Kingdom Hearts II
2005
- role-playing (rpg)
- adventure
- action
- fantasy
- single player
The story
Kingdom Hearts II is an action role-playing game, and the primary entry to the series since the 2002 Disney Interactive and Square collaboration. The game's setting is a collection of various levels (referred to in-game as "worlds") that the player progresses through. As in the first game, it II allows the player to travel to locales from various Disney works, along with original worlds specifically created for the series.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated cel-shaded worlds that shift between sunlit Disney-style towns, fairy-tale castles, and moody, shadowed corridors, with the characters rendered in soft, expressive animation that feels like a storybook come to life. The sound is full and orchestral, with a sweeping, hopeful score that swells during exploration and quieter piano passages during tender moments, and the cheerful voice work of Mickey, Donald and Goofy gives the whole thing a warm, goofy buoyancy. Its vibe is whimsical and nostalgic, with a comforting, adventurous energy that suits a weekend afternoon, a comfort replay, or an evening of wandering through familiar worlds at your own pace. The combat is brisk and button-driven, with a steady rhythm of exploring, fighting and collecting, and the story's emotional register runs earnest and sentimental, following a young hero and his friends as they stay loyal to one another through separation and reunion. Violence is cartoonish and stylised: enemies are shadowy creatures defeated in bursts of light, with no gore and only mild peril. It suits players who love Disney characters, gentle fantasy and the feel of early-2000s PlayStation 2 adventures, and families or anyone wanting a light, heartfelt escape.
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