KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III] Review (PS5)

Gamers who love good collections will certainly love this release.

KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III] from Square Enix is a romp through several iterations of the famed series. It offers plenty of hours of gameplay, lovely visuals, and a story that seems to go in every direction possible (apparently, fans love it; it’s only been like 20 years, and they’re still trying to unravel what it’s about).  The game collection brings the goods and does its best to navigate through the aged gameplay controls and camera movement. It’s not perfect, but it’s nice to see so many hours of gaming in one place. Fans and newbies will be drawn to this collection like moths to a flame.

Let’s get it going.

The first question anyone and everyone will ask about the KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III] is: what is inside that box/virtual box? Well, quite a bit. The collection includes:

• Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMix (and everything in between)
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (and everything in between)
• Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC)

Add these games, plus the movies and goodies that come with them, and you have a true collection. There’s little to argue with a complete collection like this for around $70. That is a lot of gaming in one place.

This might be the first game not named GTA VI that is worth the price of admission. Granted, gamers will likely sit through more cutscenes than action, but it has enough of both to be worth it. Bravo to Square Enix for putting that together at the price point. Seriously, this game release is actually worth it. It packs so much gameplay into one place.

That said, some of the early games still show their age. While there have been some visual updates, mostly what seems like AI upscaling, the early releases still have gameplay control issues. For example, moving the camera around in Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 ReMix is a chore. The right thumbstick controls a sluggish camera with limited range of motion, which can be frustrating in the heat of battle.

While there is bound to be some inconsistency with the gameplay because of the varying ages of the releases, what consoles they popped in on, and the tech improvements that went with those consoles, I would think that Square Enix would want to update those controls just a bit further to make them even across the board. Updating controls might change the experience of the older games, making them more manageable and easier to play, but the lack of consistency is a bit of a downer. The upside is that gamers can see the controls evolve and gameplay mechanics improve. The downside is that a frustrating camera takes center stage early on.

Of course, the camera issues in the early releases still don’t take away from the fun of the action. The game is still a chaotic blast to play, build characters, and prove that action RPGs were the right shift in the RPG community decades ago. More control over character actions and full player agency when taking on common enemies and bosses make it far more fun. I will always have a special place in my heart for a good turn-based RPG, as I was raised on such beautiful gaming constructs; the early action RPGs, like the first couple of KH releases, set a new standard for what to expect in the future. A standard that has since reappeared in several Square Enix series. Looking at you, Final Fantasy.

Anyway, as the collection continues, the shifts in fun and improvements in controls and gameplay turn up to 11 when Kingdom Hearts III arrives. While I understand that many people didn’t take to it as much as the previous versions, it contains modern mechanics and RPG ideals that keep pace with a modern action-RPG experience. In addition, the inclusion of more familiar Disney characters and more understandable stakes in the gameplay lift it somewhat above the early releases in the series. I certainly had a better time with the gameplay and found it far more refined and easier to pick up than the game’s early releases.

As an outsider looking into this series, I understand my opinion doesn’t come from a hardcore KH fan’s perspective. Regardless, I enjoyed the third game most of the bunch, and I’m glad I dived into the early stuff to see how the gameplay progressed. Clearly, the folks at Square Enix did a great job of improving each release and refining the gameplay experience.

Anyhoo, this collection makes for a good time. Sure, some gameplay elements might feel a bit dated, but the adventure and the collection of Disney personalities (some long gone from this world) are a firm reminder of how much fun an action-RPG can be when everything is done right and clicking on all cylinders. I know how much this series and this collection mean to hardcore KH fans. Having the collection in one place on multiple platforms is pure gold for those folks.

As for the other goodies in the collection, Square Enix did a nice job including great extras, such as the ability to watch all the cutscenes back-to-back in a few releases. I know quite a few people out there are dying to see the cutscenes. Probably Kojima Productions fans. This release also includes the Midnight Blue Keyblade, a cool-looking weapon.

Beyond those bonuses, folks who bought the digital PS4 versions of the game only have to pay $37 to upgrade. Based on expectations, the upgrade could be seen as a sweet deal or a bit lacking. Since this is a collection, not a remastered/remade collection, the graphical upgrades are purely AI-driven, which means you’re not getting truly retooled graphics and character models. That doesn’t mean things will look aged and odd; it just means textures will be smoother and more polished, rather than completely redone. Is that worth the upgrade price? Not at all, but having everything in one collection, plus additional goodies, makes that price point much more digestible.

Overall, the KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III] is meant to have everything in one place with extra goodies and plenty of gameplay. It’s not meant to be a remastered/remade set of games. Again, for the number of hours gamers will get out of this collection compared to how much it costs, it’s a steal. Something tells me this is a prelude to bigger, better KH games in the future, and a clear sign of how much bigger the fandom will get.

On that sweet note, let’s wrap up this review.

Conclusion
KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III] from Square Enix is an impressive amount of content that will certainly satisfy Kingdom Hearts fans (and probably attract some new ones). While the game offers great bonus content and countless hours of gameplay, it doesn’t dramatically improve on the original games. On PS5, it improves some technical aspects, especially load times, but relies on graphical upscaling to look impressive.