Much like the series in general, the release scheduling for Kingdom Hearts on Xbox One hasn’t made much sense. The final entry in the “Dark Seeker Saga” was the first to arrive on Xbox One last year with the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. With today’s surprise drop of two Kingdom Hearts compilations on the Xbox One however, they of KINGDOM HEARTS – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX and KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, players can now start what they finished.
Kingdom Hearts is best described as Final Fantasy meets Disney. When the series started back in 2002, players were blown away by how a mature story could be told in a world that was inhabited by Disney characters that they had grown up with. Since then, the action RPG titles have captured the hearts of players by telling an intricate story of Keyblade masters, light vs. dark and the true power of love in one of gaming’s more in-depth storylines.
These two compilations go very much hand-in-hand as combined they explore the entire Kingdom Hearts timeline so far. Firstly, is KINGDOM HEARTS – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX – which focuses more on the foundations of the series; that is, exploring the origins of Sora, his oldest friends Rikku and Kairi, and his newest friends, that just happen to be classic Disney characters Donald Duck and Goofy. Included in this collection are six games, two or which are fully remastered cinematics:
- KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX
- KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories
- KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (HD Remastered cinematics)
- KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX
- KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep Final MIX
- KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded (HD Remastered cinematics)
Having seen original releases across PlayStation 2 and various Nintendo handheld devices, these compilations represent the best way to experience Kingdom Hearts in one location. KINGDOM HEARTS – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX – on Xbox One is priced at £39.99 but perhaps more importantly, comes with 197 achievements with a grand total of 4,000 gamerscore.
Then there is the more awkwardly named second collection: KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. This features three games, two of which are playable and a third featuring HD remastered cinematics:
- KINGDOM HEARTS 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage –
- KINGDOM HEARTS χ Back Cover (movie)
- KINGDOM HEARTS Dream Drop Distance HD
These three explore events before and after the main narrative featured in the first compilation and focus on supporting characters such as Aqua and the first Keyblade masters, whilst still remaining pivotal to the story. KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on Xbox One is priced slightly more expensively at £47.99 but does still have 69 achievements for 2,000 gamerscore.
There is a lot of gaming to be had here across the two collections with six full games in total, and three lengthy cinematics filling in the bits in-between which goes some way to justifying the high price points. If you are yet to experience Kingdom Hearts, these may be your best opportunity to do so, and we definitely recommend starting with the HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX first before fully committing to the series with HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
What are your thoughts on the series? Is this even the first you’ve heard of it? Hit us up in the comments section and we will try our best to answer!
Game descriptions:
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is a compilation of 6 unforgettable KINGDOM HEARTS experiences that form the foundation of the series. The collection features: KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (HD Remastered cinematics) KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep Final MIX KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded (HD Remastered cinematics)
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is a compilation of 3 magical KINGDOM HEARTS experiences that no fan should be without. The collection features: KINGDOM HEARTS 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage – KINGDOM HEARTS χ Back Cover (movie) KINGDOM HEARTS Dream Drop Distance HD Witness the untold stories of the series!
