Kingdom Hearts Question

[Stephen Bitto]

So I've never played a Kingdom Hearts game but I know I would like them. Since I am in kind of a PS3 backlog mode, I was thinking I'd check them out. The problem is I don't know where to start.

Could someone explain the KH remix editions on PS3? What order should I be playing games in and does this cover KH 1 and 2 sufficiently? Will I be on track for KH 3 when it comes out in 2025?

 

[cigarley]

The collections are the perfect place to start. The 1.5 collection contains Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories, and remade cutscenes for 358/2 days. The second collection contains Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, and remade cutscenes for Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded. Pretty much every Kingdom Hearts game is included within the collections with the exception of Dream Drop Distance which is chronologically the last game and is only available on 3DS.

Ideally you'd want to play/watch them in this order, which is (mostly) chronological with the exception of Birth By Sleep which serves as a prequel before the events of the first game. Re:Coded and 358/2 are "interquels" since they are side stories that take place between games.

KH → Re:Chain of Memories → 358/2 Days → Kingdom Hearts 2 → Re:Coded → Birth By Sleep → Dream Drop Distance. You should probably just try the 1.5 collection and play the first game and form your opinion from there..

 

[cigarley]

Some more info on the games:

Kingdom Hearts: Originally on PS2, the obvious starting point. RPG/beat em up hybrid

Chain of Memories - Originally on Game Boy Advance, the story takes place in between 1 and 2. Later remade as "Re:Chain of Memories" on PS2. Borrows elements from the first game but attacking is based on a "card" system which requires you to make a deck which dictates what attacks you can use.

Kingdom Hearts 2 - Takes place 2 years after the first Kingdom Hearts, surprisingly the plot continues from "Chain of Memories" so if you jump from 1 to 2 you're missing out on quite a lot of details. Gameplay similar to the first but is significantly more fast-paced

358/2 Days - Originally a DS game, the version contained in the 1.5 collection is just basically a compilation of journals from the game and features remade cutscenes covering most of the story points from beginning to end. Basically it's a very repetitive movie and can be overlooked unless you really want to know what a major character in KH2 was doing before the game started.

Birth By Sleep - A PSP prequel to the series, it features the events that set the series in motion. I believe it takes place 10 years before the first game. Plays similar to KH1 and 2 but features three protagonists.

Re:Coded - Haven't played this yet, but I believe this was originally a mobile game with chapters, which was later compiled in its entirety into a DS game. The version found in 2.5 is just a voiced cutscene compilation similar to 358/2 Days. I believe there's a scene that discusses the protagonists from Birth By Sleep so you may want to save this for last.

Dream Drop Distance - Last game chronologically, only on 3DS. Storywise it kinda leaves some weird shit up in the air, if you have a 3DS I'd probably wait until KH3 is close to release because then you have to live with that information for a while.

If you think that's messy, just wait until you see what the story is like.

 

[Brian Mieszala]

Ideally you want to play them as they came out, a la MGS or star wars. That's as long as you can remember when certain games and events happen that fit in with the overall story. Granted, I also haven't played birth by sleep from the collection yet and re:coded ever, abd never finished dream drop distance because I couldn't handle it on a 3ds

 

[Stephen Bitto]

If you think that's messy, just wait until you see what the story is like.

Will do! Thanks for the detailed response. It was exactly what I was looking for!

It's such a revered series that I wanted to do it right if I did it at all.

 

[Chalryn]

So there's this "Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue" coming out now... Time to update the topic?

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD
Main article: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
The collection features an HD remaster of Dream Drop Distance, which Nomura stated was essentially a full remake of the game, since the original utilized the two screens of the Nintendo 3DS.

Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover
Further information: Kingdom Hearts χ
Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, told through HD cinematics, tells a new tale of the Foretellers and reveal new parts of the series' history. Nomura revealed that Back Cover would utilize technology being developed for Kingdom Hearts III.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep-A Fragmentary Passage
Further information: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep–A Fragmentary Passage is a new, short episode taking place after the events of the original Birth by Sleep, told from the perspective of Aqua. A Fragmentary Passage, which ties into Kingdom Hearts III and uses technology from III, is set immediately after Dream Drop Distance, when King Mickey reveals that he has a few secrets to confess, relating to Aqua and her time in the Realm of Darkness. The story then picks up immediately after the secret ending of Birth by Sleep Final Mix, and will last about the length of one world from the series.

Unlike the previous HD collections, however, this one seems to be aimed at PS4.

 

[stolenxnametag]

So there's this "Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue" coming out now... Time to update the topic?



Unlike the previous HD collections, however, this one seems to be aimed at PS4.

I'm so excited for this.

 

[zalanreilly]

So I've never played a Kingdom Hearts game but I know I would like them. Since I am in kind of a PS3 backlog mode, I was thinking I'd check them out. The problem is I don't know where to start.
Nox Vidmate VLC
Could someone explain the KH remix editions on PS3? What order should I be playing games in and does this cover KH 1 and 2 sufficiently? Will I be on track for KH 3 when it comes out in 2025?

Ideally you'd want to play/watch them in this order, which is (mostly) chronological with the exception of Birth By Sleep which serves as a prequel before the events of the first game. Re:Coded and 358/2 are "interquels" since they are side stories that take place between games.