While it's a lot of fun to play and has quite a bit of heart, it lacks the sophistication of other Square titles.
Kingdom Hearts, as a whole, is what a good RPG should be: addictive, fun to play and level up, with an emotionally involved storyline. The battle system is, without a doubt, one of the best battle systems I have ever seen. It made me look forward to fights, and as I acquired different abilities, different strategies and tactics were added to my arsenal, giving later battles a fresh feel compared to the ones that preceded them. Boss battles are epic and exciting, but even regular enemies are fun to beat up and give the opportunity to try out new summons and abilities. After playing this and comparing it to FFXIII, I really don't quite understand what Square was thinking. Battles should be fun and give the player control, and KH is an excellent example of that.
Like most JRPG's, the real focus is the story. KH doesn't EXACTLY disappoint in this department, but it doesn't have the sophistication one might expect from Square or other JRPG companies. I know Disney logo and the big "E" in the corner of the case should have prepared me for this, but the intro REALLY had me thinking it might still be intellectually stimulating. The narrative starts well and ends well, but everything in between seems kind of inconsequential. All of the worlds I visited seemed like a series of sidequests that just barely come together to create a plot. Even at the "plot-heavy" parts of the game, the dialogue (mostly between Sora, Donald, and Goofy) seemed childish and annoying at times. However, this does not apply to all characters. Riku's character is interesting (and just plain badass) and excellently developed. All of the scenes with him in them just seem more important than ones without him, which makes a lot of the other characters seem disposable. In fact, I would go so far as to say he "saves" the plot, giving Square fans what they expect in a character created by them. But despite how unimportant they seem, the various and well-known Square and Disney characters seen throughout the game are a welcome sight to fans of both companies.
Overall, KH is a great game and easy to recommend. There are plenty of extra bosses and quests to take on, and the fun combat makes you really want to take on every possible fight in the game. The story is not what you might expect from other Square games, but it does have its moments, and the ending is satisfying enough. I'm looking forward to playing KHII, and who knows, maybe I'll become a fan after all.