Magical Gaming with Latest Kingdom Hearts

The Kingdom Hearts franchise has always been a mixture of standout gaming and two worlds that for no logical reason mesh brilliantly. With the latest installment for Nintendo DS, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 is certainly no exception. Combining interesting gameplay, a uniquely customizable character, and mission variety, this game retains the great aspects of the franchise while expanding on the formula for even more entertaining play.

You play as Roxas, who is Sora’s “Nobody” – a mirror copy somehow robbed of all memories. While striving to rediscover them, Roxas defeats Heartless, travels to various Disney locales, and unravels the secrets behind the black-cloaked Organization XIII. With the new addition of a variety of tasks and missions to choose from, this new game offers more chances than ever before to personalize your Kingdom Hearts experience. The choice keeps the game from becoming stale or redundant.

What’s more, Roxas offers the chance to customize his character through a panel of attributes, really letting you tailor the game to your personal preferences – if you’re a button masher, you can concentrate on physical attributes, but if you love the magic, then load up there. It’s a nice bonus in a previously predetermined area of the game.

The graphics are beautiful, only rarely becoming a bit boxy as DS games are often likely to do. Gameplay is fairly seamless, though occasionally the magic features can be a bit sluggish and on a very rare occasion, battle can slowdown a bit. The soundtrack is mostly copied from other Kingdom Hearts installments, which is no horrible thing as the music for the franchise has always been remarkable.

This is a game that feels so much bigger than it is, as consequently, it’s easy to forget that you’re playing on a handheld device. In my opinion, there’s no better praise for a handheld game.