What do you get if you cross Disney with Squaresoft? (Kingdom Hearts (PS2))

Member Name: chooflafla

Product:	Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Date:	26/03/03 (200 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fans of both FF and Disney will love this game, they're so cleverly integrated into the plot!, Fun for all the family, Side quests

Disadvantages: Short game - unless you're hell bent on rescuing ALL of the puppies

Kingdom Hearts!

This game is a firm favourite with old and young alike, heck, I'm 20 this year and I STILL find it a great game! A lot of my friends at university constantly invade my room to abuse my PS2 and play this highly addictive game!

Although Kingdom Hearts is aimed at people around the 11 year old mark, the shear brilliance and pure ingenuity behind the game is good enough to draw anyone's attention.

The not so subtle blend of characters from both the Final Fantasy series and Disney characters make this a very clever game to say the least. Cameos from both sets of characters ensures that fans of both series would find this game entertaining. That and the fact that a plethora of famous voices provide the characters in the game with an extra je ne sai quoi.

Although the game revolves around violence, the comical use of a giant key almost makes you forget that the game promotes the beating up of your enemies as it's simply so surreal. Even allowing Ariel the Mermaid to join your party as a support member and consequently having her fight alongside your team can be forgiven as it's so unexpected, and let's face it, when you experience the game, I'm sure you'll agree that she's a great fighter! And don't get me started on the usual Summon Spells that you can use borrowed from the Final Fantasy games. The only difference to that of the Final Fantasy series is that the creatures you call forth are cute and cuddly ranging from Dumbo to Tinkerbell!

Unlike the other Squaresoft releases, Kingdom Hearts has incorporated a new real time battle system whereby you not only attack multiple enemies at any one time, but you also have to be quick on the mark when you want to use a spell or item because if you've only one HP left and are not quick enough, you may wind up dead. However, this can be remidied by the quick magic access menu as you can assign up to three spells on your shortfut men
u. The same cannot be said for items though but for quick players, you are able to use both analogue sticks to control both movement of the protagonist and item use once you master the dual control system. This is bad news for sluggish players though.

The graphics of this game are a force to be reckoned with as they are absolutely amazing! The bright colours of the mini space games juxtaposed with the dark, eerie backdrops of Halloween Town proves that the developers of Kingdom Hearts have thrown a lot of effort behind the game.

Family fun can be had by all when playing as younger players may find it difficult when facing the boss characters whereas older players may find the usua
l enemies a pushover. The result; a tag team game with the easy parts and puzzles for kids and the boss fights for stressed adults!

Although the game is short, the side quests and prospect of a secret ending looms over your head and motivates you to play it over and over again until you're able to unlock the secret at the end. Also, the difficulty options prior to playing may also encourage older game players to have a go. Make sure you set aside plenty of time to play though, this game will keep you up all night!

Summary: