Kingdom Hearts 2.. Disney? Ewwww.. oh, wait a second..

In the Beginning

I'd like to state off the top that I'm going to try and keep this review of the game as spoiler free as possible. There's nothing quite so annoying as reading through a review and coming across "and then you fight SuperSecretMechaGodzilla at the end if you collected all of....". I'll grant that a review needs to be complete, but it doesn't need to give away the entire content of the game to someone who has never played it before. With this said...

Narrator, if you please

If you haven't played Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts : Chain of Memories, the beginning of this game, along with a vast majority of the character references will mean absolutely nothing to you. Story-wise, KH2 is a direct continuation of the saga of Sora, Donald and Goofy as Sora attempts to find his friends Riku and Kairi whom he was separated from in the first Kingdom Hearts. Chosen wielder of the keyblade, a rather unique weapon with surprising capabilities, Sora is joined by a vast array of Disney based characters through his quests, and an equally large number of characters from the every famous Final Fantasy series of video games.

Without going into serious detail regarding the plotline, I cannot stress how critical it is that you have some background knowledge of the Kingdom Hearts world to fully enjoy this offering. Even if you only log onto Wikipedia and read the plot entries for first PS2 game and the Game boy advance sequel, it will do worlds for your understanding of the events and characters you are witnessing. References to "remember how we defeated so-and-so" have little value unless you know what transpired originally.

Action!

This doesn't mean the game isn't fun though! Control wise, it is very similar to the original Kingdom hearts. Sora is controlled via the control pad, with Donald and Goofy set to a reasonably intelligent AI scheme. Sora has full access to various abilities, equipment, items, magic, and later in the game, forms/costumes that can unlock hidden abilities. All of his items and skills can be equipped, and in the case of magic and healing goods, mapped to a customizable set of hotkey combinations, making for quick swapping of healing vs offensive spells in the course of combat. But be sure to choose wisely! Once in battle, the customization menus which are accessed with the start button are removed, so you're stuck with the setup you had before you went in the fight, whether for better or for worse.

Donald, Goofy and your alternate allies you gain whenever you are in a given world (for example, Jack Skellington in the area based on the Nightmare Before Christmas) are much the same, though you have no direct control over their actions. You can equip their abilities and tell them to use them sparingly or full out, and give them items to use that they will mete out as they see fit. Generally speaking, the AI is better than in most games. Donald and Goofy seem especially good and will heal you as needed and support you in battle in a useful sort of way.

New to this game is the addition of the drive system based around the clothes Sora gains early in the game. The idea is that you can fill a meter at the bottom of the screen, and at a certain point you can change into one of four unique forms you gain throughout the game. For a limited time you have access to unique abilities, and for most of the forms, the ability to dual wield keyblades, turning Sora into a cuisinart on feet. The drive forms can be levelled as well through various criteria, giving you access to greater powers that you'll need in your fight against the Heartless, the Nobodies, and Organization XIII (see? What did I tell you about playing the first two games...)

Changes...

KH2 is not a direct clone of the first Kingdom Hearts, and is vastly different from the gameboy version. It should be noted for gamers experienced in this world that the Cure spell now drains all of your mp, but you can now recharge mp automatically via an equippable skill. Also, magic that was critical to KH1 is almost totally unnecessary in 2, it's use limited to a few simple puzzles, and the occasional boss fight that forces you to use it.

Going back to the drive forms that were mentioned above, they are one of the best changes to the game. Drives are powerful, can be levelled, and are tremendous fun to use. Watching Sora shred through a group of enemies in Valour form never gets old.

Limits are back! And vastly changed. Every character has at least 1, and sometimes 4 and 5 various limit skills that drain your mp completely, but inflict tremendous damage to enemies over a period of time. For example, if the Beast is near you in his particular world and you have full mp, you can unleash his first limit 5-10 times with a finishing blow that hits a very large area. Well worth the time to experiment with and use.

Summons are actually useful in this version. I can remember playing KH1 through and never summoning a single thing.. some people loved them, some people hated them, but they really didn't have much use. In KH2 they can heal you, deal damage, stun the enemy, and they stay onscreen for a decent amount of time. Definitely an improvement over the original.

The whole gummi ship idea has been revamped as well, though the building system seems bulkier and much harder to work with than the original one did. However, the graphics are sharper and move much faster, proving a better overall feel. Certainly an overall improvement.

Unfortunately, there are some negative changes as well. The story isn't as nicely fleshed out as it was in KH1, and some of the areas seem forced. You gain keyblades for no apparent reason and while this isn't completely bad, you get the feeling that you haven't earned them. Item collection and synthesis through the moogles has the same feeling as well. In KH1 it was an integral part of the game, in 2 it feels tacked on and not quite completed.

Maestro!

The soundtrack in this game is excellent with every track and sound effect nicely balanced and fun to hear. Nothing is over played, and some of the tunes (battling pirates anyone?) will have you humming them for hours or days afterward.

Light and Magic

As is to be expected from a squaresoft offering, the graphics are generally crisp and colourful. They're easy on the eyes, and the backgrounds are clear enough that it's hard to get lost, regardless of how tiny a given door or ledge can be. There is some softening around certain characters, almost as if they weren't anti-aliased properly, but this is a very small flaw in an otherwise excellent game

The End..?

If you enjoyed either of the first two Kingdom Hearts, there isn't any good reason that this game isn't in your collection. If you haven't, I seriously recommend buying at least the first one (it's a greatest hit, so about $20 Canadian) so you have a feel for the story before you dive into this one. It's not really necessary, but will add to your enjoyment of the game!