Game Balance in Kingdom Hearts II
Introduction
Kingdom Hearts II (2005) is an action-RPG developed by Square Enix that mashes Square’s iconic Final Fantasy-style characters with the worlds of classic Disney films. Its gameplay features a combination of what was popular in Japan and the United States in the early 2000s: the tactical mechanics of Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy and the action-oriented mechanics of American beat ’em ups like Jak and Daxter.
I grew up with Kingdom Hearts II (KH2), along with several other PS2-era classics. However, I haven’t gone back to any of those other games as much as I’ve returned to KH2, with my most recent playthrough dating to just last year. How has this game, among a sea of others, managed to be so pertinent to me throughout my life, even surpassing my experiences with other games in the same series? I believe the answer comes down to the striking game balance that KH2 has on display.
In this article, we’ll examine how KH2 managed the various aspects of game balance.
Balance between Skill Levels
When I first played KH2, I was barely eight years old, and my game skills were extremely limited. With that in mind, I was still able to experience the bulk of the game because of its generous difficulty options. The easiest of the bunch is titled “Beginner Mode”. In this mode, the player deals 1.5 times as much damage while receiving half as much from enemies.
Combined with the healing mechanics that the game has to offer, the easier mode basically ensures that inexperienced players can get through all major story content without dying too frequently. For young players, this meant that they were able to experience all of the Disney goodness that the game had to offer, which was honestly a huge part of why I loved the game so much as a kid.
When I last played KH2, I was twenty-two years old, and my game skills were vastly greater than they were two-thirds of my life earlier. Just as an easy difficulty allowed me to adore the game as a child, a challenging difficulty allows me to adore the game as an adult. The hardest difficulty in KH2 is titled “Critical Mode”. As one might expect, the player is hampered by the mode: damage received is doubled and the rate at which health, magic, and experience points are gained throughout the game is severely limited. However, one might not expect that the player would benefit from mode, but that is exactly the case: player damage is increased and abilities are given more quickly to the player.
In essence, Critical Mode’s simultaneous enhancement and diminution of the player makes them a glass cannon. The player is extremely fragile, to the point that many of the game’s enemies can kill them in one to two hits. The player is also extremely potent, as they are given abilities faster, immensely increasing their possible damage output. Where the game used to feel like a Disney romp focused on narrative (and it still does, because of nostalgia), it now feels like a high-octane action experience, full of well-earned skill and pulse-racing moments.
Balance between Game Objects
Kingdom Hearts II is littered with different game systems, all of which can be used to feed the gameplay loop of exploring and fighting enemies. The game features the “Limit” system which allows the player to use their magic points to do special attacks with their Disney party members; the “Drive” system which allows the player to exchange party members and a special resource for new movesets and increased mobility; the “Summon” system which allows the player to summon other Disney characters for game-altering effects; the “Magic” system which allows the player to exchange magic points for spells that aid in combat; and many other systems.
For a beginner, all of these systems are somewhat overwhelming. Luckily, Beginner Mode and Standard Mode are both easy enough that the player can utilize as many or as few of these systems as they would like, and they’ll still be able to progress through the narrative.
For an expert, these systems must be utilized, or Critical Mode is insurmountable. However, thanks to the design of the systems, learning to use them all is adroitly encouraged, specifically because of how not using the systems leads the player to miss out on gameplay opportunities.
As an example, I will focus on the Drive system, in which the player utilizes the unique Drive resource to completely transform their moveset into one that is more capable of outputting damage. Because of how slowly the Drive resource is accumulated in game, many players might default to not using it unless they feel they absolutely must. This is countered in two ways: first, using a Drive form fully restores the player’s health and magic points, and second, using Drive forms frequently grants the player permanent movement upgrades. Hence, players are expressly encouraged to use the Drive system, even if it’s only for a quick heal.
Nearly all of the gameplay systems in KH2 follow a similar design philosophy, so players are heavily rewarded for indulging in the complexities the game has to offer, especially in the face of Critical Mode’s crushing odds. I believe it is this balance between systems that has fortified the game’s longevity.
Conclusion
In the end, it appears that Kingdom Hearts II has game balance to thank for its special place in my heart. Through balance, the game was able to ensure its narrative fun shined for beginners and its challenge fun shined for veterans.
