With Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, following with Kingdom Hearts 2.8, fans will be understand the whole plot before the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. This collection does contain previous games, but it also comes with special bonus that is not included in the original released.

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix

When Square Enix released Kingdom Hearts on the PS2, the game introduced Sora, a keyblade wielder, and his companions, Donald and Goofy. On their Gummi ship, they travel to various world and meet different Disney and Final Fantasy characters while fighting the heartless. The gameplay involves the player controlling Sora and a command system to attack or use magic against the Heartless. In the Final Mix, it features new cutscenes that explore Riku’s story, new weapons for Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and new bosses, including Organization XIII leader, Xemmas, and Sephiroth.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories

Chain of Memories falls right after the events of Kingdom Hearts where Sora, Donald, and Goofy explore Castle Oblivion and Organization XIII while alongside Mickey’s help, Riku attempts to escape the lower floors of the castle. Fans first played Chain of Memories on the Game Boy Advance in 2004, and the game was later remade on the PS2 in 2007. The gameplay remains the same deck card combat that correlate different actions during battle mode; the difference is the transition from 2D to 3D graphics.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (HD Remastered Cinematics)

358/2 Days happens after Kingdom Hearts and during Chain of Memories where fans see how Roxas’s story under Organization XIII and his friendship with Axel and Xion develops. Square Enix released Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on the Nintendo DS in 2009, and the game features a similar gameplay, but the player’s magic is limited. The HD Remastered Cinematics is the movie version where it shows the original cutscenes as well as unseen scenes not featured from the game.

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix

Following right after Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Sora wakes up a year later with Donald and Goofy, and the trio faces a new enemy, the Nobodies and Organization XIII. The game was launched in 2005 on the PS2, and the gameplay introduces Reaction Commands during battle. In Final Mix, the game includes more elements to challenge fans, like new bosses, specifically all the Organization XIII members and Birth By Sleep’s Terra, a new drive form that features previous moves from the first game, a new difficulty level called critical mode, and other side quests.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep happens before Sora’s journey 10 years ago, exploring a different trio of friends, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. The game was first released in 2010 on the PSP, and fans can experience playing each character to see how the events falls into Kingdom Hearts storyline. The gameplay presents a different type of command system such that players can create a deck of special abilities and magic based on their fighting preferences. In the Final Mix, it includes new missions in the Mirage Arena, new command style for each character, and a secret episode where Aqua explores the realm of darkness.

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (HD Remastered Cinematics)

Re:coded falls right after Kingdom Hearts II where Sora’s friends, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy, explores the mysteries of two hidden messages inside Jiminy’s journal. Square Enix first made this game for mobile phones but later remade it for the Nintendo DS in 2011. The game includes a multiplayer system for other players to play with each other. Like 358/2 Days, this remaster is a movie version of the game itself with new cutscenes not from the original DS versions.

On top of the new side quests and cutscenes within this collection, it also includes better graphics and gameplay improvements, which fans noted from the PS3 complications. Square Enix also mentions that the game will be running 60 frames per second than the usual 30 frames per second, giving fans the best gameplay experience, as seen in the video below.

For 15 years, Square Enix continues the Kingdom Hearts series, and since 2002, the series adapted into different platforms, from PS2, PSP, and Nintendo 3DS. With this release, fans, or new players, can either revisit or jump into the entire series on one console. 

Time to get on that Gummi ship and go against the darkness!