After last winter's surprise Gameboy Advance title, Chain of Memories, Square Enix has been releasing new info about the full sequel to Kingdom Hearts in maddeningly small doses. Still, those doses add up, and Kingdom Hearts II is definitely shaping up to be every inch as excellent as its predecessor, and then some.

Taking up where Chain of Memories left off, Sora has awakened after a year spent reclaiming his memories after the events in Castle Oblivion. Though the Heartless seem to be at bay, a new enemy, the black-cloaked Organization seen in Chain of Memories has come to the fore, and things seem to be going poorly for our hero.

Fortunately, Sora is not alone, and in addition to returning companions Donald and Goofy, Sora will be joined by familiar faces like Aladdin and the Beast, as well as newcomers Mulan, Jack Sparrow, and Auron of Final Fantasy X fame. As in Kingdom Hearts, Sora will spend a good deal of time going to various familiar Disney realms, including Ancient China, Agrabah, Hades’ Realm, and the Disney Castle.

In addition, a new character, known as the Blonde Haired Kid, who was first seen in the bonus video Special Secret, has appeared. Although his role in the game is unknown, he bears an amazing resemblance to Sora, even wielding his own Keyblade. He is also shown to be a fully controllable character, battling a giant version of the new Nobody enemies in a scene strongly mirroring the opening sequence of Kingdom Hearts.

Also shown to play a strong role in the game is King Mickey, who had previously appeared only briefly on the far side of Kingdom Hearts, although he also played a role in Riku’s tale in Chain of Memories. Riku’s status, however, is currently unknown, though it is highly unlikely that he would not make an appearance.

Of course, Kingdom Hearts’ success was also highly influenced by its fast paced and intuitive battle system, which is back and stronger than ever for the sequel. Though gameplay scenes have, thus far, been brief, the combat menu seems largely the same, though there is now a new Drive meter for our hero, which seems to influence the new feature of Kingdom Hearts II, the ability to merge with your allies, though the precise use of this is unknown. The Gummi Ship also returns, looking far better implemented than before, with improved graphics, a much faster pace, and intriguing level design, though it is too early to say if this will last.

Kingdom Hearts II even looks to be on a grander scale, with several images showing a massive battle sequence worthy of Lord of the Rings, a seemingly massive villain cast, and a great many unknown factors. Suffice to say that this is one to keep both eyes on, and quite possibly the most anticipated game of the coming year.