Did the guy at IGN who reviewed, Kingdom Hearts 2... (Warning: RANT)

...actually play the game? He claims that it is too easy and if you press the X button repeatedly, you'll beat the game, and yet this is not true at all, ESPECIALLY in some fights where you have to use the triangle button to make quick moves or to use things around you to actually harm the enemies you're facing. He said he has read the posts on the board and this is why he gave it a 7.6, and yet he probably was playing on the easiest difficulty.

I had a blast when I played it (my brother let me play it a little more since he was getting tired), and on some parts I actually came close to dying by following the writer's "only press X and win" strategy. He also complains that it is supposed to be an action RPG, and yet there aren't many RPG elements besides leveling, and it isn't even action packed since you are fighting armies of enemies and managing to kill all of them pretty easily. Armies of enemies? That sounds pretty action packed to me, and while watching the video, it looks it too, and the video review also makes me pretty sure that yes, he had it set to easy since the things that are so much further along in the game have as much health as the earliest enemies.

What's even worse is that he makes the game sound like complete garbage and that just because they spent four years making it, the gameplay had to be altered so much and the levels had to be massive and have lots of exploration to make it a good game. Kingdom Hearts 2 is great simply because you don't have to explore alot, and do boring quests, but be more of a part of the game, since you are able to do so much more now, and the "stale gameplay" is a big step up from the first game which IGN for some reason gave a nine while the reviewer said this one was better than the first even though he gives it a 7.6.

When I read and watched the review, I seriously felt that this was just someone trying to keep everyone away, since he knew it was going to be an extremley popular game, and didn't want to give it a decent rating since he knew some websites would of course give it good ratings, and the number 7.6 not only doesn't do the game justice, but it puts it under games that IGN felt were better like Donkey Konga 2, and don't even tell me that THAT game wasn't stale and the same thing over and over again. Kingdom Hearts 2 has so much to it, so many minigames, so many quests, so many new features to the combat, etc, that I felt it was worth the wait, and I am glad I own it.

I am not the huge fan that the reviewer said the game was only to appeal to. I played the first one right when it came out, and I played some of Chain of Memories, but I never actually played them a second time through. Kingdom Hearts 2 on the other hand, I may just play through a second time just because I'm having that much fun with it. If you haven't played the other games, then no, the story (which I love since I understand most of what's going on) won't make sense, but as the guy at IGN said, the game has some flashbacks around the start to help people who haven't played the earlier games. Just renting it though, probably won't be an option if you play it long enough.

The game is just pure fun, it looks great, feels great, and even has an amazing story driving it. If the reason the guy at IGN gave it a 7.6 is because he has played through on easy mode and felt it was too easy, that should not be what the rating of the entire game goes around. Easy mode means EASY, not moderate, or difficult, it means EASY. If he was expecting it to be like Ninja Gaiden's definition of easy, then no, play on normal or hard for that, but if you want the game to be easy, set it to the easy difficulty setting.

What I'm saying is, guy at IGN who reviewed the game, your review is bogus and contradicts itself in so many ways it's amazing, and to everyone that hasn't played Kingdom Hearts 2, I suggest you go out and play this right now.

This post has been edited by Admiral Delmore on Mar 31 2006, 06:45 PM

Amen brother. I'm almost at the end, and I'm playing on standard. And some of these bosses are a royal pain in the ass.

Well that's good to hear, since Ansem was easy to beat in the first game. :(

I think Kingdom Hearts II is amazing in every way, and that's all that matters.

The reaction commands kick ass: it's like the action commands in Paper Mario, except with more depth, and high-profile cutscenes.

I think the combat system as a whole is less archaic than in the first game. Everything about it is faster, and vastly improved.

Yes, and I fell in love with it after seeing how much I was going to be able to do with it on that huge first boss you fight. After three whole hours, the game is finally just getting started, so I'm pretty sure I'll be playing it for quite a bit, and I've loved it so far, so I can't wait to play it some more.

I just got the first game and am enjoying the hell out of it. If the sequel is as good as this, I'll be very happy.

I actually like it more.

If you like the first one, you'll love the second one.

I love everything about it so far except Sora's deeper voice (I know, he couldn't help it). The reaction commands remind me a lot of the counter-attack moves in Wind Waker, I like them.

I know, all the hormonal changes in just 1 year!

I mean

KAIRI?!

She's a cutie alright. <3

Once I beat the first one i'll be really getting KH2 because not that it's a Sequel to a awesome game but it's like Sonys Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess.

Really, a 7.4 isn't THAT bad of a rating is it?

No, the voices that are completely awful are Cid's and Aries. Christ, they are bad.

In most people's eyes it just means satisfactory. Okay. Not bad. Not great.

And I loved the first one, gameplay, setting AND story, and I'm looking forward to the second one.

The first one improves on EVERYTHING. The gummi ship is exciting and fun to play. The camera is fixed this time. Everything is larger and longer. The worlds SEEM short, but you return to the worlds for different episodes. The battle system is still somewhat the same, but with a bunch of added stuff in it. Like the Valor form and Wisdom form (and a few other suprises I won't ruin for you). And the action commands are one of the best things to happen to the battles in Kingdom Hearts II.

Also, Pete's in it. And Pete is awesome.

OH, and be warned when you get to Beast's Castle all of you. Your jaw may litterally drop when you see how perfect the ballroom looks.

This post has been edited by Duckboy on Mar 31 2006, 10:05 AM

IGN is full of douchebags. This also applies to Gamespot, EGM, Game Informer and pretty much every other game review media--it's all opinion-based and more times than not a reviewer will just act on that rather than taking into consideration how other people would like or dislike a game. To them, if they disliked their gaming experience, then BAD EXPERIENCE = BAD GAME. Or vice-versa.

...a review is someone's opinion of the game, OF COURSE it's opinion based. O_o

It is at the very least disturbing that this is not the first time IGN has posted a review based on what they perceive public opinion will be, rather than the reviewer's own idiotic opinion they pull it from someone they heard kinda didn't like it. Astounding.