Kingdom Hearts II 20 Year Retrospective
What’s the greatest video game you’ve ever played? The game that, just by playing it, you feel like the course of your life has been forever changed? For me, that game was one that I rented at Blockbuster for a week, and I wound up becoming obsessed with. A game that, when I first saw the commercials for it, I thought looked so stupid, but turned out to be something I needed but never known until I received it. That game was Kingdom Hearts II.
Released in Japan December 2005 before being ported westward three months later, Kingdom Hearts II was the sequel to Square Enix’s 2002 game, and its interquel, Chain of Memories. And if you somehow dont know what Kingdom Hearts is about, here’s how to best describe it:
Disney IPs+Square Enix’s Games/JRPGS=crazy awesomeness.
Kingdom Hearts II Experience
I had never intended to play any of the Kingdom Hearts games at first, so I didn’t end up playing the OG game until after Kingdom Hearts II. Which was fine by me, since the game recaps everything that happened in its extended prologue. As a result, I was going into the game virtually blind to everything beyond the basic story, but once I got started, I couldn’t stop. Playing Kingdom Hearts II was one of the greatest experiences of my childhood, and to this day, I consider it a gold standard for JRPGs and games in general. So to celebrate its 20th anniversary, I want to go over just why I was so obsessed with this game as a kid.
If you’re a newcomer to Kingdom Hearts, and feel intimidated by how confusing the lore seems to be, you’re not alone. The series gets very confusing and hard to understand, so I recommend looking up a lore video on YouTube. That being said, after an extended prologue where we play as someone else entirely (and the reason why will become clear in the game) the main plot of Kingdom Hearts II begins. Sora, Donald, and Goofy awaken from a slumber while lacking any memory as to how or why. From there, they find the many worlds of the universe remain under threat from old enemies, like the Heartless, as well as new enemies called the Nobodies, beings who retained their body and soul despite losing their hearts to darkness. This leads the three to go on another journey to worlds both new and familiar to stop the threats while looking for their missing friends.
In a nutshell, though, the whole point of the game is to provide the ultimate fan service.
It Came Out at the Right Time
Disney might not be as highly thought of these days, but when Kingdom Hearts first came out in 2002, the company was just exiting the Disney Renaissance era. From 1989 to 1999, Disney had dominated the box office, releasing hit animated movie after hit animated movie. This newfound success and the rise of home video systems like VHS and DVD meant an entire generation had the chance to grow up loving Disney, myself included. With the memories of those films still fresh on everyone’s minds, Square Enix was able to work out a deal with Disney to combine their IPs with their JRPGs, creating a series that combined the best of both.
And despite it sounding absolutely insane on paper, it wound up being crazy enough to work. Square Enix’s established fan base came for the JRPG elements, while younger kids came to fight alongside their favorite movie characters. I should know: that was the whole reason I bought it.
Seriously, I can’t tell you enough about just how amazing it was to play alongside many of the heroes from the movies I grew up watching. Better yet, I got to experience the plots of many of the movies. I could be in China helping Mulan fight Shan Yu, travel back in time to Mickey’s first cartoon, or help Simba battle Scar atop Pride Rock. That’s just a few examples to name off the top of my head, and that’s not even getting into the combat.
Gaming Combat Done Right!
A major selling point for the best JRPGs is that they have excellent combat mechanics, and Kingdom Hearts II has some of the greatest I’d ever seen up to that point. Fighting was incredibly fast-paced, and while you could try to brute force your way through things, the higher difficulties require you to come up with effective strategies. Thankfully, Sora has multiple ways to fight as you level up, allowing you to chain attacks or blast enemies with magic. When that doesn’t cut it, we could use different super forms that boost his stats for a short period. Of course, we didn’t have to fight alone. Donald and Goofy can provide excellent support, and most worlds included a guest party member to fight alongside you. Or when you’re performing reaction commands.
I know that quick-time events are a game mechanic that isn’t that popular these days, but Kingdom Hearts II had a variant of them called reaction commands. Basically, it involved hitting the triangle button to activate special attacks or exploit something in the context of the fight. When used in boss fights, it can help unlock scripted scenes where Sora can show off just how awesome he is. Like dodging lasers at near light speed, or restraining Jafar in his genie form with his own tail. And then the scene in the final boss fight where you have to help Sora and his best friend block thousands of laser bolts. It makes everything feel so cinematic, and it only gets better when paired with the music.
The Coolest Soundtrack in a Video Game
Whether it’s for a movie, TV show, or video game, the right music can make or break the story you’re trying to tell. The best soundtracks can be so good that even after you’re done with the story, you end up coming back just to jam to the music. And Kingdom Hearts II has one of my all-time favorite soundtracks in any video game.
From the moment the game begins, we are treated to this absolutely incredible song, Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru. From then on, our ears are treated to a concert that covers a rainbow of emotions. There’s music for goofy scenes, grand epics that fit incredible boss fights, and music that can make you get super emotional. I still listen to the soundtrack every now and then, and get as pumped as I was hearing it for the first time.
So, in conclusion, Kingdom Hearts II is one of the greatest video games ever made. If you haven’t played it, you should get the remastered version for modern consoles. And I desperately wish that Square Enix would give us the next game without making us wait years without any information!
