Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix Hands-On Preview

By Todd Awbrey Posted on September 2, 2014

Nostalgia is a funny thing. It rears its head when games are re-released and urges you to go back and play again. I already played Kingdom Hearts IIyears ago and loved every minute of it. As a kid that grew up on Disney movies, it blew my mind to play a Square Enix RPG that combined theDisney characters I loved with Final Fantasy characters. Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix is the direct follow-up to last year’s Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix. This re-release gives people that have played Kingdom Hearts the opportunity to play it again in full HD glory as well as giving people who missed them their chance to play them for the first time.

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix brings the FINAL MIX versions of both Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep together with Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded into one package with a complete HD graphics overhaul. This is the first time the FINAL MIX versions will be available in the US. Re: Coded, originally on the Nintendo DS, is not playable in this collection, however all the cinematics are collected together for your viewing pleasure. It has also been confirmed that there will be new keyblades, new boss battles, and additional cinematics giving players even more reasons to wield the keyblade again.

Those feelings of nostalgia came rushing back while playing through a portion of Christmas Town from Kingdom Hearts II. It looks better than ever and it plays better as well with additions like controlling the camera with the right analog stick. It’s much easier to control the camera now than with the shoulder buttons as before. Even with the improved controls, the camera can still be a burden during combat, especially when locked on to an enemy. The characters look great and slicing up Heartless with your Keyblade felt just as satisfying as always. Even though a slew of great games are coming out this fall, I’m sure the lure of the Keyblade will draw me back to Sora, King Mickey, and the gang.

This is the definitive version of Kingdom Hearts. If you are a long time fan or new to the franchise, this will be your opportunity to play the best version of these games and a reason to keep the PlayStation 3 hooked up. With the greatly anticipated Kingdom Hearts III in development and on the horizon, there is no better time to hop in the Gummi Ship and grab a Keyblade. I know I will be pouring hours into 2.5 Remix when it is released on December 2nd.