Official Website

Platform: PlayStation 2

Genre: RPG

Number of Players: 1

You really have to hand it to Square-Enix. When they originally announced they were making a role-playing game that used Disney locations and characters, many people weren’t convinced it could be done, but Kingdom Hearts proved any disbelievers wrong, and I’ll admit that I was once a part of that camp. The success of the game led to Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a GameBoy Advance exclusive, and while that appeased a few, the sequel for the PS2 game is what we’ve been waiting for. The wait is finally over though, and it’s time to get ready for another journey into the world of Disney.

The heartless are back, but so are Sora and Goofy. The trio of heroes has been placed in suspended animation thanks to the mysterious Organization XIII, but they have now been freed and their quest to find King Mickey and Sora’s friend Riku continues, but all is not well in the Magic Kingdom. The heartless are popping up once again, there are clues to uncover regarding this new threat, the Organization, and they also have their own diabolic creations: the Nobodies. The journey is going to get even more difficult though because enemies of the past have managed to resurface and new fiends are making their presence known. It’s going to be up to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and a few of their friends to set things right, but this is also going to be one of the most difficult adventures they have ever faced.

Kingdom Hearts II does blend together the events that have taken place in the first game as well as Chain of Memories, the title where many first encounter Organization XIII, but there’s no need to worry if you haven’t played the GBA game, or even the original. There is more than enough background given in the cutscenes to make sense of what has happened, and you will find that roughly the first three hours of the game are devoted to retelling the story.

For many fans of the series, gameplay isn’t quite as important as what worlds are found here, so that’s the first thing that we’ll be covering. You will find yourself back in familiar territory such as the desert city of Agrabah, the stomping ground of Aladdin, Olympus (though this time more than just tournament battles), Atalantica, and even Halloween Town. While there are many old friends that will be seen again, there are some new locations to visit as well. The one that everyone has been anxious to learn more about is Port Royal, better associated with Pirates of the Caribbean (and yes, Jack Sparrow is in fact voiced by Johnny Depp.) You’ll also visit the fantastic world of Mulan, the high tech wonderland of Tron, and even journey to the origins of Disney itself. Characters from the Final Fantasy series also make their way into the game like before, so you can expect not only to meet old faces, you’ll get some new friends as well. Even the newcomer Chicken Little is present, though as a new summoning.

Kingdom Hearts moved away from the traditional turned based RPG aspect and instead was designed as an action RPG, something that remains true here as well. Your party still consists of three members, Sora always being present as well as Goofy and Donald, though should you have a new party member in a world, they will replace one of your two friends. The control set up remains virtually identical to the original Kingdom Hearts, but there have been some additions. The reaction button is the main one. During combat, you may see the triangle flash across the screen. Pressing this will do a number of different things depending on the situation. Sora may unleash a destructive attack or he may team up with another party member where they can use a combined limit attack. These are some of the coolest attacks in the game and are fantastic to watch. They could easily be compared to the summoning sequences seen in the Final Fantasy games (the combined Sora/Auron attack is amazing.) Limits often times will also have a chain reaction, so simply hitting triangle once is never enough and there will be a number of phases that the attack itself moves through.

KHII now features another method of attack known as Drives, but there is a bit more than just pressing the triangle button required here. The way drives work is that you must have enough energy in your drive meter. Using it will combine Sora with Donald or Goofy to form a more powerful (though temporary) “Sora.” Experience can be gained as well, so leveling these drive attacks up will eventually yield new skills in combat. This new form of attack also brings with it new orbs to grab. Aside from having ones to replenish magic and health, you now have drive orbs to gather.

Another feature that remains in the game is the ability points. You, and your partners, will gain AP as you level up or through the use of potions. You can assign attacks and skills if you have the available slots to use. You can also adjust the usage by the computer so that perhaps Donald only uses cure when necessary or Goofy might use special attacks in moderation instead of whenever he feels like it. The game is also structured in such a way that you can assign items and spells to hot keys making it easier to use them instead of having to pause and try and find the right item in the heat of battle (though there are times that getting a breath or two in isn’t a bad idea.)

Aside from this form of combat, you also still have your Gummi Ship and levels that play more like a classic shooter. These are used to open doorways to new worlds and while playing through them, you will get new blueprints for more powerful Gummi Ships or items to construct your own. The stages now feature more than just a single level and completing the first part will unlock a second stage. This also now gives you the ability to gain a score and a percentage of completion regarding the items you have found. The third and final stages in these can be extremely difficult, especially as you open more and more doorways.

You can’t have a Square-Enix title without a moogle or two being present (well, maybe you can) and the popular Final Fantasy fuzzball is on hand to sell you items and synthesize goods for you. During combat, and while opening treasure chests, you will find items and recipes that you can give to moogle so he can make you new, and occasionally rare, items. As he does, this will increase his level so that he can then make new items that would normally be beyond his expertise. If you aren’t sure if you’ve collected all the treasures in a stage, you can take a look at your journal. Here you can not only find what you’ve collected, you can see what has happened with the story, who you have met, and even what enemies you have faced. If you’re not familiar with every Disney release, characters from their titles also have included where they first appeared. Any of the mini-games that Kingdom Hearts II has to offer can also be found here and the presence of golden mouse ears means that you’ve received everything there is to offer in a certain section.

Square-Enix took on a new approach with their games when Final Fantasy X was released, that being spoken dialog as well as animated cutscenes as well as the use of beautifully rendered CG sequences. Kingdom Hearts does the same, and honestly, the company has outdone themselves. There is also some new trick that someone hasn’t thought of, and the designers have once again been thinking of some incredibly captivating bits of animation to draw you into the world. The opening CG is one the best Square-Enix has done to yet, though I’m sure it will be outdone in the opening moments of Final Fantasy XII. Many of the voice actors from Disney features are present here as well, though I’m sure some are missing due to the high price tag they wanted just to speak a few lines (yes, I’m referring to Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams.) The animation and the dialog are what really brings this game to life and it’s just as fun to sit back, relax, and watch what’s going on as it is to play.

So, will this be the end of the Kingdom Hearts saga? I don’t honestly think so. There are still a number of Disney titles that could be found in future games. I’d like to throw in the idea of maybe seeing the seal from the short Mickey and the Seal making his way in to the game as a summoning, having other live action films included as world such as Pete’s Dragon or maybe even Escape to Witch Mountain, and sticking with being innovative, I know I’m not alone in the theory of wanting to pay a little visit to the 999 grim, grinning ghosts that reside in Disneyland’s most famous attraction; the Haunted Mansion (and NOT the movie.)

The original Kingdom Hearts was an outstanding game, but Kingdom Hearts II surpasses it in every way possible. Disney and Square-Enix have given fans not only a sequel that is worthy, they’ve provided a game that not only has every ounce of role-playing addiction, it has the Disney magic that children and adults have been enamored with for decades. It’s not quite Final Fantasy, it’s not exactly Disney, and Kingdom Hearts II is all of your sequel dreams come true.

 -mike-