Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix is the definitive edition of Kingdom Hearts II released nationwide in March 2006. I’ve had the opportunity to play Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix both on PC and PS5 and I can say the title has held up with its host of additions. Some of which include new scenes, new fights, new areas, new weapons, and my personal favorite is the new difficulty – critical mode.
For the uninitiated, the story begins with a brand new character in Roxas, a troubled youth trying to get by during his summer vacation plagued by mysterious circumstance and his destiny, the calling of the Keyblade – the series’ unique weapon. He serves as an excellent foil to the previous entry’s happy go-lucky protagonist Sora but his fate, without spoiling too much, is far less savory.
Players will eventually resume the role of Sora and explore Twilight Town, the new hub world with a plethora of new abilities. Combat is characterized by the use of the X button to attack and spells; fire, blizzard and cure are used by selecting them from a menu and using shortcuts. Magic costs magic points. Abilities like dodge roll, guard, and counterattack are relegated to the square button, you earn these by leveling up. Something unique to Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix are the introduction of Reaction Commands, these come in the form of quick prompts that notify the player to press triangle leading to devastating attacks and cinematics.
Another new tool unique to Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix are Drive Forms. These are introduced in the second world Yen Sid’s Tower. When introduced to Master Yen Sid, Sora learns he must prepare for the looming threat Organization XIII. The recurring group of antagonists from Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, the colorfully haired and dark robbed beings without hearts. You will meet The Three Good Fairies from “Sleeping Beauty” who will offer you this power. The drive forms, while powerful, allow you to wield two Keyblades, battle acrobatically, fly, and glide.
Summoning Disney characters alongside you to fight in battle is also present, such as Chicken Little, Genie and Stitch, though these buffs are temporary. You have plenty of Disney party members to select from, primarily Donald and Goofy as your party staples, occasionally being given the option to swap with characters like Mulan, Aladdin, Beast from Beast Castle, Simba, Jack Skellington and Jack Sparrow.
One shortcoming of the game is its exploration. Unlike the first Kingdom Hearts, platforming has been dialed down significantly. The focus of the title is its battling, though the developers have aimed to rectify this through challenges in the new Cavern of Remembrance section which will test your reflexes and drive abilities. Overall Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix is a feature rich addition to the series, with stellar combat set pieces and moment to moment action. Despite its reduced emphasis on exploration, the game’s refined mechanics and added content make it a standout entry in the franchise.
