The card-based combat gimmick is a fun way to branch off from the first game, and create a new experience while utilizing all of the familiar elements from KH1. However, many of the fights, especially the bosses, culminated in bouts of either running away to reload cards only to get a few hits off before repeating the process a dozen times, or spamming Sonic Blade until I won. Neither ended up being particularly enjoyable. Which is unfortunate because that is where the originality ends, and the vast majority of the experience is a loose rehash of KH1's plot, with its own complicated plot contrivances added into the mix, which I'm led to believe is essential for understanding future titles. If I ever do a series replay, I may opt for a 8 hour cutscene on Youtube than be forced to deal with the frustrating feeling of a card break when trying to call upon the muscle memory learned in any other game