Post by Kuja on May 27, 2003 16:35:07 GMT -5
Heres my Kingdom Hearts review which I did for Liu's site (www.rm2ksource.com). I review games there for him.
With the possible end of the ironically named Final Fantasy series on the horizon, and their recent merger with Enix, Square needed to find something new which could capture the hearts and minds of gamers. And it looks as though they have found it.
I first approached Kingdom Hearts with a certain degree of scepticism. To begin with, Disney isn't exactly famed for creating top quality games. Most are no more than cheap movie cash-ins, aimed at a gullible, younger market. Another reason was that this new series of games really did seem like a death knell for the extremely popular Final Fantasy series. Nonetheless, I gave the game a chance.
I parted with my £38.98 and rushed home to place the game in my console. After a small 'training' session, the game proper starts. The game's hero, Sora, is a 14-year-old boy living on the Destiny Islands (which remind me somewhat of Besaid in FFX). On the islands live Sora, his friends, Riku and Kairi, and the first Final Fantasy characters to make an appearance, Selphie, Tidus and Wakka.
The trio of Sora, Riku and Kairi have always dreamt of leaving the islands to explore new worlds, and the night before they are due to leave on their home-made boat, a huge storm strikes the island. After this the trio are scattered across different worlds, and Sora's journey to find his friends begins…
Sora, along with his newfound friends Donald and Goofy, travels across a huge plethora of worlds in search of Kairi. The worlds are based on different Disney movies and are inhabited by native Disney characters, with the odd Final Fantasy character making a cameo appearance. Travel between the worlds takes place using a 'Gummi Ship' that can be customised in the 'Gummi Garage'. So, with the Gummi Ship and a variety of magic spells at his disposal, will Sora find Kairi and be able to close each planet's keyhole, or will the Heartless succeed and swallow up each world, one by one…
Graphics-9/10
Although the in-game graphics are rather cartoony, this is more than made up for with the breathtaking FMV sequences which Square is so famous for.
Sound-8/10
Once again, Square produce a game with top-quality and varying sounds. However, the music can become a little repetitive when visiting Traverse Town for the fortieth time.
Storyline-8/10
At first view, the storyline seems pretty clichéd; hero rescues princess from the evil Heartless. However, once you get into the game and discover more information about the Heartless and the princesses, it seems anything but clichéd.
Gameplay-8/10
Losing the random encounters from the Final Fantasy games, Kingdom Hearts has a very fast-paced and action-packed battle system. Spells are easy to cast by using customisable shortcuts, but the abilities which can be equipped seem rather pointless and awkward to use.
Characters-7/10
The only main character whose past you discover is Sora's. This gives limited character development but there are many other characters who will aid you in your quest, as long as you are on their world.
Replay Value-8/10
As with the Final Fantasy games, you can replay the game again and again, attempting to reach Level 100 with your characters. The mini-games and alternative ending also mean that you would play this game more than once.
Overall Score-80%
Review by Kuja
kujapaul@hotmail.com
kujaspalace.proboards15.com
With the possible end of the ironically named Final Fantasy series on the horizon, and their recent merger with Enix, Square needed to find something new which could capture the hearts and minds of gamers. And it looks as though they have found it.
I first approached Kingdom Hearts with a certain degree of scepticism. To begin with, Disney isn't exactly famed for creating top quality games. Most are no more than cheap movie cash-ins, aimed at a gullible, younger market. Another reason was that this new series of games really did seem like a death knell for the extremely popular Final Fantasy series. Nonetheless, I gave the game a chance.
I parted with my £38.98 and rushed home to place the game in my console. After a small 'training' session, the game proper starts. The game's hero, Sora, is a 14-year-old boy living on the Destiny Islands (which remind me somewhat of Besaid in FFX). On the islands live Sora, his friends, Riku and Kairi, and the first Final Fantasy characters to make an appearance, Selphie, Tidus and Wakka.
The trio of Sora, Riku and Kairi have always dreamt of leaving the islands to explore new worlds, and the night before they are due to leave on their home-made boat, a huge storm strikes the island. After this the trio are scattered across different worlds, and Sora's journey to find his friends begins…
Sora, along with his newfound friends Donald and Goofy, travels across a huge plethora of worlds in search of Kairi. The worlds are based on different Disney movies and are inhabited by native Disney characters, with the odd Final Fantasy character making a cameo appearance. Travel between the worlds takes place using a 'Gummi Ship' that can be customised in the 'Gummi Garage'. So, with the Gummi Ship and a variety of magic spells at his disposal, will Sora find Kairi and be able to close each planet's keyhole, or will the Heartless succeed and swallow up each world, one by one…
Graphics-9/10
Although the in-game graphics are rather cartoony, this is more than made up for with the breathtaking FMV sequences which Square is so famous for.
Sound-8/10
Once again, Square produce a game with top-quality and varying sounds. However, the music can become a little repetitive when visiting Traverse Town for the fortieth time.
Storyline-8/10
At first view, the storyline seems pretty clichéd; hero rescues princess from the evil Heartless. However, once you get into the game and discover more information about the Heartless and the princesses, it seems anything but clichéd.
Gameplay-8/10
Losing the random encounters from the Final Fantasy games, Kingdom Hearts has a very fast-paced and action-packed battle system. Spells are easy to cast by using customisable shortcuts, but the abilities which can be equipped seem rather pointless and awkward to use.
Characters-7/10
The only main character whose past you discover is Sora's. This gives limited character development but there are many other characters who will aid you in your quest, as long as you are on their world.
Replay Value-8/10
As with the Final Fantasy games, you can replay the game again and again, attempting to reach Level 100 with your characters. The mini-games and alternative ending also mean that you would play this game more than once.
Overall Score-80%
Review by Kuja
kujapaul@hotmail.com
kujaspalace.proboards15.com
.