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Kingdom Hearts II

Platform: Playstation 2

Producer: Square Enix

Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol, Violence

The Saga Continues

When most of us heard Square Enix was teaming with Disney to make a game, the normal reaction was to wonder what demon-spawned nutcase had come up with the idea. However, we were wrong. The first Kingdom Hearts went off with a BANG, showing us the journey of Sora, Donald, and Goofy through Disney worlds such as Atlantica (The Little Mermaid) and Neverland (Peter Pan).

Kingdom Hearts II continues the story of Sora, starting with a young boy named Roxas. Through a serious story twist, we again control Sora, taking him through legions of the Heartless and a new, more deadly enemy called the Nobodies. Of course, Disney villains like Jafar and Ursula get back on board to take out Sora. KH II takes us through more fabulous worlds as well, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron. Sora also gets to meet Final Fantasy heroes like Squall, Cloud, Aerith, Yuffie, and the dastardly villain Sephiroth, all the way harassed by the mysterious Organization XIII.

That's the Power of the Keyblade

KH II uses a similar combat system to the original, though it adds in far more combos for even greater damage. Sora learns how to transform, how to activate "Limits" (super-attacks using multiple character), and "Reaction Commands," which allow Sora to use his enemy's attacks against them. The improved combat makes for a greatly improved game.

The story, however, is the true gem. Though seemingly oriented towards kids, KH II boasts a thrilling story reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series-a complex web of love, betrayal, anger, and confusion. The story does well to keep one step ahead of the player-even I found myself shocked by some events in the story. The Disney villains are underscored by the insidious machinations of Organization XIII, driving Sora and friends to extreme measures to defeat the Heartless and save their friends.

The Verdict

5 of 5. Bar none excellent. If you are a fan of Square Enix games or even of Disney you should give KH II a shot. The mix of combat and story is on a par with many great Squaresoft games of the past, before the merger with Enix. This is truly one of the masterpieces of gaming today.

Next Issue...

We're going to Hell! I'm getting set to review the upcoming release of Painkiller for the XBOX console. Let the bodies hit the floor!

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