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Great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I personally have not played this game, but I can tell you that my 13 yr old daughter just loves it. She sits and plays for hours and has not had one complaint.

The sort of beathtaking magic that Disney no longer does.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

While growing up, I adored Disney...

...before the 1984 takeover by Michael "Scrooge" Eisner, that is.

I watched heartbroken as a teenager studying to enter the cartoon industry while Eisner proceeded to very quickly transmute one of my favourite studios into a nightmare. And at first, it didn't look like there would be much of a problem regarding the animated films since Roy was in charge of them, but finally The New Disney animation staff suddenly became so "modern", "up to date" and "trendy" that something has been seriously lost for something gained. Disney hasn't released anything genuinely beautiful with their animation releases since "Beauty and The Beast", as far as I'm concerned. Since then, it's been anime ripoffs, gross-out jokes and sarcasm designed to slap the lyrical poetic beauty of traditional Disney in the face several times over. Disney has gone Hollywood, and Eisner has sold out Walt's beloved legacy for the common dollar.

So I haven't exactly been looking forward to anything new bearing the Disney logo these days. I no longer rush to the theatres to check out their latest, I can no longer trust their brand name as I was once able to. And whenever I buy anything Disney, it's either their old films I grew up with or collectibles I once owned as a child.

When I one day saw this new game title, KINGDOM HEARTS, in my local store... well, I wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, it's cover gave me the impression that it was something I would have personally wanted to create back when I was 15 (I also enjoy anime at its most poetic). But on the other, it was The New Disney. But out of curiosity, I decided to rent it at my local Hollywood Video just to give it a try. No harm in that.

As I said before, The New Disney is simply too determined to be "cool" to do anything meaningful. What a geuinely wonderful surprise, then, that KINGDOM HEARTS--a ***VIDEOGAME***, for pete's sake!--turns out to be such a beautiful piece of work that it ends up being the sort of "new Disney film" I've been waiting for the studio to create ever since "Beauty and The Beast". Yes, it is true that the story won't win any awards for originality. But this one is handled so lovingly and with such sensitivity in the tradition of both classic Disney and my favourite anime dramas that it proves the old addage of how it's not always the story itself but how the tale is told that counts. This is a highly noncommercial creation, and that's what allowed its creators on both sides to drop all marketing nonsense and simply create something they loved. In all honesty, though, not everyone is going to love the story--jaded gamers who hate sensitivity in their entertainment in particular. But once the story got started by around the fourth world or so, I was swept away by it. I daresay that those of us old enough to know the Old School Disney will appreciate this far more than younger generations. I don't want to give away its details, but I just want to say that sensitive players will be enraptured by it, especially since the game as a whole has an underlining wistful undercurrent of time gone by for both the characters and the players at the controls. It will make you sigh and think, "Oh yeah, that was the innocence of my youth and Disney from way back when..."

The animation is gorgeous, and the art direction is imaginative. It also has a highly effective interface which isn't at all confusing, one of the most fantastic realtime cameras for a game I've ever seen, a FANTASTIC soundtrack (also available here on Amazon.com, from my understanding!) and the game as a whole also allows you to relive a childhood fantasy even if it does involve a few new Disney references. Have you ever wanted to personally clobber Jafar? Or how about Captain Hook? You'll get your chance.

One of the best examples of the game's overall effect occurred with the climax of the Neverland world, a sequence which is worth the hefty price tag alone. In this finale sequence, you have nothing to fight... you're flying lightheartedly over London in circles around Big Ben as pixie dust sparkles all around you and soaring music gracefully underlining the beauty without a bit of the effect seeming forced. It was my childhood dream to be able to soar over London with Peter Pan, and because the effect was SO gorgeous... and, bless his heart, Goofy looks like he's having the time of his life here and enjoying it every bit as much as I did... that I found myself laughing happy with tears of joy pouring down my cheeks as the game was taking me back to an innocent youthful fantasy.

If I sound like I'm a huge fan of this game, it's because I am. Simply put, I have fallen in love with it and consider it a title to treasure, as it is not only the best new game I've played last year but also one of the absolute best gaming experiences I have ever enjoyed in my entire life. Period. Both children and adults will have a blast.

Complaints? Well, I do have a few. I wish they had put in a few more "traditional film" worlds as opposed to so many newer ones that we've had pumped down our throats so much during the last decade ("Aladdin", "The Little Mermaid", etc.), but maybe they'll do more in a sequel. At least one of the areas in one of the worlds looks flat out embarrassing (the trial area in Wonderland, which simply looks like a giant painted cube without even the attempt to create an illusion of depth as with elsewhere... inexcusable considering the high quality of the other areas in this game) and breaks the illusion for a while. Also, while most of the sound is brilliant, the few attempts when they do try to put in cartoonish sound effects for Donald and Goofy, such as an early cutscene when Donald moves and blinks his eyes while reading a letter, sound inexcusably clunky and cheap considering the game's otherwise excellent sound, and they're more befitting DIC Enterprises than a masterful studio like Disney. And as far as I can tell, there is no way to bypass the cutscenes, some of which are huge, which means that you'll often have to sit through huge cutscenes before every single time you attempt to pass a boss battle until you finally beat it.

Let's not get off on the wrong track, though. This is one of the few times when the universe surprises us with something that manages to surpass even the hype machine that accompanies it. And if Walt had ever lived long enough to see videogames, I genuinely believe he would have been proud of KINGDOM HEARTS. A must-own title for anyone, and I personally found it worth the purchase of a PS2 alone just to play it. It's going to be a long time before I encounter another game experience as wonderful as this mini-masterpiece.

One of the Best Video Games Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've had this game for over a year and a half now. But, it was not until I got the player's guide that I finished it. If you like Final Fantasy and Disney characters. This game is for you.

Sometime in the near Future the sequel to Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for Game Boy Advance will come out.

Great Reason to Own a PS2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Kingdom Hearts includes everything great about gaming: characters, an interesting storyline, unique gameplay, and probably some of the best graphics I have seen on the PS2. You play the game as Sora, who goes from the calm paradise life to a battle between light and darkness. Along the way you pick up many allies to help you out, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are characters from the Final Fantasy brand but the majority are Disney characters. But do not let the Disney part fool you: this is no easy game by far. I just completed the game at over 46 hours and I still did not find everything that the game had to offer. There are a lot of puzzles to solve, some not so obvious. It gets frustrating at times but its always worth it when you figure it out. As far as the plot of it, its hard to explain but it all makes sense in the end. To top off a great gameplay experience there are some amazing cutscenes that will amaze you. As far as the controls, it takes a little getting used to, but its nothing too awkward to master. Most of the time in the game you will be accompanied by two partners, for the most part Goofy and Donald. As you visit new worlds you get the ability to swap a new partner in based on their abilities when they are needed. You can set what items your allies carry and even how they use those items.

Overall this is the best PS2 game I own. It took me forever to beat it but it really is a complicated game to get through. If you like to be challenged then this is a game for you. Any FF or Disney fan should appreciate what this game has to offer. And one last thing: I could see some people not really into this game, but to rate it one star you have to be an idiot or either 7 years old.

I wanted to play through this game twice.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I was really doubtfull about this game when I first heard the premise and saw the pictures. I'm a grown man, pretending to be teenage (in my mind, they're always mid-20s) FF characters is bad enough, but playing them with Disney? Shameful.

Regardless, it's actually fun. The quick-action based style for fighting and magic really adds a nice level of difficulty to the game while retaining the tradional final fantasy elements.

The story really keeps you involved, and the battle arena really makes a great 'extra'. Nearly everything about the game was perfect, I felt no boredom, sameness, or repition while playing this game. It was just 100% pure fun.

Another Great One from EA

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you are a Disney fan, you will love this game. Just as the commercials say, this game includes tons of differerent characters and tons of different Disney movie worlds. The graphics are spectacular-especially the intro movie. I couldn't believe how realistic Sora (The main character in this Disney-filled quest) and his friends looked. The only flaw I found to this game was it's difficulty, so be sure to pick up the strategy guide with this purchase.

THE Best Game EVER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Kingdom Hearts is one of the most amazing games I have ever played. I could not play straight through it because I'm very busy all the time, but I finally finished it after 8 months from starting it. (It won't take you 8 months to finish it, just about 50 hours will do) The graphics are wonderful, the challenges are great, and the BOSSES are not too hard and not too easy to beat, the characters are interesting, and the story is engaging. I loved everything about this game, and if there will be a sequel to it, I will be the first one to play it. Any decent Playstation 2 player will get addicted to this game, and adults can play it with children watching because it does have a few good lessons it teaches about good and evil. If you're thinking about buying this game, don't even hesitate, it is worth every last penny! By the way, I used a walkthrough to finish it, but it did help me a great deal, so if you want to complete all challenges to see the secret movie in the end, you might want to look for a decent walkthrough to follow. I just hope they will do a Kingdom Hearts movie!

I hate RPGs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

but man I love this game. This is one of the only RPGs I have ever liked. When I first heard about the game I thought it would be corny, but when I got it for my birthday and played it I realized it was awesome. The characters are pretty cool and even though most of them are Disney characters this game is more of an adult gme, some of the bosses scare the heck out of me so I wouldn't let little kids play but this is a great game.

It just doesn't get any better than this...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

What could appear to be a kid's game on the surface has elements that captivate even the "older kids." The complexities of the characters and the "Final Fantasy" influence truly impact the soul of the game.

Rather than go into all the plot points like other reviews, I can just say that this game can be played by all ages. The younger ones may not get the full value and impact of all the "zen-speak", and the older ones may laugh at some of the Disney comments, but overall it's a fun game that is truly satisfying and leaves you begging for more.

I, for one, can't wait for Kingdom Hearts 2!

Go Disney!!! Go SquareEnix!!

I Don't Know If I'm Surprised

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'll admit that I didn't think that this game was the greatest idea to start with. I like turn based combat, I don't like the saccharine side of Disney, and I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of this strange union. That said, I was pleasantly surprised in a lot of ways by this game. It deserves its status as one of the best selling RPGs of the past few years, and at the current price ($20 as a greatest hit title) every PS2 owner should buy it.

Now, don't get me wrong--there's a lot that's not right with this game. We'll start, as most people do, with the camera. These developers should be ashamed. I've met people who've failed out of community colleges that could have done a better job. It's simply awful. There's no other word for it. The camera gets stuck on things. The camera forces its way into awkward positions for no apparent reason. At several points I felt as though the level designers had specifically tried to use the horrible control on the camera to make things more difficult. Even .dot//Hack, which is not comparable to this game in a lot of ways, managed to build a camera that was responsive and let you keep your eyes on what you were doing. The levels are poorly designed for as terrible a device as they're using, and there's simply no excuse for this kind of shoddy workmanship.

Another annoying problem for me was the dialogue. It's not that it was badly done (though there are some points at which the players don't deliver their lines in quite the fashion they were intended to)--it's that whoever scripted this thing didn't put enough in it. There were several points in this game where the dialogue simply cut off and you were abruptly switched back to floating text boxes. Very disconcerting and it did a lot to dull the experience for me. And just as an aside--I know that it's the theme of the plot, but did the designers really have to try and set the record for most uses of the word "heart" in a ten minute span? There are plenty of synonyms available, people--use them.

All of that aside, though, this game still succeeds admirably despite its flaws. The combat system, while not perfect (I didn't much like the ability system, and I particularly didn't like having to stick items on your characters before a fight) is remarkable. The menu system is quite effective and the AI for your party companions is....well, it's terrible, but it's better than most of the ones I've seen in similar games. The plot is involving and scripted better than normal for Square. Rather than spiraling out of control near the end (as their stories so often do) everything remains tight and compact. The characters feel real and you actually care about what happens to them. Graphically, this game looks better than an awful lot of what I've seen on other platforms, and never mind how inferior the PS2 is supposed to be to the other two major consoles. Square, as usual, has assembled a great looking product. The music is also tolerably good, though perhaps not up to the standards fans of the Final Fantasy series might hold. The mini-games are there for you to play, though once again you're forced to jump off of the plot in the middle of the climax and go slog through all the worlds you've already been to if you want to accomplish everything. The game clocks in a little shorter than most Square RPGs (I finished up in a little over thirty hours with about half of the mini-games completed, and I spent a fair amount of time jumping into walls I wouldn't have had to if I'd gone to a walkthrough), but frankly I think most of their games run a little on the long end anyway, so that worked out well for me.

On the whole, I'd recommend that any PS2 owner who's entertained the notion of purchasing this game go ahead and do it. For twenty dollars, this is probably one of the best values that you can get.

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