Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2

Warning: Contains Mild Spoilers


It really is an absurd premise, when you think about it.

Square (now Square Enix), the king of the complex and often melodramatic Final Fantasy series collaborating with Disney on a game? I was skeptical, to say the least. However, the result, a gem of a game entitled Kingdom Hearts, is one of the strongest collaborations in recent memory.

The story is fairly straightforward and, in my opinion, one of Square's better tales. The protagonist of the game is Sora, a fourteen year-old kid from Destiny Islands. He is bright and friendly and overall, a nice kid. He finds companionship in two friends--Kairi, a pretty girl of the same age, and Riku, a confident, brooding guy a year older than the other two.

On a side note, I cannot tell you what a refreshing break Sora is from the typical Square lead character. He has a strong sense of justice but is not a forlorn narcissist, a character type seen so frequently in Final Fantasy games.

Getting back to the story, the peace on Destiny Islands is abruptly interrupted when a group of creatures known as the Heartless invades the area. Sora is separated from his two friends and finds himself in Traverse Town, a town full of individuals who have lost their homes because of the Heartless. There, Sora meets Goofy, a soldier, and Donald Duck, a magician.

Cooperation with Goofy and Donald is integral; a three member party system is utilized for the majority of the game. However, combat is not turn-based, but real-time. You're in control of Sora at all times and attack foes with the Keyblade, a giant key that serves as a sword. Similar to The Legend of Zelda games, you can lock on to enemies, which definitely helps in many situations. You strike with the blade by repeatedly pressing X for impressive combos. One big difference between KH and the typical Action/Adventure is the Command and Battle Menu in the bottom left corner. By using the directional buttons, you can select various magic spells similar to those found in Final Fantasy. Since it's a bit difficult to select spells in this manner while in battles, you can customize shortcut spells that you may select by pressing triangle and then choosing the proper button listed on the screen. Personally, the only spells I used were defensive ones (Aero, Aeroga) and curative ones (Cure, Cura, Curaga). You can use elemental spells, but I rarely did because Donald uses plenty of magic for you anyway.

Speaking of Donald and Goofy, your two companions are great for carrying curative items, such as potions, ethers, and elixirs. On the main menu, you can set your preferences for how and when they use them, and they'll often use them on you when your HP (Hit Points) or MP (Magic Points) get low. You can also give yourself the same items to use, although Goofy and Donald typically can carry more than you. Unlike Final Fantasy, you can only carry a certain amount of items into battle at a time. You can keep them stored, but you must have them equipped to use them during battles. If you run out while in battle, tough; you can only access the main menu outside of battle. Luckily, the more experience you get, the more items you can carry.

Combat in KH is a lot of fun, especially during boss battles. The boss battles in the game are extremely well done and provide a significant challenge as the game progresses. Many of the bosses are the malevolent villains from Disney films, such as Jafar, Captain Hook, Ursula (in my opinion, the hardest boss in the game), and my favorite Disney villain, Maleficent. Despite their presence, none is the main antagonist of the game; instead, an original villain of Square's creation is, and he's a great villain indeed. I will not reveal much about him for fear of spoiling the game for you.

KH contains many staples of the Final Fantasy series and RPGs in general. First of all, leveling up is the name of the game in KH. Each time you defeat a foe, all three party members receive experience points and can level up as a result. Leveling up will often grant you increase your HP, MP, strength, defense, and magic. It will often grant you new abilities and combos as well. In addition, you can upgrade equipment for all three party members throughout the game, also increasing your stats. Another Final Fantasy staple seen in KH are summons, although you definitely won't be seeing Shiva, Bahamut, and Ifrit this time around. Instead are several Disney characters, such as Simba, Genie, Tinkerbell, Dumbo, and Mushu. Once summoned, they'll appear and either help you fight or give you restorative items. One drawback of the summons system is that Donald and Goofy inexplicably disappear while your summoned creature is in battle. Maybe they go to the sidelines to down some Gatorade and a power bar; I really don't know. To be honest, I rarely used summoning. The drawback of losing Donald and Goofy outweighed the benefits the summons present.

In terms of graphics and production value, KH is top notch. The graphics are beautiful, both in-game and in cut-scenes. Speaking of cutscenes, many are done by the game engine, but there are a few done in FMV. Both look excellent, in my opinion. Somehow, Square managed to find a graphical style that both suited the unique look of the new characters while managing to bring the Disney films and characters into 3D—quite an accomplishment, indeed. Square and Disney upped the ante in terms of production value by assembling arguably the best cast to perform voice work in any game. Haley Joel Osment, Billy Zane, James Woods are just a few members of this amazing cast. The English localization is done very well; the English dub doesn't always fit perfectly, but it is done much better than in Final Fantasy X. The music in KH is also very good; it consists mostly of traditional Disney tunes. It can get a tad repetitive, but overall, it is great. Toss in a few Final Fantasy cameos for good measure (all looking as good as ever) and you've got one of the finest produced games in recent memory.

Despite its overall excellence in quality, KH has two major flaws. The method of transportation between the several worlds in KH, the Gummi Ship, the first. The graphics are inferior to the rest of the game and it is really nothing more than a glorified game of Space Invaders. An optional sidequest in KH involves upgrading your Gummi Ship, which is completely useless.

The other major fault in KH lies in the camera system. Generally, the camera stays behind Sora, but it can be rotated circularly by using the R2 and L2 buttons. The camera does not consistently stay behind Sora, which can be a serious problem in boss battles. Trying to tweak the camera while facing deadly foes is tedious. I'm hoping for a major overhaul of the camera system in KH2.

In conclusion, Kingdom Hearts truly provides one of the most unique gaming experiences available. The Disney aspect of the game may alienate a few people, but once you start playing the game, you'll instantly forget how odd the game truly is. Aside from a few technical snafus, Kingdom Hearts is a superb game.