Kingdom Hearts

[hyperlite]

Gameplay
Kingdom Hearts is not a traditional RPG. It is a heavily action styled game.

Combat and exploration is from behind Sora's back. However, it doesn't stay there for long. To keep attacks focused on the appropriate enemy, Kingdom Hearts uses a target-focused lock-on, a la Ocarina of Time. When locked on, whether to a specific target or a rotating set of semi-automatic targets (there's a soft lock-on that fixes Sora's attention on the nearest enemy). the camera keeps its focus towards that spot regardless of where Sora is facing. Thus he can circle around it and attack from different angles while still keeping an eye on what's what.

This, as I say, works in principle. A few things intrude in practice, however. For one, this is a team-based game, not a solo adventure -- Sora is continually backed up by his allies Donald Duck and Goofy, as well as a rotating cast of other supporting stars. For another, the camera can be stymied by the presence of walls and other obstacles, since there are no routines to remove those from view or turn them semi-transparent when they may block the camera. And for a third, some of these battlefields are more packed with enemies than you'd ever imagine, with crowds of smaller opponents and giant bosses that fill several screens.

The long and the short of it is that the camera in this game will frequently offer no clear idea of what the hell is going on, making it some kind of strange anti-camera, if we presume that the purpose of a camera is to illustrate the action rather than obscure it. Sora will be hidden behind waves of enemies, and all there is to do is to hammer away at the attack button, praying that there will be a chance to get away and recover if his vital statistics drop too low. Even boss battles where there is, in theory, only one or two major targets can create bizarre fluctuations in the viewpoint due to the massive size of the enemies, and the sudden movements they can make.

While Kingdom Hearts' combat is certainly a confusing affair, it's also undeniably exciting, as the party slashes away at waves and waves of onrushing enemies or some gigantic, towering boss. It has a genuinely epic, cinematic feel, clumsy though the presentation may sometimes be as far as how it meshes with the movement and targeting controls. The magic and item systems are streamlined well enough that they don't create too much of a break in the action, at least. There's a handy set of hotkeys for preferred spells, while an active menu system makes it easy enough to manipulate items with an off thumb during combat.

The complexity of combat ramps up as the game goes on, with the gradual addition of spells and character abilities that substantially alter the character of battles. In particular, there's a nifty technique experience system that rewards dextrous players with faster character development. Learning to use special maneuvers in combat for parries, defense, counterattacks, and the like, as well as more effective spell use, is rewarded by bonus experience points. It improves on the button mashing offensive.

Outside combat, the game is designed much more closely to the Final Fantasy style as far as the structure of the quest. Every area has reasons to go back and visit a second or third time, including some interesting progressive platforming challenges based on the gradual development of the party's abilities.

The biggest issue in my opinion is the Gummi Ship Mini-Game. It is like a cross of Legos and the Final Fantasy VII Synthesis. It wasn't a very good cross.

GUMMI SEQUENCES WERE BORING that is until you unlock the warp Gummis.

Graphics
Those who don't like Disney, turn away now. This game was beautifully animated. In a Disney sense. You can say oh it looks like Disney, but you know what it is, with a little Final Fantasy X flair. Edges were rounded on Final Fantasy Character to make it look Disney-ish and the worlds were definite Disney expanses, but they had dark sides to them. One has to remember that of Hallow Bastion which took on the look of a dark Beauty and the Beast Dungeon. The game was not a completely happy setting by any means.

Closing Comments
I found this entire game quite impressive.

It's hard to properly express the coolness of this game's setting and presentation to someone who hasn't dove right into it. It's a Hilarious RPG Donald Duck gets flattened by Yuffie the ninja slamming the door as Squall and Sora bash Heartless out of second-story windows -- thoroughly unlikely, yes, but doesn't it sound cool?

The game as a whole shows some loose ends hanging here and there, things like that Gummi Ship that just don't seem to justify their existence properly.

If you like Square, or if you like Disney, or if you'd just like to check out an impressive action-RPG, Kingdom Hearts should be one to check out.



I took some of this from IGN. I felt that by myself I couldn't give the game justice.

so no my rating

Story and Characters: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 7.5/10 I wasnt too thrilled with the camera
Lasting appeal/Replay value: 9/10 this game can easily take over 40 hours to finish all the side quests

OVERALL: 9/10 Its a great game, what more can I say.

[w07]

well i've enjoyed this game more than KH2 yeah sure the space ship (whatever it's called) is boooooooooring but in this game u frequantlly use magic and it's effective in the second game u hardlly ever use magic and besides the second game was some what a let down on some parts.
P.S what the heck is wrong with the shoes and hands in this game they're all big LOL how could sora fit his feet into those?

[hyperlite]

I agree the shoes were ridiculous.

[megamanst]

lol the shoes i thought it was a little better than you rated it mostly cause i didnt mind the camera i also though the beggining gummi ship stuff is annoying but once you get a lot of good gummis you can make a ship that just exterminates everything and i thought that slaughter was fun but i would still prefer if they didnt add the gummi ships and yah i also think it was better than the second game the second game just had too many cinematics and started out soooo slowly

[The17]

KH1 was way too childish, Kh2 improved alot better i say, magic got craper but overall a much better game.

And how could you not like the gummi system its fun making weird random ships and flying them everywhere lol

[w07]

u said chiledish but it isnt both games that way?i mean what's so mature about KH2?
any way i hope the next game will have a diffirent charecters and gameplay .

[megamanst]

i guess you could say the charecters in KH2 were more mature but its just not a better game which is the key word their

[w07]

characters? why cause they've gotten older? i dont see any diffirence really.....

[Fuzzums]

Sora is a deformed child, leave him alone. Did you see when he hugs Kairi? his hand alone is bigger than her body. Kairi had huge feet in KH1 but now she is normal in KHII, same goes for Riku.

[w07]

i forgot the hand issue too lol thank's for reminding me Fuzzums