When I first finished this game, I liked it. I thought it was good.
I was a blind moron.
After going back and playing the original (my favorite game of all time), the second not only pales in comparison, its a downright ABOMINATION. We waited 4(?) years for this game, and all we really got was a gigantic step backward. After the Game-Boy game (Chain of Memories), I was convinced that this new one for PS2 would be darker than the original, a concept which i liked.
Instead Kingdom Hearts 2 is one of the most childish games I have yet witnessed. People like Sora have actually regressed in mental capacity, and often redefine what it means to be a moron. I almost punched myself in the face when Sora nearly jumped out of his skin about getting a library card.
Once again, the gamer journeys through several Disney realms. Unfortunately, these worlds are not only graphically a step backward from the original, they are also a step backward in complexity. Many are simply a straight street with two turns included. Yawn. In Kingdom Hearts 1 we had realms like Hollow Bastion, which you could explore for quite a bit of time, taking in the visual beauty. No such luck in Kingdom hearts 2.
Kingdom Hearts 2's plot line is also randomly lost for huge portions of the game. It seems the Disney worlds exist only to fill time, as if the designers ran out of ideas half way through the game. They are completely irrelevant to the plot line: for some reason gamers are stuck not only fighting Disney villains with no clear tie with the REAL villains, at one point you're actually stuck in a world where all you really do is SING. In fact, you actually fight a boss with music. I was so embarrassed that I was playing a game like this that at one point I actually had to make sure that everyone in my household was GONE, just to continue playing.
The side-quests really hold no real value. They're flat out boring and are guaranteed to put you into a coma within 20 minutes. The only conceivable reason i can see to complete these is to see a secret video at the end (which you can also see simply by playing the game on hard mode - which isn't even that difficult).
As one final criticism, this sequel is incredibly easy. Don't bother playing it on Normal mode; a better challenge is actually found just opening the case for the game. At one point I actually TRIED to get hit by a boss' attacks, just to see if I was actually being damaged. I can only imagine what Easy mode is like. Hard mode is like Normal mode from KH1.
So after all my criticisms, how does this game get a 4/10? Well, I'm a giant Kingdom Hearts-fan, so that helps. Also, the main villains for this game (when they're ACTUALLY impacting the game at all) are extremely entertaining, and are lots of fun to battle. Unfortunately, most seem to be found only at the end of the game (a world that i particularly enjoyed). The Drive forms are a cool add-in, and leveling them up takes unique strategies.
All in all, however, this is one to be skipped.
I was a blind moron.
After going back and playing the original (my favorite game of all time), the second not only pales in comparison, its a downright ABOMINATION. We waited 4(?) years for this game, and all we really got was a gigantic step backward. After the Game-Boy game (Chain of Memories), I was convinced that this new one for PS2 would be darker than the original, a concept which i liked.
Instead Kingdom Hearts 2 is one of the most childish games I have yet witnessed. People like Sora have actually regressed in mental capacity, and often redefine what it means to be a moron. I almost punched myself in the face when Sora nearly jumped out of his skin about getting a library card.
Once again, the gamer journeys through several Disney realms. Unfortunately, these worlds are not only graphically a step backward from the original, they are also a step backward in complexity. Many are simply a straight street with two turns included. Yawn. In Kingdom Hearts 1 we had realms like Hollow Bastion, which you could explore for quite a bit of time, taking in the visual beauty. No such luck in Kingdom hearts 2.
Kingdom Hearts 2's plot line is also randomly lost for huge portions of the game. It seems the Disney worlds exist only to fill time, as if the designers ran out of ideas half way through the game. They are completely irrelevant to the plot line: for some reason gamers are stuck not only fighting Disney villains with no clear tie with the REAL villains, at one point you're actually stuck in a world where all you really do is SING. In fact, you actually fight a boss with music. I was so embarrassed that I was playing a game like this that at one point I actually had to make sure that everyone in my household was GONE, just to continue playing.
The side-quests really hold no real value. They're flat out boring and are guaranteed to put you into a coma within 20 minutes. The only conceivable reason i can see to complete these is to see a secret video at the end (which you can also see simply by playing the game on hard mode - which isn't even that difficult).
As one final criticism, this sequel is incredibly easy. Don't bother playing it on Normal mode; a better challenge is actually found just opening the case for the game. At one point I actually TRIED to get hit by a boss' attacks, just to see if I was actually being damaged. I can only imagine what Easy mode is like. Hard mode is like Normal mode from KH1.
So after all my criticisms, how does this game get a 4/10? Well, I'm a giant Kingdom Hearts-fan, so that helps. Also, the main villains for this game (when they're ACTUALLY impacting the game at all) are extremely entertaining, and are lots of fun to battle. Unfortunately, most seem to be found only at the end of the game (a world that i particularly enjoyed). The Drive forms are a cool add-in, and leveling them up takes unique strategies.
All in all, however, this is one to be skipped.