Kingdom Hearts II E3 Fact Sheet @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 14, 2004

News: Square Enix is bringing their stable of RPG characters and the House of Mouse together again.

Kingdom Hearts was a pleasant and unexpected surprise in 2002 when it mixed famous Disney and Sqaure characters into an action RPG that wasn't perfect, but was still plenty of fun. Square Enix has been hard at work on Kingdom Hearts II, but a release date is still up in the air. Thankfully this fact sheet isn't:

Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix U.S.A., Inc.
Format: PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system (PS2)
Genre: Role-Playing Game
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
Ship Date: TBD

KINGDOM HEARTS II follows Sora, Donald, and Goofy on their continuing quest. Sora is looking for his lost friends Kairi and Riku, while Donald and Goofy are searching for their missing king

It has been a year since the events of KINGDOM HEARTS. Sora and friends are joined by a vibrant new cast of characters, including the king himself! Together, they will encounter countless dangers in worlds both familiar and brand-new. It seems the Heartless, or at least some form of them, still exist. A new villain also awaits, hidden by a mask. Is it someone familiar or a new opponent to be confronted? This mystery and others will be solved as the story unfolds in a grand adventure.

KINGDOM HEARTS has sold over 4 million units worldwide and continues to gain popularity with gamers and fans of both DISNEY and SQUARE ENIX across the planet. KINGDOM HEARTS captured the imaginations of gamers young and old, combining classic DISNEY properties with SQUARE ENIX's renowned style, and presenting characters and worlds brought to life by an all-star voice cast. Fans will revisit this beloved story and come to care for a new troupe of characters in KINGDOM HEARTS II.

Tetsuya Nomura reprises his role as Director and Main Character Designer in KINGDOM HEARTS II, seamlessly weaving two creative worlds into a universe brimming with imagination. Nomura is also the creator of many unique characters in the FINAL FANTASY canon, including characters from FINAL FANTASY VII, VIII, X, and X-2. Joining him is Yuichi Kanemori as Battle Director. His battle system for KINGDOM HEARTS was designed for players of all skill levels, wedding a simple and intuitive interface to challenging and entertaining gameplay. Kazushige Nojima acts as Scenario Director, spinning together the many emotional twists and turns of KINGDOM HEARTS II. Nojima is also known for this work on the landmark PlayStation titles FINAL FANTASY VII and FINAL FANTASY VIII.