Kingdom Hearts is one of the most loved franchises of Square Enix, but the titles of the games in the series have started to become really confusing.
There are three Kingdom Hearts games lined up, and they are named Kingdom Hearts III, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix + HD 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
Thanks to our friends at Kotaku, here is a quick summary of what gamers can expect from the three games.
Kingdom Hearts III
This is the easiest game to describe among the three titles. It is the next game in the beloved franchise, but Square Enix has largely kept quiet on details such as its release date.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix + HD 2.5 Remix
No, this is not Kingdom Hearts IV. The title is a compilation of games and movies that will be released for the PlayStation 4 in March.
The title is actually a combination of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, both of which were released for the PlayStation 3. Giving in to fan demand, Square Enix decided to package the two compilations into an even bigger one while bringing it up to 60 frames per second.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix contains Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, a remake of the first Kingdom Hearts; Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, a remake of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the GBA which occurs between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II; and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, a remake of the DS game with the same title that also happens between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, but with the gameplay removed to transform it into a movie.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, meanwhile, contains Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, a remake of Kingdom Hearts II; Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, a remake of the PSP game that serves as a prequel to the first Kingdom Hearts; and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, which is a movie version of the DS game with the same title.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
This title, which will be released for the PlayStation 4 in January, is a compilation of three more games in the franchise.
The games included in the title are Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD, an HD port of the 3DS game released in 2012 and the most recent title in the franchise; Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep-A Fragmentary Passage, a playable episode which takes place in the story after Birth By Sleep; and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, which is a new HD movie that reveals the origins of the Foretellers and links to the earliest games in the franchise.
Kingdom Hearts In Order
New and returning gamers alike who would like to experience the entire Kingdom Hearts story with a semblance of order should play the games like this: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and then finally Kingdom Hearts III. Looking at the titles likes this, they do make sense. There are still some parts of compilations that jump back in time chronologically, but at least you are prepared for them.
Hopefully though, Kingdom Hearts III will be followed by Kingdom Hearts IV and so on to avoid further confusion among gamers.
