A worthy addition to the franchise
Kingdom Hearts II is the third game in the Kingdom Hearts series, and it improves on a number of mis-steps that the previous games provide. While there is little comparison in terms of gameplay with Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, which employs a card based battle system, this is not the case with the original game.
Kingdom Hearts II introduces the concept of action commands – times during battle that you can press triangle in order to dodge attacks/make certain attacks. This not only broadens how the game can be played (at one point there is a huge fight that would be impossible without reaction commands), but is also less fiddly to use than the original games’ tendency to put options as the fourth thing on the command bar. It also fixes some camera issues by setting the camera controls to more appropriate buttons.
The gummi ship segments also make a change in this game. They are a lot more involved and look very good, but the difficulty of these segments also steps up and can easily frustrate if you’re not used to arcade type shooter games – you’re a lot more likely to die.
On a somewhat weaker note, you’re generally less free in movement than in the original Kingdom Hearts games (less gliding, some invisible walls on environments to prevent frustrating falls down three storeys of a building) – things such as high jump or glide, which were fairly easy to obtain in the original game, are dependent on you using the drive commands – and these often aren’t necessary, and you may find yourself continuing through the game without ever using them and not realising that you’re missing out on certain things by not doing so.
In terms of story, Kingdom Hearts II is a mixed bag. In some ways, it seems to be trying to do a little too much. While the prologue and conclusion is largely satisfying, in between there are some oddities. You will find yourself visiting every world at least twice, but this can be quite jarring – the game has two separate villain plots going on, and they don’t really integrate very well. This can be hugely frustrating as one storyline may drag on for a long time, covering the exact same points it has already covered, and then when it finally gets interesting the game will switch focus – it’s very much presented in terms of dealing with one villain’s plot first and another’s second, which just doesn’t provide enough variety in terms of gameplay. The few times when events are done out of order – where the storylines may crossover – ultimately feel as if they have been plotted much better rather than as if one group is politely waiting for the other to make their move.
Graphically, Kingdom Hearts II is generally very well done. Each environment is sufficiently different and seems to suit the Disney characters who reside within, and some from the first game appear in a changed environment that makes sense given the story – for instance, Hollow Bastion. The characters seem well animated and it’s really interesting to see the way some things have worked out graphically – for instance, mixing the cartoon-like Kingdom Hearts characters with people based on films (and thus requiring more realistic modelling). It looks incredibly out of place, but that works in the Kingdom Hearts universe! The music also suits the environments and is certainly pleasing on the ear – it can help with immersion into the gameplay, too.
Speaking of environments, it’s nice to see a few more places that aren’t explicitly Disney-based. It’s also nice to see an extension of the cast to more people who are neither Disney or Final Fantasy characters – the franchise is now steadily building up its own cast, without losing the other characters. It also makes it easier to remember that the Kingdom Hearts universe is separate to that of Disney or Final Fantasy, so you’re not constantly scratching your head wondering how Cloud knows Squall (who calls himself Leon), for instance. The new characters are also fairly likeable, though a number could have done with a few more lines!
Kingdom Hearts II is the strongest instalment in the Kingdom Hearts series so far, and hopefully the series will continue to go from strength to strength – whether or not it does, though, this is still a game well worth your time.