As a GIGANTIC fan of the Kingdom Hearts (KH) series, I pre-ordered this game and now it's time for a review. Let's get started with some basics. I LOVE how the developers of this series give you great video cut scenes to explain story line and get you involved with the characters. This game puts you in the shoes of Roxas, a "Nobody" who is kind of like an alternate dimension version of the KH franchise main character, Sora. Roxas has his own personality, but doesn't know what it is, because he is not a full blown human being.
It may sound complicated (and it is) but if you played the original series this is a great chance to explore the realm of the evil Organization XIII. Organization XIII is a group of Nobody characters who are obsessed with collecting hearts to build Kingdom Hearts. This review isn't intended to be a story spoiler, so I'll keep that part as hush-hush as possible. This is a beautiful looking game with great video scenes, some voice acting and lots of fast paced action.
The actual game play is the same fast paced button mashing you've come to love with this series. You fight enemies using your Keyblade, and you are rewarded with items and hearts for destroying them. One visual issue is camera control. The default settings allow you to tap a shoulder button to center the camera, and once you reach a certain level you can tap each shoulder button to rotate the camera in a given direction (left button goes left, and right goes right). For an open world type game this can be a cumbersome activity. Especially considering you'll be attacking and defending very rapidly. Being able to see your foes can certainly come in handy.
My favorite part of the KH series is the addition of some role playing customization. This game is no slouch in that area. You are given tiles which act as place holders for items and spells. You can only carry a certain number of items with you into each level, meaning you have to prep for each level BEFORE entering. This is a bit of a difference from the original KH series in that your magic spells are connected with these tiles. If you only stock 3 fire spells, you can only use three for the entire mission unless you use an item to replenish your magic. While somewhat annoying, this does force you to plan ahead and use spells at the proper time instead of launching fire everywhere.
My favorite part of this game is the evolving story line. I won't give anything away, but it's great doing the semi-short missions (~10 min) and then getting a cut scene which tells you more about Roxas and Organization XIII.
I HIGHLY recommend this game to any DS owner who likes KH. If you're a fan of turn based role playing games this faster pace may throw you, but it's entirely worth the purchase price. I give this game a 9/10 (if you believe in such things).
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