Kingdom Hearts

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1277 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,103 out of 1277
  2. Mixed: 106 out of 1277
  3. Negative: 68 out of 1277
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  1. frederik1478
    Apr 17, 2020
    10
    one of my favorite games of all time I cannot recommend it enough and I will play this to the day I die
  2. D484
    May 28, 2017
    10
    Este juego fue mi primer contacto con este mundo cuando solo tenía 2 años, y me sigue pareciendo igual de genial. Me encanta esta combinación de los mundos de Disney y FF. Es muy divertido el sistema de combate y están genial sus toques RPG. Le pongo un 96/!00
  3. aditya1101
    Oct 6, 2017
    8
    It has its flaws, and it's hard to say that it's really exemplary in most of the typical ways that games are good. But it's still one of my favorite games of all time for two major reasons. First is that the cast of characters that Kingdom Hearts is able to amass is almost unrivaled across video games - I can't think of another game that blends so many different, well-known charactersIt has its flaws, and it's hard to say that it's really exemplary in most of the typical ways that games are good. But it's still one of my favorite games of all time for two major reasons. First is that the cast of characters that Kingdom Hearts is able to amass is almost unrivaled across video games - I can't think of another game that blends so many different, well-known characters together in the same world so seamlessly. But most importantly, Kingdom Hearts just feels so good to play. It's not the most complicated battling by any means (though it's certainly not easy either!), but its unique brand of hack and slash combo'ing just makes everything you do feel super badass.… Expand
  4. Sebascr12
    Nov 23, 2018
    8
    The combat is ok, nothing special but work fine. The history have some cringe moments but after all is nice to see this characters, interact with each other. The platform parts are bad and feel awkward. The soundtrack is awesome...
  5. Toastclaimer
    Feb 20, 2018
    8
    It's combat hasn't aged perfectly, the plot can be a bit by-the-books and the difficulty spikes like a rocky sales chart but original KH is still a fantastic game. This is not the way to play it as the updated release; despite bugs adds new graphics and features
  6. Sylictic
    Jul 8, 2023
    9
    Mixing disney and final fantasy together with an original storyline and characters that melt your heart. A compelling story about friendship and forgiveness coupled with one of the most innovative combat systems seen in gaming at this point. Future entries expand on what is begun here but make no mistake this is a fantastic video game that will delight any age for hours.
  7. dggt
    Jul 10, 2019
    8
    Great game, but it have one annoying problem, game doesn't f*ing tells you where you need to go and what you need to do, no map, no waypoins, no current objective. You are needed to look in to every corner (with infinite spawning enemies). You can't skip cutscenes, even after the game is finished, i want to see how much time i spend on it or play after ending, i only see inscription "TheGreat game, but it have one annoying problem, game doesn't f*ing tells you where you need to go and what you need to do, no map, no waypoins, no current objective. You are needed to look in to every corner (with infinite spawning enemies). You can't skip cutscenes, even after the game is finished, i want to see how much time i spend on it or play after ending, i only see inscription "The End", and can't do anything, i can only turn off console. These are trivial things, but if you sum up this that's a problem.… Expand
  8. Aqwin
    Mar 2, 2019
    6
    I don’t have nostalgia for this game but I do love the concept of Final Fantasy meets Disney. And that is why I wanted to play this game.

    Game was relatively simple being a button mashing games and there were many moments of cringe dialogue but it somehow all worked. The series definitely can be better with some tweaking of gameplay and less cringe.
  9. superpyro296
    Nov 11, 2021
    6
    That was my first Kingdom Hearts game and I can say that it was good enough, especially for a 2002 game. I will certainly play KH2 and KH3. I give this game a 6,4/10 rating.

    Kingdom Hearts is an action RPG that mixes Final Fantasy and Disney. I really appreciated to see different Disney worlds with unique features. I think also some worlds are really well done and the exploration part    That was my first Kingdom Hearts game and I can say that it was good enough, especially for a 2002 game. I will certainly play KH2 and KH3. I give this game a 6,4/10 rating.

    Kingdom Hearts is an action RPG that mixes Final Fantasy and Disney. I really appreciated to see different Disney worlds with unique features. I think also some worlds are really well done and the exploration part can be interesting for a few of those worlds. However, here is the less good about this game:

    1. The camera is bad and it will have a negative impact on the combat
    2. The combat is really clunky in general which is a difficulty factor to consider
    3. Some worlds are ugly. I almost quitted the game when I was in the jungle world
    4. At times, game is not intuitive and you don't know where to go
    5. There are giant difficulty spikes near the end which I wasn't prepared for...(See my recommendations in the end of this review)
    6. Story is average, a bit shallow...Don't expect something like Final Fantasy

    However, I still had a good time with this game. If you want to take full advantage of this game and has a smooth experience, you can consider my recommendations:

    1. Don't rush the game ! For exemple, if you finish a world, take the time to revisit the previous worlds and grind a few levels. You will also have the opportinity to unlock new areas or open new chests

    2. There is an important difficulty spike for the last world. Be sure to do a lot of optional content (upgrade all your abilities, find all the dalmatians, synthesise more items, etc...)

    3. Don't bother with the Gummi ship garage...I didn't find this part relevant
    4. Do your first playthrough on normal difficulty (Like I said, bad controls is a difficulty factor)
    5. Take this game for what it is. It has important flaws but has something unique. Personnaly, it reminded me of my childhood and great Disney movies.    … Expand
  10. maturene
    Dec 22, 2018
    8
    Luego escribo una review desas que ahora mismo me da pereza y tal. me cagoento
  11. Eseka_M
    Jan 3, 2019
    8
    Kingdom Hearts es un muy buen juego para su época, por eso esta review va a ir enfocada a esos años entre 2002-2006. Lo primero que hay que destacar es los buenos gráficos que tiene, comparandolo con otros juegos de esos años, Kingdom Hearts explotaba al máximo la capacidad de la PS2. Una de las BSO más increibles en todos los videojuegos que hace que el juego sea mucho más ameno y dan másKingdom Hearts es un muy buen juego para su época, por eso esta review va a ir enfocada a esos años entre 2002-2006. Lo primero que hay que destacar es los buenos gráficos que tiene, comparandolo con otros juegos de esos años, Kingdom Hearts explotaba al máximo la capacidad de la PS2. Una de las BSO más increibles en todos los videojuegos que hace que el juego sea mucho más ameno y dan más ganas de estar atento. Un sistema de combate bastante fluido con el gran defecto de la cámara, que imposibilita mucho al jugador y es realmente una molestia cuando el sistema de combate está tan elaborado, una pena. El diseño de los personajes y de los mundos originales me parece una pasada, sobretodo de sincorazones como el Invisible, Bégimo o Defensor. La historia es aceptable, es un juego que esta destinado a un público bastante joven por lo que cae en algunos clichés y no da rienda suelta a toda la imaginacion que puede tener un guionista aunque pese a esto se le coge un cariño especial a la historia y a veces es incluso arriesgada como por ejemplo cuando (SPOILER) Sora decide clavarse la llave espada para sacar el corazón de Kairi,

    En líneas generales es un gran juego aunque para un público determinado y he de decir que el juego envejece muy mal asi que no hay que crearse grandes expectativas al leer la review.    … Expand
  12. WakeUpJeff
    Oct 2, 2020
    4
    I don't really understand the praise this game gets. My main problem is that the combat is monotonous and even mind numbingly boring during the games harder sections. It's a button masher where you occasionally have to heal, so you can imagine how dull it gets throughout this 25 hour long game. This isn't to even mention the camera either. When it did impress me, however, is when it layedI don't really understand the praise this game gets. My main problem is that the combat is monotonous and even mind numbingly boring during the games harder sections. It's a button masher where you occasionally have to heal, so you can imagine how dull it gets throughout this 25 hour long game. This isn't to even mention the camera either. When it did impress me, however, is when it layed off with the combat and instead indulged in it's adventure aspects by letting me treasure hunt and find secrets within it's levels. The levels themselves were still fun to play around in, even though they're horribly lifeless by today's standard. It's story is also nothing to write home about. It's nice, but nothing amazing. The soundtrack is also worth mentioning as a highlight of the game. Although i had fun here and there, the combat was simply too prevalent to really enjoy it. I simply spent most of my time mashing the x button mindlessly over and over again for minutes on end.… Expand
  13. MuchoPelicula
    Aug 27, 2019
    2
    Unpopular Opinion: Basura Infame. Mala historia, horribles y planos personajes y mal sistema de progreso de niveles. No hablemos de la cámara. No lo volvería a tocar ni con un palo. No lo recomiendo.
  14. MatthewDavisMed
    Aug 7, 2020
    9
    What could've ended up as a ridiculous mess just to get Disney fans into Final Fantasy, has turned out to become a fun, engaging, and heartfelt adventure filled with familiar faces we all know and love. As well as original characters we've come to love as well.
  15. DjaySuzi
    Jan 27, 2021
    3
    Easily one of my least favorite games to get platinum on. I got it because I always heard great things about it but aside of the nostalgia of Disney characters that I've always known and loved everything about this game fell flat for me. I didn't care about any of the original characters, the story was a borefest, and the mechanics were awful. Then again, I never played them during theirEasily one of my least favorite games to get platinum on. I got it because I always heard great things about it but aside of the nostalgia of Disney characters that I've always known and loved everything about this game fell flat for me. I didn't care about any of the original characters, the story was a borefest, and the mechanics were awful. Then again, I never played them during their time so that could be why I'm not looking at this game through rose-colored glasses.… Expand
  16. senblade
    Oct 7, 2019
    7
    Удивительная и умилительная коллаборация между FF и Disney. Поразительно, что механически игра до сих пор не особо устарела, и предлагает игроку более динамичный и качественно реализованный геймплей, чем в более свежих жрпг уровня серии Tales. Сюжет хоть детский и наивный, но заставляет игрока проникаться историей Соры, Рику и Кайри. Kingdom Hearts - отличный представитель жанра и одна изУдивительная и умилительная коллаборация между FF и Disney. Поразительно, что механически игра до сих пор не особо устарела, и предлагает игроку более динамичный и качественно реализованный геймплей, чем в более свежих жрпг уровня серии Tales. Сюжет хоть детский и наивный, но заставляет игрока проникаться историей Соры, Рику и Кайри. Kingdom Hearts - отличный представитель жанра и одна из самых ярких игровых серий.… Expand
  17. MarioneteGaming
    Feb 13, 2020
    8
    I absolutely loved this game even though i was too new to the series in 2020 but it still holds up today but the game has some flaws like most of the time you dont know where to go and it has lots of puzzles, i do like puzzles for the challenge but some of them are WAY too confusing and complicated but its sstill considered to be one of the best game on ps2
  18. Kingdomhear
    Dec 5, 2020
    10
    Un sogno ad occhi aperti...riesce a entrare nei cuori dei giocatori ...da giocare con il cuore !!!
  19. SporadicDeviant
    Mar 30, 2020
    10
    This is perhaps one the greatest games, that on paper sounds like it should've been a complete dumpster fire of the funniest variety. I mean who would've thought a crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney would ever work? Well not only does it work, in the case of Kingdom Hearts 1, it works phenomenally well.
    The story is epic in scale yet simple in it's storytelling. Unlike later    This is perhaps one the greatest games, that on paper sounds like it should've been a complete dumpster fire of the funniest variety. I mean who would've thought a crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney would ever work? Well not only does it work, in the case of Kingdom Hearts 1, it works phenomenally well.
    The story is epic in scale yet simple in it's storytelling. Unlike later games, the plot doesn't get bogged down with exposition and doesn't rely on references/callbacks that will leave you confused if you haven't played every spinoff in the series. The characters are allowed to be themselves and have their stories stand on their own. The plots of the Disney Worlds are integrated seamlessly with the main story, no world feels like filler or a glorified re-telling of the Disney movies. The dialogue is charming and the plot is engaging and never overbearing or convoluted.
    The music is phenomenal. Yoko Shimomura (composer of games like Parasite Eve and Super Mario RPG) is on top of her game with this soundtrack. Intense, atmospheric, and catchy as all get out. The is perhaps my favorite score that Shimomura has done.
    The gameplay is where Kingdom Hearts shines the brightest, especially compared to the other Kingdom Hearts games. Level design is not straight forward, you have to explore each world (some of which are maze-like) while doing some light puzzle solving and (admittedly clunky) platforming. Moment to moment gameplay is never dull since the gameplay doesn't boil down to walk, fight, walk, fight. Combat is surprisingly deep. While lacking the build options of latter games, the battle system Kingdom Hearts tests the player in ways the other games never bother to. No one strategy works all the time, you have to constantly gauge the enemy and think of a proper method of attack. It's not just relentless mashing of the X button while finishing with a drive transformation and/or finisher moves. This combined with a magic system that can actually be relied on as an alternative playstyle (Unlike KH2) as well as the implementation of Tech Points rewarding the player for learning how to counter/block various attacks as well as taking advantage of the enemy's weakness makes combat as engaging as it its challenging and fun. Unlike the sequels and spinoffs, Kingdom Hearts 1's combat system relies on substance over style.
    Kingdom Hearts 1 is not only my favorite Kingdom Hearts game, no competition, this game is perhaps one of my favorite JRPGS and possibly my favorite Action JRPG of all time.    … Expand
  20. ShinishiKudo
    Nov 22, 2020
    10
    Wonderfull
    This is the start of one of my favourite series of all time.
    A great story connected with an woderfull open world.
  21. HylianBran12
    Jun 11, 2020
    8
    Kingdom Hearts' mix of Disney and Square may make it odd and strange to approach for some, but that doesn't stop it from being a great game. The combat is fluid and streamlined, giving the player enough tools to give them a diverse arsenal, while never overwhelming the player. The gameplay also allows for various play styles, enhancing replayablity. The presentation is over the top asKingdom Hearts' mix of Disney and Square may make it odd and strange to approach for some, but that doesn't stop it from being a great game. The combat is fluid and streamlined, giving the player enough tools to give them a diverse arsenal, while never overwhelming the player. The gameplay also allows for various play styles, enhancing replayablity. The presentation is over the top as well, with this being one of the best looking PlayStation 2 titles, only hampered by the lack of 480p Progressive Scan support. The soundtrack is also absolutely fantastic, although my lack of musical expertise prevents me from articulating why. The plot is also great, delivering fun set-pieces, engaging conflicts, and memorable characters with clear and potentially relatable motivations. The relationships between the characters in particular really deliver impactful and emotional scenes that will stick with you forever. Despite all this, the game is definitely dated. While the controls are great for combat, they quickly go down the **** when the game decides to attempt platforming, and is awkward every single time. The stage "Deep Jungle" suffers especially from this, along with it also highlighting the awkward, confusing, and sometimes even downright poor design of some stages. The game is also hampered by a piss poor camera, which is always zoomed in way too much, and gets caught on everything. The player can't fix most of this manually, either, as camera control is mapped to L2 and R2. The "Gummi Ship" missions in between stages also drag down the pace, as they are painfully simple, boring, long, and lacking in any sort of mechanical challenge. Even with all that, however, Kingdom Hearts is still a wonderful action RPG, and well worth your time. I recommend the Final Mix version on the PS3 collection Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMix, or even better, the version on the PS4 or Xbox One, contained on Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 25 ReMix.… Expand
  22. Denvers
    Apr 24, 2022
    5
    Kingdom Hearts is very fun at times, but quite boring, repetitive, and confusing at others. The designs are very pretty and have a lot of charm to them, which is always a plus, but interacting with the world feels clunky and, oftentimes, strange. The game hardly ever makes sense when it comes to what to do next and has you interact with items and set-pieces in strange and convoluted ways.Kingdom Hearts is very fun at times, but quite boring, repetitive, and confusing at others. The designs are very pretty and have a lot of charm to them, which is always a plus, but interacting with the world feels clunky and, oftentimes, strange. The game hardly ever makes sense when it comes to what to do next and has you interact with items and set-pieces in strange and convoluted ways. The combat is fun, but surprisingly tough and manages to be quite unforgiving. This isn't a bad game, though. If you have a guide by your side, and a lot of spare time, the characters, story, dialogue, and world around you may be enough to pull you in.… Expand
  23. MrSirPerson
    Apr 24, 2020
    7
    It's hard to describe my feelings on this game. I had a weird play order, where I played KHII and watched 358/2 Days, then came back and played this. While I did have quite a bit of legitimate fun playing this, and did want to keep coming back, I also had quite a few problems.
    The story holds up pretty okay. It has clear plot points, it's pretty cohesive, and isn't a complicated as later    It's hard to describe my feelings on this game. I had a weird play order, where I played KHII and watched 358/2 Days, then came back and played this. While I did have quite a bit of legitimate fun playing this, and did want to keep coming back, I also had quite a few problems.
    The story holds up pretty okay. It has clear plot points, it's pretty cohesive, and isn't a complicated as later Kingdom Hearts Installments. I would say the voice acting hasn't held up the best, but it isn't the kind of acting that makes you want to rip your ears off. The graphics are good for being a PS2 game, but the facial animations are a weird mixed bag. Sometimes, they look great in cutscenes and are very expressive. However, half the time they have this weird flat model for the face where the mouth moves in one way the entire time, and it isn't nice to look at. This is a problem that would continue to plague the series for some time.
    The world design is where almost all the problems I have originate from. In some ways, they're better than the other worlds from other games, seeing how they have a level or verticality not found in other games. Birth By Sleep, for example, has very bland and empty worlds that really only function as a backdrop to Unversed fights and some chests. It's not necessarily bad, just not overly interesting. The reason Kingdom Hearts' worlds have so many problems is the lack of direction. There's no minimap, so finding your way around some worlds at first is a bit of a nightmare. However, there's more to it. Most of the time, you don't have a clear objective. Disney character dialogue can help a little, but prepare to spend a lot of time wandering around until you either A. Give up, B. Find where you were supposed to go by accident, C. Look up a guide, or D. you've played the game before and know where to go. The Jungle for Tarzan is infamous for being confusing and vague, in particular.
    The combat, though slow and shallow, is pretty fun. Your moves have a weightiness to them, which is always good, and the more skills you get, the more stylish it gets, though it never matches the combat of Kingdom Hearts II. However, Square-Enix did not design every enemy around this combat system very well. The biggest grievance here is the heartless in the End of the World, the final level of the game. The heartless specific to that area are fast, hit hard, and have a wide variety of attacks. It would be a fair challenge if it was just those things, but they also have long periods of invincibility frames, meaning you might attack one multiple times, but they all bounce off, and while you try to work your way around that, at least two others attack from behind. You can't make invincible fast enemies if your combat is slower and more methodical.
    It would seem that with this many flaws, this would deserve a much lower score. However, as some other reviewers have pointed out, this game has a certain charm to it that is hard to describe. The core of this game is so magical, so lighthearted, that even with it's many shortcomings, it keeps you coming back for more. This was a good foundation for a series that (mostly) would continue to fix mistakes of the past games.    … Expand
  24. BRONYKING
    Jun 1, 2020
    10
    Absolutely breathtaking story! Great combat! Serious enough to embrace the Final Fantady side but goofy and wacky enough to truly embrace the Disney side!
  25. tadnid
    Mar 15, 2022
    7
    PS4 version here. Good game but sometimes frustrating, probably due to its age. Sometimes you don't know where to go and keep moving at random between the rooms to advance the story. Endless waves of heartless can also be tedious. Still, good game. Don't think it's an easy one because of the Disney characters, I found it more difficult than most of the final fantasy I played.
  26. GrannyWeed
    Mar 12, 2022
    9
    Fantastic story, very simple and easy to understand. Visual art style at it's best! The harmony between Disney and square enix is fascinating to say the least!
    Music is top tier, characters are well developed and you really feel like you are bonding with them!
    Only bad thing i can say is that after a while combat gets a bit repetitive, but its not that tragic, and the camera controls are    Fantastic story, very simple and easy to understand. Visual art style at it's best! The harmony between Disney and square enix is fascinating to say the least!
    Music is top tier, characters are well developed and you really feel like you are bonding with them!
    Only bad thing i can say is that after a while combat gets a bit repetitive, but its not that tragic, and the camera controls are horrific. Still that won't stop you from enjoying this amazing game    … Expand
  27. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    Brilliance. Made a questionable relationship between Square and Disney work flawlessly and delivered a character driven narrative that was SIMPLE AND EASY TO FOLLOW.
  28. zasaz13
    Apr 16, 2023
    9
    Good game, with a good history, immersed in a Disney world which makes it more passionate. The mechanical could be boring, and some bosses are difficult considering it for a kid's game
  29. Dantheman707
    Jun 29, 2020
    7
    Kingdom Hearts is a great game. With decent combat and a great story you are sure to have a good time with this game.
  30. WolfWorks
    Jul 5, 2020
    6
    If you like a game in which you can travel the worlds of Disney, with clumsy controls, clumsy camera, confusing story but with good voice acting and good music, this is your game.
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PS2 Game of 2002
2
#2 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2002
5
#5 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Game Informer
    95
    The battles that unfold are as beautful as they are intense, and as difficult as they are easy to manhandle. [Oct 2002, p.76]
  2. Play Magazine
    80
    To say that Kingdom Hearts is magical is an understatement. As cinematic experiences go, it's exquisite. It's not the finest in terms of action, but overall, it's wonderful. [Oct 2002, p.74]
  3. GameZone
    91
    Has a few flaws, but its unique character pairings and jaw-dropping graphics make this a remarkable RPG.
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