Current Events > Playing Kingdom Hearts II for the first time

(+) Yeah! (+)

Very excited to play it for the first time. Full disclaimer, I played through the opening about a decade ago. Is any particular difficulty recommended?

I always go for the hardest setting, but I've also played the game multiple times.

It has the best, and most fair, critical mode in the series, but idk if it's good to go with that on your first try. So I'd say go with Proud.

I believe for KH2 it's Easy if you want to mindlessly mash your way through the game, Proud if you want a challenge, and critical if you're a bit crazy and want to work for most of your wins (but you also get extra skills early on IIRC).

Man, I still remember being confused af at KHII's beginning when I first played because I hadn't played Chain of Memories.

Ivynn posted...

Man, I still remember being confused af at KHII's beginning when I first played because I hadn't played Chain of Memories.

I had played CoM and my thoughts were when will this beginning end already (I loved the game once it did end).

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/562bad75.jpg
Dawg what kind of pants are those

Is magic less of a bad investment in this game?

BBS is probably the only game where magic is actually useful

All of your kit in KH2 are really good if+when you know how to use them.

Idk if picking Magic over Sword or Shield is a good move or not though.

Garioshi posted...

Is magic less of a bad investment in this game?

The only magic spell I used in the game was Cure/Cura/Curaga.

Garioshi posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/562bad75.jpg
Dawg what kind of pants are those

Those pants are the perfect pants-to-shoe-size ratio. Just wait until you see how many belts it takes to hold up Sora's big boy pants.

I dont think Magic is as important as in KH1 because you get a lot of good tools like drive forms to play with, and a lot of the combat is centered around countering stuff with triangle with reaction commands.

My hot take? 1 - CoM - 2 story wise is a very solid trilogy that resolves most of its hanging threads and feels like a satisfying complete arc. It all goes downhill from there.

HeroFlyChao posted...

My hot take? 1 - CoM - 2 story wise is a very solid trilogy that resolves most of its hanging threads and feels like a satisfying complete arc. It all goes downhill from there.

ive said it many times the series should have retired sora and crew after KH2

started a new storyline with new characters

I heavily recommend proud mode for a first playthrough, critical can have a lot of unfair 1HKOs particularly in the early game but the main problem is it also makes you do waaaay more damage so it leads to you melting through enemies before they can melt you and it makes boss battles go by super fast so you might not even get to see everything they can do

God I love the opening in this game

HeroFlyChao posted...

I dont think Magic is as important as in KH1 because you get a lot of good tools like drive forms to play with, and a lot of the combat is centered around countering stuff with triangle with reaction commands.

My hot take? 1 - CoM - 2 story wise is a very solid trilogy that resolves most of its hanging threads and feels like a satisfying complete arc. It all goes downhill from there.

I disagree. Magic in KH2 is way better than it was in KH1.

Magic is amazing in all KH games though each game has its own learning curve to understanding magic. KH 2 and 3 are the most similar though.

For KH 2, magnera, magnega, and the entire reflect line can break the game, especially if you know how to time reflect so it explodes on each hit rather than just spamming it.

Did Final Mix add these KH1 recaps?

Ivynn posted...

Man, I still remember being confused af at KHII's beginning when I first played because I hadn't played Chain of Memories.

Imagine my confusion when the first game in the franchise I played was CoM and then went into KH2. I didnt play KH1 until years later

Garioshi posted...

Did Final Mix add these KH1 recaps?

Nope, those were always there

HeroFlyChao posted...

My hot take? 1 - CoM - 2 story wise is a very solid trilogy that resolves most of its hanging threads and feels like a satisfying complete arc. It all goes downhill from there.

Agreed. 2 should have wrapped up the whole thing and if they wanted to continue, start a new storyline.

I bought the KH collection that's like 6 titles in 1 when they announced Sora for Smash, for $20

It's still in the shrink wrap...

One of the best deals I've gotten, and I've yet to touch it. My interest in the series isn't there anymore

HeroFlyChao posted...

My hot take? 1 - CoM - 2 story wise is a very solid trilogy that resolves most of its hanging threads and feels like a satisfying complete arc. It all goes downhill from there.

Yeah, the actual trilogy of the series isn't 1/2/3, it's what you just listed.

If anything, KH3 is part of a trilogy that follows BbS and DDD.

One of the absolute GOATest of GOATs.

my fav game and one where teen me went ''god when is this prologue going to end and i don't care'' to ''man now i miss it''
Nota214 posted...

Those pants are the perfect pants-to-shoe-size ratio. Just wait until you see how many belts it takes to hold up Sora's big boy pants.

heh so true

Rharyx211 posted...

Yeah, the actual trilogy of the series isn't 1/2/3, it's what you just listed.

If anything, KH3 is part of a trilogy that follows BbS and DDD.

Never thought about it that way but it's so true

Hooooly shit the skateboard

Garioshi posted...

Hooooly shit the skateboard

Truly an early 2000s game

oh man do i actually have to get to 800

Garioshi posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/562bad75.jpg
Dawg what kind of pants are those

You're gonna have to be more specific, lol.

Garioshi posted...

Is magic less of a bad investment in this game?

I don't really remember it mattering as much in this one.

ATfire567 posted...

The only magic spell I used in the game was Cure/Cura/Curaga.

There were a handful of times the others come in handy. Magnet/ra/ga was great for grinding, and then you had that one boss in Agrabah.

Garioshi posted...

Hooooly shit the skateboard

lmao

It was fun if you went up to the top of the wall and jumped off and kept doing that spin over and over. You could get a looooot of hang time that way.

AceMos posted...

BBS is probably the only game where magic is actually useful

I could not disagree further. Good use of magic is the key to playing well in almost every KH game.

I recommend Critical mode so that when you take out the super bosses you can then smugly smile when someone online says I play difficult games Ive finished all the souls games

the stat selections dont really matter that much in KH2 but I would consult a list to see which abilities you want earlier as that can really impact your experience due to availability of Once More and Second Chance

So are the Organization guys I killed in COM still dead or what

Relm_Arrowny_87 posted...

I could not disagree further. Good use of magic is the key to playing well in almost every KH game.

i just bash things with my keyblade and use curaga if needed

j/w, how does it compare to the original in terms of world design and gameplay?

I have the Remaster collection on Steam, but I only ever played through 1 on PS2 like twenty years ago. And I have a problem where I can't imagine how they change the game formula (if they do) or expand on the level design (if they do, the levels in the first game feel kinda small), or if it's even a radical overhaul or just some minor additions.

Hexenherz posted...

j/w, how does it compare to the original in terms of world design and gameplay?

I have the Remaster collection on Steam, but I only ever played through 1 on PS2 like twenty years ago. And I have a problem where I can't imagine how they change the game formula (if they do) or expand on the level design (if they do, the levels in the first game feel kinda small), or if it's even a radical overhaul or just some minor additions.

For better or worse, KH1 was an Action RPG with platformer elements, while KH2 steers it away from the platforming and focuses much more on combat.

Garioshi posted...

So are the Organization guys I killed in COM still dead or what

Yes they are still dead in KH2

I like how freaky the Nobody designs are

HeroFlyChao posted...

For better or worse, KH1 was an Action RPG with platformer elements, while KH2 steers it away from the platforming and focuses much more on combat.

Is it similar linear small levels though? I didn't think the platforming was too bad in KH1.

I might need to speedrun it on Easy just to get to 2 and check it out.

Damn now I wanna play final mix

Maybe when D4 season 11 launches

For the record it's illegal to dislike the KH2 opening. Please form your viewpoint accordingly.

DodogamaRayBrst posted...

For the record it's illegal to dislike the KH2 opening. Please form your viewpoint accordingly.

I like it, it's just very surreal.

EDIT: oh you mean the actual opening lmao yeah i like it and liked it 10 years ago

I'm definitely impressed by the size of the areas this time around, as well as the attention to detail.

Hexenherz posted...

Is it similar linear small levels though? I didn't think the platforming was too bad in KH1.

I might need to speedrun it on Easy just to get to 2 and check it out.

I think the worlds in KH2 feel smaller even if they aren't.

Is the opening all linear? What happens if you lose early on in the tournament?

Garioshi posted...

Is the opening all linear? What happens if you lose early on in the tournament?

For most of the matches, you just replay it. (IIRC I think the screen goes static-y and things reset.)
If you lose the last match, you get a different cutscene and different reward.

Garioshi posted...

So are the Organization guys I killed in COM still dead or what

Yeah.

Hexenherz posted...

j/w, how does it compare to the original in terms of world design and gameplay?

In terms of world design, KH1 prioritized exploration, puzzles, and platforming. So you had smaller levels that had more to interact with and unlock. While KH2 really just cares about the combat, so the levels are more linear with bigger rooms to fit the flashier and larger battles.

And the combat in KH2 is pretty much just a straight action RPG, unlike KH1. So it's way quicker and more expressive.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/04dcebf7.jpg
I love Silent Hill 2

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

The Final Mix version adds a LOT to the overall experience, especially in terms of extra content.

Depending on why you found KH2 to be disappointing, the FM version may or may not fix those issues for you

pegusus123456 posted...

I think the worlds in KH2 feel smaller even if they aren't.

I think they're just more straightforward. A lot of the worlds in KH1 had some maze elements or platforming gimmicks, but not so much in 2. I kinda preferred the more straightforward designs tbh, but it did kinda make it feel smaller.