. Intense, beautiful songs, although they do not seem to be quite as popular as Utada’s original Kingdom Hearts song “Simple and Clean”. Voice acting is well-played. The voices suit the characters – even the evil Sephiroth, whose English voice appeared for the first time in this game. The battle sounds are mostly unobtrusive, but hearing Donald Duck’s agonized scream whenever he is hit got to be old very fast, and he quickly became a bench warmer to characters such as Mulan, Auron, and Aladdin.
Controls: 4.5/5.0 Controls are smooth and easy to learn. The problem here is that some battles, such as the last one, require an awkward button mashing combination to win. Inventive gamers will actually tilt the controller to make it easier, but even experienced gamers might get a cramp by the end.
Story: 5.0/5.0 This game is not really for people who missed the first game in the series. However, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is not a requisite to play and understand the storyline – although the first few hours of the game will be confusing. The story is intense and involving, and although it lags in a few places, many players will find extra hours lost in the desire to find out what happens next.
Ultimately, many would agree that this is a game worth owning. There are many secrets and mini-games to unlock, and several possibly difficulty levels, further adding to its replay value.