Final |Fantasy + Disney = ... Profit? (Kingdom Hearts (PS2))

Member Name: mchitty

Product:	Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Date:	18/11/08 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great gameplay, Well constructed universe, combination of styles works!

Disadvantages: 'Gummi Ship' sections are rubbish

I'm still getting over this one - the surprise and sense of disbelief, despite owning Kingdom Hearts for several years. Yes, this game is a collaboration between SQUARESOFT and DISNEY.

If you've not played this before, be prepared to encounter some odd situations. It may be difficult to imagine Cloud Strife getting defeated in combat by Donald Duck - but it's certainly possible in Kingdom Hearts. How about Goofy biffing Sepiroth in the face with a shield?

Kingdom Hearts is an action-RPG taking place across multiple Disney-based worlds. You play as the main protagonist Sora, a Final-Fantasy style boy character, and with the assistance of companions Goofy and Donald (Not to mention of course King Mickey!) you've got to travel from world to world to save your missing friends.

Worlds range from Aladdin to Nightmare Before Christmas to The Little Mermaid - not to mention an ongoing 101 Dalmations side-quest throughout the game! I don't want to give too much away, because part of the joy of Kingdom Hearts is travelling to the next level and finding out which Disney film it's based on. Yes, it sounds a bit sad. But it's not, it's great.

The gameplay is fluid and exciting, with fast paced button-mashing combat and lots of big magic attacks. Not to mention a whole host of Disney-based summons... my personal favourite? Bambi, who scampers around the battlefield when summoned, dropping Health Points and money in his wake. Your companions, Donald and Goofy (sometimes including the occasional guest, taken from the world you're currently in) are computer controlled and act fairly intelligently, you can alter their behaviour if you want them to do things a bit differently.

Each world ends with a big boss that requires some well thought-out tactics to defeat. These bosses are nearly all based on Disney villains, of course... and they're impressive, challenging and great fun - you'll always look forward to them. I think the designers have done a great job here of turning Disney baddies into epic and compelling bosses.

The storyline in Kingdom Hearts is really involving - I didn't find the mixture of Squaresoft and Disney elements jarring, in fact I found the universe created in the game completely unique and surprisingly smooth. The game isn't particularly long, however there's a good few hours of gameplay here, especially if you're looking to find all the secrets.

As for the graphics, they're okay. They're not even really brilliant by PS2 standards, but they do the job and convey the Disney/Squaresoft environments and characters really well.

The only really disappointing aspect of this game is the 'Gummi Ship' sections, in which your characters travel from one world to another. These bits are basically a space shooter on rails mini game. Although you are able to upgrade your ship throughout the game using parts found in chests etc. this aspect seems utterly pointless and tacked on, and the actual gameplay sections flying the ship feel rough and amateurish. Fortunately, these sections make up a tiny fraction of the game, so I don't feel as though they justify the removal of a star from the rating.

Kingdom Hearts is a game that really surprised me. Part of me was afraid it would be really naff, or that the various elements wouldn't meld at all. I mean, I wouldn't even really call myself a Disney fan as such. But the result is really something great I feel that nobody could have predicted. I've not actually yet played Kingdom Hearts II, but I'm hoping for more sequels in the future to this great action-RPG.

Summary: This game is still great fun years after being released.