In case you've missed them, go back and read Part I, Kingdom Hearts, and Part II, Re: Chain of Memories. They're good reads, and I will most likely leave out parts of the story of the series that I covered in them. Also, there will be spoilers in this one. Just wanted to get that all out of the way before we got onto Kingdom Hearts 2.
The game starts with Roxas having a dream exceedingly similar to the one Sora had at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts. In a lot of ways, it's just a refresher course on the basics with a few new elements. Specifically, the new QTE enemy specific combos and revealing the Nobodies. It's not a bad little segment, overall, and not too long, which is also nice.
In case you don't know, Roxas is Sora's nobody, a concept that was first really introduced in KH2. Nobodies are created when a heart is ripped from a body. There has been theories that there would then have to be three forms, the body, the mind, and the heart for the Nobodies as minds and the Heartless as the bodies to work, but getting off topic.
Roxas background is gone into more depth in 358/2 Days, so when I get around to playing that, I'll cover him more, but the basic things you need to know are he's a keyblade master because he's a part of Sora (and Kairi, though again, more on that a later date). Because of such, he was brought into Organization XIII as number XIII, specifically because the Keyblade(s) are important to the Organization's plot...more on that later.
Roxas wakes up with none of his memories of being a Nobody, living in Twilight Town, or what we believe to be Twilight Town anyways. Roxas hangs with his friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette, trying to find work so that they can visit the beach, or do their summer projects so they don't have to worry about them right before term starts, or practicing for the Rumble, a sparring game where you collect orbs, match coming up right before the end of the summer.
The last of those, Rumble, presents you with the choices for this game. Similar to the last games shield, staff, and sword choice, this one gives you Rumble batons to make the choice with. Just as you do, Nobodies attack the sparring area. The baton will then shift into the keyblade, giving you the ability to take down the new villainous minions.
As the days pass, and more issues with the Nobodies crop up, we're treated to images of Ansem, the villain now fully defeated twice, once in KH and again in Riku's Tale of CoM, and DiZ conversing about Namine's progress on rechaining Sora's memories. They talk about Roxas as well, specifically about someone trying to get to him. This somebody is the Organization, specifically Axel, who just wants his best friend back.
Axel begins to cause glitches in the program Roxas is in, and eventually breaks through himself to find his friend. Once inside, he finds Roxas just about to win the Rumble tournament and tells him to come with him. Here we really get to see Roxas in action dueling his former friend and some nobodies while dual wielding Oblivion and Oath Keeper, Sora's keyblades inspired by Riku and Kairi respectively.
This introduces yet another element of the game that's new...alternate forms and keyblade usage. Among these are Valor, Wisdom, Summon, Master, Limit, Final (the form Roxas takes, and later, makes Sora appear similar to Roxas in style of garb), and Anti (or heartless). These allow you to level up Sora's special abilities, and grant growth abilities throughout the game.
Following this fight, Roxas begins to dissolve from the illusion. Axel attacks him, but DiZ stops him. Roxas then travels to the Old Mansion looking for clues about what is going on at DiZ's suggestion. There he runs across Namine, a girl from his dreams who we've met previously at Castle Oblivion who had the ability to affect Sora's, and those around him's memories.
Now, we need to get into Roxas and Namine. These two characters are both nobodies, but unlike the others, they are both the nobodies of two people. Even more bizarre, it is the same two people, Sora and Kairi. To this it end, it leaves a lot of questions about just how strong Sora and Kairi's bond is and why it's so strong, as there's never been any real romantic comments made (though we know how Square used to love making that the cause of things). Xion, who is a replica of Roxas, and thus also a replica of Sora and Kairi also shares this bond with him, making it even more confusing. Maybe this will finally be explained in KH3, if it's ever announced.
Namine restores Roxas memories, telling him that even though he will disappear soon, he'll never really be gone. He then goes in search of Sora, resolved to figure out what's going on, however, Axel stops him, trying once more to get his friend to return with him. He refuses and Axel attacks him, attempting to take his friend back by force.
Roxas overcomes the fire starter and continues searching for Sora. Axel finally concedes that his friend may be gone and lets him pass without anymore trouble. Roxas then comes to a row of pods, including one with Donald in it, and another with Goofy. Finally, he walks into a solid white chamber with one pod in it. As he comes nearer, it opens, and Sora is revealed.
Sora awakens and Roxas disappears. Kingdom Hearts 2 truly begins.
A year has passed since the events of KH at this point and the trio nor Jiminy who is still accompanying them has no recollection of the events of CoM save for a writing in Jiminy's journal. "Thank Namine".
The story plays out as Sora tries to find out what the Nobodies and the Organization are up to and finally put a stop to them. Meanwhile, the other two keyblade masters are set up to take their places beside him in the coming final battle with Xenmas. It's very well crafted, and has once scene that has Maleficent really shining through as a major bad ass ripping through Nobodies to save Sora so that he can stop the Organization once and for all. It's a great story and a good beginning for the war to come when Sora, and the other two keyblade masters have to finish what was started in Birth by Sleep (note: if you don't know who the other two are, you've may have some learning disabilities, and should seek help).
The game looks, feels, and sounds much like its predecessors. Graphically, it's taken a slight upgrade, though in may ways, it's barely noticeable. Musically, most of the tracks are new, though they still retain a lot of the same feel as the original game. Some world themes are even reused in this game, specifically Halloween Town, which was epic to begin with.
The music overall is better in this game due to the character themes, Kairi and Riku's have gotten much more established, and feel much more vibrant. Sora's Sacrifice has been remade into a few tracks based on that the feeling of the moment is, specifically powerful when Sora has to take down hundreds of Heartless in a war like battle at Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden. Then, these character themes are joined by Sanctuary, the theme song for this title, which goes above and beyond its predecessor, Simple and Clean.
Finally, the music hits a high note (pun not intended) with the two new character themes and one world theme (this is my absolute favorite world in the game, so that might have something to do with it). Namine's theme was first introduced in CoM, though it really gets to shine through here, as she's actually more of a character in this game than a plot device like she was in CoM.
Then, there's Roxas' theme. At first, what seems to be a haunting elegy lamenting the fallen nobody quickly becomes some much more, bringing out all the hope the character had, and that he was able to pass on to Sora in turn. Like Riku's theme before it, it also gets to be a world theme for The World that Never Was.
Last but not least, Timeless River's non combat theme is gorgeous, evoking the feel of classic Disney cartoons, specifically, the Silly Symphonies, while at the same time exposing the grandeur of the future's Disney Castle theme through it's triumph. Though it's on a short loop, it's the only theme I never really get tired of hearing. And the level is downright awesome in feel and design.
Voices however, lose some of the flair they had in the previous game. A lot of this is due to changes in voices, but specifically, the Final Fantasy characters that didn't have voices previous to Kingdom Hearts, and weren't featured in Advent Children get really messed up. I can't stand Leon's new voice, and Seifer's crew in Twilight Town sounds like crap...except for Vivi, because Vivi's awesome. However, I'm glad that some of the Disney characters were given their original actors that didn't have them in the original. The most noticeable of these is Tate Donovan taking back his role as Hercules.
Gameplay hasn't changed much save for the forms, which I've already discussed. However...there is one world where gameplay can differ quite a lot. The Pride Lands. In what was a marvelous experience that I think was better than all the Wolf segments of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, playing as Sora the Lion was pretty glorious. While there's not much adjustment to the character's basic movement, you have to learn how to fight on this world, and, more specifically rely on your dashing abilities. It's a wonderful experiment and like Neverland's flying and Atlantis' swimming, shows that Square Enix could do something really great in varying types of gameplay.
This wraps up the Kingdom Hearts Trilogy for now. When I do get to play 358/2 Days, I have a good feeling it will be added to the list, but until then, here ends my Kingdom Hearts series.
So, what do you think? Was my praise of the series well deserved? Was it not? What do you think of the characters? Are they as complex as I make them out to be, or are they simply two dimensional stock characters, that my early mocking of them as the FFVII characters seems to bely. Let me know.
-Sara
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