“Looks like my summer vacation is over” Damn gets me every time

Roxas accepting his oblivion is the saddest part in the series for me. The music and the acting really seals the deal.

Crazy... KHII was my first game. Everyone who started with the first KH has the choice of either appreciating or dismissing the first hours of KHII. But I didn't have that choice; I always saw Roxas as my first protagonist, and identified with him the most. Most people felt like "things have gone back to normal" when Sora came back in, but for myself, instead, I felt like something important came to an abrupt bitter end, and that left a really melancholic feeling within me rather than a feeling of relief. I really sympathized with Roxas. I mean, just imagine if your whole life was just a simulated reality that wasn't whole, and that it belonged to a 'real' version of you and your existence was just a fake. I don't know how to describe such a feeling...

"He wasn't just Nobody." My lord, that actually hit me hard. Kind of a pun, but much more of a gutwrenching reference to the nature of his existence. Great line.

I always get chills when Roxas says his summer is over and when Sora cries over Roxas' friends because he can't be with them and they don't even KNOW Roxas and those were his best friends! Its so tragic and unfair... The music really sells all of the performances too I might add.

The opening of KH2 always left me upset about the way people treated Roxas. There was something beautifully Melancholic about the opening that made me care about a character I didn't even know Then after playing Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days and getting to know more about him and ORG.XIII, I became even more upset about the opening

"you do some pretty ordinary everyday shit" I don't know about you all, but I don't try to go smacking bees with a plastic baseball bat.

This was literally the first time in my life I felt the sensation of “bittersweet”. I was happy to get the game started but I was still sad watching Roxas basically die.

"he wasn't just Nobody" HAHAAA I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE

Just the beginning part of KHII alone made Roxas my favorite character.

I appreciate the Roxas hours of KH2 WAY more after 358/2 Days. Knowing Roxas' backstory gives some meaning and drama to everything happening to him in Fake Twilight Town.

I only liked the first hours of kingdom hearts 2 because... Roxas

Surprised how positive it was And surprised that someone else likes the opening too

the kh2 prologue is and has always been one of my favorite game experiences, in any game. i had no idea anyone hated it.

Playing KH3 now, I realize one of my favorite things from the series were these smaller stories/sections that aren't in the new game. I loved the opening to KH2 and was more invested in Roxas's story than the main plot

The entirety of Dearly Beloved never fails to stir up emotion in me.

You know, I wasn't even aware so many people hated the intro until recently. I loved it ever since I was a kid. Sure I asked "wheres Sora????" Because like many i didn't play the entirety of CoM (i did have it tho!) but the music and ambience of twilight town always sucked me in along with the mystery of roxas and this new organization unfolding, its just the best attempt at world building in the series. also that sucker punch of "my summer vacation is over" with the logo fading was such a strong part of my adolescence. i'll always be in the small part of the fanbase who thinks this stuff was the best part of the game and the rest falters for it, despite how much i love the game still.

Replaying KH2 as an adult, what strikes me most about the opening is how perfectly it captures the experience of growing up. Drifting away from friends, feeling lost and trapped, killing time with jobs and homework while other people keep you imprisoned in your small town/home until that part of you dies and you become someone new. Ironically, I play this game every year to remember my childhood and what it was like.

The way Roxas accepted his fate on the last day gets me every time, and when he says that Sora is 'lucky' I remember Cloud says that about Sora too later in the game.

When Roxas says “Looks like my summer vacation is over” and the title comes up it always gives me goosebumps. Like it’s so sad and it really hurts:(

Holy shit an analysis video on Kingdom Hearts and it's not just shouting memes like other KZfaqrs? Huh never thought I would see this.

From a narrative perspective, Roxas's story is arguably one of the strongest points of Kingdom Hearts 2. It's just a colossal slog going through the actual poorly-paced gameplay on repeat playthroughs.

KHII was my first game in the series, so I knew Roxas before Sora. Roxas is undoubtedly my favorite character and I wish they did more with him.

I always loved the intro of KH2, I don't know why so many people trash on it. There's genuinely interesting story stuff that happens, Twilight Town and its music is just so memorable, and even if you're basically just hanging out with Roxas's friends and doing random stuff around the town for most of it, it's still fun! Searching for the "7 wonders of Twilight Town" was always one of my favorite bits of it. And Sinister Sundown is such a memorable battle theme, mainly because it has this mysterious vibe to it...it's hard to explain. One moment, you're living an average, fairly mundane life, when suddenly, everything is thrown outta whack. Strange phenomena begin to occur, mysterious beings show up (Nobodies) and seem to be leading you somewhere, as you are granted a mysterious weapon to combat these things... You have so many questions, and no answers. What is going on? What is happening to reality? And how are you connected to all of this? As you set out to discover the truth about this, you have no idea the magnitude of the answer you seek, and what you're about to jump into... ...Which is pretty much the feeling that the beginning hours of this game and that music together give me. It just meshes so well with the situation, as the truth of Roxas's reality is slowly revealed to him. Seriously, why is there so much dislike for this part of the game again?

Man... my life would be different if I never found these 2 games on the ps2, there are some damn good things in life.

Someone other than me actually finds this prologue brilliant? I knew there was a reason I liked your vids, keep it up brit

Finally someone else who knows the true brilliance of the kingdom hearts two prologue

Kingdom Hearts II was my first KH game. It has a special place in my heart. I always thought it to be... *Simple and Clean*

There are more way KH2 likes to come full circle with itself. In the opening you get that fight against the giant nobody with Roxas and it really sells that he isnt exactly the interplanetary fighter Sora is. During the fight when it uses the vine attack, you get the reversal reaction command and its an extremely useful tool. Then here comes end game; Sora is now fighting the most powerful nobody out of them all and Xemnas will use the same vine attack as before, only 20 hours later and with more abilities under your belt; the fight isnt potrayed as a struggle, its the largest fight in the game. The later KH series might have larger stories, but KH2 has a lot of details like that in the gameplay that make it just the bit more of a coesive game.

When I first played KHII as a kid, I really liked Twilight town. At that point I had only played the first game and I really liked both relaxed starting areas, and the skate board was neat. Then 2.5 came out... I had played every Kingdom Hearts game, some to completion (except for GBA CoM) and now I knew the full story of Roxas and everything that happened. Holy crap, the new context made me love the intro, and then to have it capped out with the Roxas battle near the end of the game was amazing. Couple that with the scene in 3D where Roxas gives his memories to Sora and one of the few rare instances where Sora gets truly pissed. Roxas is my favorite character from the series, with Riku in second.

"He wasn't just nobody" I'M CRYING

The opening of this game is probably one of, if not the greatest opening to any game ever. But it is funny i definitely remember as a kid playing this game and thinking to myself "dammit when's this game gonna start already??"

I wouldn't mind some more KH content. The game's are goofy as all hell but people really don't give their positive points a fair shake.

I didnt mind playing as Roxas at some point. My question the whole time though, was, who the hells roxas and where is Sora....then it ended and it the story went on. Also.....Kh2...has THE BEST version of Soras outfit.

Probably one of the best Prologues/Intros/Tutorials ever

The begining of KH2 has made me loves Roxas more than Sora

I didn't mind the slow opening of the game. I have no patience with games that waste your time, but I never felt that the Roxas part was a waste. Maybe it's because of how varied the tasks you're given are? There's only one point that drags IMO, and that's when you have to do the minigames to earn money. Other than that, there's no point that goes on too long or doesn't involve the core gameplay. I guess part of the dislike could be because a lot of people just dismissed Roxas as a throwaway character at first or was worried Nomura had done a massive MGS2-style fake-out and Sora wasn't going to be playable. When I started the game as someone other than Sora I just thought: "Oh cool, there are multiple playable characters in the game". If anything I was more disappointed that this wasn't really the case and there was no way to switch characters during the main part of the game.

I remember absolutely hating everything about the first game and then being blown away by the first few hours of KH2 and being seriously pissed that I couldn't keep playing as Roxus.

kingdom hearts 2's intro is still one of my favorite moments in the series and made roxas one of my favorite charcters

I played the Kingdom Hearts series for the first time last year, and I was expecting to hate this opening, but I liked it and wouldn’t skip it in a replay even if I could. Maybe bc I knew what to expect so I wasn’t confused and knew most of the game was with Sora or bc I didn't have to wait for the sequel, but I really liked Twilight Town, the characters, and the story. I was really sad when Roxass’s story was over, it was like it’s own contained story about friendship, identity, choice, etc. And it was beautiful

I don't think any critic comes close to the professionalism and honesty you demonstrate on this channel. Like really game critics are expected to kind of just shout how stupid things are at the screen now adays while brining up some points that we all already knew. You really give credit where it's due and nail things that you didn't like, and I really am glad to see that this hasn't changed for you, Keep up the great work man :)

Everyone ever who played this right after KH1 wanted Sora, me included. Nobody picking KH2 up liked Roxas on their first playthrough. But when Sora wakes up, it's probably one of the only "Holy shit we can start the game now" bits done right, the game being slow enough to teach you things without being too hand-holdy. Even on repeat playthroughs it's not bad since skipping cutscenes is a thing but goddamn it I still get a little emotional when Roxas opens that pod. The game sacrifices little to nothing for the payoff because on repeat playthroughs you start to like this not-Sora guy and feel for him, because he lives in Sora's shadow, and is treated as such by everyone, even in the Organization (except Axel). Goddammit why can't we have more games like this

It’S UPSETTING WHEN YOU’RE NINE I relate

I started the series with KH2. I loved the Roxas bit. He's still my favourite. The other amazing thing about the intro section is i didn't play KH1 till it was released on ps3 but i felt like i knew the story because of the roxas dreams and flashbacks. Those flashbacks are still some of my favourite moments when i play kh1.

Interesting take. I was in my mid 20s when Kingdom Hearts 2 released in Australia & I've always said the best parts of the game were the opening & ending. The middle was fine, but seemed empty by comparison to the emotional value of them. Man, shocked to hear anyone could ever consider the opening just an empty tutorial.

I'm so glad to see someone else that feels this way! Every time I revisit KH2, I really feel like the opening is genius. It's only later that KH2's narrative starts to show the cracks, sadly (even though the ending is really good). I miss the tone of the early games haha, but you brought me right back to 2006. Amazing video as always =) Would love to see more Kingdom Hearts from you in future!

I started with Kingdom Hearts 2 (was a dumb kid at the time and assumed order didn't matter). I thought Roxas was going to be the main protagonist and the that the flash backs where going to lead up with Sora passing the torch. I really liked Roxas, his build up and his relationship with his friends. When he was going through the mansion and started getting and explanation on the virtual reality he was in I thought he was going to break out of it like in the matrix and the game would final open up to him. Up to this point the game had been setting up plot points tied directly to Roxas, Namine, Ansom, Diz and Axil. There was enough there for the plot to be about him. So image my surprise when Sora took over and Roxas was goon never to be seen again. The first thing I did when I saw Sora was think "Where's Roxas, give him back!" and stopped playing. To this day I can not think of a game that has done something so drastic, made me "feel" so strongly about a moment in a game like this. Roxas being such a well of potential only to be snuffed so unexpectedly has fascinated me no end. The bold move to remove him, a character who I thought would be with me through the entire game gave me a bizarre sense of lost that no other game has yet to emulate and cemented Roxas as my favorite character in this franchise. I adore this franchise for being so out there that they're willing to make big risks in there story and I hope in that department, it never changes.

"Looks like my summer vacation is...over" AND THEN TEARS, SO MANY TEARS

I been rereading the kingdom hearts 2 manga, and the roxas part is way better than I remembered

2:05 that Xplay reference brings a tear to my eye. Rip G4

The opening of KH2 was amazing if you were one of the 10% of people who actually played Chain of Memories. For everyone else it was so monumentally confusing that of course they had no chance of picking up on any of the good stuff about it. A real shame.

I always found the “looks like my summer vacation is over line” to be metaphoric for the end of a chapter in my life. It happened when I played in 2005 as a 7 year old. Then again a few times later in life as I played the game multiple times during teenhood to adulthood. I found that scene to be so deep and it broke my heart every time, even to this day.

Damn if KH2 prologue was 3 hours after waiting 4 years how long is going to be the prologue for KH3? 3 days?

I started with kh2 and i loved the tutorial, it made me like roxas a lot more than sora, sora is the chosen one who everyone likes and has no flaws, he has a destiny to fulfill while roxas is an outcast that no one wants around and his only friends get killed, i was mad how in the end he doesn't get a chance to live it's own life and has to settle with existing in sora's body, hopefully that will change in the next game

I never played chain of memories. All my experience with the game is in the form of high definition cutscenes years after fact. My first impression of the begging KH2 when I was younger. I admit... I was a little apprehensive. But as Roxas' story progressed I was struck with empathy for this character. All Roxas ever wanted was to go to the beach with his friends and by the end of his soul crushing story he probably wishes he could go back to the mundanity of it all. The posters, the summer jobs. The lazy afternoons. Robbed of a childhood that he never actually had because he was never supposed to exist in the first place. The Cruel reality of Sora's selfless act to save Kairi in KH one.

This is genuinely really, really cool. It's really fun seeing someone who also has a bit of an emotional connection to KH, and you wrapped up the weird, beautiful melancholy of the opening extraordinarily well. Nice work, dude.

I can’t agree with this enough (well, the title, at least, I’m only just starting the video). It’s downright it’s own short story, full of bizarre mysteries and climaxes and anticlimaxes and the fucking loopiest ending, in the best way. It’s perfectly melancholy, magically weaponizing that extraordinary bittersweet feeling of a dwindling summer vacation. This is one of those games I wouldn’t be surprised to find holds up even better than I remember once I finally revisit it. The series has a fucking kooky ass plot, which I love about it, but it’s always had an incredible talent for slamming right into the heart of powerful emotions, something that this is one of its shining examples of.

I swear yo, you're one of the greatest gaming analysts on this damn platform. Been subbed since the Metroid days, and have seen every video.

People say that the intro to Kingdom Hearts 2 takes too long My argument to that is: It's a JRPG. Everything takes too long in these games lol

The prologue on a meta level also does something sneaky: most players will be (at least the first time) impatient to get a move on and go to the part where you finally play as Sora. So you could say that even the player wants Roxas to stop existing in favour of Sora. I can imagine that for a lot of players (at least it was for me) part of the emotional gut punch that is Roxas' final moments is guilt over that. And now everytime I play the prologue the sense of time running out is in the back of my head, knowing that I only have limited time with this character. Truly brilliant.

please cover this whole series. it’s my favorite, and i’d love to see you pick these (mostly) amazing games apart like you do so well. i wanna hear what you have to say about the series’ downfall, and what made the first few games work so damn well. fantastic work as always, man

KH2’s opening is a strange case. On one hand, it is even more bittersweet and amazing once you play 358/2 days. Unfortunately it’s a chore to go through when replaying the game. It’s a bit like MGSV with the hour long opening tutorial that is interesting from a storytelling and cinematic perspective, but is a drag to replay through

@TheGamingBritShow - This was an extremely well-made video, cheers. I appreciate the effort you made to assemble & show relevant clips from the 3+ games. Your analysis is well-thought-out, especially the analogy between the prologue and our time waiting for KH2 - mind blown!

Kingdom Hearts 2 is one of my favorite games of all time mostly because of the first 1 hr or 2 with Roxas and that beginning segment always fills me with satisfaction, i remember how much i was in awe when i heard Christopher Lee voiced DIZ.

Huh, you’ve made me look at this part and made me realize that this opening bit is actually better than even I thought. And I am the most massive fan of Kingdom Hearts II. Biggest influencer of my childhood. But you made me see so much symmetry and symbolism I had missed. Thanks for this, makes me love this series even more! If I could, I would donate to you. Because I’d love to see your thoughts on the series. I’m a big fan but even I know it’s got its faults. But I’d love to see what you think of it all. :) Hope your day has been great and keep making awesome videos!

I played the first Kingdom Hearts, but wasn't good or old enough to beat tarzan's level. Yet I never minded the tutorial of KH2, especially my first time. And Roxas story even as a solo character, as long as it was back by the right music, was enough pull at my heartstrings with ease. I'm not ashamed to say completing kingdom hearts 2 was the reason i completed kingdom hearts 1 and subsequently dug myself into the series.

This was a beautifully done video. Very well put together, quick and concise.

I started my journey in KH with KH2 and I must say, the prologue must be one of my favorite, if not my most favorite, part of the game. Roxas slowly being forgotten by his friends and his return to sorrow could possibly be the most gut wrenching, tear-jerking moment for me. I keep going back to Twilight Town frequently even after I've finished the game just to get the whole feel of being Roxas again. Also, talking with Twilight Town's Trio and their vague memory of Roxas just give me that bittersweet taste in my mouth that I won't be seeing Roxas in the game any longer. Which is why that brief encounter with him at The Place that Never Was so meaningful to me because I really missed playing as Roxas. Dang, KH2 was a great first time experience with playing KH for me. I kept a save file in our old 8mb PS2 memory card of Roxas because who would want to forget that brief existential moment of being him, right? (also, the dual wielding part where you fight Axel with the Oathkeeper and Oblivion was a big plus for me.) Anyway, that's it for my loooong take on KH2's prologue.

In retrospect, it is funny to play KH2 Final Mix with new voice acting for the new scenes, and hear how some characters like Xaldin sounds completely different from how he did 12 years ago, or Namine with an entirely new voice.

I'm so glad you finally made a video on kingdom hearts

"he wasn't just nobody" DUDEEEEEEEE MY FEELSSSSSS

This was incredible! Your passion for the series is clear, and you can tell that you really know the game.

This video speaks to my child heart. I always felt Roxas’s storyline was really well executed and I Iove the beginning of KH2.

"It contextualizes the wait and the anticipation for the sequel Kingdom Hearts 2 within the game itself, essentially making you wait for the game to be finished, built, and be put together _within_ the opening as Sora is being constructed throughout this prologue." ...you know what this means for Kingdom Hearts 3?

Hey, man! I've been a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts since i was 8, and now that i'm reaching 21, gotta say your videos made me emotional. Recently bought the 1.5 + 2.5 version for PS4 and boy oh boy, it's been a complete joy rediscovering all these little things that made me love the game in the first place. I completely agree with you even though i've started with KH2 back at 2007, the opening was fantastic. Even though i don't think i'll subscribe because i'm not THAT much into gaming nowadays, but i'll check your channel regularly for any Kingdom Hearts (or a couple of other franchises). Thanks a lot for the video, your work is fantastic!

KH2 was my first so I was incredibly confused thinking “where’s the guy from the front cover?” 😂

its been long enough to finally hear your take on this franchise. Im so glad you covered this topic because its something I always believed to be part of why kh2 is one of the best games I've ever played

I started with KH2 and to me the intro set a great tone. It was incredibly sad to see Roxas just lose his friends and reality to never having been 'real'. It also gave me as a new player a really solid plot device to figure out what exactly is going on and wishing to find out more about Roxas.

i was only 8 days old when kh1 came out and like 4 when kh2 came out so i dont really have that whole "aaah nostalgia" thing going on for this series but i still absolutely adore it, and i loved the opening of kh2. thank u so much for putting what i felt into words!

I loved the opening section of KH2. It held so much weight once you understood who Roxas was and how he basically got robbed of having a life of his own.

Fantastic video. Earned yourself a sub, well done man!

"his whole life is a lie" that depressing tho

Everytime I hear Roxas and see Sora in that pod I can’t help but get goosebumps when he says “looks like my summer vacation is over.”Kingdom hearts has some brilliant character and talented voice actor like xamnas

It's so nice to see someone stick up for this part of KH2, I like you waited years after the first game for the sequel and this introduction drew me in more than I could have ever expected, it was a brilliant slow burn back in to the magic of KH.

I guess everyone's doing KH retrospect videos

KH2> KH3 the vibes for kh2 are untouchable

Awesome, awesome stuff. When I got back into KH (the PS4 rereleases), it had been so long since I had played the originals that I had forgotten that KH2 starts off with a week of Roxas' life. I had just finished going through KH1 and was DYING to travel to the Disney worlds again. At first, I was offput by the Roxas storyline but it develops so beautifully that by the 6th day, we almost feel just as close to Roxas as we felt to Sora. It's heartbreaking to see him go away and watch Sora enter the scene, completely oblivious to what had happened. I really wish more video games would risk cinematic 'drama' like this in place of just standard quest-objective mindless go-do-this-come-back-reward (i'm looking at you Skyrim). A wonderful story, a wonderful game, a wonderful experience.

When I was younger I completed KH 1 KH2, KH COM on both ps2 and game boy emulator. But the clearest memory I have was the opening scene of KH2: Roxas, the music, the train, and the skate board mini game. Like a fading memory of happiness I can sadly only partially recall.

NUEVA PARTIDA

i want to take a moment to thank you for not spoiling the end of kingdom hearts 2, i haven't played it fully, i got to the tron stage and then my ps2 lagged and my save data was erased. Most youtubers would say the spoiler and then say "oh sorry for spoiling this ten year old game" I'm still planing on playing KH2, maybe on ps4

dang it, this brings back some beautiful sadness old memories, thank you.

Nostalgia is like a pain that feels good... these games are full of it for me. I'm 29 years old now. My childhood....I miss it. Video games allow you an opportunity to relive it to some degree. Thanks for this video. I'm going to replay these games on my ps5 so I can relive it again :) love from the U.S

I really love the Roxas section. This was my first rpg/story focused game, but I didn't know that going in. So when the first cutscene starts and I see these kids all hanging out, and then they start talking about ----- (photos) missing, I was like wtf. Right off the bat I get this weird mystery thrown at me. Oh yeah, also Roxas dreaming about Sora's life had me confused as well, like, why is he dreaming about Sora? I also didn't know much about kingdom hearts besides Disney and a kid named Sora being the protagonist, so I was confused when I was given control of Roxas. But it was such a good way to set things up. Roxas didn't know what was going on, neither did the player, so you automatically connect with him and want to help piece together the puzzle. I was so sad when Roxas was gone :'( he's my #1 baby in kingdom hearts lol. That kh2 ending though with Roxas and Namine... I knew he was gonna be just fine. :D (Still happy we got kh3 though!)

Ah, finally part 2 of your Kingdom Hearts retrospective!

The reason why I absolutely adored KHII's prologue was because of Hayner, Pence and Olette. I loved their chemistry with Roxas. It felt like they were really friends and it didn't feel as cheesy and unbelievable as Roxas' friendship with Axel and Xion (Even if it were just the data versions of them.) The scene where we play as Sora when he leaves Twilight Town and he sheds a tear still makes me bawl to this very day. So does when Roxas opens up Sora's pod and says one of the most iconic lines of Kingdom Hearts. It was very heartfelt, and though the mini-games make me wince every time I play it, nothing will ever stop me just repaying through Roxas' story.

I literally cried 3 times. as soon as you showed the title screen of KH2 and when Roxas said his vacations are over to sora, then i cried just after when sora got out of his pod. gosh this game was amazing.

Agree with almost everything, exept for the fact that I absolutely adored 358/2 Days. It hooked me from the very begining and, despite the slow start - that I think was perfect for setting the mood of the entire game - is, for me, the best "stand alone" experience in the series (I know it's not stand alone, it's just that I think the game has a tone of its own that really sets it apart from the rest of the bunch)

Now that's a ballsy statement to make. Gonna watch this immediately :p

I just finished kingdom hearts 2 today for the first time ever, roxas’ segment was basically the whole game to me as an 8 year old. I remember being lost and just skate around without a clue on what i had to do

the KH soundtrack is the most emotional and heart-wrenching music I've ever listened to while playing a game and invokes more nostalgia than any other music of any kind