The new hit game Kingdom Hearts for the PlayStation 2 combines the great characters of Final Fantasy VII, VIII and X with Disney Favorites!

Many gamers will be unsure about this game at first. Disney characters? You mean little Mickeys and Minnies in a game? Really, give it a chance. The game can be played by those under 10, but it's captivating for teenagers and adults too!

First, the graphics are just AMAZING. The characters are all extremely well rendered. From Donald Duck to Goofy with their curves, to Tidus and Wakka from FFX and Selphie from FFVIII and more. There are different textures in each world, from the Jungle planet of Tarzan to the rooms and gardens of Alice in Wonderland, to the Coliseum of Olympus. They're all lovingly rendered in gameplay, and the cutscenes are gorgeous.

Next, plot and gameplay. The 'heartless' have come to attack the various worlds, and you must investigate to figure out what is going on. There are many quests on each planet, all quite fun and logical. There are other cross-world quests, such as finding all 99 Dalmatian puppies or tracking down missing pages in a journal.

Your main character, "Sora", can be with Donald, Goofy, Tarzan, and other characters during these quests. In addition, he learns the ability to get help from other characters, such as Dumbo the Elephant. There is a lot of puzzle solving, but also a lot of combat as you fight off the shadow creatures.

You get to choose your character type in the beginning - warrior, guardian or mystic. You also get to shape your personality by answering three questions about what you treasure in life, what you fear, and what you hope for. You level up as you go along, getting more strength and more skills.

There are normal and hard settings, so you can set it to normal for the kids in the house and set it to hard for those looking for more of a challenge. There are a lot of witty references in the game that adults will be sure to love, and the younger ones will be happy seeing goofy and pluto protecting the land from the enemy.

Final Fantasy players have always loved the romance that weaves through the FF series, and Kingdom Hearts provides that as well. Sora is in love with Kairi, and she is lost at the beginning of the game. So part of his quest is to find her and protect her. The scenes of him sitting on the dock by the ocean talking with her, as the sun sets slowly, are simply beautiful.

Highly, highly recommended for any gamer of any age!

Rating: 4.5/5

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Kingdom Hearts Walkthrough
Kingdom Hearts Screenshots