IGN
7.6/10 good
I understand the eagerness of Kingdom Hearts II — Myself, and many other guys in the office like me, were really excited when the game arrived. Plus, as someone who’s played and beaten the original PS2 game in addition to the GBA title a number of times, I was definitely looking forward to the sequel. Unfortunately, once I and some of the others actually started playing through it, it became an obvious letdown.
The reason? The combat is way too simple and while the number of attacks and abilities are plentiful, they’re ultimately unfulfilling and boring. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful title with a great story and fantastic presentation, but because of its major combat flaws (and that fact that it turns its back on exploration and most RPG elements), it does the game a great disservice.
Gaming Age
100/100
Given the title’s wide appeal, featuring numerous characters and scenarios close to the hearts of many, and given how it ties this to simple yet addictive gameplay backed by mostly solid game design, there’s no denying Kingdom Hearts II satisfies in a way few games can.
Game spot
8.7/10
The Good
Many improvements over the previous game
Fixed camera angle and new gameplay dynamics
Tons of guest appearances and cameos
Wonderfully rich familiar environments
Excellent voice acting and music
The Bad
The standard level of difficulty is far too easy
Some of the Square characters are given horrible dialogue
Gameplay relies too heavily on button mashing
