Kingdom Hearts II out soon

Unless the endless waiting made you give in to the lure of an imported version of Square Enix’s latest masterpiece, get ready to give Kingdom Hearts II a Royal European welcome at the end of this month.

The critically acclaimed action RPG from legendary director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura, which blends classic Disney characters and worlds with those of other Square Enix series such as Final Fantasy, will be available on PlayStation 2 from September 29. The game was first released in Japan last December and in the U.S. earlier this year.

Continuing the high standard set by the original game and Chain of Memories on the GBA, this sequel also introduces new characters, all designed by Nomura (best known for his Final Fantasy VII, VIII and X-2 work), as Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy head off on a second dramatic quest. There are even Pirates of the Caribbean-set levels to explore, which are fortunately nothing like those found in the official tie-in to Dead Man’s Chest.