Kingdom Hearts II

 PlayStation 2
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1489 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,346 out of 1489
  2. Mixed: 63 out of 1489
  3. Negative: 80 out of 1489
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  1. Rol
    Apr 1, 2006
    6
    Great production values, but what a silly childish game for anyone over 12. This is not the way forward, a polished backward leap. Japanese designers ( alot of them anyway) need to advance beyond their cutesy culture and get gaming into the mainstream with more challenging stories and game mechanics. It's in no way a bad game just ridiculously young in scope. IGN review is bang on.
  2. FFIXlove
    Apr 14, 2008
    6
    As much as I love Disney I could not get into this game. KH1 was a mildly fun game with challenging battles and a respectable (but cheesy) storyline. KH2 on the other hand (for adults) is just an easy, boring button masher. The plot is a mess and the script is hit and miss - one would have thought that with all the Disney connected opportunities the plot would have been more interesting - As much as I love Disney I could not get into this game. KH1 was a mildly fun game with challenging battles and a respectable (but cheesy) storyline. KH2 on the other hand (for adults) is just an easy, boring button masher. The plot is a mess and the script is hit and miss - one would have thought that with all the Disney connected opportunities the plot would have been more interesting - but its not. There are however some good Disney cameos such as Mushu's, to go with the poor ones such as Capt Jack Sparrow's (his entry was plain dull). Final Fantasy characters were cool, Vivi was nice to see but they completely screwed his character up. Overall, its just very underwhelming. The huge opportunities this combination could provide just havent been exploited. Well, at least SE still makes Final Fantasy. Those games never fail to impress me (Ignoring FFX-2 + FFXI). Dragon Quest is good as well. So, in conclusion, while KH2 does have some unmistakable charm its kiddy, boring and absurd parts make it a journey not worth taking.… Expand
  3. IvyM.
    May 21, 2006
    5
    am i the only gamer out there that feels ripped off? i can't believe more people aren't offended by the spoonfed gameplay. button mashing, watching cinamatics and having every singal move you make dictated to you are all you get to do in this game. it's dissapointing and annoying. if i taped the x button to my dog's paw, he could beat this game. i am so glad i am i the only gamer out there that feels ripped off? i can't believe more people aren't offended by the spoonfed gameplay. button mashing, watching cinamatics and having every singal move you make dictated to you are all you get to do in this game. it's dissapointing and annoying. if i taped the x button to my dog's paw, he could beat this game. i am so glad i didn't buy it.… Expand
  4. DickD
    Mar 31, 2006
    5
    Decent story. Good presentation. But fighting is boring. All you do is tap X over and over. The enemys never even get harder throughout the game. The game is linear too. Its a above average hack and slash game. Don't buy this game just rent it. Trust me this game is NOT worth playing twice. Go out and buy Oblivion, it's way better then this game.
  5. MikeS.
    Apr 1, 2006
    7
    Not the best game ever! Or even the best game of the year so far. But regardless, KH2 is easily one of the best of it's kind. Be prepared for a lengthy story through almost every notable Disney movie ever. And story is where Kingdom Hearts 2 excels- it has some shocking revalations. Now, where this game falls short is gameplay. Overall it is painfully easy and simple. Well, if you Not the best game ever! Or even the best game of the year so far. But regardless, KH2 is easily one of the best of it's kind. Be prepared for a lengthy story through almost every notable Disney movie ever. And story is where Kingdom Hearts 2 excels- it has some shocking revalations. Now, where this game falls short is gameplay. Overall it is painfully easy and simple. Well, if you were already a fan of the series, gameplay issues won't change your mind. If you're not a fan, give it a try, because this is as good as the series gets... for now.… Expand
  6. JordanR.
    Apr 22, 2006
    6
    This game lacked..... some things, like the worlds to small and basically i was diasppointed.
  7. Ryan
    Jul 21, 2006
    7
    it was a good game, kinda long, but some of the voices didnt match the faces, like ansems new voice, or xemnas. And i agree with the Sora thing. And he was kinda a pussy in the game. He cried. But other than that, i loved the forms, like Valor, Master, and Final. Wisdom..eh im not a magic kinda guy. But this games better than the last cuz sora is more experienced witht eh keyblade and it was a good game, kinda long, but some of the voices didnt match the faces, like ansems new voice, or xemnas. And i agree with the Sora thing. And he was kinda a pussy in the game. He cried. But other than that, i loved the forms, like Valor, Master, and Final. Wisdom..eh im not a magic kinda guy. But this games better than the last cuz sora is more experienced witht eh keyblade and there are new cool lookin combos. And u use almost all the buttons this time. But proud mode, wasnt that proud. The only difficult battle i acutally had was the dude with a million swords. And how the fuck are u spoz to defend him when he gets on his lil dragon??? u cant do much about that. And personally, the story woulda been better if Riku ended up dieing or something. I dunno, thas just me. I thought it was a good thing that getting the Ultima Weapon was tons easier too. But i will say the secret ending has me looking forward to the third installment. Good game, corny dialogue( the whole auron thing pissed me off), unfit voices, new combos, new powers, new blades. 7.… Expand
  8. B.e.
    Aug 4, 2006
    7
    Even in Proud Mode it's too easy.
  9. SeanS.
    Mar 31, 2006
    6
    So far, I think the camera is even worse than last time, the story is almost incomprehensible, and the breaks in the action are downright tedious. And I think I've finally grown tired of this whole Square shtick of spiky-haired whiners who fall in love and reluctantly save the world. All that being said, I find myself compelled to continue playing...maybe it 's merely the So far, I think the camera is even worse than last time, the story is almost incomprehensible, and the breaks in the action are downright tedious. And I think I've finally grown tired of this whole Square shtick of spiky-haired whiners who fall in love and reluctantly save the world. All that being said, I find myself compelled to continue playing...maybe it 's merely the promise of playing amongst the characters of "Tron" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."… Expand
  10. ScotticusR.
    Apr 17, 2006
    5
    I first have to say that KH1 is the reason I bought my PS2. I am a huge fan of the first game and basic concept. However, I just beat KH2 and am generally dissatisfied with it. There were many gaps in the gameplay that I felt were a result of pure laziness on the part of the designers. For example, I was able to finish the game without 'ending' (or in the Prideland's case - I first have to say that KH1 is the reason I bought my PS2. I am a huge fan of the first game and basic concept. However, I just beat KH2 and am generally dissatisfied with it. There were many gaps in the gameplay that I felt were a result of pure laziness on the part of the designers. For example, I was able to finish the game without 'ending' (or in the Prideland's case - even setting foot in) every world! Also, Maleficient showed up all throughout the game but was not dealt with in the ending. Mayhaps she provides the motivation for KH3, but at least mention her in the ending to KH2! I guess on the positive side I could compliment the many (and I mean MANY) opportunities to use the restroom or take a shower, or even mow the yard during the cut scenes. Those scenes I swear must have consisted of about 75% of the 36 hours it took me to beat it! This game is definitely a must-have for fans, but certainly not worth the $50 I paid.… Expand
  11. quacker
    Dec 18, 2010
    6
    Plenty of things are wonderful about this game. The graphics are very reminiscent of the movie counterparts, like the Pirates of The Caribbean world. Visually, fighting is extremely satisfying with Sora doing flips and combos to decimate the enemy. There's plenty of refresher material so you know what's going on in the story, which is interesting and goes well with the previous two gamesPlenty of things are wonderful about this game. The graphics are very reminiscent of the movie counterparts, like the Pirates of The Caribbean world. Visually, fighting is extremely satisfying with Sora doing flips and combos to decimate the enemy. There's plenty of refresher material so you know what's going on in the story, which is interesting and goes well with the previous two games (the first one and Chain of Memories). For the most part, the voice acting was good - there were some voices that didn't sound entirely like the original (Cpt. Sparrow's voice bothered the hell out of me) but they were still believable and well done. Really, it was great in all aspects except the fighting and the pacing which pretty much ruined it. The fighting was entirely button mashing. Just lock on and mash buttons. All. The Way. Like I said, it is aesthetically satisfying to destroy enemies but it takes little thought besides watching for the timing of reaction commands. Also it was way too easy. There were 2 battles I had to retry once on standard - the second one against the guy with the guitar weapon and the one with the black-haired guy with the gun weapons towards the end. I haven't tried the hardest mode, but the standard mode should be much harder than it was. The number one aspect I disliked was the pacing. KH2 is a repetitive combination of mini-games, boss fights, and cutscenes. I felt like most of the worlds were very small with few areas to explore and nothing to do but open the chests (that are in plain sight) and defeat a few enemies. You also can't go through two areas without encountering a cutscene that likely doesn't add much to the story, followed by a mini-game (think musical nightmare in Atlantica) or a "defeat-these-enemies" fight. It gets boring, and when I got to The World that Never Was, I just wanted it to end already so I could escapde the boring script.… Expand
  12. wesker2012
    May 27, 2012
    7
    Not as good as the first in my opinion, but still an amazing game.
  13. MusicCream
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    Good but overated game. Bad storyline, that gets covered by graphics and fun battle system. A must if you like FF series and Disney characters. Its great to see your childhood characters from disney in this game.
  14. dmasz91
    Sep 21, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the first KH game,and this one also has exciting disney worlds to explore. The only main thing that makes me dislike the game is that the cutscenes are wayyyy too common and way to long. I find myself skipping them and missing the story line because I don't have that much time to play per day. Also the battle is too simple; autolocks on an enemy and press x as much as possible. The maps are very simple, nothing much to explore. The worst part of the game was the beginning. I spent 3 hours on the introduction tutorial before getting the real Sora, before the actual game started. I like the different abilities the characters can get and how you get a different character helping you in each world. I'd say the game is ok, and the parts i don't like are understandable since it's aimed at young people.… Expand
  15. BedhedEdWed
    Dec 23, 2017
    7
    Kingdom Hearts 2 is a hard game to review. On the one hand, when the combat decides to legitimately challenge you, it is undeniably some of the most fun I've had with a game; on the other hand, most of this game can come down to mashing x, and the story is not good enough to keep me entertained throughout the whole game. Also, on a third mutated hand, this game also has some of theKingdom Hearts 2 is a hard game to review. On the one hand, when the combat decides to legitimately challenge you, it is undeniably some of the most fun I've had with a game; on the other hand, most of this game can come down to mashing x, and the story is not good enough to keep me entertained throughout the whole game. Also, on a third mutated hand, this game also has some of the cheapest, most annoying boss fights I've ever played in a video game. As someone who has platinumed Crash Bandicoot, I feel that I have extreme patience. The data battles in this game are so horribly designed and utterly cheap, that after I had lost to Xemnas one time too many (who after a certain point becomes nigh unhittable, meanwhile he's comboing you to oblivion as you try and land a single attack. Not to even mention the attack that in the PS4 version is actually undodgeable, or the thing where he can take Sora and make you be Riku. If either one has low health, you lose. Sora will die before you can rescue him from Xemnas or Riku will die because Sora's dying and you don't have time to avoid the attacks) I deleted my save file without even a tinge of hesitation or remorse.… Expand
  16. emlugo123
    Feb 25, 2015
    6
    This game was really boring to me. The bland colors of the level and just the darkness of the game really turned me off. I wanted to like this game but I couldn't.
  17. vigen1
    Aug 19, 2015
    7
    Giving this game 0 is a huge stretch. The game is far from perfect but what it does, it does well. The story is really good but slow and the whole FF/Disney thing is well put together. However combat really lacks and is quite easy and simple even on the highest difficulty. There are also small design issues like losing changes to abilities and stats when trying a segment again. The mainGiving this game 0 is a huge stretch. The game is far from perfect but what it does, it does well. The story is really good but slow and the whole FF/Disney thing is well put together. However combat really lacks and is quite easy and simple even on the highest difficulty. There are also small design issues like losing changes to abilities and stats when trying a segment again. The main story is spread to far out between the cute disney worlds.… Expand
  18. Editman3
    Dec 5, 2016
    6
    While the gameplay is good there is no excuse for the story being so bare-boned it has some good parts that is if you are a fan not only that the game lacked tactics for an action RPG you use Reflect and Magnet to win even on drives. :(
  19. aditya1101
    Oct 6, 2017
    6
    It doesn't quite capture the magic of the first game, and while its narrative exploits are interesting they can also feel too arcane at times, leaving the player confused about what's going on. It's also a bit too easy compared to the first game. But at the same time, it's still a great action fantasy game that retains many of the features that made the first Kingdom Hearts amazing.
  20. Ryuail
    Feb 1, 2020
    6
    The World That Never Was is the reason you play this game. Everything leading up to it is just filler nonsense in Disney worlds. Mind you, the filler is definitely FUN to play, so it doesn't feel like a waste of time in the moment.

    At least that's how I felt when playing, cause once I saw where it was going I could only ask "why didn't we just make the whole game about this very    The World That Never Was is the reason you play this game. Everything leading up to it is just filler nonsense in Disney worlds. Mind you, the filler is definitely FUN to play, so it doesn't feel like a waste of time in the moment.

    At least that's how I felt when playing, cause once I saw where it was going I could only ask "why didn't we just make the whole game about this very interesting premise??"
    I have a fascination with the line between life and death, and KH2 has a small glimmer of the type of story I like which suggests that distinction isn't so binary as it is understood to be.

    This is also why I like games such as Ice Pick-Lodge's "The Void" which also tackles the theme of the life that exists between the line of life and death. Though in a very Russian way.

    Getting back to KH2, the Organization 13 members are boring anime boys, but as ultimate expressions of classic FF classes they are really cool! Shame they all wear the same dull coat instead of taking the classic armors to a ludicrous extreme as well.
    This game also marks the departure into bananas-land for the KH story, where I became a passive observer.    … Expand
  21. superpyro296
    Oct 20, 2021
    7
    I finished Kingdom Hearts 2 a few days ago and I have mix feelings about this game ! I find that Square Enix better developed their Final Fantasy franchise than Kingdom Hearts. I liked to explore the different Disney Worlds but I found the game really linear. Some boss fights were interesting but overall, there was a lot of button mashing and you have a giant difficulty spike at the end ofI finished Kingdom Hearts 2 a few days ago and I have mix feelings about this game ! I find that Square Enix better developed their Final Fantasy franchise than Kingdom Hearts. I liked to explore the different Disney Worlds but I found the game really linear. Some boss fights were interesting but overall, there was a lot of button mashing and you have a giant difficulty spike at the end of the game

    I found the game charming and there is an abundance of worlds. I appreciated most of the mini-games and the music as well. For a 2006 game, it's certainly above average but I saw way better games in this era (Paper Mario Thousand Year door, FF9 and 10)

    For me, this game is a 6,6/10

    The reason why I played this game and KH1 is to better understand and appreciate KH3 that I also purchased    … Expand
  22. ThePSButton
    May 1, 2020
    7
    Tenía al menos diez años desde la última vez que jugué Kingdom Hearts II.

    Cómo cambia uno con el tiempo. Pocas veces me he topado con un cambio tan radical en cómo veo un título, pero rejugar KH II, sobre todo después de rejugar el original, ha potenciado todas sus fallas. Un sistema de combate mediocre, una exploración nula en los mundos, una utilización pobre del apartado Disney    Tenía al menos diez años desde la última vez que jugué Kingdom Hearts II.

    Cómo cambia uno con el tiempo.

    Pocas veces me he topado con un cambio tan radical en cómo veo un título, pero rejugar KH II, sobre todo después de rejugar el original, ha potenciado todas sus fallas. Un sistema de combate mediocre, una exploración nula en los mundos, una utilización pobre del apartado Disney dentro de la narrativa principal y una recta final bastante olvidable, hacen que la obra pierda muchísimo.

    Claro, lo audiovisual está hecho a mano con mimo precioso, pero Kindom Hearts II es más estilo que sustancia. Final Mix agrega contenido destacable, y esas nuevas peleas son lo mejor que ofrece jugablemente el título, lo que lo rescata y lo pone ligeramente arriba del promedio.    … Expand
  23. Raado-san
    Jul 26, 2020
    6
    In this KH the character felt weird and the relationship between Sora and Riku is so annoying and i really didn't enjoy the combat system specially when you have to finish the boss with the final hit of the combo that's just stupid.
  24. ZangBang
    Dec 25, 2022
    6
    60/100
    Kingdom Hearts 2's story is an enchanting chronicle that blends the dreamy-like mood of a fairy tale with the cheesy, spectacular epicness of an anime, sustained and tied together by a powerful emotional core elevated by unique memorable music. Superbly directed scenes that can deliver and convey the tender, melancholic drama amidst the wacky, bizarre concepts of its world and    60/100
    Kingdom Hearts 2's story is an enchanting chronicle that blends the dreamy-like mood of a fairy tale with the cheesy, spectacular epicness of an anime, sustained and tied together by a powerful emotional core elevated by unique memorable music. Superbly directed scenes that can deliver and convey the tender, melancholic drama amidst the wacky, bizarre concepts of its world and lore, thanks to both being inextricably tied together. Alas, in gameplay, we instantly notice that Level Design got a massive downgrade. The intricate, fun maps of KH1 have been replaced with dull hallways and hollow rooms, with chests scattered here and there in esthetically pleasing but structurally barren environments, with only a single optional area providing any engaging platforming. The game experience is saved and recontextualized thanks to the absolute beauty of Combat: the already incredibly snappy and fluid base combos are the solid ground on top of which an exciting amount of engaging heterogeneous possibilities are stacked. On top of Abilities, Magic and Summons, Fusions and Limits have been introduced. Fusions especially significantly change the gameplay with different playstyles while also providing a new layer of strategic resource management to progression, as Limits offer an additional, tangential support. All these new additions are perfectly balanced, to be upgraded and unleashed against a strongly diversified army of enemies and bosses as the various levels countinuously add new twists and variations to the battle formula to keep things fresh through new attack patterns or external gimmicks, with the only serious flaw being the oversimplified, underdeveloped Reaction Commands (It must be also noted that enemy pose a meaningful, satisfying challenge only on Critical Mode). The game also offers an incredible amount of thrilling, greatly polished optional bosses to push the player's skills to their limit after the main campaign. Gummiship sections have been made much more enjoyable thanks to a faster pace and more visual flare.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PS2 Game of 2006
2
#2 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006
3
#3 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. Siliconera
    98
    An all around excellent game. It looks phenomenal and plays even better. What started out as a crazy fan based experiment for Square-Enix has panned out to one of the most entertaining titles of the year. [JPN Import]
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  2. Deeko
    95
    From the amazing opening cg cinema (oh god, I think I just soiled myself it was so good) with Utada Hikaru's newest song, Passion, to the kick ass ending, this game rocked and set itself a more than worthy successor to the first Kingdom Hearts. [JPN Import]
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  3. GameBrink
    94
    It has an excellent battle system, more variety than almost any game out there, great graphics, and an interesting story. The title isn't perfect though. The story lacks a bit of cohesiveness and the auto-camera still can't seem to track everything that's going on. [JPN Import]
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