You ever really feel such as you’re nonetheless looking for a excessive a sport made you are feeling as a baby? Kingdom Hearts II is a kind of video games. To at the present time, Kingdom Hearts II is the total bundle of the most effective components of the franchise. Soundtrack? 10/10. The action-based fight’s mix of fashion and substance? Unmatched. The compelling melodrama mixing Closing Fantasy, Disney, and the unique characters? Imprinted on my soul.
Kingdom Hearts II stays the collection’ highest excessive. It efficiently knocks down each pin the primary sport and Chain of Reminiscences units up, has memorable Disney worlds like Mulan, Tron, and The Lion King (Sora’s lion transformation is iconic), and likewise options some unbelievable motion set items like the ultimate boss run wherein Sora and Riku take down Xemnas. If you happen to grew up with this sport like I did, inform me you weren’t considering of that battle as you had been taking part in the ultimate battle of Closing Fantasy VII Rebirth. That shit was unforgettable. But in addition unforgettable was the debrief between Sora and Riku that follows, wherein the collection’ two leads lastly attain an understanding after three video games of being rivals. God, it’s excellent, and leads right into a equally excellent ending.
There’s in all probability a universe wherein Kingdom Hearts ended after II and was largely remembered as a near-universally beloved motion RPG collection that escalated into darker, extra advanced territory within the sequel. Even because it introduces new ideas and characters, Kingdom Hearts II is fairly cheap as a sequel earlier than each spin-off that adopted constructed Kingdom Hearts III into an Avengers-level crossover occasion. Kingdom Hearts II is the top of what the collection may have been, and whereas I’m not mad that it’s continued, I do really feel like because the collection has gone on, it has gotten much less succinct in its themes, mechanics, and the worlds it’s explored. Now that Kingdom Hearts III has concluded one story, I suppose we’ll see if the collection can peel again these layers and reduce to one thing this pure. However even when it doesn’t, Kingdom Hearts II is a summation of the most effective issues the franchise has ever finished.
