When I beat Kingdom Hearts back in 2002, I was left with many lingering questions. The cliffhanger ending left Rikku and Mickey trapped and Sora's quest to reunite with his friends unfulfilled. If that wasn't enough to keep someone like me invested, the secret ending set up the next leg of the story in the most cryptic way possible, which only fueled my thirst for answers.
Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts II raises more questions in exchange for mere droplets of resolution, something that has become sort of a series tradition. Had Chain of Memories not so efficiently terminated my investment in 2004, perhaps I would have come to learn this valuable lesson about Kingdom Hearts much sooner.
The game opens like Metal Gear Solid 2 in reverse, as you find yourself in control of a character who is decidedly not Sora. The town you're in, your friends, and the enemies you fight all feel off. You soon find out it's because Sora is really in a simulation as his memories are repaired after the events of the previous game (which itself was a retread of the first Kingdom Hearts, and look, it's all dumb and it's just going to get more dumb.) It definitely makes for a disorienting opening when so much of the game otherwise fits the formula the original Kingdom Hearts established. Sora, Donald, and Goofy hop from one Disney themed planet to the next, solving problems on an almost episodic basis while the big bads, Organization XIII, scheme in the background. During my first playthrough I actually found myself kind of surprised that this was the Kingdom Hearts game everyone thought was a crazy time convoluted shit show. There's some wild stuff, but it tends to come in bursts, and it at least seems like they're going someplace with all this talk about Nobodies and Heartless and the Door to Darkness that will get untangled just in time for the final act.
It does not get untangled.
To again draw the comparison to Metal Gear Solid 2 - a game which actually has something to say - Kingdom Hearts 2 plays its hand in its final act, and either you're going to love it or you're going to hate it. I won't get into spoilers because I really do feel it's best enjoyed going in totally blind, and because I really can't make much sense of it myself. Nomura is an auteur, and I realize that probably sounds very pretentious to say about someone who is in charge of the Disney RPG where Goofy gets hit in the head with a rock, dies, spurs his friends to fight from the emotional weight of his loss, only to wake up the next scene and go "gorsh I get hit in the head all the time!", but I stand by it. Nobody else could possibly make a Kingdom Hearts game crazy in a way that feels authentic to Nomura's vision other than the man himself. For better or worse, you don't have Kingdom Hearts without him.
Gameplay is vastly improved over the first game. Combat is a lot more fluid, fast paced, and a wider range of abilities creates some much needed depth. Drive Forms further expand on what Sora is capable of, allowing him to gain distinct advantages based on which form his assumes while augmenting the way Sora plays. Donald and Goofy have improved AI as well, though they're far from perfect and still end up being more of a hinderance than a help. Summons are also present, but there's only four and they all feel pretty lackluster. Sora is already capable of so much, so I never really felt compelled to to use them, and frankly I question why they ever bothered including them in the first place.
The Disney worlds are a mixed bag. Atlantis is a dismal rhythm game that overstays its welcome only a few notes in, and Port Royale is a drab, lifeless slog. On the other hand, I was really drawn into Timeless River's classic Disney cartoon aesthetic, and it was nice to see Olympus fleshed out into a fully realized world. It's always a joy to hear James Woods turn up as the voice of Hades. He's a great guy who has never done cocaine in his entire life.
Kingdom Hearts II takes everything about the first game and just goes places with it. Combat is fleshed out, the story is bigger, louder, and far more complex, and the worlds are (with some exceptions) a lot more engaging. It doesn't always stick the landing, and it may be the point where the series really goes off the rails, but having had as much fun with this as I did 14 years after its release, I think it's pretty safe to say I think this is a good game.
Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts II raises more questions in exchange for mere droplets of resolution, something that has become sort of a series tradition. Had Chain of Memories not so efficiently terminated my investment in 2004, perhaps I would have come to learn this valuable lesson about Kingdom Hearts much sooner.
The game opens like Metal Gear Solid 2 in reverse, as you find yourself in control of a character who is decidedly not Sora. The town you're in, your friends, and the enemies you fight all feel off. You soon find out it's because Sora is really in a simulation as his memories are repaired after the events of the previous game (which itself was a retread of the first Kingdom Hearts, and look, it's all dumb and it's just going to get more dumb.) It definitely makes for a disorienting opening when so much of the game otherwise fits the formula the original Kingdom Hearts established. Sora, Donald, and Goofy hop from one Disney themed planet to the next, solving problems on an almost episodic basis while the big bads, Organization XIII, scheme in the background. During my first playthrough I actually found myself kind of surprised that this was the Kingdom Hearts game everyone thought was a crazy time convoluted shit show. There's some wild stuff, but it tends to come in bursts, and it at least seems like they're going someplace with all this talk about Nobodies and Heartless and the Door to Darkness that will get untangled just in time for the final act.
It does not get untangled.
To again draw the comparison to Metal Gear Solid 2 - a game which actually has something to say - Kingdom Hearts 2 plays its hand in its final act, and either you're going to love it or you're going to hate it. I won't get into spoilers because I really do feel it's best enjoyed going in totally blind, and because I really can't make much sense of it myself. Nomura is an auteur, and I realize that probably sounds very pretentious to say about someone who is in charge of the Disney RPG where Goofy gets hit in the head with a rock, dies, spurs his friends to fight from the emotional weight of his loss, only to wake up the next scene and go "gorsh I get hit in the head all the time!", but I stand by it. Nobody else could possibly make a Kingdom Hearts game crazy in a way that feels authentic to Nomura's vision other than the man himself. For better or worse, you don't have Kingdom Hearts without him.
Gameplay is vastly improved over the first game. Combat is a lot more fluid, fast paced, and a wider range of abilities creates some much needed depth. Drive Forms further expand on what Sora is capable of, allowing him to gain distinct advantages based on which form his assumes while augmenting the way Sora plays. Donald and Goofy have improved AI as well, though they're far from perfect and still end up being more of a hinderance than a help. Summons are also present, but there's only four and they all feel pretty lackluster. Sora is already capable of so much, so I never really felt compelled to to use them, and frankly I question why they ever bothered including them in the first place.
The Disney worlds are a mixed bag. Atlantis is a dismal rhythm game that overstays its welcome only a few notes in, and Port Royale is a drab, lifeless slog. On the other hand, I was really drawn into Timeless River's classic Disney cartoon aesthetic, and it was nice to see Olympus fleshed out into a fully realized world. It's always a joy to hear James Woods turn up as the voice of Hades. He's a great guy who has never done cocaine in his entire life.
Kingdom Hearts II takes everything about the first game and just goes places with it. Combat is fleshed out, the story is bigger, louder, and far more complex, and the worlds are (with some exceptions) a lot more engaging. It doesn't always stick the landing, and it may be the point where the series really goes off the rails, but having had as much fun with this as I did 14 years after its release, I think it's pretty safe to say I think this is a good game.