Kingdom Hearts II solves all the problems of the first game and proves itself to be the game fans have been waiting for.
The original Kingdom Hearts was an immensely charming experience with catchy music, stunning graphics, and a script that perfectly captured Disney magic and wove it together with a multi-layered SquareSoft storyline and cast of characters. The game's greatest weakness was its very standard combat system and platforming. It wasn't bad, but it didn't mach the standards set by other Square RPGs.
Kingdom Hearts II had one big thing going for it. One really big thing.
It improved upon its predecessor in absolutely every way.
The immensely story-driven game picks up one year after Kingdom Hearts left off, with Sora, Donald, and Goofy asleep in a mysterious mansion while an average young boy, Roxas, (yes, he's voiced by Pretty Boy Jesse McCartney but don't panic - shockingly, he does a good job), lives out his last days of summer vacation in a town plagued by mysterious happenings. It quickly becomes clear that these mysteries revolve around Roxas himself, and for the first three hours of the game you will guide Roxas through six days of his life. By the time the prologue is over, you realize that this story will be much deeper than the last, and when you regain control of Sora, the protagonist from the first game, you can't wait to see where it's going.
The story progresses at a surprising pace, interwoven all the while with worlds from favorite Disney films such as Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, Tron, The Lion King, and my personal favorite (both game and film), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Each world is a treat and makes you feel as if you've wandered straight into the film.
The game's fantastic graphics immerse you in each world and set the tone for some truly epic boss battles. One fight pits you against an utterly massive Heartless that stomps its way through the desert Pride Lands of The Lion King. Sora, in the form of a lion cub, will have to leap to the summit (yes, I mean the SUMMIT) of this monstrosity to fight a sort of boss fight within a boss fight atop the body of the beast. Another truly memorable battle pits Sora against 1000 Heartless, a battle which you emerge from feeling like a real warrior. The game also sports memorable voice-acting and music which add to the effect.
Gameplay has been vastly improved. A new feature, context-sensitive "Reaction Commands" (a la God of War) require precise timing and sometimes sharp wit. Co-operative Limit techniques and the costly Cure spell force you to be unusually economical with your magic. Combat itself is much more fun, giving you an impressive array of combos and abilities to equip and develop a preferred fighting style. Another new feature, Drive, allows Sora to fuse with party members to vastly increase his power. These "Drive Forms" are both useful and damned fun to use.
The game is extremely long to play through (usually 35-40 hours), with moderately high replay value. It includes three difficulty levels and a truckload of mini-games and challenges, ensuring plenty of gameplay even after completing the game.
I can summarize Kingdom Hearts II easily: It's an experience that improves upon the original in every way. Fans of the original will love it, casual gamers will be entertained by it, and while it may not be every player's cup of tea, it will be sure to make its way into the hearts of many for years to come.