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PS2 | RPG | Kingdom Hearts

Boxart for Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 42 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.5
  • SOUND: 5.0
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 4.5
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.7
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.3
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

First Look: Kingdom Hearts

First Look by FENNECFOX | 09/30/2002 | 11:45:14 AM PST

They said it couldn't (or shouldn't) be done...but with Kingdom Hearts beginning to shape up, a Square RPG using Disney characters is beginning to look like a very exciting idea after all.

Square and Disney teaming up to make an RPG? Has the world gone mad? The idea sounded weird at first, but now that it?s nearing completion, Kingdom Hearts is looking seriously exciting. You?ll play as Sora, a boy who lives on a tropical island. After a giant storm, Sora wakes up in a new land and runs into none other than Captain Goofy and Court Wizard Donald. Apparently, King Mickey has gone missing while fighting the Heartless?creepy monsters that steal people?s souls?and the duo is now searching for him. The world is in danger, but Sora unwittingly holds the key to defeating the Heartless.

Mickey Mouse?and Experience Points?
The world of Kingdom Hearts will be divided into a dozen areas, each one based on a famous Disney movie. The tasks you perform will depend on the world you?re exploring: In Alice in Wonderland, for example, you?ll need to convince the Queen of Hearts that Alice is innocent and save the poor girl from the ?off with ?er head? treatment. The gameplay will be pure action RPG. You?ll use a targeting system similar to that in The Legend of Zelda, enabling you to attack a single enemy from a group very easily. Your party members will basically act as sidekicks, attacking on their own volition. Casting magic and using items will be done with a simple submenu system.

The Ultimate Crossover
One look at the cast of Kingdom Hearts and you?ll realize Square is not fooling around. More than 100 Disney characters will make appearances, and there will be worlds based on Aladdin, Tarzan, and even The Nightmare Before Christmas. Characters from the Final Fantasy series, including Squall, Tidus, and?amazingly enough?Aerith, will also make cameo appearances.

Kingdom Hearts is due out this fall in the U.S., and if initial impressions are any guide, it will be a must-have this holiday season.


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