Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 46
  2. Negative: 0 out of 46
  2. 100
    You’ll be hard pressed to find another game that even comes close to matching the quality found in Kingdom Hearts. Games just don’t come as beautiful and well thought out as this, it’s a virtual masterpiece that excels in every way possible.
  3. 97
    Each world is full of colors, whether it be lush green environments of a jungle, or the sandy feeling you get in the desert, each world is chock full of beautiful and vibrant colors that jump out at you more than Mexican jumping beans.
  5. Despite the gummi ship craziness, I found this game to be completely addictive.
  7. Although the game’s graphics and music were as incredible as you can expect from these two very professional companies, the actual gameplay does get a tiny bit repetitive at times. Overall, Kingdom Hearts manages to be an incredible game.
  8. The moment I picked it up, it was hard to separate me from it. And as I've told many already, any game that can make me smile as much as this game does is definitely a gem of its own.
  11. 91
  12. Composer Yoko Shimomura (his first Square title since Legend of Mana) creates a very impressive score that alternates between filling you with excitement as you start your next battle to pulling at the heartstrings when some of the game’s more poignant scenes are onscreen.
  13. 90
    For something with a goofball camera like this to nevertheless remain a compelling action-RPG requires some substantial assets in other areas.
  14. You’ll be particularly impressed with the recreation of the Disney characters, it seems as though they’ve been translated to videogame characters without any compromises.
  15. A totally engrossing experience.
  16. The game is way fun, chock full o’ stars and actually a lengthy, deep game that’s appropriate for all ages.
  17. 90
    Oh, if only those Gummi Ship segments didn’t exist! They’re the only blemish in what’s otherwise the best action/RPG since the two N64 Zeldas.
  18. Visually stunning, loaded with cameos and dripping with both Square and Disney nostalgia, Kingdom Hearts will grab you from the opening to the end.
  19. From its very first moments, Kingdom Hearts will grab you and won't let go until well after you've beaten it. [Oct 2002, p.140]
  20. With over 60 hours of gameplay and hundreds of animated characters both familiar and a new, Kingdom Hearts should prove a massive hit over the festive season.
  21. For all its faults [camera, linear progress], this is one of the most vividly imagined, sprawling and openly heart-warming games on PS2. [PSM2]
  22. The music is one of those touches that really remind you that this is a Disney property. All of the musical scores for the worlds are either originals or very strikingly similar ones.
  23. The depth and detail in this game is unbelievable and Disney and Square have thought of absolutely everything, down to every last detail in all the worlds and the appearances of the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.
  25. If the game was not so brilliantly presented with such rich characters, story and astounding art and voice-work (best voice-work to date in a videogame), you would probably take more notice of the simple and boring adventure elements (go here, go there, find this, talk to that person...), and the too-heavy reliance on melee combat, and the constant battles, and the frustration of having to take two steps back to level up before being able to take the all-important third step forward in a world.
  26. Even with wussy characters and settings all over the place, the story and gameplay in Kingdom Hearts rivals the "Final Fantasy" series. [Oct 2002, p.182]
  27. It may not rival the grand stories of some past Final Fantasy’s or even some of the better Disney movies; however, it is a fine game that manages to combine each company’s strengths in a tapestry that is a joy to behold and an even greater one to play.
  28. 84
    While I would have liked more cohesion in the plot and more depth in the combat, the overall package is filled with enough fun and surprises to keep you playing through the end.
  32. The problem is that it just gets old quick. Lots of enemies, attack, cure, wash, rinse, repeat. It gets old.
  33. Great, largely because it successfully captures the spirit of both Square and Disney in a single game.
  35. This game has got to have on of the worst camera systems in an RPG ever. [Oct 2002, p.38]
  36. When the amazing, talented artists from Square join forces with the amazing, talented artists from Disney, good things happen. [Feb 2003, p.92]
  37. It’s as cryptic to begin with as any game ever conceived by Square, and it lures you in with some tremendous combat mechanics and a unique selling point (Disney), but it also tries to piss you off with a vacuous opening zone and the Chipmunks.
  38. This enchanted kingdom certainly has its flaws, but it's still well worth a visit.
  39. 80
    The renowned charm of Disney's characters, the stylistic panache of "Final Fantasy" folk, and a well-designed gameplay makes up for Kingdom Hearts' relatively few shortcomings.
  41. My biggest, heartiest complaint regarding KH is the slap together shooting stages between levels. They are so out of place and so frustratingly poorly executed that they should have not only been left on the cutting room floor.
  42. Despite the sometimes annoying, repetitive combat sequences, Kingdom Hearts is filled with plenty to see and do.
  43. Almost every individual aspect of the game except for the camera is well executed, but the two key components of the title still don't go seem to belong together.
  44. Where the game begins to lose some of its luster is in the areas of sound and story, and a camera that suffers from a lack of intuition. The music is not so much repetitive as it is boring.
  45. It might have been possible to deal with such a ridiculously bad setup if melee was limited to bosses and occasional encounters, but in a wicked bit of irony, the miserable perspective is paired with an insanely ludicrous amount of battling.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 372 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 7 out of 152
  1. May 21, 2011
  2. AnonymousMC
    Dec 30, 2005
    Here are the pros of Kingdom Hearts:
    - It has good graphics.
    - The Disney characters' voices are authentic.

    The cons of Kingdom
    - Stages are LIFELESS and utterly mind-numbingly boring.

    Full Review »
  3. Jun 12, 2011
    It kinda grows tedious after a while, but to say that this isn't a decent game is a bit much. The very beginning of the game is extremely boring, but as you get further along it gets much better. Even if it didn't have the involvement of Disney characters but still followed its same basic story this would be a good game, but having DIsney characters and the Disney world makes this game pretty unique and a whole lot of fun. It's great to see some of your favorite movies and characters and have them as their own worlds that you can explore (it's not necessarily open world, but it's good enough). Full Review »