Reviews// Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX

Because this game was originally intended for a handheld console the environments are lacking in detail and tend to be very small in scope. They are lovingly up-scaled, but it can feel a bit barren when played after Kingdom Hearts II. The character models, on the other hand, are gorgeous and beautifully animated. Voice work retains the franchise's exceptional standards.

Combat once again mirrors the console games. Each playable character favours a specific type of combat - Terra performs better with physical, strength-based combat, whereas Aqua works better with magical area of effect abilities, Ventas works best with a mix.

A perk of this being technically the beginning of the franchise is that the story, once through with its three perspectives, is the most complete and understandable of the series to date. It also functions as a touchstone for the series as a whole, giving some of the previously vague and convoluted plot points a context within the greater lore of Kingdom Hearts.

Finally we have Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. It is presented as a movie, rather than the game released on Nintendo DS, which in turn was a remake of a mobile game. I am not 100% certain of the run time, but it can be watched in episodes if you don't have enough time to sit through the whole thing.

Out of all the games I have always pegged this one as a throwaway addition to the franchise. The story is good, but ultimately amounts to extra padding and a method to tie up some loose ends before the plunge towards Kingdom Hearts III, with a brief stop off at the Nintendo 3DS game Dream Drop Distance (more on this in a bit).

There is one element that does not alter across the entire franchise - the music. Some people complain that Simple & Clean (Hikari in Japan) by Utada Hikaru is used far too much. Not I - the song ties everything together and never fails to trigger the feels when starting up a new Kingdom Hearts game. It is the same for Dearly Beloved, which has the power to reduce grown men to tears (no, I am not talking about myself, honest).

Musical call-backs between the games in this franchise are almost as important as the familiar characters of Sora, Riku and Kairi. The music, like all of the material in this collection, does not disappoint.

With this collection the franchise is almost entirely present on one generation of consoles and so for the first time many can play the games in the correct chronological sequence. In doing so many of the more confusing elements become clear and, looking back, I have to wonder how much was already planned and how much has been fudged around to fit in to the gaps left in previous games. Either way, the result is a tale both gloriously frustrating and fascinating in its complexity.

Now there is only one game (two if you count the Japan-only browser game Kingdom Hearts) left to be ported to consoles - Dream Drop Distance, is the true prelude to Kingdom Hearts III. The question on every fan's lips is why isn't this in the collection or when will this be ported and in what format?

If you've already played through Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix then this comes highly recommended. If you haven't but you own a current gen console I would wait a while because the prophet in me sees a complete collection coming to PS4/XB1 before Kingdom Hearts III, and I reckon it will have Dream Drop Distance included, hopefully fully playable because it was a fantastic addition to the franchise.

Pros:
+ Beautiful artwork and music
+ Refined and accessible gameplay across both playable games
+ Original and emotional story
+ Loveable characters that are deep and satisfying
+ Amazing voice cast

Cons:
- The editing in Re:coded can feel a bit choppy

SPOnG score: 10/10