PS2 Game Review - Kingdom Hearts II

Kingdom Hearts II

A PS2 Game Review
By Le Chupacabra

Kingdom Hearts started as a chance collaboration between the Japanese offices of SquareSoft (now Square-Enix) and Disney. Flitting between various ideas, Square finally handed the reins to a concept artist named Tetsuya Nomura. It was an unusual choice for a game director and it was certainly an unusual premise: the cutesy, iconic world of Disney colliding with the sombre realms of the Final Fantasy series. However, the game went beyond expectation: it was an imaginative, epic adventure that was a whole lot more than the sum of its parts.

Kingdom Hearts II continues a year after the ending of the original and directly after the Gameboy Advance title, Chain of Memories. Since it does so, it is strongly advised that you peruse www.gamefaqs.com and check out the game script for Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Otherwise, many interesting plot points will be lost on you.

One of the first things this game does as a sequel is break away from the confines of the first game and take steps into its own unique territory. As a result, we have a far more original narrative that happens to be more immersive than the first; it’s a little darker, a little more mature and it’s all very good stuff. There’s an initial MGS2-esque character twist (it’s the other way around here) that builds up the story from a different yet equally entertaining perspective. One key flaw of the plot is that after the first bit you’re essentially revisiting Disney worlds to play out their tales and their tales only. As a result, questions regarding the fierce Nobodies and enigmatic Organisation XIII are put on hold for a very long (read: around 10-12 hours!) time; as a result one’s desire to keep going starts dwindling after a while. However, once you plough through the plot-drought you are rewarded with a tale that’s quite brilliant.

Like its predecessor, Kingdom Hearts II boasts a voice-cast that rivals most Hollywood feature films. A now-matured Haley Joel Osmont reprises his role as the plucky Sora while all the classic Disney actors are back in full force. A particularly inspired addition was having Christopher Lee (you know, the guy who plays Count Dooku and Saruman… not at once, mind you) lend his authoritative tones to the enigmatic DiZ. The Organisation members get some brilliant actors too, each one matching their avatars personality quite faithfully. Axel is definitely my fave. Besides a few awkward moments, the dialogue is polished and well-written and the actors do it supreme justice.

The music is equally an aural treat with memorable tunes and an epic score that lives up to the grandeur of the game’s premise. If you’ve played the first game, you’ll recognize many of the remixed Disney tracks. There are also fresh tunes for the newly added ‘worlds’ in this game. I also liked the battle theme in this game better than in the first; it’s got a lot more tempo and it’s quite catchy! In this game, the world of the Little Mermaid - Atlantica - becomes a rhythm-based level. The first song is grating and the latter few uninspired. However it’s the second one that’s just bloody brilliant; it’s a cute remix of Under the Sea and the writers did a great job with changing the lyrics but maintaining the nostalgia this one evokes!

Visually, Kingdom Hearts II is quite pleasing. Some locations come off as rather unimaginative while others are truly awe-inspiring. Fortunately the latter holds true more often. The variety of the Heartless has been downgraded but on the other hand the individual designs surpass the artistry of the original. There are plenty of little touches that add to the immersion wonderfully. In the Pride Lands, you take the guise of a lion and have to hold the KeyBlade between your jaws! At the Timeless River, all the characters move with exaggerated motions reminiscent of the black-and-white Mickey Mouse ‘toons of old. The Pirates of the Caribbean themed world (Port Royal) looks stunning with realistic characters and animation that captures the drunken swagger and mannerisms of the Captain Jack Sparrow perfectly. And the world of Tron? Just jaw-dropping.

The gameplay is in many ways hugely improved over its predecessor while some previously great parts have been unnecessarily tinkered with; “ten steps forward and two steps backward” to quote my friend. The fighting is fast and frenetic and the combination of the fantastic graphics leads to some visually mesmerising sequences. New additions include Drive forms that let you merge with various characters, thus imbuing you with enhanced fighting prowess or magical dexterity. The forms not only look awesome but the power they afford you is amazing - you become a badass warrior of the highest degree. Reaction attacks form yet another portion of your repertoire of moves. When prompted, you have to tap Triangle and this initiates a real-time action sequence that would be otherwise impossible with standard attacks. Whether it’s slick dodge-counterattack combo or a an entire chain of flamboyant maneuvers, these scenes look fantastic. Think of God of War’s killing mini-games minus the brutality. Another addition is the Limit Break, with which Final Fantasy fans should be familiar.

However, much of the exploration that gave the first game an adventure-esque feel has been undermined to criminally disappointing proportions. The levels are more linear than Kingdom Hearts (which was also linear, but had some neat bits that rewarded curious players) and the worlds are somewhat smaller. The gameplay is also much easier mainly due to the use of the Reaction commands and Drive forms. Fortunately, playing on the ‘hard’ (called Proud) difficulty setting makes up in spades with the gratifyingly increased challenge. While Drive forms are optional, the way in which the Reaction attacks are presented seems to suggest that you should use them rather than as a possible attack variation. Minor grievances, but they tend to add up.

One thing that really deserves special mention is the Gummi Ship mode. From being a slow, headache-inducing chore (in the first game), it’s become a fast-paced, frantic shooter mini-game that’s actually fun to play. The last Gummi Ship level has a great Star Wars-esque feel and many portions of that segment recall the famous Death Star trench run from the films.

While no longer as novel as the first, Kingdom Hearts II remains a wonderfully charming experience that not only tells a beautiful story but is also chockfull of luscious graphics, evocative music and entertaining gameplay. If you have a PS2, you have no excuse to pass up such an adventure! So go get your copy and make sure you pick up the original Kingdom Hearts if you haven’t already!