Kingdom Hearts II: Back in Black

When it was first announced, skeptical eyebrows were raised. Derisive laughter came from fans of the RPG genre. An alliance between Squaresoft and Disney? Donald Duck versus Cloud Strife? It was a game, they believed, that was destined to fail.

'Kingdom Hearts' proved them wrong, and in a big way. Featuring gorgeous graphics, a surprisingly deep plot, and (of course), Donald, Goofy, and some kid wielding a giant key, the game turned out to be a success, quickly earning a place for itself in the mainstream gaming community.

Now, the sequel is here for the Playstation 2. In the 'tutorial' of the game, one takes control of a brash, blonde haired kid named Roxas, and later on the story switches focus to the familiar trio of Sora, Donald and Goofy from the first game.

The Good and Improved:

Animations are still crisp and clear. It feels almost exactly like what the old cartoons of our youth would look like had they been transposed onto 3-D.

The vast majority of character's voices sound almost perfect, with only a couple of noticeable hiccups.

Square fans should be happy with the proportionally larger amount of Final Fantasy cameos, ranging from Auron to Setzer, while the nostalgic should be satisfied from the Disney worlds like Pride Rock to Beast's Castle.

There is also a far deeper and darker story behind the entire game than there was during the first one.

The Bad:

While the story itself is much improved, the pacing of the story is horrendous. You get introduced to a major plot point, and then you visit a Disney world and basically play out its plot while ignoring earlier plot point. Thus you are very likely to get frustrated.

Main gameplay is also extremely simple. The majority of the time, you can get through with just the analog-stick and the X-button. The game itself feels too easy, regardless of difficulty setting.

The verdict: Overall, a 7/10. Get it if you have the cash, but it's not a 'sell the house to purchase it' kind of deal.

By: Johnathan Lau