Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Review

IGN has posted up their review of the DS' Kingdom Hearts game. Right off the bat, they make it clear the game is only for Kingdom Hearts fans, saying:

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a game for Kingdom Hearts fans and its plot is very difficult for newcomers to grasp, considering its somewhat specific focal point.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days revolves almost entirely around Organization XIII, a group of extremely powerful (and eccentric) Nobodies. Organization XIII's primary goal is to fabricate Kingdom Hearts -- a powerful, ethereal collection of hearts -- so they can reclaim their own hearts and complete their existence. If this sounds a bit confusing, it is. As is the case with previous Kingdom Hearts games, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days can be a bit hard to follow and nearly impossible to understand if you haven't played a Kingdom Hearts game before.

The review is largely positive, praising 358/2 for its high challenge level and control scheme. However, they do have some complaints with the game, saying:

But not everything is simple and clean in this DS spin-off. This is the fourth time I've traveled to some of these worlds and met these Disney characters -- and it's getting old. The idea of visiting different worlds isn't disagreeable to me at all, but everything in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a rehash of a previous environment or scenario. Even the music tracks are all taken from previous games. This is unacceptable, because the Kingdom Hearts series deserves better.

Overall, IGN found the game to be a rewarding experience for fans of the Kingdom Hearts series, giving it an 8 out of 10.