A direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, KH2 is one of the most riveting sequels in any gaming franchise, placing Final Fantasy characters and Disney characters in an unusual, twisted tale. The premise may sound a little odd, but the result is a charming and brilliant example of how two franchises can excel by being moulded together, in this memorable classic
< Above, characters from Kingdom Hearts 2 >
The story follows on one year later from the 2002 original and the Game boy Advance version, where Sora (Voiced by Haley Joel Osment) is still searching for his lost friends, Riku and Kairi, while his companions, Donald and Goofy search for the missing king Mickey. With different worlds to explore on the Gummi ship, Sora and his friends encounter multiple enemies such as Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty) as well as characters that can help them on their journey, such as Hercules.
KH2 has been slightly developed from the original, with combat tweaked, menus made simpler and the awful Gummi ship sequences have been scrapped (hurray). The visuals are more vibrant than ever, with beautiful worlds seeped in colour, rich with detail and a rocking soundtrack to boot (Utada Hikaru thankfully, once again provides vocals).
The core game play is still there – a hybrid mix of RPG elements and plat former, Sora must use his Key blade to attack enemies – with simple controls to make fighting a breeze. Different worlds are introduced, such as ancient China in Mulan, a digital world from Tron and some worlds from the previous games making reappearance.
Some people may not be able to appreciate the beauty of how well the characters worlds are crafted together, but for others it will be a joy. Also some may not be able to see past the child like image the game projects, even though the game is far from childish. One downside is the game can get a little repetitive – the endless travelling to different worlds, greeting new characters just to help them out gets tedious as the game goes on. The A.I of your party is very poor – Donald and Goofy seem oblivious to conserving health potions and often require your help.
In all, KH2 is a pleasure to play. The vast array of Disney characters are blended together with Final Fantasy ones, creating a moving, epic and unusual story. The graphics look fantastic, even by today’s standards, plus the musical score compliments the game perfectly. Like a rollercoaster ride, KH2 will lift your spirits; tugging at your heart strings in more serious moments and brings a much needed Disney style humour in the next.
9/10 Matthew Greenacre
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