Kingdom Hearts II is a 2005 action role-playing game created and released by Square Enix with help from Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2. It follows the first game, Kingdom Hearts, and combines characters and settings from Disney movies with those from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series. A version of the game with added content, called Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, was released only in Japan in March 2007. This version was later remade in high definition and released worldwide as part of the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix collection for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
Kingdom Hearts II is the third game in the Kingdom Hearts series and takes place one year after the events of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. The main character, Sora, returns to find his missing friends while fighting a group of villains called Organization XIII, who were first introduced in Chain of Memories. Like earlier games, Kingdom Hearts II includes characters from Disney and Square Enix games.
Plans for Kingdom Hearts II started during the end of development for Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. The game officially began in 2003 and was announced at Tokyo Game Show 2003. Many members of the first game’s team, including director Tetsuya Nomura, worked on this game at the same time as Chain of Memories. The team aimed to improve the game based on player feedback, give players more choices in battles, and create a more complex story.
The game received strong praise from critics and won several awards when it was released. Reviewers liked the graphics, music, voice acting, and emotional story, but opinions about the gameplay and story were divided. In Japan and North America, the game sold over one million copies within weeks of its release, and more than four million copies worldwide by April 2007. It has been called one of the greatest video games of all time.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Kingdom Hearts II is similar to the first Kingdom Hearts game, which is an action RPG with hack and slash elements. Developers fixed some issues from the first game, such as the lack of a map and camera problems. Players control Sora from a third-person view, but they can switch to first-person by pressing the Select button. Most of the game takes place on connected field maps where battles happen. The story follows a set path, with events shown through cutscenes, but players can also complete side-quests for character bonuses.
Like many role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts II uses an experience point system to help characters grow stronger. When enemies are defeated, players and allies earn experience points to "level up," which gives them new abilities and increases their strength.
Combat happens in real-time and includes button presses to attack. A menu on the bottom left of the screen, like those in Final Fantasy games, lets players use magic, items, summon allies, or team up with other characters. A new feature is the "Reaction Command," which are special attacks against enemies. Players press the triangle button at the right time to trigger these commands, which can help defeat enemies or avoid damage. These commands are sometimes needed to beat bosses. Two other characters usually join Sora in battles, and players can adjust how these characters act through the menu.
The "Gummi Ship" from the first game was redesigned to be more fun. It still helps players travel between worlds, but now it feels like a rail shooter game and a Disney theme park ride. Players control the Gummi Ship from a top-down view to fly to different worlds. Worlds are not open at the start; players must unlock them by completing levels where they control the ship from a third-person view and fight enemy ships. Once a route is unlocked, players can travel freely to that world unless a story event blocks access. Players can also earn new Gummi Ships by completing routes.
A new feature is the "Drive Gauge," which has two uses: transforming Sora into a "Drive Form" or summoning a special character. In Drive Forms, Sora gains power by bonding with party members and gains new abilities. Most Drive Forms let Sora use two Keyblades, and some give him special skills called "Growth Abilities." Early Drive Forms combine Sora’s power with one party member, while later ones require both. When allies are used in a Drive Form, they are temporarily out of battle. The Drive Gauge does not refill at save points.
As in the first game, Sora can summon a Disney character to help in battles. These characters replace the two computer-controlled allies and fight alongside Sora as long as the Drive Gauge allows or until Sora’s health runs out. Summons now have their own menu and can perform solo or team actions with Sora by pressing the triangle button. The Summon ability and Drive Forms are leveled up separately, and higher levels let players use them longer or unlock new abilities.
Plot
Kingdom Hearts II begins one year after the events of Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories. The game takes place in a collection of different areas (called "worlds" in the game) that players explore. Like the first game, players can visit places based on Disney movies and original worlds made specifically for the series. In the first game, Disney-based worlds were inspired by Disney animated films, but in Kingdom Hearts II, some worlds are based on live-action movies, such as Port Royal, which is inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean. Each world looks different and is based on the Disney film it represents. The graphics and characters in each world are designed to match the style and artwork from their respective Disney films. Each world is separate from the others, and players usually move between them using a Gummi Ship.
Some worlds from earlier games return with new areas, and new worlds are introduced. These include Land of Dragons (based on Mulan), Beast's Castle (based on Beauty and the Beast), Timeless River (based on Steamboat Willie and the Mickey Mouse films), Port Royal (based on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), Pride Lands (based on The Lion King), and Space Paranoids (based on Tron). Twilight Town, an original world first seen in Chain of Memories, plays a bigger role as the starting point. A new world called The World That Never Was is introduced as the base of Organization XIII.
The main characters are Sora, a 15-year-old boy who wields the Keyblade, a key-shaped weapon that fights darkness; Donald Duck, a wizard from Disney Castle; and Goofy, a guard from Disney Castle. Donald and Goofy are helping Sora because their king, Mickey Mouse, is missing. Other characters include Riku, a friend of Sora from Destiny Islands; Kairi, another friend of Sora; Roxas, a boy who can use the Keyblade and appears early in the game; Naminé, a girl who can control memories; and DiZ, a man in red robes who fights Organization XIII and is later revealed to be Ansem the Wise, the teacher of Xehanort.
Characters from Disney and Square Enix games appear in the game. Some return from earlier games, while new Disney characters are added, such as Scrooge McDuck and characters from Disney films in their own worlds. Pete is an enemy who works with the revived Maleficent. Nearly twenty characters from Final Fantasy games appear, including Auron from Final Fantasy X, Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII, and Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, and Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII. The game includes characters not designed by Tetsuya Nomura, showing a new approach compared to the first game. Other new characters include Vivi Ornitier from Final Fantasy IX, Seifer Almasy from Final Fantasy VIII, and Setzer Gabbiani from Final Fantasy VI.
Each world Sora visits may include an optional character from the Disney film it is based on. These characters include Fa Mulan, a woman who pretends to be a man to join the army; Jack Sparrow, a pirate trying to reclaim his ship; Simba, a lion who is the rightful king of the Pride Lands; and Tron, a computer program fighting a dictator in Hollow Bastion.
Organization XIII, a group of powerful Nobodies (the "empty shells" left when someone becomes a Heartless), is the main group of villains. Xemnas, their leader, is the main enemy and final boss. Each world has its own villains that Sora and his friends must defeat.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy have been asleep for a year to recover their lost memories. Roxas, Sora's Nobody, is trapped in a simulation of Twilight Town created by DiZ to merge him with Sora and restore his power. DiZ's plan is threatened when Nobodies led by Axel, Roxas's former friend, attack the simulation. Roxas defeats them and merges with Sora. Sora, Donald, and Goofy wake up and meet King Mickey and Yen Sid, who send them on a new journey to find Riku and stop Organization XIII. Later, Maleficent is brought back to life and teams up with Pete to gain power.
Sora travels to familiar and new worlds to fix problems caused by Organization XIII, the Heartless, and local villains. In Hollow Bastion, Mickey explains that the Heartless named Ansem they defeated earlier was actually a fake named Xehanort, whose Nobody, Xemnas, leads Organization XIII. The group learns that Organization XIII wants to create their own version of Kingdom Hearts to restore their lost hearts and that they have captured Kairi to control Sora. Sora revisits worlds to solve remaining issues and find Organization XIII's base in The World That Never Was. A mysterious hooded figure helps Sora throughout his journey, whom he believes is Riku.
Following a clue, Sora, Donald, and Goofy travel through Twilight Town to reach The World That Never Was. Axel sacrifices himself to let them pass. Sora finds Kairi and Riku, who has been changed into Xehanort's Heartless after capturing Roxas. Mickey meets DiZ, who reveals he is the real Ansem, Xehanort's teacher. Ansem uses a device to weaken Kingdom Hearts, but the device explodes, destroying Ansem and restoring Riku's original form. At the Castle That Never Was, Sora and his friends fight Xemnas, who uses the remaining power of Kingdom Hearts to battle them. After defeating Xemnas, Sora and Riku are trapped in darkness but find a portal to light through a letter from Kairi, allowing them to return to Destiny Islands and reunite with
Development
Development plans for Kingdom Hearts II started after Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was completed, but details were not decided until July 2003. Nomura mentioned several challenges that needed to be solved before the sequel could begin. One challenge was the team’s desire to feature Mickey Mouse more, which required approval from Disney. The game was made by Square Enix’s Product Development Division 1, with most of the original team from the first game. Originally, the game was planned to be released after Kingdom Hearts. Nomura intended the sequel to take place one year after the first game, with that year’s events left unexplained. To connect the two games, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was created. To explain why Sora lost all his abilities at the start of Kingdom Hearts II, Nomura made Sora’s memories scrambled in Chain of Memories.
Many gameplay elements were changed for the sequel. Some changes were based on player feedback, while others were ideas that could not be added earlier due to time or technology limits. The camera control was moved to the right analog stick of the DualShock controller instead of the shoulder buttons. The Gummi Ship travel system was redesigned. The combat system was completely overhauled and did not reuse any animations from the first game. Because Sora had grown older, Nomura wanted his fighting style to reflect that change. Other updates included better integration of exploration and battles. New features, such as different combat styles for each Drive Form and the Reaction Command, were added to give players more choices during battles. The inclusion of worlds based on live-action Disney films was made possible by technology that created character models from real movie images.
Like the first game, Kingdom Hearts II features music by Yoko Shimomura and Hikaru Utada. The Original Soundtrack for Kingdom Hearts II was composed by Shimomura and released on January 25, 2006. The opening orchestration and ending credits theme were arranged and performed by Kaoru Wada and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. The main vocal theme for the original Japanese release was “Passion,” written and performed by Utada. The English version of “Passion,” called “Sanctuary,” was used in Western releases. Utada’s involvement was announced on July 29, 2005. Nomura said the vocal theme connects more closely to the game’s story than “Hikari” did with Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories. The CD single for “Passion” was released on December 14, 2005, and “Sanctuary” was first shared on MTV’s website in early 2006.
Kingdom Hearts II includes well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. Many original voice actors from the first game returned, such as Miyu Irino and Haley Joel Osment as Sora, Mamoru Miyano and David Gallagher as Riku, and Risa Uchida and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi. New voice actors included Koki Uchiyama and Jesse McCartney as Roxas, Iku Nakahara and Brittany Snow as Naminé, and Genzō Wakayama and Christopher Lee as DiZ. Efforts were made to use the same voice actors from Disney films in the game. Actors like Ming-Na Wen as Mulan, James Woods as Hades, Bruce Boxleitner as Tron, Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington, Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts, Kenneth Mars as King Triton, and Zach Braff as Chicken Little reprised their roles. Some voice actors from related TV shows or direct-to-video sequels were chosen instead of original actors, such as Robert Costanzo as Philoctetes and Cam Clarke as Simba. In the English version, some characters had new voice actors, including Ansem, Aerith Gainsborough, Squall Leonhart, Sephiroth, and Hercules, who were originally voiced by Billy Zane, Mandy Moore, David Boreanaz, Lance Bass, and Sean Astin, respectively. These characters were voiced by Richard Epcar, Mena Suvari, Doug Erholtz, George Newbern, and Tate Donovan (Hercules’ original voice actor). Tifa Lockhart was voiced by Rachael Leigh Cook in the English version.
Besides translation and localization, the international version of Kingdom Hearts II differs from the original Japanese version in gameplay and some scenes. In the Hercules-themed world Olympus Coliseum, the Hydra boss’s green blood (from the film) was changed to black and purple smoke in the English version. In one scene, Hercules fights the Hydra and causes green blood to come from its mouth in the Japanese version, but this was changed to drool in the English version. In Disney Castle, Daisy Duck slaps Donald on the backside in the Japanese version, but she only scolds him in the English version.
Xigbar’s telescopic sight was changed from a crosshair and black shading to three glowing circles. An attack animation was also altered: in the Japanese version, Xigbar combines his two guns to make a sniper rifle and shoots the player’s party during the telescoping sight sequence. In the English version, Xigbar does not combine his guns but twirls them and shoots Sora with one gun. The death of Organization XIII member Axel was slightly edited: in the original, he bursts into flames during his suicide attack, but in the English version, he fades away after using all his power.
The world Port Royal, based on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, has the most content changes. Cutscenes were edited to remove some violence, such as Will Turner threatening to commit suicide by aiming a gun at his neck. Unlike the Japanese version, undead pirates do not catch fire when hit by Fire magic, and their muskets were changed to look like crossbows, though they still make the sound of a musket shot.
An unlockable trailer in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Final Mix suggested a sequel might be made. Rumors about a sequel on PlayStation 2 began in Japan when the website Quiter reported that an anonymous source at Square Japan confirmed Kingdom Hearts II was in development. These rumors were confirmed when Kingdom Hearts II and Chain of Memories were officially announced at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2003. Initial details said the game would take place after Chain of Memories, which happens right after the first game. Other details included the return of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, as well as new costumes. Information about Mickey Mouse’s role was limited.
At the 2004 Square Enix E3 Press Conference, producer Shinji Hashimoto said many mysteries from the first game would be answered. Square Enix launched the official Japanese website in May 2005, followed by the English website in December 2005. These sites included videos and information about characters and worlds. Commercials in Japan highlighted the many Disney characters in the game. Although the game was announced in September 2003, a release date was not set until two years later. Nomura admitted the game was announced too early, and
Release
Within a week of its release in Japan, Kingdom Hearts II shipped one million copies, with nearly 730,000 copies sold. The NPD Group reported that Kingdom Hearts II was the best-selling console game in North America during March 2006, with 614,000 copies sold. In the month after its release in North America, Kingdom Hearts II sold an estimated one million copies. GameStop listed the game as their best-selling title for the first quarter of 2006. The game also appeared on IGN's "Top 10 Sellers in 2006." By December 2006, more than 3.5 million copies of Kingdom Hearts II had been shipped worldwide, including 700,000 in PAL regions, 1.1 million in Japan, and 1.7 million in North America. By March 31, 2007, Square Enix had shipped more than 4 million units worldwide.
Reception
Kingdom Hearts II received "generally positive" reviews when it was released, according to the review website Metacritic.
The gameplay was described as having mixed opinions. The improved combat system was praised for features like drive forms, limit breaks, and combos, which added depth, variety, and excitement. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer called the combo system "divine," saying it was more intense than the combat in God of War. Carrie Gouskos of GameSpot and Luke Albiges of Eurogamer noted the game was easy to play, with Gouskos explaining that customization options allowed players to choose between simple or complex experiences. Reiner also praised the dynamic controls, which made playing feel comfortable. However, Gouskos and Jeff Haynes of IGN criticized the combat for being less challenging, with Haynes pointing out that basic attacks were more effective than offensive magic. He also mentioned that enemies dropped many health orbs, making healing items unnecessary. Gouskos believed this was an improvement over the first game, which she felt relied on confusing and repetitive challenges. Louis Bedigian of GameZone said the game would not be difficult for players familiar with action RPGs from older consoles. Patrick Gann of RPGFan thought the partner AI was better than in the first game, but Haynes called it "absolutely terrible," blaming the lack of options to control the AI.
Quick time events were generally welcomed. Albiges said they were as well done as the knife fight scene in Resident Evil 4. Bedigian said the game was the first to successfully use quick time events, calling the animations "some of the most beautiful on PlayStation 2." Russ Fischer of GameRevolution said the mechanics were easier than in God of War, which he saw as a benefit, but he and Gann noted that the lack of skill required might disappoint experienced players. Bryan Intihar and Shane Bettenhausen of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the boss fights, with Bettenhausen saying quick time events made them feel more dynamic. Eric Bratcher of GamesRadar+ liked most of the boss battles but called a few of them "straight-up lame." Gouskos said the bosses were interesting but noted that defeating them used similar strategies as regular enemies.
Reviewers praised the camera's improved responsiveness, which Haynes linked to changes in how players controlled it. However, Gerald Villoria of GameSpy and Gann did not notice improvements, with Villoria saying the camera sometimes forced awkward positions. James Mielke of Electronic Gaming Monthly and Gann said the first-person mode was not helpful, with Mielke saying it was hard to see Sora's Keyblade.
The RPG elements were described as simple, with Haynes saying they were a "casualty" of the focus on combat. He noted that items were "practically useless" in some areas. Albiges said the game's environments were consistently high quality, especially Port Royal, but others criticized the smaller, more linear worlds. Haynes said Halloween Town and Atlantica were less impressive than in the first game. While the minigames in the Hundred Acre Wood were better than before, the change of Atlantica from an action scene to rhythm games was criticized. Bratcher and Gann were happy the scavenger hunt-style quests from the first game were removed.
The Gummi Ship segments were seen as an improvement over the first game. Comparisons were made to games like Star Fox and Gradius. Gouskos and Phil Larsen of PALGN said the execution was better but still not impressive, though Larsen highlighted a battle against a giant pirate ship. Villoria said the shipbuilding system was improved, but Fischer and Gann found it confusing.
The visuals were praised, with Mielke and Albiges calling them some of the best on PlayStation 2. Villoria compared them to Square's best work. Environments like Space Paranoids, Timeless River, and Port Royal were highlighted. Character models and animations were praised, with Villoria and Gann noting the realistic quality of Pirates of the Caribbean characters. Haynes said the main characters changed appearance based on the world they were in, and Villoria said enemies looked like their environments, giving them personality. Full-motion videos were praised by Albiges, Gann, and Bedigian, with Gann comparing them to those in Final Fantasy XII. Gann also liked the special effects in the dream sequences, calling them artistic.
The soundtrack was praised, with Bedigian calling it a mix of classic Disney songs and new Square Enix themes. He said the Disney songs were not repetitive or out of place. Gouskos said songs from The Little Mermaid made the Atlantica rhythm games better. Larsen noted some repetition but said the fast action made it less noticeable. Villoria and Gann were less impressed, with Villoria saying the soundtrack did not match the first game's quality and Gann criticizing the synth quality and reused tracks. Gann said the live orchestral and piano recordings were the best. Mielke and Larsen praised the theme
Versions and merchandise
Kingdom Hearts II was released in four different versions. The first three versions were standard releases for Japan, North America, and PAL regions. These versions had only minor differences in content editing and language. The European and Australian PAL versions were adjusted to run at 50 Hz to match the requirements of PAL systems. The fourth version, called Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, included extra content. Like earlier games, Square and Disney released many types of merchandise before and after the game’s release. Merchandise included toys, figurines, clothing, and books. The game was also adapted into manga and novel series. Before the game came out, a book titled Kingdom Hearts Series Ultimania α ~Introduction of Kingdom Hearts II~ was published. It provided detailed information about the first two Kingdom Hearts games and the unreleased Kingdom Hearts II. After the game’s release, another book titled Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania was published, focusing on the game itself. A third book, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ Ultimania, was released after the Final Mix version came out. This book was released with the Final Mix version and included game information, artwork by Shiro Amano, and a director interview. In North America, BradyGames published two strategy guides: a standard version and a limited-edition version with four different covers. The limited-edition version included a copy of Jiminy’s Journal and 400 stickers.
After the first game was re-released, people wondered if Tetsuya Nomura would do the same with Kingdom Hearts II. In an interview with Weekly Shōnen Jump, Nomura mentioned interest in an international version of Kingdom Hearts II but said no plans were certain. He noted that if a "Final Mix" version was made, he had ideas for features like the Mushroom Heartless from the first game. In September 2006, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, which included new scenes and gameplay elements. This version combined English audio with Japanese text and used the "Sanctuary" theme song instead of "Passion." New cutscenes used Japanese voice acting because they featured characters from Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories who did not yet have English voice actors. These scenes were later re-dubbed in English for the HD 2.5 Remix release.
Kingdom Hearts II was re-released in Japan on March 29, 2007, as a two-disc set titled Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+. The first disc included Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix with a new secret movie, additional battles, and items. The second disc contained Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, a 3D PlayStation 2 remake of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories with extra scenes and voice acting. The battle system kept the card gameplay but added Reaction Commands from Kingdom Hearts II. Like the first game’s Final Mix version, these two games updated the series officially. A book titled Kingdom Hearts -Another Report- was included with the game for those who reserved a copy. According to Amazon.com sales data, Final Mix+ was the top-selling PlayStation 2 game in Japan during its release week. Nomura said the inclusion of Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories helped make Final Mix+ popular. However, in a 2011 Famitsu poll, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was voted the most popular entry in the series.
The game was first released outside Japan as part of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix. A manga series based on the game began in the June 2006 issue of Monthly Shōnen Gangan, published by Square Enix. The artist, Shiro Amano, also created manga for Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories. The first volume was released in Japan in December 2006. The series paused due to Amano’s work on Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days but resumed in October 2012. Tokyopop licensed the manga and released the first volume in North America on July 3, 2007. The second volume was released the following year.
The game was also turned into novels by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. The first novel, Roxas—Seven Days, was released on April 22, 2006, and covered Roxas’ story up to when Sora wakes up and leaves Twilight Town. The novel included scenes from the Final Mix version, such as interactions between Organization XIII members and between Axel, Naminé, and Riku. The second book, The Destruction of Hollow Bastion, was released on July 16, 2006. The third book, Tears of Nobody, focused on Roxas’ past and was released on September 29, 2006. The fourth book, Anthem—Meet Again/Axel Last Stand, came out in February 2007.
In the credits of HD 1.5 Remix, clips from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix were shown, suggesting it would be included in another collection. On October 14, 2013, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, a second compilation for PlayStation 3 after HD 1.5 Remix. It included Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix in HD with trophy support. The collection also featured HD cinematic scenes from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. It was released in Japan on October 2, 2014, North America on December 2, 2014, Australia on December 4, 2014, and Europe on December 5, 2014.