The surprising collaboration between Disney and Square Enix returns in this follow-up to 2002’s sleeper hit, Kingdom Hearts. Players will guide an older and more powerful Sora along with unlikely pals Goofy and Donald Duck in multiple worlds based on classic and contemporary Disney films. The action once again follows a party of three characters as they fight enemies, solve puzzles, and explore their cinematic surroundings from a third-person perspective. New features include a retooled camera system and a revamped combat engine.
The viewpoint is set farther back than in the original game, allowing players to see more of their surroundings, with the right analog stick used to further adjust the perspective. Kingdom Hearts II no longer includes platform jumping, focusing instead on the real-time combat. Sora can now perform double-team attacks and absorb the party’s powers to transform into one of five stronger entities. Players can also swap party members during the heat of battle, perform context-sensitive attacks, and control the abilities of summoned characters like Stitch or Chicken Little.
Another adjustment is the initially playable character. Sora takes a back seat to a young boy named Roxas at the game’s start, whose dreams help relay the storyline to those new to the Kingdom Hearts saga. Yet the biggest change in this sequel is the ability to visit new worlds from the Disney universe, including environments based on Steamboat Willie, Tron, The Lion King, Mulan, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Redesigned locales from the first game are featured as well, each offering alternate objectives to complete. As in the original, Kingdom Hearts II enlists the voice talents of such Hollywood stars as +Haley Joel Osment, +Mena Suvari, and +Christopher Lee to bring the characters to life.
Controls
D-Pad = move cursor, change command selections
Left Analog Stick = move character
Right Analog Stick = roatate camera
L2 Button + Right Analog Stick = change command selections
Start Button = main manu, pause, check mission objectives, skip curscene
Select Button = toggle first-person perspective
X Button = confirm, shortcut command
Triangle Button = activate a reaction command, shortcut command
Square Button = use ability, shortcut command
Circle Button = cancel, jump, lets go, use an ability, shortcut command
L1 Button = shortcut command menu
R1 Button = engage or disengage target lock
R2 Button = freeze the camera
R3 Button = move view behind character, center the camera on target ~ Keith Adams, All Game Guide
Review
Kingdom Hearts surprised the industry in 2002, thanks to an unlikely alliance between role-playing game publisher Squaresoft and the Walt Disney Company. This crossover title combined characters from the Final Fantasy franchise with characters and worlds from Disney's animated movies. It was a blockbuster success. The sequel builds on the first installment in several key areas: more diverse attacks and combos, improved ship travel sequences, new worlds to explore, and a return to some favorite destinations. The game falters in a few areas, but it stays true to the elements that made the first Kingdom Hearts a hit.
Kingdom Hearts II continues the story of young Sora, who finds himself lost between worlds and the bearer of an ancient artifact called the Keyblade. Joining him on his journey home, whether he wants them to or not, are Donald Duck and Goofy. Both Disney characters have sworn to protect the one who holds the Keyblade. Unfortunately for them, they will be frequently tested in battle. The evil Heartless have once again infested many of the worlds, and beings called Nobodies are using Sora to steal hearts from creatures.
The real-time combat throws players right into the action. Sora has new weapons and can now perform combination attacks with the characters alongside him. It's also a lot of fun to control Sora through his transformations in the various Disney worlds, from a lion in the Pridelands to a merman in Atlantica. Unfortunately, combat seems to be the only point of the game. There are practically no puzzles to solve and many of Sora's actions from the previous game, such as swimming and climbing, have been eliminated. Veteran gamers may feel like they are playing a button-mashing fighter as opposed to a traditional role-playing game.
Despite this issue, Kingdom Hearts II is a well-produced sequel with refined visuals and excellent voice acting. Overall, the game should satisfy players of all ages looking for fast-paced action with some endearing characters. The larger, more varied locales stay true to the feel of the movies from which they are based. Fans of the series will be happy with this addition to the franchise, but those new to the story may want to play both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories before tackling this edition.
