The game is not as hard as people are making it out to be if...

[Scorseselover]

You keep grinding. I know it may seem tedious but it’s basically the key to beating any RPG. For over a decade this game has been kicking my ass but then I realized I’ve been breezing through the game ignoring the heartless for the most part. So I decided to play the game over again and I keep grinding and grinding and you know what? It’s so worth it! Granted, I do still keep dying but at least it felt like a challenge than being so cheap. Finally I only died on Clayton ONCE! ONCE! All thanks to grinding!

 

[andreverts]

Generally, you always have to beat everything that you encounter to make your life easier.

 

[Elysium]

You keep grinding. I know it may seem tedious but it’s basically the key to beating any RPG. For over a decade this game has been kicking my ass but then I realized I’ve been breezing through the game ignoring the heartless for the most part. So I decided to play the game over again and I keep grinding and grinding and you know what? It’s so worth it! Granted, I do still keep dying but at least it felt like a challenge than being so cheap. Finally I only died on Clayton ONCE! ONCE! All thanks to grinding!

This is the case with most RPGs I grew up with. There's quite the whiplash when you play KH2 and realize that game punishes you for grinding.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

This is the case with most RPGs I grew up with. There's quite the whiplash when you play KH2 and realize that game punishes you for grinding.

KH2's gameplay and flashiness is so addictive, it's hard NOT TO want to kill everything, haha.

 

[kaseykockroach]

Not sure what we're referring to with KH2 punishing for grinding. I must be missing something.

As for KH1, it was definitely a tough ride when playing as a kid. Giant Ursula slayed my arse, Dragon Maleficent took a few days, the following Riku battle took weeks, etc.
Nowadays, I've beaten Giant Ursula in less than a minute! Though KHFM not giving you the Second Chance ability until lvl 90 (if you've selected a Magic playthrough as I unfortunately did) certainly added a bit of challenge.

 

[tiofrodo]

In the sense that depending on the difficult some mob fights can be as hard or harder than bosses, i would agree that KH2 does punish mobbing.