Trying to explain to my friends why this game is so compelling to me makes me feel like I'm going insane. On the surface it can look a bit rough, so it's hard to describe exactly what I see in it. It's a coming of age story, which isn't exactly uncommon, but the way it communicates the hostility of the world and the drifting of old friendships from a kid's perspective really resonates with me. Growing up is confusing, the world can feel hostile, and at the end of the day you might not have the chance to return to what you thought of as home. The way it's told can sometimes be a bit stilted and campy to the point of losing its charm (darkness, light, heart, key, etc), but the music, visual design, and gameplay all come together to make it work anyways. The Disney stuff walks a fine line between supporting that tone perfectly or destroying it in favor of brand recognition.
Beyond all of that, it's just really fun to play! This is peak PS2 era platforming level design! Playing through these worlds genuinely feels like exploring, even if it's a bit too easy to get lost in some of them. They're also just really fun places to fight in. The combat system is simple but engaging. There's a crazy amount of enemy variety and a steady progression of new abilities and items that keep it fresh throughout. The camera is your enemy more often than not (my fault for playing the original, I guess) and I really dislike the flying/swimming sections but any further complaints feel like nitpicks.
As a kid I only played Kingdom Hearts 2, so I didn't really know what to expect when I started playing this one in preparation for returning to 2. I enjoyed it way more than I expected! Not life changing like it might've been if I had played it when I was 10, but still very fun and touching. It definitely deserves to be revisited and remembered.
Beyond all of that, it's just really fun to play! This is peak PS2 era platforming level design! Playing through these worlds genuinely feels like exploring, even if it's a bit too easy to get lost in some of them. They're also just really fun places to fight in. The combat system is simple but engaging. There's a crazy amount of enemy variety and a steady progression of new abilities and items that keep it fresh throughout. The camera is your enemy more often than not (my fault for playing the original, I guess) and I really dislike the flying/swimming sections but any further complaints feel like nitpicks.
As a kid I only played Kingdom Hearts 2, so I didn't really know what to expect when I started playing this one in preparation for returning to 2. I enjoyed it way more than I expected! Not life changing like it might've been if I had played it when I was 10, but still very fun and touching. It definitely deserves to be revisited and remembered.