Free Step Dodge

Actually he's not that hard. You can block most of his strings and when he does his desperation move, you just need to keep running or use quick run/glide/ dodge roll. Limit form is really useful during this fight. I personally loved this fight. The music, the atmosphere, the cutscenes. He is a pain when you fight his data version though.

Btw, wait till you fight Lingering Will after beating the game or Mysterious Figure in BBS. These two gave me such a headache...

Lol let me break down my experience. Yes, I also love the idea of the fight for all the reasons you stated (plus Roxas is my favorite character), but I literally spent 2 hours of my life trying to beat him and failing.

I'm level 37. I know all of his moves by heart and how to guard everything and always get him down to his last bar, but when I tell you that he literally always kills me with the spinning keyblade attack, he always does. It was so frustrating it just got to the point that I had to put down the controller before I smashed my TV with it.

The only solace that I will get is the satisfaction of defeating him after he's literally beat the living crap out of me and that is good enough for me. (But seriously, I'm not kidding about the 2 hours. I probably fought him at least 30 times)

Hmm...well maybe it's better to gain a few levels first. I was around 48 when I fought on him Standard and 52 on proud. What difficulty are you playing on? And you want to have dodge roll and quick run for this fight.

Also, make sure you've got second chance/ once more equipped if you have them. Other than that..not sure what other advice to give. I think the main priority is leveling up first tho. 37 seems to me too low.

Standard. I don't know why, but for some reason my level is really low, which has been giving me problems where enemies deal so much damage to me. I barely ever have munny unlike in the first game, combined with the new cure mechanic, makes it hard for me to heal myself. For this Roxas fight, I basically sold everything I have to get 7 potions, and they did help during the fight.

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it. I don't have any of those abilities yet lol. Do you know where the best place to grind would be?

Yeah cure was nerfed in KH2 cause it takes away your entire mp bar. There's a bunch of places such as the pride lands area where you fought Scar cause if you go back there, you'll find a ton of those flying heartless. Space Paranoids is good too. Btw, I'd recommend using the infinite heartless in the first area of "the world that never was" for wisdom form, cause soon those heartless will be replaced by nobodies.

After you beat Roxas, then it'd be best to level up in The World That Never Was.