Dragon of Zhao

Dragon of Zhao--Square's latest single-player RPG set in an alternate history of Japanese history--is due out in April, but a demo is available now to all. GameSpot Complete subscribers will be able to download the sampler and see for themselves what the game will look like.

This sort of information is very similar to the upcoming Kingdom Hearts II. The graphics and overall design are all looking really good. The combat system looks like it was heavily influenced by the Devil May Cry series, with an emphasis on breaking your opponents into smaller portions and knocking them off the battlefield. Characters can also use "oomph" or "supers," and a full-featured eight-player online multiplayer mode will be included.

We had a chance to see the demo in action, and we weren't too impressed by how the game plays. The gameplay looks smooth, the frame rate looks sharp, and the fact that the environments and characters look as if they were ripped from the X series makes us happy. The developer promises that the battles will be less grindy than those in Kingdom Hearts II. Though it's probably best not to get too comfortable with the game, it is definitely going to be a lot more entertaining.

Another part of the experience that is going to please fans is the ability to have a self-medication. Gamers will now be able to input commands into their characters' heads to determine their own movements. Once they do, the characters will continue to be able to move around and shoot. This is done by locking on to one enemy and then moving the cursor over the enemy, which will cause the character to perform the action. The only downside to this system is that you have to spend some time with the game's menu screen to get the information you need for the process. While some options have been tweaked, such as the party leader's weapon usage, you will be able to create your own customized party.

In addition to the playable characters, Kingdom Hearts II will include a number of minigames that, for the most part, are only accessible in certain difficulty settings. The most interesting minigame, Speed Lock, is the same one from the original Kingdom Hearts, but this time you'll be able to use the lock-on function to quickly and easily lock onto a nearby enemy. The little minigame minigame is a perfect addition to the existing Kingdom Hearts II gameplay, and it's a fast-paced one that features a timer that counts down to three seconds.

If there's one feature that the Kingdom Hearts II development team has always really tried to fix from the first game, it's the interaction between the various Disney worlds that has been crammed into the game. The most entertaining aspect of the interaction with the various Disney characters is the number of interactive objects that you can use. These interactive objects will even be used in combat in a number of ways. For instance, you'll be able to grab a specific type of square off with your shield and place it on a platform that will collapse. At one point you'll be able to lift the enemy to pieces, while at another you'll be able to swing it around to spin the object around. While the basic combos that you'll be able to execute are pretty self-explanatory, you'll have to make some interesting use of your various weapons and abilities in order to make them as effective as possible. For example, in one level we saw, you'll be able to grab a rope and swing it around to reach a balcony with the camera using your shield.

In terms of gameplay, it seems that the Disney characters will be all very much present and accounted for in the game. In addition to running, jumping, shooting, and interacting with the environment, you'll find a number of other combat moves that are more traditional combat moves than you'd expect from a fighting game. For instance, you'll be able to break blocks with your shield and perform a series of rapid-fire punches and kicks, while you'll also be able to stun enemies with your sword, which will give you a chance to lay into them.

The game will have a solid number of game modes to keep things interesting. You'll find one-on-one fighting, the card battle, a role-playing-style card battle, and even a deathmatch-style, capture the flag-style mode. The card battle will actually be one of the most robust card games we've seen. The board game features simple rules, like hitting an opponent in a group of cards, who then has one minute to defeat him, then a predetermined amount of time, on top of winning the game. While you're not required to beat the game, if you do, the quick-match mode will be a great way to hone your skills. The card battle mode will feature more than 20 levels that you'll be able to unlock by spending cards found in the game.