"You can’t come along looking like that!"

You see the problem isn’t the way Sora is dressed, it has to do with the look on his face. No sad faces are allowed on the Gummi Ship.

Don’t let the use of the word ‘gummi’ fool you, this game is anything but a romp for the very young. There is a dark undercurrent, a montage of dreams and real sequences jumbled together with an ever-present black void that drags Sora down into the nightmare realm. There is heartbreak, longing and heroism. Each aspect has its counter, delicately balanced in the rich panorama of the game.

Kingdom Hearts, a PlayStation2 release from Squaresoft and Disney Interactive, is an incredible voyage sporting jaw-dropping graphical elements. This is easily one of the best-looking games released this year. But be forewarned, this game has a dark side. As cute and clever as it is, there is another side that balances the former traits out.

The game is the first joint effort between Squaresoft (the folks responsible for the classic Japanese-style RPG Final Fantasy series) and Disney. As such, the game has a strange cast of characters, combining the Final Fantasy-style inhabitants with Disney characters. You will find FF’s Cloud as well as Disney’s Simba, Peter Pan, Alice, Ariel, Tarzan, Hercules, Jiminy Cricket, et al.

As the game opens (and be prepared for numerous cutscenes, and a prologue that will take you an hour-plus to work through) Sora lives on Destiny Island (if that doesn’t tell you something, then you are just plain Goofy ­ oops) with his love-interest, Kairi and rival Riku. Sora is troubled by dreams of a blackness (known as Darkside) that attacks him. In the meantime the trio are dreaming of worlds beyond their island. They have even built a raft to try to explore those worlds.

Meanwhile in Disney castle, King Mickey is missing. He has noticed the gathering of dark objects and has gone to investigate. Donald Duck, the castle magician, and Goofy (Captain of the Royal Knights, though he doesn’t like to fight) are dispatched to find him. They depart the stellar city for Traverse Town to find the key that will open other worlds to them so they can search for the king.

A storm comes upon Destiny Island, waking Sora. He ventures out into the night and is attacked by black blobs, later known as the Heartless. His wooden sword is useless, so he (or you, as you are in control at this time) runs and notices Riku standing on an island. Riku tells him that the door to other worlds has been opened. And as Sora listens, darkness tries to drag him away. Suddenly, there is a spark and Sora no long holds his wooden sword, but a blade shaped like a key (hence the name Keyblade) that slices through the Heartless.

After another encounter with Darkside, Sora awakens when Pluto (yep, Mickey’s dog) licks his face in Traverse Town. From there he learns that his destiny is to be the wielder of the Keyblade, and he teams with Donald and Goofy to travel from one Disney realm to the next, battling the Heartless, aiding and being aided by classic Disney folk.

Because he holds the Keyblade, Sora is the prime target of the Heartless and under constant attack. His only wish, in spite of the task before him, is to find Kairi again.

Kingdom Hearts has some problems with the camera angles, and battles seem to occur at differing frame rates. They slow, speed up and then seem to move at a normal pace. Sora’s frenetic combat style adds to this.  Also, the sequences with the Gummi Ship in flight are somewhat silly and not in keeping with the overall look of the game.

Of course, Donald and Goofy (or the other Disney characters) don’t seem to have it in them to kill anything, that is Sora’s job. And death is not actually seen. It is more like banishment. The Heartless leave behind glowing orbs that refresh health points, and you’ll have to watch your companions health bars as well as your own.

The sound elements of this game are quite impressive. Haley Joel Osmont is the voice of Sora, while Hailey Panettiere is the voice of Kairi. Some of the other names that add their voices to this sound track are Billy Zane, Mandy Moore, and Lance Bass. The actors who did the characterizations in film voice the Disney characters. You’ll hear Robbie Benson as the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast) and James Woods as Hades, among notable others. (Oh, Disney’s bad guys are in the game too ­ guess which side they are on?)

The game controls are kept relatively simple to start, but players can add abilities as the game progresses and the controls begin to get a touch more complex. Overall, the player interface is well designed.

From Trinity marks that enhance powers or enable you to solve puzzle elements, to transmutation of items, this game spans a broad range of RPG elements.

Kingdom Hearts has to rank as one of the best RPGs created for the PS2. Though the game features an expanding plot, a seemingly-endless supply of puzzles, and a lot of combat, the most enduring quality is the combination of beloved Disney characters (and some not so beloved) with Square’s trademark-style of gameplay and characters. This is a remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable game.

For those who fall in love with this game and wish to extend the experience, or if you are stuck and looking for a little guidance, BradyGames has published the official strategy guide for the game. This 240-page full color manual, complete with a pull-out map of all the environments, is chock full of great hints and tips, photos from the game, and the information that players will find useful.

For example, at the start of the game, Sora is asked three questions. The answers will determine the rate, which Sora levels ­ which can either be fast, normal or slow.

This game guide is a wonderful resource, and any player will benefit from its use.

Kingdom Hearts is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 7.5
The game suffers from an abundance of cutscenes, which do nicely propel the game along, but can run the gamut from silly, sublime, ethereal and just plain strange to wonderful. The camera angles also hamper the gameplay, and the frame rate seems a little sporadic during combat sequences.

Graphics: 9.2
The fully three-dimensional look of this game is simply fantastic. There are some lip-synch problems, and the Gummi Ship sequences are a disappointment when balanced against the overall look of this game.

Sound: 9.5
While the musical score can be repetitious, it is still very well done and a treat. The vocal characterizations are among the best in any game. The effects are what one would expect.

Difficulty: Medium
The game has two difficulty settings, normal and hard. The game features a huge number of puzzles which should challenge most players. The controls and player interface, however, are kept simple and are easy to use.

Concept: 9.5
This game has so many cameos dancing through it that players may be challenged to identify them all. Some of the character pairings are so strange they have to be seen to be believed. Take, for example, Donald and Goofy engaged in battle with Final Fantasy character Cloud. When you see this, strange becomes routine and normal. This game has a great concept, but may labor a bit in gameplay.

Overall: 9.1
This is an amazing visual treat, burdened by some gameplay and camera woes, but an enjoyable ride through a universe that is so thoroughly rich as to have broad appeal.