Kingdom Hearts II for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

To say that the combination of Disney and Square is a bit odd is an understatement. When the original Kingdom Hearts game was released over four years ago, nobody thought it was going to be as great as it was. Square Enix hopes to continue that legacy in the form of Kingdom Hearts II. With new areas, characters and an improved battle system, this easily surpasses its predecessor in every way.

The game revolves, once again, around the character Sora. After defeating the armies of Darkness in the last game, he is now on a new quest: to find his friends Kairi and Rikku. Along the way, you will meet up with famous Disney characters from everything from Mulan to Steamboat Willie. The diversity of characters and environments is one of the most compelling and interesting features of the game.

But, you don't start as Sora right away. Instead, you are subject to a three hour tutorial of sorts, featuring you as Roxas, a nobody who is having some issues as of late. I don't really want to give the story away, but let me just say that unless you have had previous experience with the series, it will be difficult to find out what is going on.

Even with the story being potentially oblivious to you, it is still a fantastic game to play. The battle system has been improved with new Drive attacks. In these, you absorb power from your team mates and harness it to become a sort of all powerful Sora, wielding two keyblades at once. This makes for some fast paced, satisfying action, and is one of the best features of the combat. Other than this, certain inventory and defensive maneuvers make the combat more enjoyable.

The graphics in the game also seem to be much improved. Each area has a special style that fits the source material perfectly. It is great fun to check out every area again and again to see little subtle hints at the original material.

This game shines the whole way through and is easily one of the best PS2 RPG releases. Pick it up if you like Disney with your RPG.