Kingdom Hearts 2

This might be a long one. So I guess I`ll preface this by saying that, When I say I'm a kh fan, I mean I like Kindgom Hearts 2. The rest aren't bad or anything but I have an irrational amount of nostalgia for 2 and even ignoring that, I just think it's in a tier of it's own among the other kh games.
Also I'm basing this review on my most recent playthrough on critical mode on the ps2 final mix version.
I'll start by talking about the intro section of the game before getting into my opinions on the gameplay and stuff since the game really starts once you begin playing as Sora.


So you start the game as Roxas after watching the opening, that is taking an incredible amount of restraint for me to not gush over, and begin the lenghty tutorial.
People tend to not like this section of the game because of how long it is and I agree to an extent. It could have been trimmed down a bit but I don`t find it unbearable.
You just go around doing normal young teenager stuff as Roxas whilst slowly realising nothing around you is real and you've been living a lie as far as you know.
On this playthrough it kinda felt like a psychological horror. When you put yourself in Roxas' shoes, the entire situation is just depressing because he has 0 idea what is going on and everyone around is vague about everything except for Namine but for some reason Roxas thinks he will disappear despite Namine telling him he wont disappear but whatever. Anyway after the fight with Axel you go ahead and finish up the tutorial as Roxas becomes one with Sora.

I really like this cutscene because it feels doesn't feel like Roxas is really coming to terms with the situation but more like, just reluctantly accepting his fate. To be honest though if it weren't for the fact that he looked like Ventus, maybe his story would have played out differently. If he looked like the person he actually stemed from maybe he'd be cool with it but we never really have another nobody appear in the same circumstances as Roxas so I guess we will never know what that kinda situation would be like. They'd just be a doppelganger I guess.

Got a little off topic with that tangent but anyway, After the tutorial you can start playing as good ol' Sora again, along with Donald and Goofy and whatever party members join in their respective worlds. I guess I'll talk about the gameplay now since I won't get too into every story detail.

This game is definitely a button masher especially on lower difficulties but less so on critical, that is to say that you can get away with button mashing for most of the game save for times where you have to look out for a reaction command. For this playthrough I stuck to making my combos as short as possible just for stagger consistency and to avoid getting my combos interrupted.
On critical I believe your max hp is lowered so you've gotta be careful, especially in the beginning when you aren't decked out with magic.
I will say that after a certain point the game became really easy save for 3 boss fights, Xaldin, Xigbar and Roxas. For the entirety of the 2nd half of the game, those are the only bosses that I was stuck on.

Generally though, critical mode wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it'd be but it didn't take away from the experience. I'm not gonna lie though, reflect absolutely breaks the late game and is probably the sole reason it was as easy as it was. I'm pretty sure I skipped a phase of Xemnas's last fight because of it lol. The drive forms are cool.
I only really used wisdom and limit form. Valor lost its use for me and master was just kinda there and I'd just use Wisdom form instead. Then Final form, I only really used for grinding to get the glide ability. I don't think I actually used it in any bossfights.
I don't know if this is worth mentioning but I stuck with the kingdom key for the majority of the game, only switching to oathkeeper during the midgame and then back to the kingdom key near the end. I didn't feel like it made the game any more difficult though, I just like using the kingdom key because it's neat you know?

I think reaction commands are pretty alright, I don't have much to say about them other than that it feels really cool to finish a boss off with them.
That's about all I have to say about the combat, it is cool. Now going onto the in-game environment, It is definitely lacking in some worlds. I don't really mind this whenever it is noticeable but I can get the disdain for it. Kh1 had a lot more intricate platforming even if it wasn't the most innovational thing ever.

Despite that I don't mind the lack of level design because it's not like the spaces are designed poorly, they just prioritised making the environment a place to move around and fight in. On the topic of movement, I really like it, once you've gotten all the drive upgrades at least. Without then it's just ok but then again, why wouldn't you use them unless you're doing a challenge. Though as I type that previous sentence I realise that giving you an option to turn your abilities off at all is a plus and should be appreciated.

The worlds are neat and I found myself enjoying them more than I thought I would. I don't have any notable complaints on them. I guess I found the gimmick of port royale a bit annoying and that one room with the falling tombstones in halloween town but that was about it. Atlantica was fine too, I honestly just found it endearing in a roundabout way. My favourite worlds are Space paranoids, Timeless River and 100 Acre woods.

I also wanna say that I like how Sora interacts with everyone. Something about his attitude just makes me feel happy. There's this immense earnest aura to him that I cannot help but appreciate. The cutscene with Riku and him just before you fight Xemnas again is the go to example that comes to mind.

Okay so, since I last edited this, I have been making progress through the cave of rememberance and I'll say that my previous opinion on the level design has changed, even if it only applies to one area. I really like how the cave of rememberance takes advantage of the drive movement skills. Being able to move around so smoothly and quickly in more complex and layered areas feels cool. Yeah.
Okay so now, after months of just not finishing this review for some reason, the only thing I've done is beat data Roxas a few months ago, though It'd be better to discuss that in the strat page, if I ever do that.

Since my thoughts aren't as well put together as they were months ago, I'll just say that kh2 has great, customizable and fluid gameplay with exceptional superbosses that test your game knowledge and in regards to the story and ending, despite the loose ends and the fact that, most if not every other, playable character, that isn't apart of the destiny island trio or Donald, Goofy and Mickey, in the future games + Namine would have a bittersweet or downright depressing ending to their part in the overall plot if the every game including and after DDD didn't happen, exhale
Kingdom Hearts 2 has the most satisfying conclusion and part of me would be okay if the series hd ended there.
Can you tell that my thoughts aren't as well put together as they were months ago? Anyway, I love this game and it is very good so you should play it, I very much recommend, yeah.