THE Hearts of the Kingdom The series has a long and storied history with Nintendo handhelds dating all the way back to the GBA, although (arguably) no mainline title was ever developed for them. The ultimate monkey’s paw then wrapped up with the Switch, when Square Enix responded to fans’ wishes to port remastered collections, but they delivered as disgusting. cloud gaming.
Fortunately, the company has since seen its mistakes and has now released native versions for Switch 2 that offer a complete and proper experience, starting strong with Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMix.
The first Kingdom Hearts is pretty rough as it’s the first release, but don’t confuse this with a skippable entry. There’s a menacing darkness and mysterious atmosphere to this one that later games never replicated as they gradually leaned more toward Disney fantasy. Additionally, it is arguably the most cohesive entry in the entire franchise due to the simpler story it tells; the painstaking, memory-worthy tradition developed over the course of several subsequent entries was mostly absent here.
Kingdom Hearts: Re Chain of Memories is a remake of the first game released on Nintendo platforms and it is certainly the most experimental A. Due to its origins on the 32-bit GBA, the combat system was designed around a unique deck-building mechanic in which playable cards are quickly triggered as attacks. While I don’t think this system translated well to a fully 3D game when it was redesigned, it was nonetheless a unique and memorable adventure that initiated the series’ convention of experimenting with new mechanics and progression systems with each successive entry.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is the highlight of the series, combining action, spectacle and storytelling to make it a true action RPG of all time. Driving shapes and reaction controls significantly add some spice to combat, while revised Gummi Ship missions add addictive and thrilling Star Fox-style levels that collectively act as their own “game within a game.” It’s a comprehensive, heartbreaking adventure that delivers one of the most satisfying and conclusive endings in the entire series.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is the most significant spin-off title, introducing a new trio of keyblade-wielding protagonists and the first major appearance of the main antagonist of the series’ overarching plot. Not only does this entry execute a fascinating braided narrative that combines three parallel and sometimes intersecting stories, but it features some of the best gameplay in the series with its changes to the combat system and character progression. As the honorary “Kingdom Hearts 0”, this appears to be the most complete and narratively relevant side game in the series.
In addition to these playable games, Square Enix has also made a collection of remastered cutscenes that cover major story beats from both DS games, 358/2 Days and Re:Coded. Both deserved and still deserve the proper remastering treatment, but it’s nice that Square at least made the effort to ensure that fans who haven’t played these games have a chance to understand how they contributed to the ongoing story.
All of these games run wonderfully in docked and handheld mode, running at a crisp and smooth 1080p/60 FPS with no noticeable hiccups in handheld mode and what appears to be 4K/60 FPS when docked. Given the age and relative simplicity of the graphics, this isn’t all that surprising, but it’s nonetheless a relief after the messy implementation with the cloud versions of the Switch.
Conclusion
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMix is one of the best value RPG collections you can buy for your library today: the four playable games here represent some of the best action RPG games in the genre, and they collectively tell a heartfelt narrative that will stay with you long after you’ve seen the credits. Of the three releases that Square Enix just released for this series this week, this is the one that I think is a must-have and absolutely deserves a place in your library.
Gn tech
