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Kingdom Hearts II Review
Chris Leyton
04/10/2006
Sora, Goofy and Donald finally make a return to Europe in a charming yet complex sequel...
When details of a Square and Disney collaboration first became apparent the chorus of groans from an apathetic fanbase could be heard from every corner; two heavyweight corporations in very different fields, coming together for one apparent reason, an opportunity to cash in on two of the most lucrative ensemble of characters around. Ultimately, these fears were eased with the 2002 release of Kingdom Hearts, a game that successfully brought the qualities of both brands together into a charming, yet complex, tale of discovery, courage and friendship.
Four years later Tetsuya Nomura and his team are back with the long-overdue European release of Kingdom Hearts II. Continuing the story hinted at towards the end of the original and continued through the GBA title, Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II begins in quite unknown circumstances as players take control of a character named Roxas and his motley crew in Twilight Town. Immediately the complex plot surrounding the group and their ties to Sora becomes apparent without resolution; the tales of different worlds; the story of the Heartless and the new adversaries, the Nobodies and the mysterious Organisation XIII; all of which will be probably leave you questioning whether you're playing something as innocent as a Disney game.
From the beginning, it appears that things have gone disastrously wrong, as Kingdom Hearts II can be a thoroughly difficult game to stick with. Nomura-san has obviously had to balance an introductory sequence that presents the characters, concepts and complex storyline to newcomers and fill in the gaps for those that missed out on Chain of Memories, but the result is a drawn out, monotonous struggle that is hard to pull yourself through. In traditional Square fashion, you are left asking whether they want you to play or simply watch Kingdom Hearts II, with lengthy periods in between short bouts of gameplay a frequent occurrence during the opening scenes. Often the actual "game" during this section feels as satisfying as walking to the next cut-scene as you're left longing for the long-winded introductory/tutorial sequence to pass and the actual game to get going. After a couple of hours of mind-numbing play that leaves you asking whether one or two of the cut-scenes could have been 'cut', Sora, Goofy and Donald finally make a welcome appearance. Thankfully Kingdom Hearts II is a game of two parts with the course of events taking a dramatic upwards turn after this, the tempo picks up immensely, the hook beneath the storyline begins to catch your interest and the cast of Disney and Square characters (including some not by Nomura-san) eventually make an appearance.
Kingdom Hearts II introduces a handful of new ideas to the action based RPG style of the original. Most notably the Drive Gauge provides the power for all-new Drive Forms and Summon attacks featured within the game. Several Drive Forms feature and are unlocked with progress in the game, essentially replacing either Donald or Goofy (or both) with an enhanced Sora and a multitude of new attacks and techniques, such as wielding dual Keyblades or performing higher jumps. The various Summons have also seen a slight change and work around the Drive Gauge as opposed to the MP bar this time around. Replacing Donald and Goofy with the likes of Chicken Little, Genie, Stitch or Peter Pan, Summon attacks match the standards Square have set in previous RPGs in terms of their sheer intensity and cinematic quality. In a similar fashion to the party characters, Drive Forms and Summon attacks can be levelled up based upon XP, unlocking new abilities and heightened attacks in the process.
It's funny how the heavily derided "Simon-Says" gameplay of Dragon's Lair and much-later QTE events in SEGA's Shenmue, have become the gameplay element of choice for game designers these days, appearing in the likes of Resident Evil 4 and God of War to mention but a few. Kingdom Heart II also introduces the technique under the guise of Reaction Commands, though the execution is somewhat flawed and ultimately shallow. Designed to bring a dramatic, cinematic style to combat in the game, which it elegantly accomplishes, the Triangle button opens up plenty of alternative attacks against the Heartless and Nobodies along with special techniques in the game's boss encounters. Unfortunately, because it is restricted to just the Triangle button, there is very little challenge beyond rapidly pressing the button, as success or failure is not determined by the timing, but just ensuring that you have pressed it.
A reworked Magic system that affects the way in which MP replenishes is one of the changes that doesn't work as well, and ultimately leaves this an aspect of the game that is played down in comparison to the original. Despite the inclusion of new 'Magnet' and 'Reflect' spells replacing 'Gravity', 'Aero' and 'Stop' from the original, spells are something that are put into the background compared to the staple hack 'n' slash action and new combat abilities.
One of the weakest and widely derided aspects of the original came from the woefully bland Gummi ship shoot-em-up sections between levels, so it is a little surprising to find the concept making a return in the sequel. Designing your own ships from parts collected in the shooting sections, the Gummi ship levels are vastly superior than before, by upping the action and introducing a sense of purpose and reward.
Addressing the sometimes-awkward assortment of puzzle, platform and RPG elements, Kingdom Hearts II emphasises combat at the cost of the former two aspects. Collecting hidden treasure chests is still an objective on each world, though these are rarely a test of your skills with a thumbstick and more of perseverance. It's a shame that Nomura-san has sacrificed some of the head-scratching puzzles, as these provided a welcome diversion from the core action/RPG mechanics.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment stems from the lack of creativity shown to the game's plot, or more specifically on the Disney themed worlds you will visit. Although the complexity of the overarching storyline borders on the pretence you'd expect from Square, many of the actual adventures on the Disney worlds lack the creativity, charm and compulsion of the original. Sora's adventures take him to The Land of Dragons, helping Mulan to convince her superiors that she's a man capable of fighting against the Mongul army, and eventually defeating them with a well-timed firecracker; squaring off against Captain Hector Barbossa and his undead crew in Pirates of the Caribbean and helping out Aladdin in Agrabah.
The recreation of Steamboat Willie and many other older Disney animations in the Timeless River stage stands out as a memorable highlight. Not only are the visuals and sound aged to look convincing, but the character models for Donald and Goofy are reminiscent of their earlier days, whilst Sora has also been remodelled to suit the style. Of the new character introductions, the appearance of Pete, Disney's oldest character and long-time nemesis of Mickey Mouse, is the most significant. Playing a dominant role in raising an army of the Heartless; helping Maleficent's resurrection; countering the actions of Sora on the many worlds he travels to and generally bungling things up as only Pete knows how, his various appearances often provide many of the game's most entertaining moments.
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