Kingdom Hearts Preview

E3 2002

There’s nothing goofy about Squaresoft’s upcoming release for the PlayStation2 console system …

Ok, there is something “Goofy” about it, but it’s not one of those ‘duck-and-cover’ type of action games …

Well, actually it is a ‘duck’-and-defend action/adventure game, and it is pretty Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck, and Peter Pan, and Aladdin, and Tarzan, and …

Kingdom Hearts is the kind of game that PS2 of all ages will want to add to their collection. It may be the kind of title that draws some to the console platform because the animation is excellent, the graphical elements are rendered bright and lush, the audio elements are terrific and the storyline is wonderful.

Squaresoft demonstrated the game at E3 2002 in Los Angeles where GameZone got a look.

Two years in the making, Kingdom Hearts blends Disney characters with Squaresoft characters on an adventure that, though targeted for the 10-12-age range, will appeal to kids who are a lot older as well.

It is the story of Sora, voiced by Haley Joel Osment, whose world is shattered when a violent storm wrecks his island-paradise home, and he is separated from his two closest friends. Simultaneously, King Mickey is missing from Disney castle – which inspires court wizard Donald Duck and Captain Goofy to find him. The three adventurers team up and learn of creatures known as the Heartless, who are behind the destruction of Sora’s home and the kidnapping of King Mickey. It is up to the intrepid trio to find Sora’s friends, rescue King Mickey and banish the Heartless from the realms they have invaded – which are very familiar to fans of Disney’s animated feature films.

Oh, and did we mention that the Heartless are getting backing from some of Disney’s classic villains? Not only are there more than 100 Disney characters in the game, but some of Squaresoft’s classic characters also appear – like Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, Selphie from FF VIII, and Tidus and Wakka from FF X all make guest appearances. The game takes place across nine Disney worlds and Sora’s weapon is a key, which is used to lock each realm after the Heartless and evil are banished.

Don’t expect the Disney characters to fight – they don’t. They may cast spells and defend, but they won’t attack. Players cannot control the Disney characters.

The game takes between 30-35 hours of straight game time to complete, though there are side quests and games, which will take players much longer to work through.

The voice talent is nothing short of awesome. The Disney characters are each brought to life by the actors and actresses who do the actual voices of the characters. In addition to Osment, other voices are supplied by Mandy Moore (“The Princess Diaries”), Sean Astin (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Rudy”), Lance Bass (*NSYNC), David Gallagher (“Seventh Heaven”), and Hayden Panettiere (“Ally McBeal,” “Remember the Titans”).

The combat model is real-time and not only incorporates a few new elements, but also the traditional RPG elements found in Squaresoft titles.

Though it was not a hands-on demo, the game appeared to have a player-friendly interface, and many who had the time to play were able to get into the game quickly.

This game will be rated E, and will be available in Fall 2002.

Kingdom Hearts is a trip to childhood, a journey into a realm that is rich and wonderful, and may well be one of the better games in terms of broad appeal and unbounded joy demonstrated at E3.