More highlights than we could possibly have time to mention
There are so many highlights and things to mention in Kingdom Hearts II that it’s hard to know where to begin. Should we talk about Chip n’ Dale’s Gummi ship that can be created, modified and used to transport Sora, Donald and Goofy between worlds or should we tell you about the surreal visit to Winnie the Pooh’s 100 acre wood that is accessed through touching the pages on a book. We can easily describe these extraordinary places and magical peculiars but it’s difficult to convey the imagery and the sense of wonderment that you experience after you move from one place to the next as you regularly open up an Aladdin’s cave of unfathomable ideas and touches of brilliance.
Visually, Kingdom Hearts is outstanding. It can’t be compared to the realistic graphics of many of the top titles for next-gen consoles, because it’s a totally different experience. Despite being hand drawn characters, the Disney cast and worlds are brought to life, the ambient and often hallucinogenic scenes are relaxing yet powerfully stimulating and will have you sighing with contentment. The battles are also visual stimulating and create a whirlwind of vibrant colours that often fill up the screen. Some of the worlds are fairly lifeless in terms of scenery. In the opening market town for example there are few people on the streets and everything apart from the tram that travels through the centre of the town is static, but the colours disguise it well and you’d be hard pressed not to get wrapped up in the whole feel and look of the game.
Many of the Disney character’s voices are those of the actual actors who portray them in film, and although it can be a little cheesy at times, they all help in bringing the story together in a charming and heartfelt way. The music helps to build certain situations and flows alongside the storyline. This is one game where we won’t be reaching for the CD player as the blend of stringed and wind instruments is extremely soothing, but as you reach the big boss battles a more upbeat temp kicks in and superbly captures the mood of each scene.
Kingdom Hearts II is a fine achievement and the magical fantasy land is one that you’ll want to explore. The game has an abundance of absorbing moments that make you feel all warm and tingly inside and the eye-catching visuals are both mesmerising and well designed. The combat can get repetitive and there are a few camera issues that you’ll encounter, but the story-line, the fascination with the outcome and the overwhelming urge to see what the developers are going to come up with in the next world make Kingdom of Hearts II a bewitching, adorable game. If you haven’t guessed already, we absolutely love it.
On the following page we have a short review to the Piggyback guide for Kingdom of Hearts II
Pros
Enchanting story-telling
Hugely impressive game world
Magical visuals
Great sound and audio
Cons
Button bashing can be repetitive
Some dodgy camera angles
A chance to drift off into the land of fairytales with loveable characters, a great look and an engrossing story-line
HEXUS Awards
Kingdom Hearts II - PS2
Kingdom Hearts II - PS2
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Kingdom Hearts II is availablenow , click the following links to order:Play.com