The sequel to the popular "Kingdom Hearts" had plenty of money behind it, but too much full-motion video makes it a long haul for college students. Developed by the role-playing giant Square-Enix, the game combines the antics of Disney cartoons with the action of "Final Fantasy" characters. From quality music to crisp graphics, there is plenty to keep even the onlooker interested. "Kingdom Hearts II" has a clean continuation of the original story, but even those unfamiliar with the plot will have hours of intro to get accustomed to it.

"Kingdom Hearts II" kicks off in a rather unexpected way, replacing Sora with a new character named Roxas. Our main man Roxas lives in quiet Twilight Town, but his memory has become muddled. Flashbacks slowly show him, and players, the confusing past played out in the previous installment. What will be most difficult for most players (both veterans and those new to the series) to handle is that they will not have more than a few minutes of actual gameplay between each five-minute movie. While any game needs some backstory, it felt like a lifetime before Roxas and his gang actually got into the over world. On top of that, the first hours of the game were spent battling the same two forms of evil demons, not so cleverly called Heartless and Nobodies.

After around five hours of tedious gameplay revolving around Roxas and his crew trying to get to the beach and eat pretzels (no lie), a shocking revelation puts players once more in control of Sora, Donald and Goofy. It's incredibly confusing when it happens, but rest assured, all things will be resolved by the end of the game.

Compared to the game's predecessor and other RPGs, the fighting system is overly simplistic. It is easy, even late in the game, to tap X as fast as possible to blast through hordes of villains. Even level bosses require only the occasional spell or timed reversal maneuver (which is done by pressing triangle at the correct moment) to be taken down. Magic has its place in "Kingdom Hearts II." The effects are as extravagant as the worlds. The drawbacks again come in the lack of complexity. None of the combos has a learning curve, nor do the spells differentiate from each other wildly. In the heat of the fight, there were few times it seemed better to contemplate what would be the best spell instead of just hacking through the beasts.

The game does have incredible production value. Each world is beautifully detailed and character models manage a humorous cartoonish realism. Voices of all our favorite characters (especially Chip and Dale) will warrant a chuckle or two. Some quality talent was tapped for some of the other parts. Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher ("7th Heaven") and Christopher Lee are just a few of the actors that give the dialogue some much-needed kick. Only a dark sith lord could make the single word "revenge" send a chill down your spine. Players will probably get lost in the precisely built worlds. This does not mean they are all necessarily large, but the detailed buildings and landscapes warrant a slow stroll. The desire for escapism may be enough to get a few people to rent the game, especially with the stress of finals drawing near.

Unfortunately, none of the levels are long enough to make the game feel like a legitimate RPG. While leveling up still plays a big part, there is no diversity in where you can go and how you can get there. The linearity sucks all the excitement and replay value out of the graphic artists' well-done work.

Overall, it is difficult to say that everybody or nobody will enjoy this one. What "Kingdom Hearts II" does well is impossible to miss. Great graphics and deeply developed characters make the movies drawing. Yet there were so many movies that it felt like watching 10 feature-length films with some button mashing in between. This would not be a problem if the game made players feel in control of where the action headed, but it too often seemed like the developers knew the dialogue scenes were dragging on and stuck some game time in between. At least the characters will bring back some quality adolescent memories.

It is overall worth a rental; but be warned, you will be watching more than playing. The satisfying story warrants a recommendation, but I suggest you wait until you have a bit more time over summer vacation.

Rating: 3 out of 5