Go on a journey back to your youth. (Kingdom Hearts (PS2))

Member Name: Sunrisesunset

Product:	Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Date:	17/08/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to level up, variety of boss battles, quality voice acting

Disadvantages: average flying mini-game, graphics are average

Kingdom Hearts takes you on a journey back to your childhood, but with a modern twist.

This role-playing game features you as a boy called Sora who is desperate to escape from his island home. He and his two best friends decide to leave their world and find somewhere new, but before they have the chance their world is wiped off the solar system by a dark force called the Darkness. The Darkness are creatures who suddenly appear and attack.

The game involves Sora joining forces with Donald Duck and Goofy as they try to track down Sora's friends, as well as King Mickey Mouse, who has also gone missing. The game builds up to finding Sora's friends and the battle with the leader of the Darkness. Along the way you will be fighting with your keyblade, a special sword that chose Sora, casting spells like fire and lightning, and using items e.g. potions to replenish your health. There are no complicated combos e.g. no pressing X then O then X then O twice. You keep presseding X and Sora does the rest. The final battle is not easy or hard, but just right. The higher your level the easier it will be. It was the longest end battle I have ever fought in a video game, possibly only matched by the final battle in another role-playing game Rogue Galaxy (which is also great!).

Good parts

Easy to level up: Sometimes the bosses are so difficult you need to revisit old areas to fight Darkness to get to a higher level. In other games the monsters on the first levels you visited are really easy by now, so you gain very little for beating them. This means you must stick to the later levels, which can be boring over time. In KH1 the monsters in the first levels you visited also get stronger over time, leaving you free to 'level up' everywhere.

Variety of boss battles: Boss battles involve Sora and friends fighting extra powerful Darkness enemies. This games features a vast array of different boss battles ranging from battles on gameboards to the team fighting a mansion to going head-to-head with a red-faced genie. You never know what to expect.

Voice acting: Some games feature actors who clearly didn't want to be there. They literally read the lines off the card and go home. Not with KH. What makes the game even better is that Disney seem to have brought many of the original actors and actresses from the films, no matter how long the films were produced e.g. Jodi Benson reprising her role as Ariel almost twenty years later.

Disney: Don't be put off by the Disney cast! This isn't a babyish game for kids alone. If you grew up with Disney like my sister and I did, you'll love seeing old faces again. It takes you back to your youth with familiar voices, characters, settings and songs. Memories pop back into your head and you're young again.

Bad parts

Space ships: I don't like the space ships mini-game in between worlds. When you travel to a world for the first time you must fly through various courses on your 'gummi ship'. I always dreaded flying on this ship that appears to be made of lego-like pieces. It seemed to drag and drag until finally I reached the next world. Flying space ships don't belong in role-playing games. However, the space ship levels are dramatically better in KH2- longer, harder and better looking.

Graphics: I don't actually mind them but they weren't fantastic. I know the game was not made for the next generation of game consoles, but there were other better looking games like Ico from the same generation.

Overall I would highly recommend this game. You really end up caring for the characters, especially the ones you liked as a child, and the storyline builds up tension until the epic ending. Definitely worth the price for over 40 hours of gaming with optional battles and items to collect included.

Summary: A high quality role-playing adventure more than worthy of its sequel.