Kingdom Hearts 2 Review

This game is really what kickstarted my love for all things video games, and even sometimes playing single player games with others. It sounds odd, but this is the first game I ever really played through, and even then I had help from my friend to get through it. It’s not only the memories that go with this game, but the actual game development itself.

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System Played On: PS2

Age Rating: E10+

My Age Rating: E10+

for once I agree with the ESRB rating system. This game is childish enough for early middle school kids, but at the same time still has a lot of insight that someone closer to 12 or 13 would appreciate and understand a lot better. Still a charming game without getting the deep comments on friendship and teamwork.

Graphics: 7/10

As I said in 358/2 Days Review, they still lack. Though it’s on a home console rather than a portable console, it was still made years before and 3D animation was still glitchy and buggy.

Not really company’s problem, but still unfair to give them a better rating than what they deserve.

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Plotline: 9.8/10

This plotline IS WHY WE PLAY THIS GAME. Everyone is in love with Kingdom Hearts for the gut wrenching story, and Kingdom Hearts 2, in my opinion, was one of the most emotional.

Square Enix can make you feel happy, sad, and scared for Sora and the Gang simultaneously during the game, and I still haven’t figured out how they got so good at character development.

Then again, they do have 40 million Final Fantasy games, the series known for character development.

Playability: 8/10

I’m always going to have problems casting spells with the Control Pad while running with the analog stick, but that might be Kat having problems being a person. It’s an easy arena style battle set up, unlike FInal Fantasy’s arena battle point and click. This is more free form, and it feels more natural for the game flow.

Overall: 9.5/10

Replay Value:5/10

Once again, replay value is for emotional trauma, tears, and Winnie the Pooh extras you didn’t do in round one. There’s not much else to do after you play but cry a bit and continue on with life for another couple years.

Synopsis:

Sora, the wielder of the keyblade, goes on a mission with his friends Goofy and Donald to save the Disney Worlds from the Heartless. Heartless are the evil lost souls of the world that Maleficent and Pete let loose with the help of the “evil” Organization XIII. Sora and the other people of Kingdom Hearts fly to different worlds to defeat the Heartless and restore peace to the Disney Universe.

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Overall Review:

What’s not to like about this game? It’s a perfect balance between cute/witty and serious/insightful. It makes you laugh, cry, and sympathize all at the same time, and as Sora feels emotions, you do as well.

This isn’t the game for the graphic enthusiast, but just like a book, you shouldn’t judge it by its cover. The sub par look is easily made up by the the emotional burden you pick up by this game.

This game also gets better as you play the series more and start to piece puzzles together on how/who/what is happening in the game. There’s really too much complicated plotline to explain, but I promise it’s worth it.

It’s personally one I’ll never put down or sell. A classic that will always be on my shelf until the day I die.

(GameFAQs) Walkthrough Link:

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Review

Soon I will be posting Kingdom Hearts 2, the one game that really kick started my love for video games, and even gaming together occasionally- but since I feel like I’m on DS kick (with LoZ and Professor Layton coming soon), I thought 358/2 was still a great game in the Kingdom Hearts series to talk about.

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Seriously, people need to talk more about this game.

System Played On: DS

Age Rating: E10+ for Fantasy violence

My Age Rating:E12+

Personally, I don’t think anyone over 12 would get too much out of 358/2. It’s not like a normal kingdom hearts game where you’re just meeting tons of disney characters and goofing around with Sora and the Gang.

This game is about Nobodies, Heartless, and darkness.

My inner scene kid is probably the reason I enjoy this game so much.

Graphics: 6.5/10

The saddest part about the Kingdom Hearts’ games-- the graphics are normally awful. It doesn’t help that Square Enix has only released Kingdom Hearts games for PSP, PS2, and DS up until the (long awaited and questionable) release of Kingdom Hearts 3 for PS3/Xbox One in some time that Square Enix and Sony just can’t seem to give to us. (insert angry face here).

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Plotline: 8/10

The plotline alone goes above what the graphics demote this game for. The overarching plotline of Sora trying to basically save every universe. In the Disney World. How can you not love that?!

The plotline for this game (which is technically a “released out of order” series) follows Sora’s “other half”, Roxas. He doesn’t really exist in Sora’s dimension, but you follow Sora’s dark counterpart the entire time.

Playability: 7/10

Nothing really to say on controls, it’s another DS game where the awkward left handed Kat has struggles. Though, for a right handed person, it’s a pretty solid use of both the stylus and the control pad at all times, which is a nice change up from a basic PS2 to DS conversion that a lot of games try to get away with.

Overall: 7.8/10

Replay Value:5/10

I’m really sorry, but unless you’re in it because you’re too emotionally attached to the characters to let go and make actual friends, Kingdom Hearts doesn’t have much replay value. You can always go back to worlds, but you need to do almost everything in every world to beat the game.

Synopsis:

You follow Sora’s alternate self, Roxas, who has no recollection of his “previous life” , and see what the Organization of Nobody’s are up too and who they really are. While on a mission, a 14th member joins the Organization, and Roxas finds himself more and more confused on his feelings for this girl and what she will bring to the Organization.

Overall Review:

The reason why I find this game so amazing is the impact it has when you have had such a “tight bond” with a character as well developed as Sora. I’ve been playing these games for basically a decade now (not to sound old), and the fictitious bond with the characters are somehow dropped when you realise that Roxas is the new Sora, and now you need to accept that Sora is not a thing anymore.

The game starts as a bitter goodbye, when the player realises that Sora is not coming back this game, and that Roxas is your new buddy.

Then, once you start creating a bond with Roxas, your life is shattered by broken memories of who once was Sora, and the dark emotional crisis Roxas has becomes yours.

I don’t even know how to explain how Square Enix does it, but every single game I or a friend has played by them has yet to disappoint. The graphics may lack, but the story will keep you crying. (you think I’m kidding, I cry every time).

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(GameFAQs) Walkthrough Link: http://www.ign.com/wikis/kingdom-hearts-3582-days