The Kingdom Hearts series possesses the same simple allure as fanfiction, crossover comics, and spin-off book franchises. You play these games not to beat them or to advance the plot (although, of course, that's always nice), but to spend time with your favorite characters, to tinker with their worlds, to influence their lives, and to contribute to their stories. Either you want to do this or you don't, and if this prospect appeals to you, then the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts II offers a charming, immersive romp that will enthrall you for countless hours.

That's not to say that Kingdom Hearts II is a perfect game, because it certainly suffers from some notable miscalculations (particularly in storyline and battle mechanics). But it delivers on its basic promise: the opportunity to once more be a child and play pretend with your favorite Disney and Square characters. That sort of joy is invaluable.

Once again, you play Sora, chosen wielder of the Keyblade, with the computer-controlled Donald and Goofy acting as back-up. Together, the three of you travel to various Disney-inspired worlds in search of King Mickey Mouse and your lost friend Riku, both of whom you last saw on the wrong end of the closing Door to Darkness. Along the way, you reunite with old friends and encounter new ones, joining forces with beloved heroes from famous Disney and Squaresoft sagas, such as Mulan, Stitch, and Auron, in order to defeat the growing numbers of Heartless. In addition, you confront new enemies, namely the shady Organization XIII and their Nobodies, the eerie, pallid foes that make the Heartless look like garden gnomes.

This is not a standalone title; if you haven't played Kingdom Hearts (and, arguably, the "˜optional' Chain of Memories), you'll feel consistently two steps behind the plot, which already suffers from some confusing and moronic twists. Moreover, the game commits the cardinal sin of videogame narrative by indulging in a clunky, overlong opening chapter. Yet, at times, Kingdom Hearts II soars, producing genuinely inspired moments of storytelling. In particular, there is one brilliant sequence of epic slaughter, where, alone and heartbroken, you vengefully mow down entire legions of Heartless; I think this is one of best crafted videogame moments in recent memory. So if you can forgive the occasionally silly storyline and the off-putting prologue, the inspired remainder of the game is its own reward.

Indeed, in many ways, Kingdom Hearts II is just so much better than its predecessors. The developers improved almost everything that was frustrating, even fatal, about the first two games: the camera angles, the truncated level design, the repetitive music, the gimmicky boss battles, the tedious coliseum tournaments, and the useless character cameos. This game makes the original Kingdom Hearts look like the first draft of drunken, bored amateurs.

Of the many upgrades, the best improvement is in how the game incorporates the Disney and Squaresoft cameo characters. In Kingdom Hearts, the optional characters were painfully useless. But in the sequel, the developers beefed up the AI and added in stylish, effective team moves that make these party members worth using. Sora can pair up with each optional character for a unique Limit Break; for example, Tron de-rezzes enemies, Aladdin robs foes for cash, and Beast lays the feral smackdown. And not only do these magical attacks look great in execution, but they're devastatingly effective, too.

The developers also renovated the gameplay environment and level design. Gone forever are the washed-out Atlantica rockfaces and the boxy corners of the Wonderland forest. Instead, the player roams lush, striking environments, such as the frozen snow-drifts of the Land of Dragons, the stark, endless savannah of the Pride Land, and the twisting bazaar stalls of Agrabah.

Indeed, the only world that notably fails to impress is Port Royal, home to the Pirates of the Caribbean. For a world where pirates prowl the seas, the color palate is surprisingly drab and dark, and the Port Royal inhabitants look like plastic, toothless zombies straight out of the Uncanny Valley. Compared to such lively and bright cartoon characters as Simba and Hercules, Captain Jack Sparrow appears downright creepy.

World-hopping is now more of a non-linear experience; unlike the first game, which was pretty much a straight shot to the end, each world offers more than one main storyline, and you have the choice of returning for optional content in each. You could probably crunch through the main plot of Kingdom Hearts II in less than twenty hours. However, to complete every quest and savor each minigame, you'll need at least twice that long.

While the basic battle system remains unchanged, the mechanics have been beefed up. Battles are swift, feverish affairs, with increased emphasis on strategy. Each enemy has an associated counterattack move, or Reaction Command, accessible only through good timing and quick reflexes. Summons are more useful, combos are more practical, and, best of all, the camera angles are more stable. The new Drive Command transforms Sora into special forms that emphasize certain abilities, like agility or strength, giving you an added edge in battle.

Yet, at the heart of the combat system still remains those button-mashing combos. Defeating run-of-the-mill enemies inevitably boils down to how fast you can pound the X-button. Some might not mind this lack of sophistication, but for advanced players, minor skirmishes inevitably will be tedious.

The saving grace of the system is the boss battles. These clashes, which require more tactical thinking and adaptability, are fast and frequent. To defeat bosses, you must rely not just on pattern recognition but precise timing and Reaction Commands, adding a layer of complexity that makes these epic struggles the best part of the game. Of course, the frenetic, heroic soundtrack accompanying each boss is sure to get the adrenaline flowing.

Speaking of songs, one of the biggest drawbacks to the first game was its tiresome, repetitive music, particularly the cringe-inducing themes to Wonderland and Atlantica ("Under The Sea" still gives me the shivers). For Kingdom Hearts II, the developers learned their lesson, creating ambient soundscapes for each world based not on recognizable ditties but on symphonic movie scores. The result is refreshingly unintrusive.

In the end, you already know if Kingdom Hearts II is for you, and you know because as you read this review, you either grinned uncontrollably or snickered quietly to yourself. Despite what I've written about battle systems and narratives and musical soundscapes, ultimately Kingdom Hearts II is about its characters: Sephiroth and Tron, Pooh and Hercules, Stitch and Tifa, and all the rest of those lifelong friends and childhood enemies you still secretly cherish. Do you want to be close to them once more, to share in their adventures and relish in their friendships? Then fire up Kingdom Hearts II, and let your memories carry you away.

Kingdom Hearts II
Official Site
Released: March 2006 (PS2)
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix and Buena Vista Games