Kingdom Hearts II took what the fans love about the original, twisted it around into something entirely new (yet familiar!) and added onto it. Honestly, it is one of the best games I've played in a long time! I just can't put it down! I won't give away too much of the plot - but it picks up right where KH: Chain of Memories left off, with Sora on a desperate search to find his friend Riku. However, he seems to find trouble with strange, hooded enemies who call themselves the XIII Order (Japanese version). The "witch" girl Naminé from CoM also makes an appearance, along with Roxas, a blond kid who, strangely enough, seems to have memories of Sora and his friends.
The gameplay itself is stunning. The battle system has been upgraded from Kingdom Hearts, and while it still contains abilities, magic, and the basic style, it has several add-ons. KHII introduces the "drive" system, which allows Sora to morph with another character and wield dual keyblades- trust me on this, it's amazing. :) Furthermore, there are "reaction commands" available when fighting certain enemies that allow Sora to do some pretty cool moves (riding on some Heartless, throwing them in the air, dodging them, etc). And, if that wasn't cool enough, Sora can now do co-op moves with his support characters, which can inflict massive amounts of damage.
The game is most definitely worth a play. It is far longer than the original Kingdom Hearts, with more than one visit required to the worlds. It has new worlds (including Timeless River, ingeniously done in black and white) and new characters, both from the Final Fantasy and Disney worlds. The graphics are stunning, upgraded from KH, yet still remaining its cartoonish charm.
Expect to put in 60+ hours on this game, when it comes out. Everything about it has captivated me, from the characters, to the story, to the mini games, to the battles. I can't wait to see how Square handles the North American release (or how the English voice actors compare to the stunning Japanese voicing I've seen so far). I would definitely recommend people to play this game, when they get the chance!
The gameplay itself is stunning. The battle system has been upgraded from Kingdom Hearts, and while it still contains abilities, magic, and the basic style, it has several add-ons. KHII introduces the "drive" system, which allows Sora to morph with another character and wield dual keyblades- trust me on this, it's amazing. :) Furthermore, there are "reaction commands" available when fighting certain enemies that allow Sora to do some pretty cool moves (riding on some Heartless, throwing them in the air, dodging them, etc). And, if that wasn't cool enough, Sora can now do co-op moves with his support characters, which can inflict massive amounts of damage.
The game is most definitely worth a play. It is far longer than the original Kingdom Hearts, with more than one visit required to the worlds. It has new worlds (including Timeless River, ingeniously done in black and white) and new characters, both from the Final Fantasy and Disney worlds. The graphics are stunning, upgraded from KH, yet still remaining its cartoonish charm.
Expect to put in 60+ hours on this game, when it comes out. Everything about it has captivated me, from the characters, to the story, to the mini games, to the battles. I can't wait to see how Square handles the North American release (or how the English voice actors compare to the stunning Japanese voicing I've seen so far). I would definitely recommend people to play this game, when they get the chance!