With the launch of Kingdom Hearts 3 less than two months away, fans of the series have a great deal to look forward to. This massive, infamously complex (though charming) storyline reaches finale (and there is a great-looking PS4 Pro LE console available, too). Before KH3 lands, Square Enix has recently released a new compilation set that takes two previous PS4 releases (which are themselves compilations) and combines them into one, two disc set. Priced at $40, Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far offers all nine chapters of the compelling franchise, which is the sum total of two previous releases, namely, the HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX and the 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. Back in 2017, our own Alex Tudor reviewed the 1.5+2.5 ReMIX.
I had never actually played a Kingdom Hearts game before, and to suddenly have the franchise at my fingertips was both exciting and daunting. This is a huge series, and from what I had heard and watched on Youtube, the story is complex and even convoluted at times. With characters and locales pulled from the Final Fantasy and Disney franchises, two of the biggest, most identifiable IPs in pop culture, it’s amazing that these games even exist, quite honestly. Upon starting the game, by the way, there is a document you can read that details the licensing and streaming restrictions and so forth; I had never seen a game have so much legalese, but it’s necessary given the age and expanse of these titles. Anyway, I applaud Square and Disney for getting together on this.
That said, here is what you get on this two disc set:
Disc 1 – Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (PS2 version, which was a remake of the GBA game)
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, with HD remastered cinematics
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final MIX
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, with HD remastered cinematics
Disc 2 – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD
Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-
Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover (movie)
Nearly seventeen years of Kingdom Hearts that began on the PS2, but also saw full games on the DS, 3DS, PSP, GBA — incredible. These two discs are in fact the same discs that were released on the PS4 in 2017, providing six total games and three movies. The HD movies for 358/2 and Re:coded provide in-depth accounts of the stories of those two games that were previously on the Nintendo DS, while x Back Cover is an eye-popping CG film. In terms of content, both discs are exactly the same (including having to download updates) as their 2017 counterparts, though the box art here is unique and new.
In my time with this release so far, I have spent the majority in 1.5 ReMIX and the series’ charm is evident from the start. A familiar, timeless tale of a peaceful world being shrouded in darkness, and a few select heroes left to save it. Characters are relatable and familiar, not only in their innocence and development, but with connections to Final Fantasy and Disney, it’s, well, pretty special shall we say when you encounter the likes of Donald, Mickey, and Goofy. Having dabbled briefly in all of the titles, I have since read that playing the 3DS remaster of Dream Drop Distance is a great move for series newcomers thanks to its references to the major story events of the earlier games. Playing on a PS4 Pro, the presentation is impressive, with acknowledgement to the games’ age. Performance issues are practically zero as well.
Volumes have been written, and written better than I would be able to do, about these games and the build up to KH3 is for real. This release is a well-priced, exciting invitation to franchise newcomers like myself. It’s a tremendous amount of content in one convenient package. For owners of the content as it was released in 2017, there isn’t much of a case to be made except for maybe gifting your old copies and picking up this shiny new compilation. Regardless, -The Story So Far- is chock full of compelling, charming, quality content, and you can’t go wrong adding it to your collection .
###
