An enduringly bold collaboration between the House of Mouse and Square-Enix, the Kingdom Hearts games have long been praised by gamers across the world as an odyssey of epic proportions. Now finally on PC, the Kingdom Hearts series looks set to find an all-new audience for its delectable marriage of Disney and Square-Enix characters and settings. It is however something of a mammoth undertaking to say the least, so join us as we arm you with the knowledge to get started with one of the most extraordinary video game sagas ever.
The Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX Collection – What Is It All About And What Is Included?
The starting place for any Kingdom Hearts newcomer, the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX collection brings together the first two Kingdom Hearts games, adds in beautifully remastered visuals, previously Japan exclusive content and a wealth of additional content to create one of the most value stuffed gaming propositions on the market today. In the first title in the series, Kingdom Hearts FINAL MIX, we’re introduced to the main characters Sora, Kairi and Riku, as they fight back against a mysterious force known as the ‘Heartless’ which seeks to drain all the compassion, love and joy from the universe. Worlds collide as backed up by erstwhile Disney heroes Donald, Goofy and Mickey Mouse, Sora and the gang embark on a third-person action RPG of epic proportions, travelling across a range of Disney worlds and laying waste to the Heartless corruption which lay therein. From the dusty streets of Agrabah in Aladdin, to the picturesque forest and manor maze of Alice in Wonderland, players will encounter a wide range of characters from both Disney movies and Final Fantasy games alike.
Also part of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a direct sequel to the first game. Eschewing the action RPG trappings of its predecessor, Chain of Memories is a card battling effort that provides a narrative bridge between Kingdom Hearts 1 and Kingdom Hearts 2.
Arguably the star of the ReMIX package, Kingdom Hearts II FINAL MIX shifts focus to Sora, who now finds himself searching for his missing friends. Joining up with a new cast of characters who find themselves contending with the threat of Organisation XIII, a nefarious group that has emerged in the wake of the Heartless threat, Sora, Goofy, Donald, Mickey and more find themselves traversing a range of Disney worlds from The Pirates of the Caribbean to The Nightmare Before Christmas. A massive action RPG stuffed with secrets, epic battles and cameos from your favourite Disney and Final Fantasy characters, Kingdom Hearts 2 is essential stuff.
The last full game featured in the collection is Birth By Sleep, originally released on PSP, which is a prequel to the first game that deals with the origins of the series villain Xenahort and introduces crucial characters Terra, Aqua and Ventus.
Also included in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, a collection of remastered cutscenes from the Nintendo DS game which focuses on Organization XIII member and protagonist Roxas, while Kingdom Hearts ReCoded (originally a mobile game) provides additional cinematics which explain the aftermath of the ending in Kingdom Hearts 2.
Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue – A Bridge Between Epics
Essentially bridging the gap between Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (trying saying that really fast, ten times), is a collection of three titles, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover.
Dream Drop Distance (originally a 3DS game) sees Sora and Riku explore the world of dreams and visit new worlds, meeting characters from The World Ends With You among others, while Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover is a series of cinematics which links the narrative of the main series to that of the Kingdom Hearts χ mobile game. Lastly, the perfect appetiser before jumping into Kingdom Hearts 3 is 0.2 Birth By Sleep – a Fragmentary Passage, a short adventure powered by the new Square Enix tech that sees the player impersonate Aqua and works as a bridge between the old games and the latest one.
Kingdom Hearts 3 – A Simply Stunning Action RPG Adventure
A stunning action RPG in its own right, Kingdom Hearts 3 takes the series to the next level with gorgeously rendered worlds and characters that look eerily similar to the Disney properties that they are based on. Once more focusing on Sora and his friends, Kingdom Hearts 3 showcases the cataclysmic final confrontation between Sora and the villainous Xenahort. With all new summon attacks that are inspired by actual rides in Walt Disney World and a bigger, more detailed range of Disney worlds that include everything from Toy Story, Frozen, Monsters Inc. and Big Hero 6, action RPGs don’t come much epic in scope than Kingdom Hearts 3.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory – A Series Spin-Off With Serious Rhythm
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory continues Kairi’s storyline from Kingdom Hearts 3, but rather than embracing the action RPG trappings of the previous games, Melody of Memory instead takes on the structure of a rhythm game. Making ample use of its Disney license, Melody of Memory doesn’t just allow players to bop along to soundtracks from the Kingdom Hearts games, but also a variety of distance films, such as Frozen, Tangled and more.
