Kingdom Hearts II KH2 Final Mix Critical Mode - Insanely hard!

So I just wanted the opinion of others who have playing the final mix version of Kingdom Hearts 2. I remember attempting to play through the game on Critical mode, but I pretty much gave up. Am I the only one who though it was insanely hard? I remember getting through the first final mix with ease, only struggling with the second Rikku battle and the final wave of heartless before the final save. With the KH2 final mix, I remember I struggled on pretty much every boss, and even fighting normal heartless! I believe I finished the Colossum before deciding to stop. If/when 2.5 releases, I will try again. Did anyone else feel that this game was insanely hard compared to the others?

 

I found Critical Mode incredibly easy. Sora does extra damage, and they give you so much AP
If you do a level 1 run, then it gets rough

 

Yeah, critical mode on final mix wasn't too hard. I mean, when you're doing level 1 that's a different story, but even then I still managed to beat it without the urge to quit.

 

i had a tough time getting through Critical Mode at first. but i found it got easier as i went along.

 

I guess I just need to give it a better chance haha. Seeing how gorgeous Final Mix is in 1.5, I think I will wait it out until 2.5 comes out to try again. I think my main problem is not utilizing guard like I should. It's an amazing game either way!

 

I barely used guard myself. And that led to many deaths but I still got through. How far did you get?

 

I actually just remembered after googling the worlds. I had just arrived at the timeless river world when I stopped playing. I didn't necessarily stop because of the difficulty, but it did play a small part in it. I had a lot of school work at the time, and I just never bothered to continue with it when I did have time.

 

I thought it was very easy.
KH2: The most broken KH game
KH2FM on critical: The most broken KH game + a myriad of bonuses

 

That's the thing about Critical Mode, it's SUPPOSED to be hard yet rewarding. I kinda stopped around Port Royal but that was only because other things came up.