Review: Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
The first Kingdom Hearts was a game I took a chance on and was blown away by everything about it: graphics, gameplay, storyline, everything was fantastic. The arrival of Kingdom Hearts 2 had me full of both hope and concern. Could Square Enix possibly equal its predecessor? Kingdom Hearts 2 was actually the third game in the series, following Chain of Memories. Set a year after that game, our heroes – Sora, Donald and Goofy – are in suspended animation so we spend the early sections of the game in the company of a boy named Roxas who lives in Twilight Town. Roxas’ idyllic days are disrupted by the arrival of black hooded figures known as Organisation XIII as well as a new group of enemies – Nobodies. When the game switches to Sora, Donald and Goofy they begin a new adventure to find Sora’s best friend, Riku, who was lost in the first game as well as get to the bottom of what Organisation XIII wants and to stop them at all costs. There is also the mystery of who Roxas is and how is he connected to Sora.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is not as good as the first game, it is even better. It follows the same format with Sora, Donald and Goofy hopping on their gummi ship to travel between a variety of worlds. We have some of the same worlds from the first game such as Agrabah and Halloween Town but there are new ones in there including the world of Pirates of the Caribbean with Jack Sparrow for company and a visit to the Pride Lands to fight alongside a now adult Simba. Each world sees Nobodies, Heartless and members of Organisation XIII instigating some trouble and you have to stop them and save each world in turn. A resident character from each world such as Jack the Pumpkin King, Mulan, the Beast and Aladdin are all on hand to help you out as well though you can stick with Donald and Goofy if you wish. I tended to out of loyalty to my chums. The game has a welcome return for many Disney characters but also retains many favourites from Final Fantasy including Cloud, Squall, Tifa, Sephiroth and even the Gullwings from FFX-2. Sora has been enhanced as a warrior, given the chance of acquiring various outfits that allow you to take on a series of powerful forms once you have powered up enough. A balance between physical and magical attacks is also essential though once again I made life difficult for myself, preferring physical exchanges.
Kingdom Hearts 2 remains the best entry in the series for me. The first game was stunning but this sequel is more assured and confident. The combat remains tricky at times but never to the extent that you won’t want to see it through to the end. Rumours continue to abound about Kingdom Hearts 3 but at the time of writing there is no sign. If Square Enix do decide to revisit this fantastic series I hope they will retain everything that has made each installment so great. If Kingdom Hearts 2 is to be the best of this fantastic series’ legacy then I can’t think of a better game to highlight what a privilege the Kingdom Hearts games have been.
Verdict: 5/5
About the Author:
I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.
David M. Brown – who has written 853 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.