A hero’s journey can begin in unexpected places taking you from a quiet existence playing with your friends and exploring your small piece of paradise to another world putting you face to face with people you never expected to meet. Some will take this journey with the wide eye innocence but some may allow the world outside their front door to corrupt them. The corrupt become the villains, but the heroes will stay pure and innocent when they are surrounded by the darkness.
Kingdom Hearts is an action roleplaying game for the Playstation 2 video game console. The game puts you in the shoes of Sora and sends you on a journey from your idyllic island paradise to many worlds of the Disney universe. After your home is mysteriously destroyed by the dark heartless creatures, you become separated from your best friends and find Mickey Mouse’s loveable sidekicks, Donald and Goofy instead. After Sora shows his skills with the powerful keyblade weapon, they decide to join you on your mutual goal to defeat the Heartless. Along your quest, you will fight along side well known characters like Jack Skellington, Squall from Final Fantasy, and the mighty half-god Hercules. You will enter different worlds, focusing on a major Disney film, and bring order back to chaos returning the innocent characters to their normal stories.
Most people may be put off by the idea of playing a game with Disney characters, known for the childish appeal but the Kingdom Hearts defiantly puts a more mature spin on these old stories. This game appeals to everyone, fans of Disney and those who have never seen a Mickey Mouse cartoon in their life. The simplified gameplay makes it easily accessible to new players but the engaging storyline, complex strategies, and puzzles will draw in skilled players as well. You will find yourself fighting not to defeat the enemy or finish the game, but to help Sora, Donald, and Goofy find their friends and defeat the Heartless. Your attachment to the characters and you desire to see them succeed will far outweigh your own desire to succeed.
I’ve always loved video games, but I had no idea I would find as much enjoyment from Kingdom Hearts as I did. Most Disney games are aimed at the younger generation; but since Square Enix, the creators of the Final Fantasy games, developed this title I found the game to be as deep as engaging as the Final Fantasy games. The Disney characters and enduring storyline has even attracted women and non-gamers to Kingdom Hearts. I’ve found every minute of the game to be fulfilling and the incorporation of the Disney themes made me want to watch the classic cartoons again since the video game had made me even more attached to this characters I already knew. On occasion, I will find myself longing to play Kingdom Hearts like an urge to see an old friend you haven’t talked to in awhile. Kingdom Hearts will make a fan of anyone who picks up the game.
(Written as an essay for my English 101 Class)
