I have so many silly memories of Rock Band. Perhaps the most vivid is my complete destroying the of drum pedal of the drum set provided by the game. Everything about that pedal was destroyed, but I still found it usable via plenty of duct tape (like the entire thing was covered), a bunch of grocery store bags, and a bunch of spare pedal parts. I played the game to death. Kingdom Hearts also has plenty of fun memories to go along with it too, including the ridiculous attempts (and eventual successes) of dethroning all the optional bosses. These are both fun games that are very close to my heart.
VS
Single-Player Gameplay
Rock Band 2’s single-player mode is just like its predecessors as well as the Guitar Hero series. You’re on a journey to be the greatest band in the world, which means playing most of the right notes of a song. The many different difficulties keeps things fun and the soundtrack for Rock Band 2 has some shiny gems.
That’s nothing, however, compared to the epic single-player gameplay of Kingdom Hearts 2. Journeying with Donald and Goofy through the worlds of Disney while defeating Heartless is tons of fun. There’s many different summons, transformations, and customizable character builds that make beating up the Heartless and Nobodies exciting and fun.
Point: Kingdom Hearts 2
Multiplayer Gameplay
As is the case with many of our first round match-ups, Rock Band 2 wins this by default because Kingdom Hearts 2 doesn’t have any multiplayer gameplay. Still, Rock Band 2 is all about playing with a few friends. Nearly every time I played the game it was with a couple buddies. The tour mode, which is a theoretical single-player mode, rewards you for having friends play with. Plus, it’s just good fun.
Point: Rock Band 2
Atmosphere
Now this is an interesting category. Both of these games are all about atmosphere. Nearly every Rock Band/Guitar Hero game is primarily judged by the setlist. Some of the best songs on Rock Band 2 come from previous Guitar Hero games such as “Carry On My Wayward Son”. It’s a great set list with a variety of styles. You can be playing Guns ‘N’ Roses at one point then be playing Panic at the Disco the next.
Kingdom Hearts thrives off of that blissful feeling you get when you see your favorite Disney character. The worlds are recreated so well with soundtracks that make you feel like you’re in the movie. While it may feel a bit off when you’re in the world of Pirates of the Caribbean, it genuinely shines in every other instance, especially the Lion King world. Beyond that, there’s the great bliss from me as a Final Fantasy fan when I see Cloud Stife and Squall Leonheart fighting Heartless while back to back. The original characters are lovable and the story, while difficult to follow if you’re not familiar with the series, is superb if you are. Plus they make Mickey basically Yoda.
Those are among the many reasons why Kingdom Hearts 2 needs to take the point for this one. Kingdom Hearts 2 will actually invoke emotions from the wonderful voice acting of Haley Joel Osment and even Christopher Lee. Everything other than the songs of Rock Band 2 essentially goes unnoticed as you play.
Point: Kingdom Hearts 2
Replay Value
Rock Band 2 holds up surprisingly well on replay value, mostly because it’s a fun game that most people can play, regardless of skill level. You can come back to it again and again. I usually brought the entire game to events so that people could just have a good time between having a hotdog or chatting with friends. Like so many other multiplayer games before it, this game’s nature calls you to play it again with friends.
I’m not really sure why, but there probably isn’t a single-player game that I have replayed more than Kingdom Hearts 2. On paper there doesn’t seem to be a lot of reason to come back to it. There are difficulty levels, I suppose, and the ability to build your character differently. That’s about it. But I’ve replayed it time and time again just because the game, to me, is that much fun.
In fact, I’d have to give this point to Kingdom Hearts 2 simply because of experience. I know that I’ve played this game more. It’s just so much fun. Not that other single-player games won’t be able to beat it in this category in the future (who knows?), but Rock Band 2 was obviously a fad that didn’t quite last.
Point: Kingdom Hearts 2
Conclusion
That last remark was a little harsh about Rock Band 2. I love that game. I love the series. I played Lego Rock Band essentially as much as Rock Band 2. For Rock Band 1, my disk was scratched because my Xbox was rotated while it was playing. Even though the game would crash every time we played “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, I still would play that game over and over again.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is just a better game. It stands the test of time better. The developers obviously worked harder on it. I want to play it again and again. That’s not an exaggeration either- I beat the game again just a couple of months ago. The winner is Kingdom Hearts 2.
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