Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix

North American box art
Developer(s) Square Enix 1st Production Department[1]
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Director(s) Tetsuya Nomura
Tai Yasue[2]
Producer(s) Rie Nishi
Designer(s) Tetsuya Nomura
Writer(s) Kazushige Nojima
Daisuke Watanabe
Masaru Oka
Composer(s) Yoko Shimomura
Series Kingdom Hearts
Platform(s) PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Release
Genre(s) Action-role playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix[lower-alpha 1] is an HD remastered collection of three games in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series: Kingdom Hearts II, Birth by Sleep, and Re:coded. A successor to the series' HD 1.5 Remix collection, it was released as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan on October 2014 and internationally two months later.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix includes Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix[7] and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix in high definition and with trophy support. Additionally, the collection features a cinematic remake of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded that features remastered cutscenes from the original game as well as new content. A third collection, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, was released in 2017. 2.5 Remix was re-released along with 1.5 Remix on the PlayStation 4 in March 2017.

Development

In the credits of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, clips of the games featured in the collection were shown, hinting at the collection. Additionally, when IGN interviewed Shinji Hashimoto about Kingdom Hearts III, he stated that the studio would consider another HD collection if the reaction to the first one was positive enough. The collection was announced on October 14, 2013, exclusively for the PlayStation 3.[8] As with HD 1.5 Remix, the collection was developed mainly by the Square Enix 1st Production Department in Osaka, along with some help from Square Enix's Tokyo team.[1] In July 2017, Nomura spoke on bringing the collection to the Xbox One, saying he did not believe there was much demand for it outside of North America, but felt it could be a possibility after Square Enix completed development on Kingdom Hearts III.[9]

Games

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix

Kingdom Hearts II picks up one year after the events of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Sora, the protagonist of the first two games, returns to search for his lost friends. Like the previous games, Kingdom Hearts II features a large cast of characters from Disney films and Final Fantasy games. Organization XIII, a group introduced in Chain of Memories, also reappears to impede Sora's progress.

The backgrounds and textures of the game had to be adjusted in order to change from the game's original 4:3 ratio to the HD 16:9. Additional imagery was added to the menu screens and Gummi Ship area to compensate for areas that were lacking from the ratio shift. According to co-director Tai Yasue, approximately 80% of the original audio was remixed, as well as additional orchestral elements added to the songs. Yasue said, "Yoko Shimomura's music is an undeniable trait of the Kingdom Hearts series, I feel like without the atmosphere she creates, it isn't Kingdom Hearts, so the mix of the final audio was carefully controlled but also provides a new depth to the familiar sound."[1] Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was released outside Japan for the first time as part of the collection.[8]

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix

Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the original Kingdom Hearts, taking place ten years before the titles events. The game centers on the journeys of Terra, Aqua and Ventus, characters briefly featured in Kingdom Hearts II, and their quest to both locate the missing Master Xehanort and protect the worlds from creatures known as the Unversed.

Moving from the PlayStation Portable to the PlayStation 3 allowed the development team to add more details to the character designs, additional atmospheric sounds, as well as slightly tweak the gameplay system, now allowing camera control with the right analog stick. In addition, the Mirage Arena (a multiplayer component from the original game) has been reworked to only be a single-player experience. Yasue said enemy strengths and AI in the arena were adjusted to account for this.[1] The inclusion of the Final Mix version in the collection marked the first time for this version to be released outside Japan.[8]

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded was also included in the collection, featuring the Nintendo DS game adapted into a cinematic retelling, similar to how Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days was included in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix.[8] The title is set after Kingdom Hearts II and follows the discovery of Jiminy Cricket's journal, which chronicles Sora's fight against the Heartless and Organization XIII, which is found to have two secret messages written by persons unknown. Once the journal is digitized for further analysis, the contents become corrupted. This leads king Mickey and his friends to make a digital Sora to enter and repair the journal so that the meaning of the hidden messages can be deciphered.

For the Re:coded cinematics, additional events occur that were not seen in the original. Tetsuya Nomura added that new voice acting is being recorded, and hinting at the inclusion of a new battle scene and a scene that ties Re:coded and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance together.[10] Yasue revealed that approximately 2 hours of the total 3 hour cinematic is newly created content and subsequently recorded with voice acting, as well as featuring additional scenes that flesh out the backstories of other Kingdom Hearts titles.[1]

Release

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix was released in Japan on October 2, 2014,[3] in North America on December 2,[4] in Australia on December 4,[5] and in Europe on December 5.[4] Preorders for the game in North America and Australia included an official Disney Collector's Pin for the game.[5][11] Square Enix also released the collection in two bundles in Japan, with both featuring Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and a code to get an Anniversary Set for Kingdom Hearts χ [chi]. The first, titled Kingdom Hearts Starter Pack: HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, features the previously mentioned material and limited edition casing, while the second, Kingdom Hearts Collector’s Pack: HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix features limited edition casing, a promo soundtrack, and a booklet with art from the series in addition to the previous material.[3] A collectors edition for North America and Europe was also released, featuring both HD collections, a steelbook case, art book, Disney Kingdom Hearts pin, and a Heartless plush doll.[12][13]

In October 2016, Square Enix announced a single-disc compilation release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix for the PlayStation 4. It was released on March 9, 2017, in Japan, March 28, 2017, in North America, and March 31, 2017, in Europe.[6]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic82/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM8.0/10[15]
Game Informer9/10[16]
GameTrailers8.7/10[17]
IGN8.4/10[18]
Hardcore Gamer4/5[19]

The collection sold 84,935 units during its first week of release in Japan,[20] and since sales figures were last reported for the game on November 9, 2014, 129,660 units have been sold in Japan.[21]

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix received "generally favorable" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[14] Game Informer praised the collection, praising the upgrades to Kingdom Hearts II, the transition of Birth By Sleep from the PlayStation Portable to the PlayStation 3, and criticizing the Re:coded movie as just being "there for completionists and easy to ignore for everyone else."[16] Electronic Gaming Monthly called the collection a great deal for fans of the series, praising the combat system and series charming characters, but noting the questionable overall narrative quality.[15] GameTrailers noted the improved selection of games over the 1.5 Remix, extolling the inclusion of two of the Kingdom Hearts series best games in the collection, as well as previously Japan-only content such as special boss battles. They also praised the new music arrangements and the cinematic retelling of Re:coded, though this was not a universally shared opinion.[17] IGN propounded the same points, noting the improved music, graphics, and "high-level challenges", but criticized the aging controls from Kingdom Hearts II and the camera system in Birth by Sleep.[18] Hardcore Gamer had more mixed views of the collection, noting that the games were not cutting edge graphically, particularly Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix, but was still a major improvement.[19]

HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

In the credits of HD 2.5 Remix, clips of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance were shown as well as the inclusion of a secret ending related to the game, hinting at a possible additional collection.[22] In September 2015, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The collection features an HD remaster of Dream Drop Distance as well as Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, a cinematic retelling of Kingdom Hearts χ, and Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, a new game taking place after the events of the original Birth by Sleep, told from the perspective of Aqua.[23] It was released on January 12, 2017 in Japan, and January 24, 2017 for other countries.[24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Kingudamu Htsu HD 2.5 Rimikkusu (Japanese: HD 2.5, stylized as Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 キングダム ハーツ HD 2.5 リミックス』安江泰氏インタビュー。HD化にまつわる開発秘話の他、最新作『KHIII』の話題も【E3 2014】 (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.(Translation)
  2. ↑ Kaori (June 6, 2014). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Release Date". Square Enix. Archived from the original on 2015-01-02. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Romano, Sal (June 17, 2014). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix Japanese box art and limited editions revealed". Gematsu. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Moriarty, Colin (June 5, 2014). "PS3's Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Gets A Release Date". IGN. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX – Limited Edition Announced". Impulse Gamer. July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Nunneley, Stephany (October 27, 2016). "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix announced for March release on PlayStation 4". VG 24/7. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Final Mix" is a term often used for versions of Kingdom Hearts with remade graphics, gameplay tweaks, expanded and clarified story elements, and bonuses features
  8. 1 2 3 4 Karmali, Luke (October 14, 2013). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix coming to PS3 in 2014". IGN. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  9. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew; Schwartz, Terri (July 15, 2017). "Kingdom Hearts 3 Director: Switch Version 'Maybe' Possible After Xbox One, PS4 Versions Are Released". IGN. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ Spencer (December 24, 2013). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix Will Have New Scenes For Re:coded". Siliconera. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ Karmali, Luke (July 24, 2014). "KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 REMIX LIMITED EDITION REVEALED". IGN. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ Futter, Mike (November 5, 2014). "Almost Every Kingdom Hearts Game Available In New HD Collector’s Edition". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  13. ↑ Blake, Vikki (November 5, 2014). "KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 REMIX COLLECTOR'S EDITION ANNOUNCED". IGN. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Holzworth, Chris (December 1, 2014). "EGM Review: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix". EGM. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Vore, Bryan (December 1, 2014). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix - Lock Yourself Away For The Winter". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Damiani, Michael (December 4, 2014). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix - Review". GameTraliers. Archived from the original on 2015-06-25. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  18. 1 2 Silva, Marty (December 8, 2014). "Simple and Clean". IGN. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  19. 1 2 Dunsmore, Kevin (December 2, 2014). "Review: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  20. ↑ "This Week In Sales: Kingdom Hearts Gets Remixed Again". Siliconera. October 8, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  21. ↑ "This Week In Sales: The LEGO Movie Videogame". Siliconera. November 12, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  22. ↑ Dunsmore, Kevin (January 14, 2015). "Get Ready to Play a New Kingdom Hearts Game in 2015". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  23. ↑ Wallace, Kimberly (September 15, 2015). "[Update] Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Revealed For PS4". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  24. ↑ Donaldson, Alex (September 13, 2016). "Kingdom Hearts 2.8 to miss December, now out January 24th". VG247. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
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